Fourth and Goal by Jami Davenport Read Free Book Online Page A

against the despised self-pity bubbling inside him.
    The last preseason game. Final cuts on Monday. He teetered on the edge of making it or breaking it. A dismal pro career with a dismal end—in with a bang, out with a fizzle.
    Well, not if he could damn well help it.
    Irritated at Tyler and angry with himself, he ground his self-pity into the turf and savored the anger. Anger gave him ambition, renewed his drive, and brought out the fight in him. Derek stood up and squared his shoulders. Enough of this crap. Hands on hips, he stretched his hamstrings and prepared to reenter the battle.
    "Let's go! Don't fuck this one up.” Tyler smacked him on the shoulder pads as the offense trotted onto the field. Derek followed him to the huddle, head held high. Determination radiated through his body. Three quick plays later, they were on the 23-yard line, fourth down and six. Tyler wanted to go for it. Coach let him have his way.
    Tyler bent down in the huddle and ignored the play the coach sent in, a run straight up the middle. As they broke the huddle, Tyler turned to him. “This is it, fuckhead. You'd better catch this one, because come Monday, after the final cuts, your ass better be on this team."
    Derek nodded. Tyler planned on ignoring the coach's instructions and calling his own play. If he fucked this up, he'd screw himself and Tyler. His cousin skated on thin ice too. Rumors of a trade circulated around the league. Tyler's antics and attitude didn't impress the new coaches.
    Shit. Damn. Fuck.
    Talk about pressure. He sucked in a long breath, said a silent prayer, and called on every bit of skill and luck he possessed. Do or die, now or never, sink or swim. All those cliches came down to this defining moment. His future hung on this one pass. He knew it. Tyler knew it.
    Relax. Find the zone. Don't try too hard. Stay loose . He hadn't come this far, battled through adversity, and clawed his way back to lose it all now.
    Tyler audibled at the line of scrimmage. Derek leaned forward and shot off the line as soon as the center hiked the ball. Sprinting downfield, he executed his pattern perfectly, then turned on the speed, leaving his defender eating his dust. Pounding into the end zone, he spun around at just the right moment.
    Shit.
    Badly thrown, the wobbly pass soared too high. Derek needed every physical skill he still possessed and instincts he'd once possessed. He focused on the ball to the exclusion of all else. Placing his trust in his gut, he reached for the intangible something that had eluded him the past few years.
    Leaping into the air, he tipped the ball off the fingers of one hand into the other hand. It bobbled and bounced off his fingertips. He juggled it better than a circus clown until it fell into his hands. His long fingers wrapped around it. A second later, two defenders nailed him at full speed, their intention to teach him how to fly without wings. His body catapulted through the air before gravity brought him down with the assistance of a 260-pound tackle. The impact forced the air out of his lungs.
    Derek gasped for breath, wishing this dead weight would get off his chest. After an eternity the guy got up, giving him a sharp jab in the ribs. Derek grunted. In the morning, he'd have bruises on top of bruises. For now, none of that mattered.
    He'd hung on for six.
    The roar of the crowd didn't deafen his ears like at the Rose Bowl. Instead the quarter-capacity crowd acknowledged his incredible catch with a smattering of applause.
    Forcing air back into his lungs, he grasped the hand Tyler offered and scrambled to his feet. A little beat-up, but he didn't give a shit. He'd caught the damn ball. Finally he'd thrown the monkey off his back. Jogging to the sidelines, he shook his head to clear the slush moving around inside.
    "Not bad, Ramsey.” The coach studied him, his face impassive.
    "Thanks, Coach.” Derek flashed him a smile. The man was stingy at handing out compliments, so he'd take this one for