Sidelined by Mercy Celeste

her. “Now who’s your friend?” She looked around the patio and leaned in to whisper to Tracy. “He’s cute.”
    “Mom! Okay, I’m cutting you off the Diet Coke for today.” Tracy went very pale as he followed her gaze to Levi. Levi just shrugged and smiled. And handed over the bottle of wine. “Levi Brody, Mom, and don’t embarrass him. I had to promise vile things to get him to come.”
    Tracy turned beat red and ducked his head. So the big man had a soft side after all. Interesting. “Nice to finally meet you, Levi.” She held her hand out, letting Tracy have the stack of plates after all. “Tracy has talked about you so much this last week I feel like I know you.”
    “She doesn’t watch football. And Dad and Britney wanted to know all about you. I’m sorry; this sounds bad.” Embarrassed looked good on the coach. Sputtering even better. And when his dad rushed over, it became worse. For Tracy. Fans. His sister and his dad were huge fans. Levi signed a program from the first Super Bowl he’d won.
    “You never told me you went to that game,” he said when he and Tracy were alone for a moment.
    “When do we have time to talk? And it’s not like I’m a fan. Oh hey, Mr. Brody, will you sign my boobs?” Tracy raised his voice several octaves and rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms over his chest.
    “I’ve never signed a boob in my life. But for you, I’ll make an exception. But it’ll cost you.” Levi leaned in to whisper. “Do they know?”
    “Mom and Dad, yes. I’ve never told my brothers or sisters. If they haven’t figured it out then…they don’t know about us.”
    “And you want to keep it that way. I get it.” Levi looked everywhere but at Tracy. He forced his lungs to work when they wanted to stop. The sun seemed to dim in the sky. Fuck, what the hell was wrong with him? “I’ve done it enough. I know the drill. Talk to you later.” He took a bottle of water from the ice tub and went to mingle with the team.
     

Chapter Seven
    The long twilight faded into night, and Tracy found himself watching Levi dance. After dinner, the kids pulled him into their groups just because he was the best dancer. He slithered and shook and shimmied…Tracy pictured the two of them together in a club or somewhere, Levi moving with him as if his body were liquid. A feeling of déjà vu settled over him as if he’d seen Levi dance before.
    “You’re lusting. But who are you lusting over is the question. Can’t be one of the teaching staff. Unless Sandra Barton got a divorce without me knowing.” His next up sister Britney, the only other Wright kid still living in town, tucked her arm in his. “And I’ve never taken you for one to look at fresh young things.”
    “I’m not lusting over anyone.” He dragged his attention from Levi who’d become the center of attention when he stepped up on stage with the local group and took over the microphone. “Damn, he can sing too. Fucking so not fair.” The lead singer became back-up. Levi’s baritone better suited to the pop song anyway.
    “Levi Brody is a whirlwind up close. And gorgeous. Just as gorgeous as I thought he would be. And nicer. He signed my Super Bowl cap. But there’s just one thing about him that pisses me off.”
    “And what would that be? I haven’t seen him do anything wrong.” Tracy tried not to rush to Levi’s defense no matter how much he wanted to.
    “Nothing wrong. He’s been great. It’s that he’s not single. Or at least for not much longer. The man is t-totally in love, and I can’t stand that I never even got a chance.”
    A sharp stinging pain lanced from his chest up to his brain. Agony welled in his throat. Levi wasn’t the type to fall in love. He’d said as much just that afternoon. Watching him move. Listening to him sing. Tracy wanted to be with him. To be the one he looked at. Danced with. Sang to.
    “I just have one question?” Britney stepped in front of him and punched him in the stomach.