I nod and survey the field once again for Parker and I find him, one of the last people jogging out with his helmet in hand and his gloves tucked into his waistband. He joins other players that look about the same height as him. He’s laughing and one player squats down and a line of players start playing leapfrog.
“They do that to get their ‘hops’ going. Or so they say.” Sutton smiles.
“As you know, being an elite level athlete comes with stress so I think it’s great that they can play around for five minutes. Parker especially. We’ve only had one session, but I think he needs to relieve the pressure.”
“Let me know if you need anything else. I know you can’t tell me what you talk about, but if there is anything I can do for my little brother, I hope you’ll find a way to tell me.”
“In the paperwork, it gives me permission to share his progress.”
“Oh, my assistant must have added that in. That’s good.”
It’s sweet that she thinks of him as a brother and not just a brother-in-law.
And since I enjoy making my own life harder, I notice how thick Parker’s thighs are, like a hockey player and how good he looks in his tight jersey which is rolled up exposing his ripped core.
Heat blooms in my stomach. Sutton catches the fire on my face and smirks.
“What?” I ask.
“I didn’t say anything,” she answers.
“You were thinking something.”
“I’m always thinking about something. Part of being the boss. Part of being a sister,” she replies, entirely too pleased with herself.
While practice is gearing up, Sutton types on the laptop and pushes the remote and Parker’s body fills the screen. He’s in motion, circled, there’s a timer in the bottom corner. It takes 3.2 seconds for him to turn back towards the ball. The ball is thrown by his older brother Greyson and it hits his fingertips and falls.
Next a deep route and he’s tracking the ball beautifully and catches it cleanly. Then another drop.
Sutton’s mouth draws up as she shakes her head. “That’s what we can’t figure out. It’s not every time. It’s making everyone crazy. He had an MRI after a hit early in the season, no concussion. No irregularities.”
“The mind tries to protect us from what it thinks we should fear. How is his mental state in other aspects of his life?” I ask.
“He seems fine. We have a big family and our lives revolve around football, tennis, and concerts. Free time barely exists for this family, so when it does, it’s usually spent crowded around Sunday dinner at Dad’s house. Parker always shows up, plays with the kids, plays with the adults,” she says. “We haven’t noticed anything different in his personal life.”
I feel my lips twist, “It could be a couple of things. A fear response which we’re working on with trigger words. But it could be the more he worries about it the more times he drops it making him fear failure of catching the ball.”
“Are thosefixable?”
“Usually. If he wants to be helped.”
Sutton sighs, “The thing with Parker is… he has a gentle spirit.”
“Are we talking about the same Parker?” My brows lift high on my forehead. “In our college days, he was always pushing my buttons. Being late. Bringing girls to the library with him. He was arrogant.”
She seems caught off guard. “Really? Hmm. But what I was going to say is, he doesn’t want to feel weak.”
I nod in agreement. “Most elite athletes don’t.”
“True. But he’s also an O’Ryan.”
“You say that like being an O’Ryan is a diagnosis itself.”
She gives me a minuscule nod and says, “Since you’re working with Parker, let me point out everyone. Head coach, J.D O’Ryan, oldest brother. Number ten, Greyson. He's the second oldest brother, quarterback and most importantly, my husband. And then there’s Matt Stricker, the offensive coordinator who is also his brother-in-law who is married to Parker’s sister Noelle. So, it’s quite the family affair. His younger brother, Witt, is starting a gaming division here too.” She smiles while shaking her head. “It’s not enough that he’s already a millionaire and dominates the gaming space, he talked me into a new venture with esports.”
“Wow, that must make history.”
“Nope, Dallas has more family members than we do, just not on the field.”