Patton Cooper won three national championships as the starting quarterback for the Los Angeles Marauders, but that didn’t stop them from trading him to Phoenix without so much as a warning. At thirty-two, he finds himself weighed down by old injuries and forced to start over again as a backup quarterback for an untried rookie. Deeply hurt by the betrayal of both his team and his ex-lover, Patton keeps to himself and takes what solace he can in football.<br><br>Cornerback DeShawn Jones has loved two things in his life -- football and Patton Cooper. It seems like his dreams have come true when he’s drafted to play for the Phoenix Wildcats, until he realizes the coach has no intention of letting him start, and his childhood hero is a withdrawn, wary man. But DeShawn refuses to give up on his dreams of playing, or his hope of reaching Patton.<br><br>A tentative connection forms between the two men, but the pressures of the game may be too much for the relationship to withstand. Especially when DeShawn is given the chance of a lifetime while Patton struggles not to relive the mistakes from his past.

Mr. November

Patton hated Kansas City. He always had.


A gloved hand filled Patton’s vision, and he took it with a grunt of thanks, allowing one of the defenders to pull him to his feet. Probably the same one that had sent him flying only seconds earlier. The pass had been caught in bounds, advancing the line of scrimmage fifteen yards. The entire game had gone that way. Patton kept getting knocked down, but every time he was pulled to his feet, the chains had moved. It would be a perfect game but for the sky pushing down, threatening to swallow them.


“You okay?” Bryce asked as they moved into the huddle. “You’re taking a hell of a beating.”


“It’s fine.” Patton checked his wristband and quickly chose the play. The Arrowheads’ pass rush had been strong all day, but they weren’t stopping the big passes or the runs. The big calls were paying off, too. “Slide option.”


Chapter 44