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Mom That’s what it was about Dylan She was, in so very many ways, Millie Johnson-Snyder No wonder my mom liked the Nichols family sofan," she said with a certain air of confidence

Okay, flattering, but she wasn’t flirting This was good

"Your nuher than Patricks did last year, but only if the tiht"

Dylan Nichols knew her way around the business of football "Thanks," I said One-word ansere safe

"We’ll talk more tomorrow, sorry I didn’t airly way She was Millie…and Nolan was going to flip the fk out at lunch to my jersey over my shoulder to take her hand one more time in a business-like shake "It was nice to irlfriend’s excited tothe words fro, but wanting toto clearexcited, however, was overkill All I had going for ender-neutral na Nolan could relate to But I knew even that wouldn’t soothe the discomfort she was sure to feel when she was sandwiched at a table between the young and seasoned versions of h the tunnel Truth was there wasn’twhen I was on the field I always had the gift of concentration It wasOregon 14-21 Their defense was everything I’d expected it to be, punishing, tough, brutal and strong But they didn’t break ame with ht, Johnson?" Trig said as he walked by on his way to the showers, sirlfriend got you on a leash tonight?"

I kneas only teasing, but it pissedhiirl, you know that," he looked offended

"Sorry, just a little stressed…" I said,to talk to Nolan about the draft, warn her about Dylan and then…Dylan "Yeah, we’ll probably couys Where you headed first?"

"Cooler’s, I guess They never charge," Trig said, flipping on the water to his shower

"Okay, we’llto the hot water now strea He came to Arizona from New Mexico, and the man was a quarterback’s drea it We were both Johnsons, which had become the favorite headline for the ca faest He had four brothers who all played college ball His oldest brother, Miles, was a left tackle for the Cardinals, and we got soa understood my pressure better than anyone else on the teah a lot of the draft shit when I wasn’t ready to bring it up to Nolan And after, when it freaked her out, he was there for that, too His girlfriend went to UofA with us, and they’d been dating about as long as Noles and I had Trig was looking to enter the draft this year, too But his girlfriend, Amy, was all for it And I envied hi on the leather sofa at the main entrance to the athlete quarters, their feet folded up in their laps The girls had grown closer in college and even lad that Nolan had someone like Sarah to look after her She’d told me off a time or two, and I’ll be honest, it hness at Nolan’s side when I wasn’t around

"Well, how’d I do?" I asked, kicking at Nolan’s folded legs a little

She stood up, pulling her shirt down over the top of her shorts, alwaysat the inside of her cheek a little, she put her thu "Hhty percent," she nodded, acting with disappointment