Chapter 28
After a night of sleep and lovemaking, Dave and Joan woke up about 8 am. They ordered breakfast to be served in their room. While they waited for the food, Dave showered and dressed in a pair of light gray slacks and a deep blue shirt. He went into the bathroom and peeked in the shower at Joan. He smiled at her and whistled softly. She turned around and threatened to splash him. Dave laughed and quickly shut the shower door.
“Joan,” he called, “when you get dressed today, do you have a pair of light gray or white slacks you could wear with that gorgeous blue sweater you wore when we were walking through Columbiana?” he asked.
“I think I can find something like that to wear. Why do you want me to wear that?” she called out.
“Today is the day I have to go to the Ram’s game. You know our team colors. I just thought you, as a team member, would want to dress appropriately for the game. I even brought your team jacket. You might as well go in style. You’ll be the prettiest Ram at the game,” he laughed.
“I see you’re all ready for the game. I’ll see what I can find. Maybe we can dress like twins today; won’t that be fun?” she kidded him.
Joan stepped out of the shower and Dave grabbed a towel and wrapped her up in it. He kissed her and hugged her close. When there was a knock on the door, he hurried out and opened the door. He took the rolling breakfast tray and pushed it over to the table by the window.
After eating breakfast, they loaded their suitcases in the rental car and headed towards Tampa Bay. The game’s start time was one pm, but Dave was supposed to be there by noon to meet with the team. Joan drove down the highway to Tampa. She followed Dave’s directions and easily found the football stadium. Dave guided her to the team parking area. He showed his identification to the lot attendant and was directed to a parking place. Dave and Joan got out of the car and began walking towards the team entrance. Since it was still early, there weren’t many people hanging around the entrance, and they walked into the tunnel. When they were nearly to the team dressing room, Dave led her into a small side room. Joan looked around and smiled at Dave.
“Joan, I know you are a team member, but I don’t want you going into the locker room right now. The guys will be in all stages of undress, and I don’t want you learning that much about my teammates,” he said with a smile. “Besides, a lot of them are really keyed up; the language gets colorful and not fit for a lady to hear. I hate to leave you here by yourself, but I don’t want you seeing all those other guys. You might learn too much about the team. Will you be okay here by yourself?” he asked.
Joan smiled at him and sat down at the table. She pulled out her journal. “Don’t worry about me. I have a magazine to read, and I always have my journal. There’s no telling what I might want to write about today. We’ve done a lot this trip already. I doubt if any of it would be suitable for publication in a sports magazine, but someday I might want to write a sensational tell-all story of being married to the handsomest quarterback in the NFL. I think that would be a best seller,” she said with a laugh.
Dave kissed her and left to go to the locker room. When he walked in, everyone greeted him happily. They asked him where he’d been hiding, and why he escaped from the hospital. Lyle looked over at him and winked. “I didn’t tell them anything,” he mouthed.
The team trainer and the coach came over and talked to him about his leaving against medical advice. They checked out his shoulder. It was clean, well-bandaged and showed no signs of infection or problems. They walked back into the locker room.
“We have all been upset when we heard you had left the hospital against medical advice and had disappeared. You owe this team an explanation,” the coach said.
“I’ve been behaving, most of the time, and I have had wonderful care 24/7. I think I’ve probably healed better my way than in that hospital. I’ve been checked by the team doctor and I’m feeling good. My shoulder is still sore, but I haven’t been taking any pain medicine. I haven’t done any practicing, but I have been doing some exercise that the team doctor okayed in moderation. Besides my determination and desire to get well is stronger than ever,” he grinned.
“All right, Dave, I know you well enough to know when you’ve been up to something. Seriously, where have you been? We called your house, but Mrs. Jensen said you weren’t able to come to the phone; then a few days later she said that you weren’t at home,” the coach asked.
“Okay, enough suspense and kidding around. After I got out of the hospital, I left California and married a Ram team member,” he said happily. At their look of surprise, he and Lyle howled.
“What is he talking about, Lyle?” the coach asked.
“That’s his way of telling you that he just married Joan, our only female team member. According to Cindy, they got married in Alabama on Thursday. Since he couldn’t play or practice, he managed to convince Joan to marry him. He’s on his honeymoon now. He should get extra credit for taking time away from his bride to stand on the sidelines,” Lyle chuckled.
Everyone yelled their approval. Joan heard a loud shout through the wall, but she dismissed it as team spirited cheering. Once the noise settled down, the coach called the team together and began reviewing strategy for the game. By the time the team was ready to go through the tunnel to enter the stadium, they were charged up and ready to go out and win.
Before they left, Dave gave them a pep talk. He said, “I can’t play today, but all of you are awesome players. If you pull together and give Ryan, your new quarterback, the same protection that you give me, you can beat any team any day of the week. I’ll be standing out there watching and cheering you all on. I would like to ask if it would bother any of you or make you uncomfortable if I had Joan, my beautiful bride, standing with me on the sidelines?”
“She’s part of this team! She can be with you on the sidelines. We’ll make sure no one bothers her. She’s one of us,” Henry shouted and the others screamed in agreement.
“I haven’t told her about this, yet, but I plan to announce our marriage just before halftime. The news is going to come out sooner or later and, doing it here, she’ll have all of you to run interference with the press. I have a couple of surprises for her. She might get mad at me, but I think this will make things easier for us later. Thanks for your support,” Dave said.
When the team was walking down the tunnel, Dave stopped at the door where Joan was waiting. He walked in, took her hand in his and led her out to walk with the team to the field. Dave had his team jacket on. He helped Joan put her Ram’s jacket on over her blouse. When they reached the end of the tunnel, he put his uninjured arm around her shoulders while they walked out onto the sidelines. In the cluster of players and all the movement, no one noticed her presence. She sat down on the bench and was immediately surrounded by the other players. Many of the players came over and shook her hand.
Henry came over, sat down beside her. He smiled at her, gave her a hug and said, “Congratulations on your marriage, and thanks for what you said to my brother Jesse. He called us on the phone after you left, and he sounded happier than I’d heard him in years. You really made his day! Thanks again.”
Joan smiled at every one and cheered loudly for each one. When the game was about ready to start, Dave moved with her to the end of the bench. Joan was awed by the size of the players and by the noise that roared down at them from the stands. At no time was she left sitting alone. When she asked Dave about it, he explained, “Sometimes plays are run along the side lines and occasionally the players get knocked into the bench area. The guys are acting like your blockers to keep you from getting hit by accident.”
Dave walked up and down encouraging his teammates and cheering them on. He came back and put his arm around Joan. She had to scream to be heard over the crowd noise. “This is so noisy and so exciting. I can understand better now why you get so keyed up for a game. How
are you feeling?” she yelled.
“I’d be feeling better if I was out there playing, but standing here with you is really special, too,” he yelled back. He squeezed her and bent down as if to whisper to her, but instead he kissed her.
Right before half time, before the team began walking off the field to the locker room, the announcer said, “Please stay where you are for a moment. We have a very important announcement from the Ram’s coaching staff. I’ll read exactly what they wrote, “For the first time in Ram football history, two team members are announcing their marriage to each other.” There was a gasp from the stands.
The announcer continued, “It isn’t what it sounds like. The Rams have one woman on their team. By her quick and heroic actions, she saved the life of their quarterback David Allen a few months ago. To honor her, the players and coaching staff unanimously voted to make her an official team member. Last Tuesday, Dave Allen and Joan Marshall were married in a private ceremony in Alabama. We want to congratulate them and wish them great happiness.”
While the announcer was reading the message, the RAM mascot came over carrying a large bouquet of blue and white roses. He gave it to Dave and Dave turned around and gave them to Joan. He pulled her in his arms and kissed her. The stands erupted in cheers and shouts. The Ram team surrounded the couple and they walked quickly into the tunnel. Dave kept his arm protectively around Joan’s shoulder. She looked stunned by what had just happened.
”Joan, the news had to come out sooner or later. I know you hate publicity, but I don’t think anything bad will happen. If anything bad comes out of this announcement, we will face it together. You are my wife, and I will protect you. Please don’t be worried; just please trust me. I love you and I am so proud of you, my beautiful wife,” he said.
Joan looked up at him with a shocked look on her face. “I hope you are right, but I know we love each other, and that’s all that matters. When your arms are around me, I feel safe and loved. I am not afraid of anything now,” she whispered.