She cleaned up for the night, and made a spot in his trophy case for his newest authenticated football. The one from his first NFL reception this afternoon.

They also learned this evening that the Panthers would be playing the Cowboys next weekend for the NFC championship. Winner went to the Super Bowl.

The Cowboys were tough this year. Going 13-3, they had the third best record behind the Patriots, going 14-2, and the Panthers at 16-0. It was going to be a great game next Sunday in Charlotte.

Immediately closing their bedroom window, she cleaned up in the bathroom before joining him in bed. When she came out of the bathroom, Carrie noticed he was laying on his stomach with a heating pad on his left shoulder.

She felt the heating pad. It was still warm and was turned on mild. What did he do to his shoulder today?

Deciding not to to wake her exhausted linebacker, Carrie instead went around to her side of the bed and crawled beside him. Both Gary and Wilson jumped up on the bed after her.

Carrie immediately pulled the covers around herself and moved as close to him as possible. The two of them had their differences when it came to sleeping together. She was always freezing and he was always hot.

She had to pull more covers out from underneath him. That movement was enough to wake him. Harrison opened his eyes for a moment, quickly blinked, then his hazel eyes settled on her.

"What did you do to your shoulder?"

He reached behind and grabbed the heating pad. "It's just a little sore. I'm fine."

Harrison turned it off and tossed it on the floor. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"You didn't hurt yourself?"

He shook his head. "No. It's just a little sore. I've had it get sore multiple times before. It's nothing new."

"Okay."

Carrie couldn't help but wonder if he was really hiding something. She decided not to press the issue anymore. If he was hurt, once the injury became to much, he would tell her.

"Did you close the window?"

She nodded. "It's freezing outside."

Harrison noticed she was shivering. "What is it with you and being cold?"

"Well when you have the window open in the middle of the winter it's a little chilly."

A smile crossed his face as he snickered.

"And what's with you being like a furnace?"

He held an arm up. "Come here." Carrie didn't waste any time. She quickly rolled even closer to him than she had been before.

His arm wrapped around her as he kissed her quickly. "Better?"

Carrie nodded. "Way better."

❺❾

The next morning after making breakfast, Harrison challenged Carrie to a game of darts.

"I don't know how to play darts."

He took her hand. "Come on. I'll show you."

She followed him down the hallway and into their game room. Harrison quickly grabbed two sets of darts and turned on the dart board.

"Do you want to play the countdown from 301 game?"

"Sure, but what's that?"

"You keep throwing until you hit 0 exactly."

"Okay."

He came and stood next to her. "Stand behind the line, and it's all in the wrist." Harrison went first and quickly drilled two 20's and an 18.

"Woah."

"Your turn."

Carrie stood behind the line. "So how do I hold it."

Harrison held the dart with her. "Whichever way feels comfortable."

She moved the dart around in her hand to a comfortable position. "Now just throw it?"

"Yep. Use your wrist. Now your whole arm."

She drilled a 10. "Nice. Now you got two more."

As she was about to throw it again, she asked, "how much do you move your wrist?"

Harrison once again held the dart with her. "I'll do it with you. Ready?"

"Yeah."

Together the two of them drilled a bullseye. "Damn. There you go."

Carrie threw her last one that hit a 2 before it was Harrison's turn. "Don't show me up."

"I'll try not to."

❺❾

They were down to the end. Harrison had 21 left, while she had 59. "59 is a pretty good number."

"It is."

"I think you should stay there."

"I think not."

She promptly nailed three in a row to bring her total down to 25. "Game on."

Harrison collected the darts. First he went for the 20 and placed the dart perfectly. Next he went for the 1, just beside the 20 and nailed it.

"Game right there."

"I want a rematch."

He handed her the darts. "Let's see it."

"You're gonna see something you haven't seen before."