Page 78 of Rushing Into Love

A whistle blew, signaling the beginning of the game. Lions vs. Chargers for the Pee Wee Championship.

The Chargers had the ball first, but our defense was good. Three downs flew by with no points and we already had the ball.

JD managed to complete a first down, but the team didn’t score. Ball back to the Chargers. They also completed a first down, then another first down, marching right down the center of the field. My legs were bouncing up and down, anxiety gripping my body.

“Go Benny!” Claire called from behind me on the bleachers. “Pull those flags, honey!”

Benny must have heard his mom screaming down at him; motivated, he pulled that flag and stopped the play.

“Thatta boy, Benny!” his dad shouted. Claire jumped up and down with excitement as our team stopped them again, getting the ball back.

Alex and Charlie both ran onto the field.

“Let’s go Alex!” Brooks shouted, clapping.

The kids lined up and took their positions, with Charlie as the quarterback. The ball was hiked and Charlie threw a perfect spiral to Rex. Unfortunately, he fell just short of a first down.

“That’s okay, Lions. Nice pass!” Quinn shouted. “You’ve got this.”

The team lined up again and Charlie completed another perfect pass, this time to JD.

“Way to go, baby!” JD’s mom cheered.

Quinn leaned over to me. “I bet Ryder’s gonna run a reverse to Alex.”

I nodded while my stomach roiled with nerves for my niece. Hopefully she’d be able to tear past the defenders, who were about twice her size.

Down, set, hike.Charlie had the ball, then handed it back to Rex, who started running to the left. Alex crossed over, grabbing the ball from Rex, and ran up the field, two Chargers close on her tail.

“Run, Alex, run!” I shouted, jumping up from my seat. Claire and Sue Ann were screaming and cheering as Alex blew by one, two, three defensive players on the other team.

“Touchdown!” Quinn cried out, high-fiving Brooklyn, Gigi, and Pops. He turned to me and winked. “Told ya.”

I grinned. “You were right. How’d you know that?”

“What do you think me and Ryder talk about, the weather?” he chuckled, shaking his head. “I came up with that play.”

“Nice work, Quinn,” Pops called down the row. “Worked like a charm.” Pops grinned at Brooks and I shook my head. It seemed like all the McCauliffe men were in on the plays.

“Halftime!” the referee called. Both teams trotted to their sideline, huddling together in clumps of blue and gold.

“So far, so good,” Claire said, sitting back down with a sigh of relief. Sue Ann nervously twirled a stray lock of hair.

“Benny and Skip are playing great,” I said, smiling over at them.

“Thanks. We’ve been going to bed extra early all week,” Sue Ann said, clasping and unclasping her hands. She seemed more nervous than her son.

“Well, it shows,” Gigi said warmly, rubbing Sue Ann’s shoulder. Sue Ann shot her a small smile of appreciation.

The whistle blew, signaling the end of halftime. Both teams took the field and the Lions had possession. Everyone took their positions and I took a deep breath.

Quinn leaned in towards me again. “This will be a medium pass to the first kid who’s open, but Ryder will try to get the ball straight down the middle.”

Nodding, I gnawed my bottom lip. I rubbed my hands together quickly, partly to warm them, partly out of nerves.

Charlie threw the ball down the center, but JD missed the pass.

Quinn shook his head. “At least it wasn’t an interception.”

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