Page 178 of Naughty & Nice

My face burns beet red, and I turn to hide in Hendrix’s chest.

“Oh no, he’s going to want you watching,” Hendrix says, pulling me back so I can focus on the field.

When I look back at Wilder, he’s laughing.

No one else would be able to tell because he’s wearing his helmet, but I know, and so does Hendrix.

“I’ve never seen him happier than he has been this year.”

“I could say the same thing about you,” I shoot right back.

“You’re all happier than I’ve ever seen you,” Lori says, using her proud mom voice. “You’re all good for each other.”

Unable to argue with them, I keep my mouth shut and watch the coin toss. Both teams line up ready to begin, and my nerves quadruple.

“They’ve got this.”

Benny claps Wilder on the shoulder and then everyone stops.

Please, please, please, I silently beg.

But then the ball is snapped and all my fear and nerves drift away as I watch Wilder do what he does best.

It feels like the entire stadium erupts when we get our first touchdown of the game in the third down.

“See,” Hendrix says smugly once the volume has reduced. “I told you.”

The game continues with the Titans dominating.

At no point do they lose their win, and by the time the final whistle blows, the previously excited sea of purple is looking a little dejected.

I guess it just goes to show that a winning streak never lasts. It’s been a long time since their huge championship win. The roster has changed, and many of their senior players last year are now embarking on their rookie year in the NFL.

As the guys celebrate, Wilder looks up at us and rips his helmet off.

The smile and happiness on his face takes my breath away.

It takes every ounce of restraint I possess to keep my feet on the ground and not run to him. All I want to do is jump into his arms and tell him how proud I am.

We sit there long after the players have celebrated and disappeared into their locker room.

I’m still buzzing, and I know that Hendrix and Lori are too.

We’re all going out for dinner before Lori and Kian need to fly back out.

We invited them to the team’s party tonight, but unsurprisingly they’ve graciously declined.

Kian might be up for a laugh, but I’m not sure a college football party is really him. His younger brother Kieran would be, though. But then, he is just one of the guys. He’d probably love a throwback to an old-school college party now he’s living it up in the NFL.

Once we’re confident that Coach will let them out soon, we make our way out of the stadium and around to the locker room exit.

There’s a small crowd gathered, many of the players’ friends and families, but obviously there are more than a handful of jersey chasers hoping to get in on the celebrating early.

The wait is excruciating, and when the door finally opens, my heart jumps into my throat. But he’s not there. Instead, Benny and a few others come running out.

Benny’s eyes light up at the sight of someone waiting for him, and when I follow his line of sight, I find a blonde lady holding the cutest little girl.

She squeals and holds her hands out for him. He rushes over, takes her in his arms, and spins her around. The pair of them laugh like no one is watching. It’s incredible. And when I look at the lady, she’s got tears shining in her eyes.

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