Page 117 of How to Prevent a Fumble

But the man is smart. So much smarter than anyone gives him credit for. He just doesn’t understand how to let go.

“I know. But he’s going now. He started going before the charity event, Zara. I just, I don’t know. I really think that he’s changed so much. And I like this new Leo. And if I’m being perfectly honest, I wouldn’t mind seeing where something goes with him.”

My friend studies me for a long time before she bites her inner cheek, clearly a little annoyed at my confession. “I just don’t want you to get hurt, okay?” she says softly.

Zara has been there for me through it all, and seeing me hurt as badly as I did when I was with Tony is something she’s told me she never wants to relive ever again. Supporting me when I found out I was pregnant, helping me get out when I knew it was time, and helping me find a place and furnish it was something she did without expecting a single thing in return.

But the emotional toll it took on her is something I never want to put her through ever again.

But Leo is a million times different than Tony ever was. That still doesn’t stop me from worrying that I’m falling into the very same trap, and this time it’ll be my daughter and I both leaving with broken hearts.

But after everything that has happened to me, I do want to believe that great love does exist. And for whatever reason, my heart wants me to believe that it exists with Leo Warner.

There’s five minutes to go and the Cobras are down by three. My brother has kept his cool throughout the game, but one of the refs has been seriously testing his patience.

“I just know that’s going to be the only thing I hear aboutfor the next two days,” Isla had said with a shake of the head when Owen got a flag.

They hurry into formation, with Owen on one side of the offensive line and Cooper on the other side.

The second the ball is snapped, the offensive line drops back into pass protection, with one of our guys practically wiping out one of their players. Cooper runs up the side a couple steps before veering to the left, and while one of our running backs helps with pass protection, Leo passes up the middle to Cooper, who finds a hole in their defense and leaps right through it, managing to put us in field goal range.

With three minutes to go, we’d rather score a touchdown than just simply tie the game and hope they don’t perform a miracle and score on us again.

This time, Owen runs up the side of the field, a camera man running right alongside him before nearly wiping out as he runs into someone. Owen doesn’t even see. Instead, he keeps running, and when Leo launches a deep pass, the entire stadium holds their breath.

And the second he rolls into the endzone with the ball safely in his arms, the whole place erupts in the loudest cheers I’ve ever heard, causing Elara to cover her ears.

The Cobras win the game.

We stand around waiting for the guys to come out after the game, and I can’t help but feel nervous. Elara is talking to Heidi passionately about one of her newest TV obsessions, and my hands start to feel clammy as I rub them together, looking everywhere but the doors in front of me.

Cheering erupts around me, forcing me to turn my attention to the men heading our way. Sweaty, tired looking men.

I find Leo in the sea of people, and even though they won, he looks wiped.

It takes a couple of seconds, but when I catch his eye, his face immediately lights up, his smile widening as his eyes twinkle.

He picks up the pace, getting closer and closer until he’s standing right in front of me.

“You waited for me,” he says, a big stupid grin on his face.

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“You’ve ditched me before.”

He’s got a point.

“Yeah well, I didn’t want to do that this time.”

As Leo grins in front of me, his gaze drops to my jersey, and his smile falters. “What are you wearing?” he asks slowly.

I look down, confused. Did I drop mustard on it? Did it rip?

“Your jersey,” I say as if it’s the dumbest question in the world.

“You’re wearing my jersey?” he looks back up, confusion still clear in his stupidly beautiful green eyes.

“Of course.”

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