Page 178 of Beautiful Storm

“Yep. I’m sure we could think of something to do after Juliet’s back asleep.”

“Definitely. I could use a massage. It’s stressful watching the Super Bowl.”

“I thought that only happened if you cared.”

“Well, it turns out that I do. Very much so.”

Luke chuckles before flopping onto the bed, his eyes drifting closed.

“How do you plan on celebrating when you’re ready to pass out?”

“I’m fine.” He bolts upright, almost startling me. “I just needed those few seconds of shut-eye.”

“Okay. You’re acting weird. And why aren’t you drunk? I thought for sure you’d be drinking yourself stupid.”

“Nope. I had two very important things to come home to.”

“Things?” I raise an eyebrow.

“People.”

I almost feel bad that he’s here for us, but when he takes Juliet from my arms and sings her to sleep, I snap out of it. Luke is not one to do something he doesn’t want to. If he wanted to celebrate with his team, he’d be there. This is where he wants to be. With us.

A warmth spreads through my chest, and the second Juliet’s back in her portable crib, I jump up and wrap my arms around him from behind. “You were amazing today, Luke. I’m so goddamn proud of you. You manifested the shit out of that win, never once doubting yourself or the team.”

Luke unclasps my hands and steps out of my hold before spinning to face me, cupping my cheeks. “That’s not the only thing I manifested this past year.”

“Oh yeah?”

“I manifested you.”

“You hated me.”

“Nah. I wanted to hate you, but I never really did. Not completely. You, on the other hand, can hold a grudge.”

“And you’d be wise to remember that.” I bite back my smile and he huffs before walking me over to the bed and perching me on the edge.

“It’s all up here.” He points to his head as he sits beside me. “I remember everything.” He puts on a creepy voice as his eyes widen, making me laugh.

“Stop, you sound like a stalker.”

“If you leave me, you bet your ass I’ll be stalking you.”

“I don’t doubt that.” A yawn escapes me but I try to hide it. “Sorry, the excitement of today really got to me. I’m not usually this tired. I thought Juliet’s random sleep patterns were making me accustomed to little to no sleep, but today feels different.”

A flash of a frown mars Luke’s features before he hides it. “I’ll let you sleep then. Juliet will be up again before you know it.”

He moves to stand but I stop him. “Wait. I may be tired, but I don’t want to sleep. I want to hear all about your day. The parts of it I missed. How are you feeling?”

Luke grins before his smirk turns cocky again. “I’m on top of the world, Ace. But before we talk about football, I’ve got something else to say.”

“Oh-kay.” I pout, making Luke chuckle before he bops me on the nose.

“Winning the Super Bowl was a dream come true. Something I’ve been striving for my entire life. I had a one-track mind and I wasn’t retiring until I got that ring. I may not be as stubborn as you, but I was more than willing to push my body to the limits and outstay my welcome if it meant I could realize my dream.”

I huff out a laugh, picturing a middle-aged Luke running across the field.So much for not talking about football.I’d usually call him out for less than this, but I give him a pass for today. “You’re amazing, Luke. You set out to achieve a life goal, and you did—”

“Wait, I’m not finished.”

---