Page 45 of Love in Overtime

I shake my head. “Nah. I only smile for you.”

She beams. “Okay, then be nice.”

“I’m always nice,” I insist.

“Mm-hmm,” she says raising an eyebrow. “Don’t forget about the party at the Rustic Slice later.”

I groan. “Another party?”

“Yes. And it’s the most important party of the season. All your legions of fans want to celebrate with you.”

I shake my head. “Not with me.”

“I’m afraid so, Montgomery,” she insists. “Get used to it.”

I sigh and return to my teammates. The celebrating continues in the locker room, and I don’t think any of us have ever been so happy about a victory.

“Congrats, man,” I say, patting Scotty on the back. “I’ve been waiting for you to get back out there.”

Scotty nods. “It felt so good to be back.”

“Yeah, and you have quite a fan club. We all saw you and Angel.”

Scotty’s face turns bright red. “Yeah …”

I slap him on the back. “I understand more than you know, trust me.”

Of course I’m referring to Blair.

None of us are in a rush to get changed, but the press is waiting. My plan is to sit back and let Dan and Scotty handle all the questions. It was a team effort, but they worked together to finish it for us. I just need to get through the conference and the wrap party at the pizzeria with hundreds of people. Then I can talk to Blair and tell her how I really feel.

As much as I love what I do, I’ve never been a fan of crowds. I know this is odd, considering I play in front of thousands of people every season. The Rustic Slice is so packed I’m wondering if it’s legal to have this many people in this small space. The air is filled with loud chatter and laughter. Trays of pizzas are being passed around and everyone is having a good time, including me. I’ve decided I can have fun anywhere if Blair is with me.

“Great game, Cooper,” Zach says, coming up beside me. He holds out his hand to shake mine.

“Thank you. I’m glad I could be a part of it,” I say sincerely.

“And we’re glad you stuck it out,” he says with a laugh.

Wow. I guess everyone really expected me to bail on this team. Admittedly, I almost didn’t sign on, but once I commit to something I’m in it for the long haul.

I look over and see Blair talking to Angel, Willa, and Ted’s girl, Harlow. It’s so difficult to take my eyes off Blair for long. Six weeks ago I didn’t know this woman, and now she’s everything. I take out my phone and send Estelle a message.

We won the final game.

I pause before I send her another text.

Thanks for making me come here. It’s been life changing.

It takes about a minute for her to send me a response.

Who are you, and how did you get Cooper’s phone?

I smirk.

Very funny.

I’m sure she has a lot of questions, so I step outside to try to find a quiet space to call her. There are literally people everywhere. Where did they all come from? I didn’t know this town had so many residents.

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