Page 127 of The Forever Play

Some might say that I’m missing out, that becoming a mother at eighteen robbed me of a college education and this freedom to party, but…

I love being a mom.

I seriously think this is what I was born to do, and skipping a party so I can care for my daughter does not feel like a big loss for me.

Sure, I’d love it if Zander would come with me, but I’m not going to deny him a few drinks with his buddies. He deserves to celebrate this win, and I’ll be reminding him of that… as soon as he gets out here. We mapped it all out before he left for his pregame ritual, and we’re sticking to that plan whether he wants to or not. He needs to celebrate with his teammates…,and then we can celebrate in our own special way when he gets home.

A thrill races through me, a smile curling my lips as I check my watch again. My smile turns to a wince, and I pull out my phone to text Mrs. Ward, letting her know that I’m going to be running late.

She texts back after a few minutes with a photo of Zoey, who’s asleep on the couch, snuggled up with three of her favorite stuffed animals.

Mrs. Ward: Take all the time you need, sweetie.

I send back a string of grateful emojis before tucking my phone away and glancing up to see Zander walking toward me.

“Hey!” I run over to him, ready to launch myself into his arms, but stop short when I notice how gingerly he’s moving. “Oh, baby.” I slow my approach, gently wrapping him in a hug when he’s close enough.

“I’m okay.” He squeezes me against him, breathing in my hair before nuzzling his lips into my neck.

“I’m so proud of you,” I whisper. “That was a rough game.”

“I knew it would be.” He keeps me close, even when I go to pull away.

With a soft giggle, I nestle back against him, letting him hold me because he obviously needs to. “Thank God you’re okay.”

“Yeah, I’ll be a bit stiff tomorrow, but I’ll head to the gym for a therapy session and will be back to normal in a few days.”

“I couldn’t believe how brutal that team was. It felt like they were playing dirty and getting away with it.”

“Yeah, they were just within the rules.”

“And when that fight nearly broke out…” I pull back to study his face. “I was worried Carson would get penalized and?—”

“Yeah, thankfully that didn’t happen. He was instrumental tonight.”

“He was.” I nod, almost loath to admit how talented he is, but… credit where credit’s due, I guess. “He’s a… you know, he’s, um… a great player.”

“Yep.” He smiles at me like he knows I’m struggling.

I can feel the blush rising in my cheeks and let out a self-deprecating laugh. “Okay, fine. He was amazing! You guys make a great team.” I put on a fake pout. “I just wish he wasn’t such a grumpy ass at home. I wish he liked me.”

“He probably does like you. He just doesn’t know how to show it.”

“Yeah, whatever. He wants to see me and Zoey out of the house.” I cringe. “And it makes me feel bad that we haven’t left yet, but?—”

“You’re not going anywhere,” Zander growls,tightening his hold on me. “I like living with my woman. I don’t want you to go.”

My smile turns mushy. “I like living with you too. I love the fact that even though I’m about to say goodbye to you, when you get home after Offside, you’re going to be climbing into bed beside me and keeping me warm. I’ll get to wake up with you in the morning and do this.” Rising to my tiptoes, I give him a light kiss, which quickly deepens. I wrap my arms around his neck, relishing the feel of his tongue sliding against mine.

I couldn’t love this man more if I tried.

His hand glides up my back, splaying between my shoulder blades as he drops his bag and wraps both arms around me. He’s in no rush to end this kiss, and so we linger in that freezing parking lot like we’re the only two people on the planet.

Except that we’re not.

“Well, well, well. Ain’t this sweet.”

Zander stiffens, ripping his mouth from mine and drawing me even tighter against him. I glance over my shoulder, my insides jittering as a bunch of supporters dressed in yellow and black quickly surround us.

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