Page 130 of Salvaged Hearts

“As it should,” she declared snootily before raising a hand to cup my face, stroking her thumb over my cheekbone and leaving a damp trail in her wake. Her eyes widened as I deadpanned, a nervous giggle rising up her throat as I lunged.

Paxton Rhodes threwfor five hundred and nine passing yards his first game on the Emerald Bay field, and the packed arena lost their minds. And with good reason—another fifty yards would’ve made history.

With each throw, the fans grew more feral. By the time he shot a canon of a pass to none other than Dallas Miller for the game-winning touchdown, the team was just as ecstatic, rushing the field in celebration.

Royce, who’d spent most of the game shooting concerned daggers at his phone as he checked on Miranda, actually leaped to his feet beside me as Miller crossed the end zone. He turned to me with his hands up for dual high-fives.

“Holy shit, man!”

“Is it too soon to say we’re back?” I boasted. He shook his head, blond hair swaying. But there was a disconnect in his eyes as if he wasn’t really with us. Worry creased his brow.

I didn’t get to ask any questions, because Alice and her siblings instantly reduced to hysteria—hugging and bouncing about.

Oliver’s grin met mine over her shoulder as she rocked back and forth in an Elora-Leighton sandwich. The girls yelled with more ferocity than the cruelest of coaches the entire game, and Elora had the mouth of a sailor on her. Hell, all six of them did.

Fitting, I supposed.

“I hate that Miranda missed this,” he lamented, shaking his head. His wife had stayed home, not feeling well. This close to her due date, they’d decided it was better to get some rest. I couldn’t blame them.

“She doing any better?” I asked as Rhyett and Maverick both patted my back when they stepped behind me, making a beeline for the doorway. This was certainly the busiest the Hart family box had ever been, shy of the occasional corporate networking event.

Concern lined Royce’s eyes as he shook his head. “She said she was going to try and nap, but I haven’t heard from her since.”

“Get your ass home,” I barked. “Go check on your girls.”

“Still determined it’s a girl?”

“If I’ve learned anything in the last few months, it’s that Alice is always right.”

“Hold on,” that familiar voice had me grinning as my eyes closed. Alice was miming a whiteboard eraser, complete with squeaking sound effects, when I turned to face her sly smirk. “Back up and say that again; I didn’t have a recorder going.”

“Busted,” Royce muttered, looking greener by the minute.

Tucking Alice under my arm, I pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Love you, baby. You know you’re brilliant; don’t pretend otherwise. Congratulations today, by the way.”

“Congratulations toyou, Mr. Owner,” she countered playfully. “My brothers are gonna hang back with Ollie forthe press conference, but me and the girls were thinking about heading home to make sure everything is ready for the afterparty. You wanna come with?”

“I’m actually gonna head home too,” Royce said, anxious eyes flicking between the two of us. His pallor had sympathy nausea unsettling my gut.

“You look a little seasick,” Alice noted. “Which is rather unfortunate on solid land.”

He grunted an attempt at a laugh before grimacing and admitting, “I feel like shit. Would it be a terrible inconvenience if I caught a ride home? I’ll have somebody come grab the G-wagon.”

My wife wrinkled her nose but shook her head. “You’re on the way, anyways. I’m sure my brothers can handle your car.”

Nodding, he fished his keys from his pocket and tossed them to her. “Just…not the kid. He scares me.” We both smirked, eyeing Maverick. “Thanks, Alice. I uhh…” He swallowed like that muscle was all that kept the bile down.

“Why don’t you go wait by the car?” my wife suggested. Royce just nodded, holding a hand up to keep us at bay as he backed away.

“Yeah,” he managed to grunt. “Good plan.”

“See you in a few.” A sympathetic smile crept over her beautiful features as she watched him exit in a hurry. Wrapping her arms around my waist, she muttered, “Yikes. You going to come with, Mr. Hart?”

Before I could answer, Mattie threw her arms around Alice’s waist and buried her face against her stomach. “Pleasetake me with you!!” Their nanny had no-showed after Carly made sure to stake her baseless claim to Oliver and their kids last night. The only timeCruellabothered to show up was if someone deigned to give the three of them attention befitting any creature larger than a flea.

Ollie had brought them both along, and while Beau seemed ecstatic at the prospect of going out on the field, four hours of football and pre-game was evidently more than our Mattie could tolerate, based on the desperation in her voice and her little arms locking around my wife. “Please! Leigh says she’ll paint my nails for the party.”

“Oh, will she now?” Oliver grumbled, arching a brow at Leighton, who just flashed a mischievous smile, daring him to challenge her. My brother obviously valued his balls intact and was wise enough not to take the bait.

---