Page 83 of Risky Game

I wanted to go into the half up so damn far the guys remembered this first half all season.

“Go. Go, go, go!” I was screaming into my microphone, shouting plays at Cole.

With all the ease and confidence he carried himself with, he handed off the ball to Butler. Butler bulldozed him through the first line of defense and leapt over a back who dove for his ankles.

“Touchdown!” I screamed, throwing both of my arms in the air.

We were killing it!

Allen slammed his palm onto my shoulder. “Told you we were ready!”

Our offense jogged off the field, everyone smiling, everyone celebrating. There wasn’t a calm player on the sidelines or an ass in the chair in the stadium.

Jassen took to the field, and as much as I tried to ignore her all game and pretend she wasn’t there, I turned and watched as both Ruby and Amelia stood near the railing. Their red shirts lost in a sea of red and black, but I could find her anywhere.

She chewed on that bottom lip while Jassen lined up the kick, and when he ran toward the ball, covered her eyes.

As soon as the stadium shook with their cheers, she dropped her hand, checking the scoreboard. Her hands cupped her mouth as she screamed, cheered, and jumped for her brother, and pointed him out to Amelia.

Her gaze swung to the sidelines.

Our eyes met.

She picked up Amelia and shoved her finger in my direction and I couldn’t see what she said, but Amelia’s little hand rose in the air and waved at me.

My chest swelled three sizes.

They were here. My daughter was cheering for me. Proud of her daddy. And Ruby? She might have been proud of Jassen too, but damn… I hoped she was proud of me, too.

I lifted my hand in their direction, acknowledging them, and then I slapped Cole’s helmet as he ran by. “That’s how it’s done!” I shouted.

He grinned and tugged on his chin straps. “Good job, Coach. You’re killing it.”

Again, that heat hit my chest. I turned back to the field as our special teams lined up for the kick.

Eighteen seconds later, we were running off the field toward the tunnel. I was stopped by the media, gave a quick, ten-second review of the game from my perspective, but in truth, I had no idea what she asked me.

I thanked her for her time, then headed toward the tunnel. Hands were dropped through the railings for high fives, but I ignored them all except the ones that mattered.

“Daddy!” Amelia was crouched as low as she could, her little arm dangling.

I had to jump to reach her and barely grazed her fingers. “Love you, sweetie.”

I winked at Ruby and disappeared into the tunnel. I had a game to finish, a team to keep focused, and later, I had some very different plans for Ruby.

It was, after all, my birthday. Not that she had any way of knowing that.

We won the game. Forty-one to three and only then because I ended up pulling out Cole, Hall, and Butler. They were pissed, understandably, but we were ahead by thirty-five to nothing when I pulled them. The risk of their injury was greater than the reward of having them out there at that point.

Our defense held LA to a field goal. Jassen kicked two of them to give us another six points. At the end of the game, my old coach barely had the manners to shake my hand and begrudgingly mutter, “good game” before walking off the field.

I didn’t give a shit about his attitude. I celebrated with the team in the locker room. Praised them all for the way they played. They did so well, I canceled their Monday workouts, told them to sleep in, and be at the field in the afternoon for films and light conditioning.

By the time I made it out of the locker rooms and into the tunnel, I assumed Ruby would have taken Amelia home. Instead, they were there, Amelia sitting with a coloring book on her lap, and Ruby on her phone, leaning against the wall.

The scene threw me back to my earlier playing days and even first year coaching. When Vanessa would wait for me. Throw her arms around me and kiss me like no one was around. Those days were long gone, and I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed that support upon leaving until I had it then.

Ruby’s eyes shone with happiness and she pushed off the wall.

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