Page 132 of Resisting the Running Back

Cassie is drinking beer, and I’m drinking Sprite. We’re eating nachos and having a great time as the first quarter gets underway. The Storm puts the first points on the board as Tanner tosses the ball to Spencer again midway through the quarter, and Cassie and I go absolutely crazy as we cheer for our men. The Cowboys come back with a field goal on the next drive, and the Storm answers with a field goal of their own, putting the score at ten to three at the start of the second quarter.

The direction of the field switches, and the Storm has the ball as they move closer and closer to us. Cassie and I cheer as they hit the red zone, and now I’m the one biting my nails as I keep an eye on Miller and the defender who’s been on top of him the whole game so far.

He’s had a couple of carries, but I can tell he’s eager to get his hands on the ball. I hear Tanner call the play, and then Miller runs across the field behind him. The ball is snapped, and Tanner hands it off to Miller. The fullback blocks the defender coming after Miller, and he’s able to break away and run straight up the middle toward the end zone.

Somehow he’s absolutely wide open, and I’m screaming like crazy as I watch him close the gap. He crosses the white line into the end zone, and the crowd goes crazy as he scores a touchdown. He drops the ball as Tanner races toward him, and they celebrate with a shoulder bump as they both jump high into the air back-to-back.

Miller runs out of the back of the end zone with his brother hot on his heels. The two of them race for the stands, and they both jump the wall at the same time—Tanner toward Cassie and Miller toward me.

It's a common celebration to jump the wall after scoring a touchdown, and having these twin brothers celebrating with the women they love at the opening game of the season is a picture-perfect moment in their careers.

He’s wearing a helmet, and I’m still screaming as I cling onto him for a few beats. The guy next to me is slapping him on the back, and the same thing is probably happening on Tanner’s other side, but it all happens so fast that I can barely register that they actually just did that.

Cassie and I are both laughing as they jump down and head back to their team. We high-five each other as we continue cheering for our men.

The Cowboys throw an interception right to one of our guys, and he makes his way down the field toward us before he’s tackled at the thirty-yard line.

Cassie and I get to watch up close again as Tanner hands the ball to Miller. He doesn’t score on this play—instead, he’s taken down pretty quickly by that same defender, but he gained a couple of yards.

Tanner throws to Madden Bradley next, who does score, and we go wild again.

I don’t know why I spent so much time resisting the running back. Maybe I couldn’t have predicted what life would be like today when I looked ahead a year ago, but I sure love this little life that’s mine.

EPILOGUE: Sophie Summers

April’s Birthstone

Eight Weeks Later

“Wow, Sophie. You look incredible,” Cassie breathes as I step into the room.

“Thank you,” I say, and I twirl for everyone in the room.

When the options are getting married at seven months pregnant after the season is over or getting married before I start to show even though it’s during the season…we opt for the latter.

I suppose we could’ve waited and tied the knot after the baby arrives, but I didn’t want to wait another second. I just want to be Miller Banks’s wife.

And so it’s during the bye week that we decide to move up our wedding.

Miller is off for ten days—from the moment the game ends on Sunday night until the following Wednesday, and since Tuesday is the common denominator for the football players we’d like attending our wedding, we opt for the first Tuesday in November.

It’s not traditional to get married on a Tuesday, but the Venetian happened to have an opening that day, so we moved ouroriginal date. It feels like everything fell into place just how it was meant to be. Cassie’s words continue to play in my head—what’s meant to be will be. And each passing moment makes this feel more and more inevitable.

I wasn’t the girl who doodledSophie Banksin my notebook in high school. But I sure as hell am the girl doodling that now.

We agreed not to find out the gender of the baby until he or she is born, and I’m not sure why I agreed to that since a part of me is dying to know. We’re trying to figure out names now, and so far, I’m drawing a complete blank for either gender.

I’m sixteen weeks pregnant, and my flat belly isn’t really all that flat anymore. I don’t have a bump yet, but my boobs are bigger, and I feel pretty bloated. I chose a dress that made me feel gorgeous—a sleeveless, flowy empire waist with a gorgeous lace applique along one of the layers. And it makes my boobs look like utter perfection—something I’m sure my future husband won’t be complaining about.

Speaking of my future husband, I’m still sitting here in awe that this is really happening. Cassie, Grace, Ava, Desi, and Jolene are all in the room with me now, and they’ve really become like actual sisters to me.

Chris and Marie are attending the wedding, and my parents are here. Miller’s parents are here, too, and Missy Nash, who is basically a second mom to Miller at this point, and she’s here with a date…Steve, Grace’s dad. I guess things are public now.

And that’s it.

We’re keeping it small and intimate. Family only. I didn’t even invite Brooke, my old friend from Cactus Valley High School. I haven’t spoken to her in months, and it just made me realize how very much it was a friendship of convenience. We worked together in the same place, so we were friends. But now my best friends are literally my family as I marry into this huge group that’s filled with women I respect, admire, and adore.

So they’re all standing up with me today, just as all of Miller’s brothers are standing up with him. Cassie is my matron of honor. Tanner is his best man, and he also has Lincoln, Grayson, Spencer, and Asher with him.

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