Page 104 of The Quarterback
Continuing to coach Clarence did have some appeal. He had to laugh, thinking that. How things changed.
What a difference a year made.
“You know you’ll always be able to call me.” Kimbrough held out his hand to Colton, then to Nick. “Both of you. It’s an honor to call you guys friends.”
Colton had no idea what to say to that, but Kimbrough saved him from his awkward fumbling for words. “If you’ll excuse me, gentlemen.” He tipped his hat and guided his wife back to the dance floor as a slow song started.
Nick held out his hand. “Dance with me?”
They glided to the middle of the floor, past Kimbrough and his wife. They were already gazing into each other’s eyes, looking like they were the newlyweds of the night and not working on their fourth decade together.
Speaking of newlyweds. Colton craned his neck and spotted Justin and Wes, dancing together near the band at the front of the dance floor. Their eyes were closed, their faces so close their lips were brushing in an endless kiss. Justin smiled, and Wes did too, their bodies moving in perfect sync.
Nick threaded their fingers together and kissed the back of his hand. He pulled Colton close, as close as Wes and Justin were dancing, and pressed his lips against Colton’s ring finger. “That could be us one day,” Nick said softly.
Colton’s heart thundered. Nick still stole his breath, still made his world spin in a thousand different directions. Still made him pinch himself to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. “You want to get married again?”
“To you? Yes, I do.”
He went still, his skin burning, as he stared at Nick. “Are you asking me—”
“I’m not pulling a Wes.” Nick smiled, and he kissed Colton’s ring finger again. “This is a heads-up, though. I want to marry you, Colton, and I’m going to really ask you, soon, if that’s what you want.”
“I…”
“Say you want to marry me, too?”
The lights were flickering, all the hundreds of candles Justin and he had lit before the ceremony twinkling off the candelabras and Nick’s eyes. Nick’s thumb stroked the small of his back. “Of course I want to marry you. I dreamed about marrying you. I dreamed about growing old with you—”
“I’m already old.”
“You’re not.” He kissed Nick’s nose. “Like Kimbrough said, you’re young enough to have a few more kids.”
Nick peered at him. “Is that something you want? You’d be a great father.”
He’d never imagined it before. Kids seemed like a distraction when he was focused on making it to the NFL. And there was a part of him that had rejected the idea long ago. What did he know about being a parent? His dad had left, and his mom had checked out, and he was raised by a series of coaches and teachers, a carousel of men who were constantly turning over, constantly replaced. He didn’t know the first thing about being a stable parent.
Except… now he did.
What would it be like? Him and Nick, with a child of their own? Someone they could play toddler football with. Lie on the ground and build Lego creations with, scatter colored blocks like glitter over the carpet. Teach how to hit a T-ball and camp in the backyard. Make Halloween costumes together and go out trick-or-treating as a family. Maybe they would want to dance like their uncle did. Tutus and ballet slippers. Cleats and soccer balls and baseball gloves. First days of school, first lost teeth. First camping trip, first school play. First date, first car. First day of college. A whole life, a whole person they could create.
“I might,” he whispered. “I never did before. But with you… I might want to.” He gripped Nick, dug his fingers into Nick’s spine. “What about you? Is that something you want?”
“I could fall in love with the idea of having a child with you.” Nick kissed him, soft and slow. “I could fall in love with that idea easily,” he said against Colton’s lips. He kissed him again, and then again. Tightened his arms and held Colton to him. “Marry me?”
“I thought you said you weren’t asking yet.” The dance floor, the gilded banquet hall, the hundreds of guests, faded. There was just him and Nick and the tapping of the cymbal. The cascade of the saxophone. The low, tumbling tones of the singer, crooning about a forever love.
“I changed my mind. I don’t want to wait to hear you say you’ll marry me or that we’re going to have a life together,” Nick said. “Marry me, Colton. Like this, or on a beach, or we could run away to Vegas, just the two of us. Or we can fly anywhere you want. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. Marry me. Please?”
There was nothing he wanted more than to solidify their love, set it in stone and certify it for forever. “Of course I’ll marry you.” He cupped Nick’s face and leaned in, kissing him softly. “I don’t care where,” he breathed against Nick’s lips. “Or how. I want the rest of my life with you, too.”
“Vegas it is, then.” Nick winked. “Tonight.”
He barked out a laugh as the world started to fade back in. Wes and Justin, still locked in their embrace. Kimbrough and his wife, still making doe-eyed faces at each other. The rest of the dance floor packed with couples, some he recognized, others he didn’t.
“No, we’ll plan it together,” Nick said. “Something that’s us.”
“What about a winery?”
