Page 48 of False Start
When we’ve climbed into Bryant’s truck, he turns to me again. “I sprung marriage on you. I expect you’ll need a minute to catch your breath. I’m okay with that. Just promise me something?”
“Yeah?”
“We’ll always work our issues out between us. We’ll do whatever it takes to make it work. I love you, and I never want to live without you.”
I lean forward to kiss him with a smile on my lips. “I think I can grant your request.”
Bryant turns on a country station and drives us to school which is unfortunately our first stop before home. We both missed our first class of the day, and don’t want to grow further behind in assignments. When he turns into the lot for the science building, there’s media vans parked all over the place and reporters with their camera men waiting outside.
“Did someone win the Nobel Peace Prize?” Bryant asks.
“You don’t think…”
“Nah, they couldn’t care less if a football player gets hitched.”
Bryant stops his truck a few from a media van for a major sports network and leans over to kiss me. “Have a good day, wifey. I love you. See you on the field at four.”
“There they are!” Someone shouts and I look past him to see all the reporters looking our way.
“Bryant Hudson!”
“Is she with him?”
“She’s with him!”
“Go!” I shout before they stampede the truck and block us in.
Bryant squeals tires out of the lot and heads for the practice field.
“I thought you said no one cares if you get married.”
“I was very wrong. Why would they care?”
“You’re Bryant Hudson, and it’s a big story in the sports world. You married Zane Hale’s daughter. They want the scoop,” I tell him.
When we reach the coach’s office beyond the lot, he’s waiting on us with his hands on his hips. “Most men evade the ball and chain as long as humanly possible, and you went out and married it at twenty-one.”
“I had to take her off the market, Coach.”
Coach Toombs smirks. “Are you joining us for practice today, Zhanna?”
“Do I get a whistle?”
“Are you blowing it at your husband?”
I can’t help but smile at the title. “If he needs his ass whipped into shape, then yes, sir, I’ll make him dream about whistles tonight.”
“You’re definitely your father’s daughter,” Coach says.
My smile widens. “Thank you.”
“When’s the honeymoon?” Tombs asks.
“March,” his quarterback replies.
“Where to?”
“She loves the mountains and the outdoors. Football will be over, so maybe somewhere quiet with snow on the ground late in the season.”
