Page 116 of A Wild Card Kiss
“Hey, gorgeous,” he says, then drops an arm around my shoulders.
A friendly arm.
Since he’s a friendly guy.
A friendly guy who, every now and then, makes me think dirty thoughts.
I shove those all out of my head, though, because it’s game time, and I’ve got a job to do.
Epilogue
Katie
Four Hours Later
I’ve lost my voice, and I don’t care.
We are all going wild in our fifty-yard-line seats. If I thought the noise at the December game was eardrum-crushing, that has nothing on the Super Bowl.
Pretty sure half the noise is coming from our crew.
Harlan offered to get us all a suite, but we opted for a row instead. So I’m cheering as the clock winds down. Abby’s by my side, along with Emerson, Nolan, Jillian, Olive and Zachary, my dad, and Harlan’s buddy Jason—Jason’s team didn’t make it to the big game—as well as some of my new favorite people—my boyfriend’s mom and his sisters.
His mom is a fabulous Southern gentlewoman, all sass and manners, with lungs the size of a hot-air balloon. No one has shouted louder for her son.
“C’mon, run it in, sweetie pie,” she shouted when Harlan caught a pass in the third quarter.
Sweetie pie.
I nearly fainted from cuteness. But I will not faint, because we have plans for tonight. Timing matters when it comes to baby-making, and I stopped taking birth control in December. I’m moving in with him when we return to California, but tonight—fingers crossed—I’m ovulating.
We decided, why wait?
We both know what we want.
To grow this family.
I squeeze Abby’s hand harder as the Renegades’ defense holds the other team to only a yard.
It’s third down.
The game is nearly over.
My man’s team is in the lead.
Ifthe Renegades’ defense can shut the other team down for good.
On the next play, the opposing quarterback lobs a Hail Mary pass that makes my heart crawl up my throat.
But there’s no one open, and just like that, my boyfriend wins his third Super Bowl!
“Daddy!” Abby shouts, thrusting her arms in the air.
“He’s the best,” I cheer, elated and euphoric, along with the rest of my friends.
Confetti falls.
Music blares.
