Page 130 of Well Played

“She makes me happy, too, buddy.”

“Be nice to her,” he added.

“You can bet on that.”

He chuckled. “I can’t bet on anything anymore, remember?”

I wanted to hug him, but before I got the chance, he took off down the hall.

A few seconds later, Presley appeared at the door.

“I saw him come in here,” she whispered. “Is everything okay?”

“Yup.” I smiled. “We just had a little man-to-man talk. I’m confident everythingisgoing to be okay.” I reached for her hand and squeezed. “But this has been quite the damn day. I feel like I need a drink the size of my head right now.”

“I think you’ve earned it.” She pulled me toward the kitchen. “I’ll hook my man up.”

Damn, I loved hearing her call me that.Her man.I’d worn many titles in my life and scored in many ways, but snagging Presley and being loved by her? That was better than any touchdown or Super Bowl win.

It was better than anything.

EPILOGUE

Levi

Two Years Later

I sat across from my brother and Alex at Iggy’s as we finished up our fried chicken dinner.Fake it ’til you make it.They say if you want something bad enough, pretend it’s already happening until one day the dream becomes a reality.

The situation with Tanner and me was far from totally repaired, but we were a work in progress and had come a long way. From the moment I’d told him I’d fallen in love with Presley, I was determined to work toward fixing things, even if it took a lifetime. I knew I’d broken his trust, and it was my responsibility to make things right. As much as Tanner had hurt Presley, he would always be my baby brother. I would always love him—flaws and all.

Some time ago, Tanner and I had agreed to a once-a-month meetup at Iggy’s. Alex had dubbed it The Miller Men Monthly. Except it wasn’t just the three of us Miller Men now. There was afourthMiller—two older Miller brothers and two younger ones. Baby Eli was a year-and-a-half. He sat in his highchair at the end of the table, munching on puff snacks while the rest of us ate.

“How’s Presley?” my brother asked.

“She’s good. The inn’s been keeping her busy. She says hello. She’s really happy we started doing this every month.”

Tanner turned to Alex. “Yeah. The Miller Men Monthly was a good idea, son.”

Alex shrugged as he popped a French fry into his mouth. “I know.”

“When do you fly out next?” Tanner asked.

“Not for a couple of weeks. The next two games are at home.”

My brother chewed. “Oh, nice.”

I’d started playing this season for the Carolina Panthers. Games and practices were a few hours away in North Carolina, but it was a hell of a lot better than before and allowed me more time at home, even if it meant lots of long drives down I-77. While leaving the Broncos was one of the most difficult decisions I’d ever made, I had to do it. There was no way I wanted to be away from my family that much—especially now.

“I’m sure Presley is relieved that you’re not in Denver anymore,” he said.

“Yeah. That would never have worked long term.”

My brother nodded.

I never quite knew what he was thinking when he mentioned her name. The ironic thing about our situation? It was a woman predicament that had torn Tanner and me apart, and it was a woman predicament that had brought us together again. I’d never forget that night. A few months after Tanner and I had our blowout in Denver, Presley and I had been hanging out at The Palm during one of my quick trips home in between games. Tanner had called my cell phone for the first time since we’d stopped speaking. He’d asked if we could meet up to talk.

I’d been certain he was going to use that opportunity to ream me out again for ruining his life, but the conversation turned out to have nothing to do with me. My brother had called because he was desperate for advice and needed a shoulder to lean on after receiving news that knocked the wind out of him.

---