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“I don’t know,” I say while he heaves me up. “I think I hurt myself falling.”
He narrows his gaze, looking me all over. “Where?”
I shrug. “Oh, you know… When I fell for you.”
The corner of his mouth ticks up. “I’m pretty sure I’ve kissed it all better.”
God, how can the words that come out of his mouth do things to me just like that?
Behind him, the ref calls for the ball, and I peer over his shoulder. “You better get out there and win this game for us.”
He points at me while jogging backward. “Pretty sure I was right when I told you I’d make you love me.”
“You were!” I shout after him, all smiles.
Grandma is in the stands with his grandmother and family. Dad isn’t able to get to a game quite yet, but his weight loss surgery is in a couple of weeks. He’s shown significant progress on his own. Coach comes by to walk up and down the street with him, and we’ve been going to online therapy sessions since he came home from the hospital.
Things couldn’t be better.
I turn to find the scouts in the stands that Cade pointed out. He’s having a terrific game, and if all works out well, he’ll get the call for the combine and then who knows where that might take him.
Either way, I’m with him. Life didn’t feel complete until he walked into it, and what my grandma said was so true. Since I met him, things have only gotten better and better.
At this point, I can’t wait to see what the next chapter of my life brings. When I thought all hope was lost, things changed, and now that dwindling hope has turned into dreams for the future. As long as Cade is on that journey with me, it’s going to be one experience after another.
The whistle blows, and the next play starts. Cade jukes past his defender and ends up wide open in the end zone. The ball whizzes through the air and hits him right between the numbers for the six points.
I jump up and down while Coach hammers his fist to the sky. Cade celebrates with his teammates, then runs toward me. He takes his helmet off, his sweaty hair flopping by his ears. I’ve never seen anyone so handsome. And to know his smile is for me… Another spark of heat sizzles through me.
He wraps his arm around my waist, and I tilt my head back. We’re not supposed to, but he kisses me right there, a short peck infused with happiness.
“Nice play, superstar.”
“Just remember whose jersey you’re wearing under that coach’s assistant jacket, Sunshine.”
How could I forget? There’s something really sexy about wearing his last name. Coupled with the excitement from the game, I’m hoping they blow this team out so we can go be boyfriend and girlfriend instead of player and assistant.
“I love you,” I mouth.
He mouths it in return before walking away to get a drink and sit on the bench. When I look up, Coach is staring at me. I clear my throat, pretending to look down at the papers and do some assistant stuff. “Sorry.”
He smiles. “How can I get mad? Farmer just put us up by fourteen.”
“Yeah, he’s good like that.”
“Charley…” He waits until I peer up at him. “He was always a great player, but he’s been better since you. It’s like he has something to play for.”
Pride builds in my chest. Cade has told me the exact same thing, but to hear it from someone else? Words can’t describe it.
Coach turns toward the field again, clapping his hands. “We need a hold.”
“We’ll get it,” I assure him, but Coach is back to being a coach again, and I take on my role as assistant while keeping sneaky glances toward Cade to a minimum—but it’s hard when the man is just so fine.
The defense gets a stop like Coach wanted, and Cade returns to the field. He’s jogging past me when he calls out, “Watch this, Sunshine.”
Don’t mind if I do…for the rest of my life.
EPILOGUE