Page 37

ROWAN

The excitement in the air is intense. I’ve been to dozens of football games in the past few years, but I’ve never been this hyped up. And it’s not because the Revs are in the AFC championship. It’s because number eighty-six has my heart.

“I still can’t believe you and Miles have been having a secret affair all season,” Jackson says as he hands me a seltzer.

“Thank fuck you kissed and made up,” Julia says from my other side. “Had I known my brother screwed up the best thing that could ever happen to him, I would have intervened earlier.”

“Earlier? Did you intervene at all?” I tease.

“Fuck off. I would have if you hadn’t ignored my texts, and someone told me you guys weren’t together anymore.” Julia is all bark, but I have a feeling there can be bite if the wrong person says the wrong thing. She reminds me a lot of Nash. Grumpy on the exterior, but only until he found his person.

She hates crowds and social events, but I talked her into coming to the game with us. It took less than a minute for Julia and Kendall to bond, and I’m sure the single guys on the team will give her plenty of attention—too much attention—after the game.

No amount of convincing could get Lynn here. She watches all the games on a television in the kitchen of Subs for Miles, but crowds make her skittish.

“Tell us again about the time you walked in on them doing the nasty on the couch,” Kendall says, sipping her hot cocoa.

Riley and I are the only ones who know she’s pregnant. She hasn’t even told Nash yet, waiting until after the season so he’s not distracted. She’s due in early August, just as pre-season starts, but they’ll make it work.

“We weren’t doing the nasty.”

“Thank God I didn’t come ten minutes earlier.”

“That’s what he said,” Jackson adds, holding up his seltzer in salute.

“There you go, Potato!” Kendall yells after Nash sacks the quarterback. We give each other high fives and I watch as the offense takes the field.

Dec takes the snap and drops back. Brock has two men on him, and Miles is heavily guarded too, but he breaks away and Dec throws the perfect ball into his hands.

We all jump to our feet and scream as he runs for the endzone.

“Touchdown!” The crowd goes wild and we all jump up and down and hug each other.

My face hurts from smiling so much as I watch Miles do his ridiculous dance in the end zone. Then he turns toward us and joins his fingers together, making a heart over his chest. He points at me and blows a kiss.

“Holy fuck. My brother is such a tool.”

“Rowan. He’s so in love with you,” Riley coos.

“I know.”

“He better propose to you soon before you figure out what a fucktard he is. I’ve been itching for a sister-in-law forever.”

I highly doubt it’s been high on Julia’s list, but my heart warms just the same.

“As soon as that idiot proposes, I’ll say yes. No worries there, Julia.”

Never in my wildest dreams would I imagine being surrounded by the best friends I could ever ask for and a man who loves me more than life itself.