Page 140 of False Start

“It’s getting safer each year, with new tackling penalties and helmet advancements. But, yeah, it’s always a risk,” Leo admitted. “Then again, so are most things in life. I mean, that lizard the kid has could climb out of his cage and eat his face off.”

“It’s a gecko, not Godzilla,” I deadpanned.

Leo threw his hands up. “I’m just saying.”

Mary rolled her eyes, and then pulled Madelyn to the side. “Oh! I’ve been meaning to ask you, I want to add a little bit of you to my tattoo shop. I’ve got a pole for Julep, books for G, local art for Riley. I was thinking we could incorporate some of your writing, if you’re open to that?”

“Oh, yes!” Giana called from the couch. “I love this idea!”

Madelyn was flushing a bright red as Mary tugged her away, and I savored that blush, that smile, thatwomanwho was now such a crucial part of my life I knew I couldn’t exist without her.

I hadn’t heard from my parents since the phone call where I told them I knew what they did.

Not that I expected to, but I guessed a small part of me held onto hope that perhaps at least my mom would have shown up at my door to explain, to apologize, to try to be a part of my life.

As much as it hurt to lose them, to know that, likely, I’d never had much with them to begin with… it healed me to know that I had a family of my own now.

I had Madelyn.

I had Sebastian.

I had a daughter on the way.

I had my teammates and their girls, with a second generation growing already.

Madelyn and I weren’t out of the woods yet. We still had many battles ahead of us — starting with Marshall and the impending court date. But one thing I knew for sure was that there wasn’t a war we wouldn’t fight together, side by side, no matter how dire the outlook.

And I believed with all my heart that we would win in the end.

Later that night, when the house was asleep, Madelyn climbed into bed and curled up to me with her teeth chattering.

“It’s snowing again,” she said, her voice filled with wonder.

Then, she pressed her ice-cold fucking feet between my calves.

“Jesus, woman!”

I tried to pull away, but she doubled down, tucking herself into my chest and wedging her feet into whatever warmth she could find. “I’m pregnant! You have to keep my feet warm.”

“You sure are quick to pull that trump card nowadays,” I teased her, but I was already wrapping her up tight and rubbing my legs together to give her feet a little friction.

She shook her shoulders and purred like a cat as I kissed her hair, smiling against it once she was settled.

“You looked pretty hot with a baby in your arms,” she said.

“Oh?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Getting wet for me as a dad already?” I teased, and I snaked a hand between her thighs like I was going to investigate.

She swatted me away on a laugh, but then she was climbing on top of me, apparently not worried about being cold any longer. “Don’t act like I haven’talwaysbeen wet for you.”

“You weren’t earlier this summer,” I argued, pinning her hips as I rolled my erection against her.

She groaned and fisted her hands in my shirt, leaning down to kiss me as she rocked her hips again.

“Just because I hated you didn’t mean I didn’t want you to rail me into next year.”