Page 75 of Good Girl’s Guide to Love (Guide to Love #4)

Linc

“All right, boys, we need one more. Right now.”

The situation isn't lost on any of us. We didn't need Bryce to remind us that it's now or never.

There's six seconds left in the biggest game of our careers.

Sure, some of these guys have been to the big game before.

Been on the biggest stage there is in professional football.

But they're the first ones to tell you that what you did in the past doesn't mean anything in the present. It's what you do right now.

And boy, isn’t that the story of my life.

“Okay, here's what we're gonna do,” Bryce says as he calls out the play.

With every formation and every position he calls out in our code, it hits me that the ball's coming to me.

While I shouldn't be surprised because of the season I've had, the gravity still hits me like a ton of bricks.

I had a good game tonight. I haven't reached the end zone yet, but I'm close to a hundred yards receiving.

But those yards aren't gonna mean shit if I don't catch this pass.

“Ready…break!”

We all clap our hands in the huddle before going to our formation. Miami's defense is lined up exactly the way we hoped for our final play of the game. We're seven yards from the end zone. A little too far to run, but not far enough that the defense can rule it out.

Now I just need to do what I've been doing all season. And that’s score a fucking touchdown.

I close my eyes for just a second, doing my best to block out the noise.

The noise of the stadium. The noise in my head.

The voice of the little devil that likes to perk up every once in a while telling me that I don't deserve to be here.

I have to calm them. This without a doubt is the biggest play of my life.

And like hell if I'm gonna let intrusive thoughts or a raucous crowd get in the way of what I need to do.

Time is going to expire in the middle of this play.

Sure, if we don’t score—and if the defense doesn’t force a turnover—we could go to overtime.

We had to do it in the second round of the playoffs and we'll do it again.

But nobody wants that. I sure as hell don't. I'm gonna catch this pass.

And then celebrate the best season of my fucking life.

I look over to the ref, making sure I'm lined up correctly as Bryce starts calling out his cadence. I shake my fingers, antsy to run where I need to go, but doing everything I can to not jump off early. Bryce yells for the go and we're all off.

I run a few yards up, then fake left before cutting right to the corner of the end zone.

I'm Bryce's first option as long as I'm open.

Miami only put one defender on me. And while he's given me fits all game, I've been able to beat him more times than not. And like hell if I’m going to let him beat me now.

I turn exactly when I'm supposed to, the ball already zinging through the air from Bryce's hand. He leaves it up a little high, but not so far that I won’t be able to jump and grab it. We talked about this in the locker room at halftime. I have the height advantage in this matchup. Bryce told me if we had this look where he was going to throw it, and he’s putting it right on the money.

Jumping off the ground is the last thing I remember before everything starts turning into a haze. I’m in the air. My arms reach up to catch the ball. I feel the leather in my hands and secure it before glancing at my feet to make sure I'm fully in the end zone.

And then I fall to the ground. Ball in hand.

Touchdown.

Holy fucking shit we just won it all.

The next however many seconds are a fucking blur. Music is playing. Whistles are blowing. Fans are screaming. My teammates are jumping on me where I can’t even get up.

Three in four, baby. Three in fucking four.

Emotion runs over me as one of my teammates, likely Wyatt, lifts me up off the ground.

I feel tears pooling in my eyes as we celebrate together, confetti raining down on the field.

I’m hugging everyone I see, all while I still have the ball in my hand.

I hope nobody is coming to get this, because they're gonna have to pry it from my cold dead hands.

My teammates start jogging to the center of the field when I notice a camera capturing everything. I'd be remiss if I didn't turn to it and cross my heart like I’ve done after every touchdown this season.

Ainsley Mae…the reason I’m here. The love of my life. She says I saved her that night, but that’s a lie. She saved me.

Would I even be here without her? Part of me wants to say I would, but honestly, I'm not sure.

Even without her, Katie and Brad would still have been working against me.

It might not have played out the exact way it did, but their plan was in motion long before a beautiful nurse ran into me one random day at a hospital.

They wanted to destroy me long before I saw the woman I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with at a karaoke bar.

I don't know how this season would have turned out if she wouldn't have walked into my life—literally. But I do know that I'm standing here, part of the championship winning team, and it’s because of her. She's the reason. She's my reason.

“Holy shit! We fucking won!” I nearly fall over when Maddox jumps on my back, shaking the hell out of me. “You fucking did it bro! You're a fucking beast.”

“Thanks, but we were able to get that last drive because of the defense. You guys played your asses off tonight.”

We share a hug before stepping away and slapping each other on the pads. “Tonight’s celebration is going to be fucking epic! I have a feeling I’m going to remember it for the rest of my life!”

I can only laugh as we start making our way to the center of the field, confetti still coming down from the roof of the dome we’re playing at in Las Vegas.

“Celebrating this kind of win in Vegas, it's the stuff guys dream about,” I say.

Maddox slaps my pads again. “Hell yeah it is. You're coming, right?”

I nod. “Wouldn't miss it for the world.”

And that's true. I might be bringing Ainsley, because besides my teammates, there’s no one else I want to celebrate with than her.

And while having a private celebration does sound good, we have plenty of time for that.

There’s only one night that you win it all and get to celebrate with the brothers around you that got the job done.

When everything came out of what Brad and Katie were doing, every single one of my teammates came to my defense.

Each one made sure to tell the media in every interview they were doing how toxic Brad was as a teammate and how our locker room got better when I entered.

Every one of them had my back. Pre and post sabotage.

But more than that, they've been my friends, my confidants, my brothers. So hell yeah, we're gonna celebrate. And if Maddox has his way, I'm guessing it's gonna be at some fucking karaoke bar in Las Vegas.

The next few minutes are a scramble as we're given our championship hats and are escorted onto the field.

I don't know how the hell they built a stage in five minutes, but it's there and we're ushered toward it. I know I’m supposed to follow the pack, but I also know that family and loved ones of the winning team come onto the field to celebrate, and I'm not taking another step until I have Ainsley in my arms.

I do my best to search through the crowd, which is nothing but excited chaos. Part of me wonders if I'll be able to find her in the sea of people. But when I see her running toward me, wearing the jersey I got her all those months ago, I realize that I'd be able to find her anywhere.

“Aah!” she yells, launching herself into my arms. She wraps her arms and legs around me, squeezing me as tight as she can.

“You did it.” she whispers. “I'm so proud of you.”

Hearing those words and hearing that sentiment makes the tears come back.

It’s been a long time since I’ve heard that I made someone proud.

I know when my grandmother was alive, even when I made it hard as hell on her, she was proud of me.

She might not’ve loved every decision I made.

And God knows she would’ve beat my ass for some of the shit I did after she passed away.

But at the end of the day, she was proud.

I take a second and close my eyes, burying my head into Ainsley’s shoulder.

I don't know if I believe in the afterlife, but I'm choosing to right now.

Because that belief lets me hope that my parents are looking down on me, smiling with pride in their eyes.

I hope that they're proud of the man I've become.

And while they aren’t here with me physically, this woman is. The one who always knew I could be a better man. Who sees my work and knows what I've done to get here.

“I love you Ainsley Mae. Thank you for believing in me,” I say, meeting her lips with a kiss. I wish I could deepen it, but I make myself release, and I'm glad I do. Because the look in her eye and the smile on her face… this is what I wouldn't remember when I think back to this night.

“I love you too, Linc Kincaid. Forever.”

I smile and give her one more kiss on the forehead. “Promise?”

She gives me the best smile and a slight nod. “Cross my heart.”

Thank you so much for reading Good Girl’s Guide to Love.