Page 57 of Score to Settle (Oakwood Ranch #1)
FORTY-TWO
JAKE
Despite grabbing only a few hours of sleep the last couple of nights for some seriously needed makeup time with Harper, I’m pumped. Focused. Ready.
Still, I can’t help sneaking a glance at the skybox.
Harper stands at the glass, her sexy white Stormhawks top hugging her perfectly.
Her hair falls softly to her shoulders, and her red lipstick practically shouts, “Victory!” Wedged beside her are Dylan and Mama, all grinning at me in a way that makes me laugh, even now.
I know they’re going to rib me later about how whipped I am.
I wish Chase was here too, but he’s playing his own season finale tonight.
The ref’s whistle pierces the air, and I’m locked in.
The game blurs into a war of tackles, charges, and relentless plays.
Their defense comes at us hard and fast, but we give it right back.
The Steelguards score the first touchdown, but we respond immediately.
I burst off the line, giving the linebacker a solid chip block before breaking into my route.
Billy launches a perfect spiral. I leap, snatch the ball from the air, and turn upfield.
The defense closes in, but Rob finds a space.
I pass the ball and he powers through for a touchdown.
The crowd roars as he takes a punishing hit but clutches the ball tightly.
By the end of the third quarter, the Steelguards are up 22-18. As the whistle signals the break, I pull off my helmet and gulp down water. We huddle up, Coach Allen shouting plays we already know by heart. We don’t need a speech. We need action.
As we take the field for the fourth quarter, I glance up one last time.
Harper flashes a radiant smile, and the rest of the world disappears—the screaming fans, the pressure, the players around me.
There’s only her. I know the cameras are on me, my face plastered across the big screen.
I couldn’t care less. In that second, it’s just me and Harper.
A grin spreads across my face. My lips move without thought.
“I love you,” I mouth, tapping my chest and pointing at her.
She smiles back, making a heart with her hands.
The crowd erupts, igniting a fire inside me.
I’m about to give the Stormhawks fans exactly what they came for.
The ball snaps back to Billy, and he scans for an open receiver.
The defense collapses in, but Billy releases a quick pass.
The ball wobbles in the air, a loose spiral.
I see it before anyone else and charge forward, stepping in front of their running back.
My hands reach out, and the ball slams into my grip.
I turn and sprint, legs pumping. The Steelguards scramble to catch me, but I’m weaving between defenders.
Thirty yards to go. Twenty. Ten. My lungs burn, my heart pounds. The final seconds tick down.
One defender dives. I leap, twisting midair to avoid his grasp. I stretch out as the ball slams into the turf just inside the goal line.
Touchdown!
The ref’s arms shoot into the air as the stadium explodes. 22-24. The clock hits zero. JT’s kick is good. 22-25.
The team piles on top of me and JT in a wave of celebration. We did it! We won the AFC West. The Stormhawks are in the playoffs.
In minutes, the field is full of coaching staff and press and cameras. I spot Mama striding toward me. Her face shines with pride. Dylan reaches my side and thumps my arm hard. “I knew you’d do it,” he says.
And when he steps to the side, there’s Harper. Radiant. Beaming. I pull her into my arms.
Nothing else matters. Not the screaming fans, the flashing cameras, the reporters clamoring for a quote.
Harper is in my arms and we’ve made the playoffs.
I tilt her head up, pressing my lips to hers.
Long and deep and intense. Like it’s our first kiss.
Like it’s our last kiss. And I know, without a shadow of a doubt that this moment, this kiss, these feelings for Harper are better than the greatest touchdown of my life.
* * *
If Jake and Harper had you swooning, enjoy more from the world of Oakwood Ranch. Up next, it’s Dylan’s brooding, spicy love story unfolding in Game Over .
Get it here , or keep reading for an exclusive sneak peek.