Page 198 of The Surprise Play

Zoey grins up at her father like he’s the sun in her universe.

Scooping her up, he gives her a raspberry, and I walk away from the squeals echoing down the tunnel.

“See you guys in a minute.” Shaking out my leg, I pick up my pace and head to the locker room, changing fast enough to beat half the guys still in there and running out to the grass.

Zoey is giggling, running away from Carson and Tyrell, who are chasing her. She’s got the ball in her hand and is screaming, “Daddy!” with this huge grin on her face.

“Throw the ball, Zo!” Zander holds up his hands, and she chucks it at him. He gathers it up off the grass, dodging right when Tyrell comes in with a tackle and jumping around Carson.

Zoey cheers and starts running for her father again.

He slows his pace, backing up a step when she starts to fall. Snatching the back of her coat, he holds her like a briefcase and starts running down the field. She’slaughing and squealing, then stretches her arms wide and enjoys the flight.

Sienna’s on the sidelines, chatting with Grady. Her smile is broad as she watches her man and daughter, having fun together.

Even Grady’s lips are twitching.

Poor guy still seems to be walking around with a cloud over his head, but this past week he’s been a little less glum, so that’s something. It takes time to recover from heartbreak, I guess. I think I’d be pretty damn shattered if Satch broke up with me, that’s for sure.

Tightening up my laces, I then jog into the action, helping Zander out and making Zoey giggle some more. But the shenanigans don’t last long. Coach Jones is soon blowing his whistle and getting us into a warm-up drill.

“I’ll see you after practice.” Zander passes Zoey back to Sienna, kissing his woman before pecking Zoey’s cheek.

“Bye, Daddeeeeeee!”

“Love you, lil’ bug.” He blows her a kiss, then shares an affectionate smile with Sienna before running to catch up with the drill.

I watch Sienna walk away and nearly fall on my face when an image hits me hard. I see it so clearly—Satch on the sidelines, rounding up our brood of children. There are four, maybe even five, and they’ve come down to watch Daddy play.

She’ll have a baby on her hip and be smiling as the older children race around with me; then she’ll gather them up and find a perch in the stands.

Catching my balance, I keep running, touching the ground, then spinning back to do the next length.

I see them in the stands, cheering me on. The older kids will be doing their homework while they wait for me. The two youngest will be on Satch’s knee, and she’ll be reading them a story, glancing up to watch me, sending me smiles and blowing kisses.

Holy shit, I want that.

I mean, I always knew I wanted a big family, and I’ve imagined myself being a dad, but I could never picture how that could happen and who it might happen with. But I can see it now.

It’s crystal clear.

And I really need to tell my parents that I’ve found the one.

After the Scouting Combine. That makes the most sense.

I nod, settling on that decision and forcing future Mrs. Wilson and our brood out of my mind so I can focus on practice.

Coach pulls us in, giving us a pep talk about how the team can help any of the players who declared their intention to enter the draft best prepare for next week. He talks through some of the drills Zander, a few other players, and I will be doing at the Scouting Combine, and we run those first.

It’s fun and busy—there’s an awesome energy buzzing through the team.

Practice goes by in a rush, and when Coach Perkins suggests that we finish with a friendly game, everyone’s on board.

“Only if you play too!” Zander goads the coaches into joining in, and soon everyone is on the field, scrapping for the ball and having a blast.

Shouts and laughter ring across the stadium, and it’s fucking epic.

It takes me back to my childhood when football was just the game. We lived for this shit, and I’d play any chance I got, because this is what I love so much. The game without all the pressure of the crowds and the media. Just a bunch of friends having fun playing the best sport in the world.