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Hendrix

T wo weeks go by in a flash of training and drilling.

Our win against Seattle was too close for all of us, and I remember this Wisconsin defense. We’re not going to win if we don’t prepare, and I’m not looking forward to facing off against Number 53 again.

To be honest, the cocky swagger I’ve projected through the playoffs took a hit that last game. We’re the two best teams in the league. Nobody’s walking away with any prizes. They’re going to be earned.

It’s hard to sit still in the small jet as we fly across the country to where all our friends and family will be waiting to greet us in the Crescent City. I stand, rubbing my stomach as I walk the aisle, and Raven glances up at me from where she’s curled up in her black sweats.

“You okay?” Her voice is soft, the one thing that soothes me, and I walk back to lean down and kiss her lips.

“Just getting ready. ”

“You’re ready.” Her smile is warm. “You’ve worked so hard these last two weeks.”

It’s true. I’ve gotten up before dawn and come back after dark. I hated being apart from them so much, but once this game is over, we’ve planned an extended vacation.

Newhope is only a two-hour drive from New Orleans, and I’ve booked a cute little cottage off the scenic highway on the bay for us to stay in while we visit.

Haddy squeals in her carseat, kicking her little feet and waving Axelita at me. She’ll be a year old next month, which is hard to believe, and the ladies have planned a massive, joint first birthday party with Clint’s help.

Raven’s been buzzy and thrilled and excited the entire time we’ve been packing. Her internship at KCLA ended, and as predicted, Star offered her a full-time position as a meteorologist and all-around reporter, producer, pretty much whatever she wants.

Star’s obsessed with my wife, and Raven told me she has plans for several special assignments, including one on weather girls, who she said played a significant role in the entry of women into broadcasting.

My phone buzzes, and I pull it out to see a photograph of a rust-colored, three-piece suit. “Aw, man,” I groan.

“What?” Raven frowns, and I take the seat beside her, turning the screen so she can see it. “What’s that?”

“They hired a fashion coordinator for our entrance to the stadium.”

“That’s fancy!” Raven gives me a half-grin.

“It has something to do with hockey. Apparently those guys go all out for their entrance to the games.”

“I’ve seen the video. It’s hot.”

My lips twist as I study what they want me to wear. “I’m going to look like Napoleon Dynamite.”

Her head pulls back. “You’ve seen that movie? ”

Lowering my phone, I think about it. “For some reason it was on all the time at the house. That and The Big Lebowski. ”

Her pretty amber eyes curl with her smile. “Because you were in a house full of guys. Did you also watch Road House ?”

“Garrett did—when Liv wasn’t making him watch Dirty Dancing .”

“Liv’s so great,” she chuckles.

“Pretty sure he only did it to get in her pants.” Lifting my phone, I show it to her. “Back to this.”

“I mean, it’s different…” My eyes narrow, and she shrugs. “It’s designer—have fun with it.”

“I think we have different ideas of fun.”

“You know that’s not true.” Her sassy tone makes my dick jump.

“Dada!” Haddy squeals, pointing at me as if on cue.

“Shew,” I shake my head. “She really is the cutest little cock blocker.”

“Those better not be her next words.”

My thumbs fly across the screen as I reply to the email. “I’m telling them okay. I hope I don’t regret it.”

“Win the game, and no one will care what you wore.” Her nose wrinkles, and I lean down to kiss her soft lips.

The flight attendant comes through and lets us know we’re preparing to land. I cover her hand in mine, ready to get the show on the road.

“Their defense is strong.” Vince stands beside me, holding an Uncrustable peanut butter and jelly sandwich as I slide the burnt-orange blazer off my shoulders. “But we’ve got the best offense in the league.”

“They beat us last time with that defense.” I put the fancy coat in the bag provided .

“Good evening, ladies.” Rusty walks in wearing a teal-colored suit and matching tie, then he gives me a nod. “No crying tonight, Bradford.”

I exhale a growl, shaking my head. “Nice suit.”

“It was my dad’s.” He goes to his locker to start getting ready for the game. “I’m not cut out for that designer shit.”

“These guys went hard the last time we faced them.” Rogers is two-fisting Uncrustables, when he and Tyler walk up to us.

“We have to be in each other’s heads at all times.” He’s already suited up. “We’ve been together long enough. We know what to do.”

Adrenaline surges in my veins as I pull on my gear. I left Raven and Haddy at the hotel with the family. Everybody was cheering and supportive, and they’ll all be in the box watching.

I got my own box this time, since the whole family plus Thomas drove down to watch the game. They even closed the restaurant, which is a first. Dylan said the customers would understand.

Music plays, and I alternate stretching and warming up my muscles. Right before we leave the locker room, I see a text on my phone from Pink.

It’s a photo of her and Haddy in their jerseys waving. Haddy’s showing her four front teeth, which is how she smiles now, and I exhale a laugh. She’s really cute.

Underneath the photo are the words We love you , with a heart emoji. I give the photo a kiss and decide it’s my good luck charm.

It’s time to go out.

Tyler’s hand is on my shoulder as we jog through the entrance onto the sidelines. “You might have a hard time getting clear, but I’ll be looking for you first.”

I nod, and we stop, doing our usual fist-bump routine. The noise of the fans is louder in this stadium than others, and I hear cheers mixed with boos. Looking around, I see different faces on the jumbotron .

They flash to the players’ boxes, and for a split second, I see Raven holding Haddy. They’re bouncing to a rhythm, and she’s waving Haddy’s little arm. It makes me smile, and I wave up at them.

Cheers break out, and I guess they’re for us. It’s hard to tell in the chaos leading up to the coin toss. Rusty is beside me on the sideline, pacing, and I can tell he’s ready to start.

We win it, choosing to defer, and Tyler runs to where I’m standing as our D-line heads onto the field. The guys line up, and at the snap, they’re moving forward, putting pressure on the quarterback.

He gets the pass off, and they make it down the field. It’s moving fast, and I’m not smiling, watching as they close in on the end zone.

“Fuck, if they score right out the gate…” Tyler doesn’t finish, but I know what he’s thinking.

They beat us last time. We can’t miss a single play this rematch.

Our guys manage to hold them, and we’re up, heading onto the field. We line up, and 53 is right across from me, looking straight in my face.

“We meet again, hot shot,” he growls.

Pulling my chin back, I can’t stop a grin. “Ready to shoot right past you.”

The ball snaps, and I rush forward, holding him off Tyler, who’s getting pressure from the sides. I manage to evade the safety, but Tyler has to run it. We’re close, but no first down. The next down goes pretty much the same way, lots of holding plenty of blocking, little movement.

We’re back on the sidelines, and D-line is headed out again.

“These guys are a fucking wall,” Tyler grumbles, walking up and down the side. “We’ve got to mix it up, guys. We can do this. We’ve done the work.”

It’s true, and we’ve been studying the tapes and drilling. We’ve practiced new plays they haven’t memorized, and when it’s time to take the field again, we gain more yardage.

I’m ready for the next snap, taking a quick twist away from 53 in a very dancerly move. Dylan would be proud. Hell, Garrett is probably yelling right now.

Digging in, I run for the opening, looking back to see Tyler’s in trouble. Again, he’s about to go down, but he fires the pass to me. It’s short, and I have to double back, but I manage to scoop it out of the cornerback’s hand, preventing an interception.

I get some yardage, but again, no score.

It keeps going, possession after possession. The tension is so taut on the sidelines, my neck hurts, and I look up to see Allie holding Haddy and waving her little hand.

Frowning, I scan all the faces in my box. Allie is standing beside Liv, who’s holding Gigi, but Raven’s not there.

Maybe she had to go to the bathroom? I don’t like it, but I have to get back on the field.

The snap goes, and I start to spin, but 53 is ready this time. He has me around the waist, and I hit the turf.