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“Watch Coach for cues, D. We all know he’ll get in his groove and start reading their movements. He’s killer like that, so wait for his calls before you get into position.”
Smiling, I listen to the three captains give pieces of talks I’ve made in the previous several weeks, all key ingredients to tonight’s game. They picked out all the parts pertinent for this opponent, and I am damn proud of the leaders they’ve become.
“All right, Panthers. Let’s go out and kick some Wildcat ass!” The players all cheer and get into a huddle. Even though I’m not in the room, I know their routine like the back of my hand. “Panthers on three. One, two, three…Panthers!”
When I walk around the corner, the players take a knee and wait for my speech. I look around the room at their eager, hungry eyes, and know this is our night. We can do this. I sense their determination seeping from them, feel their excitement like waves in the ocean. The locker room is electric, the team ready for battle.
“Sounds like your captains have done a fine job at firing you up, and everything they said is pretty much what I’d be telling you, so let’s skip the bull. Protect your teammates, protect yourselves, play smart, and above everything else, have fun out there.”
The team comes together for one more huddle before taking the field in Brownville. I steal a few glances before kickoff to the stands and find Ellie. She’s bundled up in her down coat, hat, scarf, gloves, and a blanket over her legs. Chances are, she’s wearing insulated boots under that pile of material too, and that prospect makes me smile. She’s cute as hell when she’s bundled up for a chilly football game.
It makes me anticipate tomorrow night’s date at the cabin that much more.
The whistle blows, and I push all thoughts of Ellie out of my head, at least for a little while. For now, I have a game to coach.
And what a game it is. We’re tied at twenty-one with thirty seconds left on the clock. Brownville has the ball but isn’t within field goal position yet. Our defense has a chance here, if they can hold them. I hold my breath as the defensive play is called and we line up. The ball is hiked, and as expected, the quarterback falls back to throw. I look downfield, searching for his receivers, and realize exactly where the ball is going. But Brody is there. He’s matching the receiver’s stride, keeping pace, as he glances back to look for the ball. That’s when the ball is thrown high into the air, sailing in a perfect spiral toward their receiver.
And toward Brody.
Just as the ball starts to drop, Brody lifts his hands and snatches it out of the air. The crowd behind me and the sidelines surrounding me erupts as Brody takes off running toward the end zone. He has a good seventy yards to get there and must also make his way through an entire field of defenders, but he’s running and giving it his best effort.
By the grace of God, that boy somehow makes it downfield, with only the opposing quarterback standing in his way. My heart hammers so loud, I can hear it over the screaming surrounding me, as I watch Ellie’s son dig deep for one last burst of energy and somehow make it past the final opposition between him and the end zone. With no time left on the clock, Brody scores a game-winning touchdown.
The team runs onto the field, but my feet are rooted to the grass where I stand. All I can do is watch their celebration, an overwhelming sense of pride for this player—but more than that, I’m overwhelmed with love for the boy. He’s always been a part of my life, thanks to my friendship with his mom, but this—this feels different. It’s paternal pride.
He may not be my son, but I’m as proud of him as if my blood ran through his veins.
Before they have too much time to celebrate, Brody is leading the team to the fifty-yard line to congratulate the other team on a good game. I line up at the end, extending my hand and shaking many of their key players’ hands as I walk by. Many are crying, having just lost their first game of the season, with only one final game to go. I wish I had encouraging words for them, but I know whatever I say won’t help their grief. So instead, I pat them on the shoulder and tell them great game. I do pull their head coach into a hug and tell him his team is outstanding and will go far in the post-season. He thanked and congratulated me on the win, before heading off to console his team.
When the Panthers gather on the field, the celebration continues, but as I approach, they all follow Brody’s lead and take a knee, facing me. “I’m proud of each and every one of you. We knew going into this game, we were going to have to play our best football to date, and you did that. You fought hard. Every one of you stepped up tonight.” One of the assistant coaches hands me the game ball. “Game ball tonight goes to Brody Daniels, who played hard on both sides of the ball, but secured that win tonight with a pick-six.”
His teammates cheer for him as I toss the ball right into his hands. The grin he gives me just cements the affection I feel for him with another wave of overwhelming pride. I knew his sperm donor, but Brody is nothing like him. Brody may get his athleticism from the man who knocked up Ellie, but that’s as far as it goes. This boy is all Ellie, and I can’t help but feel a little sorry for his sperm donor because he’s missing an incredible kid.
Dorian leads the team in one final huddle before they walk off the field to the visitor’s locker room to change and gather their gear for the forty-minute bus ride home. I check the sidelines and grab my things, making sure the rest of the managers and coaching staff have our belongings and mess cleaned up. Then, I go searching for Ellie.
I find her, Logan, and Hallie waiting outside the locker room where our players are, and with determined steps, I eat up the distance between us. I’m so overcome with excitement, I pull her into my arms and lift her off her feet, spinning her around like I just won the Big Game, not a regular-season high school game.
Her mouth is pressed against my neck, and I try not to think about how amazing it feels to have her legs wrapped around my waist. “That was amazing,” she whispers, squeezing me back tightly.
“It was,” I agree, pulling back to meet her happy gaze. “I was just starting to run through scenarios for overtime. All I needed was D to not allow them any significant yardage. When I saw the QB drop, I knew it was headed for the end zone, and just prayed Brody or Jackson were able to keep up with the ball to break up the play.”
“I can’t believe he intercepted that ball and scored,” she replies with tears in her eyes. “My throat hurts from screaming.”
Chuckling, I maintain my hold on her and smile. “I was so overwhelmed. I just stood there and watched him celebrate with his teammates.”
“I’m so proud of you. Both of you,” she says right before pressing her mouth to mine. I quickly take control, coaxing her lips apart with my tongue and slipping it into her mouth.
“Uhh, I don’t want to break up this…whatever this is, but unless you want to explain to your team about the birds and the bees—” Logan starts.
“Or be teased mercilessly on the bus ride home,” Hallie breaks in with a giggle.
“Or that, yes, I’d suggest keeping it PG while in the presence of high schoolers and their families,” my friend finishes, breaking through the sex-laced fog in my brain. I’ve never been one to let my little head do the thinking—at least not since I was a teenager—but he is clearly calling the shots at the moment.
Before I’m ready, I pull away from Ellie and gaze into her lust-filled green eyes. Even though I don’t want to, I set her back down on her feet, which seem a little unsteady for a moment or two, so I let her lean into me a bit. Mostly because I love the feel of her pressed against me.
“Coach!” someone hollers, but I don’t put even a millimeter of space between us yet.
“I should probably go make sure they cleared out the locker room,” I say, loving the way she feels in my arms.
