AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Wilder tried to come out when he had downtime, usually once in October and again over the holidays. This year, he timed his trip to coincide with Halloween and took his nephew and niece out trick-or-treating. The timing was perfect because we were almost halfway through the regular football season, and my brother being here gave me a much-needed break since I was four months pregnant.
I had thought Jordan would complain about Wilder having all the fun with the kids, but he’d been more than happy to keep a watchful eye on me while I handed out candy. He always took his caveman ways to a whole new level when I was pregnant. Not that I minded because he never pushed too far since he hated to see me cry.
Plus, I thought his protectiveness was sexy as heck. And definitely useful at times. Like tonight when he insisted on taking over bedtime duty for the kids because he was worried it would be too much for me after seeing all the trick-or-treaters. Although he probably had a point…odds were good that I’d follow our children up to bed within the next hour.
“You should sit down,” Wilder suggested as he dried his hands on the kitchen towel after loading the last dirty plate into the dishwasher.
“You’re almost as bad as my husband with all of your bossing me around,” I grumbled. “Except I don’t mind it nearly half as much when he’s the one doing it.”
My brother walked toward me with a grin. “Probably because I’ve been doing it longer.”
“Fair point,” I conceded as we headed out of the kitchen.
“Look at you, little sis.” Wilder stopped to look at the pictures taking up an entire wall in the living room. When he slung his arm around my shoulders, his smile widened. “A big-time model married to a professional football player with two gorgeous kids, and you somehow find the time to take kick-ass photos with that camera of yours. I’m glad Jordan put in that dark room for you so that you could get back to photography. I know how much you love it.”
“I really do, especially when I get to capture special moments for the people I love.” I tapped my finger against a framed picture of him catching a wave at his first pro surfing competition in The World Championship Tour a little more than a decade ago. “This is still one of my favorites.”
“Man, it’s hard to believe I was so damn young when I started out.”
I elbowed him in the side. “Not too young to beat the pants off all the competition. It only took you one year to earn enough points in the qualifying series to snag yourself a spot on the WCT, and then you won more competitions than any other surfer even though you were only eighteen.”
He beamed a grin at me. “Still my biggest cheerleader, huh?”
“Only until you find your own woman,” Jordan grumbled as he joined us, tugging me away from Wilder to wrap himself around my body. “She might be your biggest cheerleader, but I’m her favorite professional athlete.”
“C’mon, man. Mom is already on my back about my lack of a dating life. I don’t need you to get on my case, too,” Wilder complained.
Jordan rolled his eyes. “Your mom is nothing compared to mine.”
Wilder shook his head. “You can’t judge her antics properly. You were already engaged to Wrenley when you met our parents, with a grandchild on the way.”
“You could always find yourself a fake date to get Mom off your back,” I suggested with a giggle.
“I don’t think that would work out as well for me as it did you two.” Wilder heaved a deep sigh. “Some of us aren’t lucky enough to walk into a restaurant and find their perfect match.”
“Maybe the ocean gods will drop the right woman at your feet on the beach someday,” Jordan joked.
Sarcasm was thick in my brother’s tone as he said, “Uh-huh, I’m sure that’s gonna happen any day now.”
“You never know.” I patted my rounded belly. “I never thought the hottest football player in the league would walk into the restaurant where I worked and sweep me off my feet but look at me now.”
Wilder brushed a kiss against my cheek. “Don’t worry about me, sis. Just keep on popping out those nieces and nephews of mine, and I’ll use them as a diversion with Mom whenever she asks me if I’m ever going to get married and have some of my own.”
EXTRA EPILOGUE
WRENLEY
Iloved seeing my man on the field but watching him play dodgeball and flag football was a lot more fun. At least for me.
“It’s really weird seeing Dad play flag football.”
Although Jordan had played in the Pro Bowl Games nine times before, I was relieved that he’d been picked again this season because it could be the last time. Since fans, coaches, and players all got to vote, snagging a spot was never guaranteed, no matter how great of a season a player was having.
At thirty-nine years old, there was only one offensive lineman playing in the league who was older than Jordan. He was in great shape—and still as sexy as he was when we met—but the rigors of football had wreaked their havoc on his body. Odds were good that next season would be his last.
Lowering my camera, I bumped my shoulder against my son’s. “I’m loving this so much that I think we should make it a holiday tradition from now on.”
“Ooh, yes.” Winnie wiggled in her seat, clapping her hands. “I like that idea too, Mommy. But I wanna be on Uncle Prentice’s team.”
