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“The days of our youth were behind us.”
CHAPTER ONE
RYKER
A hand gripped my shoulder with a hard squeeze. I turned my head to look at my dad.
“It’s done,” I told him, then turned my gaze back to the football facility that had once been an open field where parties were held.
“I’m proud of you and Nash. This is really something,” he said. “Not that being in the NFL isn’t impressive. I’m damn proud of that, but this is more. It’s doing something with what you’ve accomplished in life.”
Even with the buildings, lights, and parking lot, I could still see how it once was. A big open field with a bonfire, trucks, a keg, and my friends. It was a memory I’d feared Iwould never get back after the night Hunter was killed here. Time heals. Hunter’s death would always be something that changed me. It changed us all, but I could remember the good times here too.
“Hunter would love this,” I said.
“Yeah, he would be fucking proud,” Dad replied. “I like to think he’ll be here on Saturday. Listening to his sister stand in front of all those people and talk about him and what this place will do for so many kids.”
I nodded, feeling my chest fill with pride at the fact that Aurora was going to speak. She had gotten more secure with her voice over the past few years, but this was a big deal. I’d have never asked her to do it. She’d asked to, and I had fought back tears, I’d been so damn proud of her. My girl was the bravest person in the world.
“When are you going to put a ring on it, son?” Dad asked.
I turned to look back at him. “After this. I wanted this dedication to her brother to be the focus. It means as much to her family as it does to us. But when it’s all done and we are back in Texas, I’ve got it all ready and set up.”
Dad grinned. “?‘Ready and set up’? What are you going to do?”
“I’m a Dallas Cowboy. I have some power and connections,” I replied with a smirk.
He laughed then. “Not at all cocky about it either.”
“Some things don’t change,” I said.
He shook his head, still smiling. “No, they don’t.”
“I’m going to put in a full five years in the NFL, then we are moving home, but I don’t want to wait until then to get married. I’ve been ready for that since the moment I met her.”
Dad nodded. “You fell hard and fast. Pretty little redhead with her freckles and curls wrapped you up quick. That’s for damn sure.”
“When you find the one, you know. Even if it’s in high school,” I replied.
“I guess so. Seems most of you boys did.”
I thought about Nash and Tallulah. It was so fucking nice to see him happy again. When he had broken it off with her he’d been a different person. When he had hurt his leg and his football career ended, I’d thought that would be the darkest I ever saw him. But I had been wrong. Losing Tallulah had destroyed him.
“I reckon I need to head back to the house. Your momma is cooking some casseroles for me to take to the Maclays. With all the company they got coming into town and staying with them for Saturday, she’s trying to help feed them.”
I nodded. “I’ll be back shortly and can take the food over there.”
“All righty,” he replied before walking back toward the parking lot.
I made my way down to the main offices to lock up and grab the helmet order that had to be filled out by tomorrow. Nash was handling all that, and I wasn’t sure where he was with the count.
Making millions of dollars for playing football was something I’d always talked about as a kid. Now that I was doing it, having something like this to invest it into made what I’d accomplished mean something. The game had always come so easily to me. But this had taken hard work and would continue to require more from me. It was something far bigger than an NFL career.
CHAPTER TWO
AURORA
Nahla had offered to drive me to my dad’s. I realized my hand was gripping the door handle tightly and tried to relax. It wasn’t that far of a drive, and Nahla had passed her driver’s test, although that had just been two months ago.
