Page 225 of The Coach

Her hands tangle in my hair, tugging me closer. “Prove it.”

I grin.

"Oh, I will."

And then?

I do. Over and over again.

Epilogue

JACKSON

Five Years Later

The crisp autumn air is filled with the roar of the stadium. The stands are packed, the field lit up under Friday night lights. But it’s not an NFL game. Not anymore.

It’s college ball.

And for the first time in a long time? I feel like I belong exactly where I am.

I stand on the sidelines, headset on, arms crossed, watching my team move down the field. The Riverbend Valley Hawks are damn good this season, and I’m about to call a play that seals this win.

I press the button on my headset. “Alright, boys. Trips right, 22 bootleg. Let’s finish this.”

The snap. The play. My quarterback scrambles, pump-fakes, then launches a perfect pass straight into the end zone.

Touchdown.

The stadium erupts. The band blasts the fight song. And I grin, pulling off my headset as the clock hits 00:00.

Final score? Hawks 28, Visitors 27.

Another win.

The reporters are already swarming, cameras flashing, but my eyes don’t go to them.

They go straight to the owner’s suite.

Where she is.

Ivy. My wife. My best damn decision.

And sitting on her lap, giggling and clapping in a tiny Riverbend Valley University jersey?

Our newest little girl.

My heart swells. She’s got Ivy’s deep green eyes, my dimples, and a wild streak that keeps us both on our toes.

I pull my cap lower, shaking my head as I step onto the field. The announcer’s voice booms overhead:

“Coach Knox isn’t just a champion on the field—he’s a family man now.”

Damn right. All those PR scandals are behind us.

As I give my post-game handshake, my little girl Ellie escapes the suite, running down the steps and then sprinting full speed onto the field.

“Daddy!!!”

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