Page 71 of The Run Option

Up on the screen, filling an entire box seat section, is what looks to be almost everyone I know. Coach Bash and his family are next to Willow’s parents and Granny Mae. Next to them are Miles and Ellie, and after that–I blink, certain my eyes are deceiving me. Are those myparentsnext to Shepherd?

“My parents came.” No doubt I sound as shocked as I feel.

“That’s awesome, man! I’m happy for you.” He claps me on the shoulder, then goes back to watching the game. The jumbotron switches to another section of the stadium, but I can’t shake the image of all the people I love up there.

This has to be Willow’s doing. Even Shepherd wouldn’t have managed to convince our parents to come on his own. We’ve both tried countless times in the past.

I search for my wife on the sideline as halftime begins but don’t find her. I know she’s likely busy getting all kinds of content. She started a new trend of fan interviews during halftime, so she’s probably already in the stands doing that.

I’ll have to see her after the game, then. I can’t lose focus. The people who came to support me didn’t come to watch me lose.

We ended up allowing two touchdowns in the second half, but we still managed to win by thirty points. It’s a huge win within our division and will help us secure a path to the playoffs. I’m grinning ear to ear as the clock ticks down, and as soon as it hits zero I break out into a run. But not onto the field with my coach and teammates. No, I head down the sideline to my wife.

Willow spots me running toward her and meets me halfway, jumping into my arms. I hold her tight as she wraps her legs around me.

“You were amazing out there!” she says into my ear.

I pull back and look at her bright eyes and wide smile. “You got my parents to come, didn’t you?”

“I did. I hope it’s okay I called them–”

I cut her off with a shamelessly passionate kiss.

She pulls back with a blush. “Jase, there are cameras everywhere.”

“Let them watch. I’m too happy to care. They can be jealous because I have the best wife in the world.”

She laughs, shaking her head. “I didn’t do much.”

“I’ve never had this many people at a game supporting me before. You got them all here.”

“Kingsley! We need you for postgame interviews,” one of our assistant coaches calls.

I look at Willow, considering telling him I’ll pay the fines for not coming.

She gives me a gentle kiss. “Go. We’ll all be waiting for you when you’re done.”

I set her back on her feet. “Okay. I’ll see you soon. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

After stealing one more kiss, I jog toward the awaiting reporters. I can’t stop smiling, and none of it has to do with the win tonight. It has everything to do with my amazing, perfect wife. And I make sure to tell every reporter just that.

Epilogue

Willow Kingsley

Three months later

“Your dad and Jason seem to be getting along,” my mom says from where we’re working on flower arrangements with Miles’ fiancée, Ellie, who insisted on helping us out. Actually, she wanted to do them herself as a gift, but I told her that ever since I was a little girl I’d dreamed of making my centerpieces with my mom. So Ellie’s now lending her expertise.

I look out Granny’s kitchen window, smiling at the guys laughing while stringing lights in the tree branches. Miles is helping too, another thing Ellie insisted on. Besides these arrangements and the twinkle lights, there’s not much more going into our big wedding reception. We’ve hired a caterer to bring delicious food all centered around a warm and cozy theme. There will be heaters in the old barn, ensuring that all of us stay warm in the frigid January air. I wanted everything to be simple, with a focus on the people more than anything.

“They do,” I agree with my mom.

I don’t take my dad and Jason’s good relationship for granted either. I’d always hoped my husband would get along well with my family, and I’m grateful that Jason fits right in. Granny Mae dotes on him, and my mom is always making not-so-subtle comments about how he’d make a great dad. My dad tells her not to be so pushy, but he’s told Jason when we FaceTime them that our son or daughter will be a prodigy with our gene combination. I’m not sure what he means by that. Jason is the world-class athlete, not me. I think he’s just excited that I’m settled down with a good man.

“I think they could use some more eucalyptus,” Ellie says, clearly focused more on the work at hand than what the guys are doing outside. It’s inspiring to see how passionate she is, though she’s likely taking our simple centerpieces far too seriously.

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