Page 9 of Wrong Number, Right Lumberjack
And he winks.
My knees damn near buckle.
Jace turns and heads onto the field like he was always meant to be there. Every step is laced with confidence. Ethan waves to me, decked out in his oversized jersey and protective goggles,then turns to Jace and nearly launches into orbit. As the two meet, Ethan throws his arms in the air, shrieks with joy, and leaps for a high five like it’s the best moment of his life.
And maybe… it is.
A wave of emotion swells in my throat as I step back into the shadows of the tunnel. I’m off the hook. I don’t need to run onto that field today. I don’t need to fake it for Ethan or pretend I’ve got it all under control. Because Jace already showed up, and that melts my heart.
CHAPTER 8
EPILOGUE: JACE
Two Years Later
The crowd roars. It’s a thunderous wave of sound that crashes through the stadium like a living, breathing thing. The scent of sweat hangs in the air, and it’s thick with energy. Every light in the arena burns bright, casting long shadows on the field as we move through warm-ups. My cleats grip the turf. My breath is sharp in my lungs and adrenaline hums just beneath my skin.
This moment is what I used to dream about. Standing here under the lights. Hearing the roar of the fans echoing in my chest like a war drum. Making the leap from the practice squad to the starting roster was everything I’d worked for. But even this electric, career-defining moment feels like background noise compared to what’s waiting for me in the stands.
I lift my head and scan the crowd. I let the wave of faces blur until I find the only ones that matter. There they are, of course. They wouldn’t miss this. When I find them, they’re sitting in the front row just past the thirty-yard line.
My brother James is tall, broad, and grinning back at me like a proud idiot. Beside him is Missy, my miracle… My wife. Her eyes lock on me like I’m the only man in the world. The cherry ontop of the sundae is sitting just on the other side of her. Ethan, our son, wears a foam finger on one hand and a mouthful of nachos, waving like his life depends on it.
The sight punches the air out of my lungs. Right there, in that one perfect row of seats, is everything I’ve ever wanted. Everything I didn’t know I was allowed to have. My past. My present. My future. My whole damn world. None of this would have happened without her encouragement. Her dark hair spills over her shoulders and a soft smile plays on her lips.
“Lumberjack, what the hell are you grinning at?” My teammate Griffin smacks me on the back. The sharp clap of his palm echoes off my shoulder pads. His voice cuts through the buzz of the stadium like a saw through rough pine. “You look like a goddamn jackass.”
I don’t even flinch. The grin stays glued to my face, wide and stupid. “Don’t be jealous,” I shoot back, shifting my helmet under my arm. “Not everyone’s got their own personal cheering section.”
Colby snorts and shakes his head, curls damp with sweat under his headband. “Yeah, well… you still look like a jackass,” he says, but his laughter is easy, no bite behind it.
I chuckle because he doesn’t get it. Hecan’t. Not yet, at least. Not unless someday he’s lucky enough to meethisMissy.
He doesn’t know what it’s like to step out onto the field knowing the love of your life is watching your every move like you’re the star of her favorite movie. He doesn’t know the way it feels to see a kid with your name on the back of his jersey bouncing in his seat like you’ve just scored a touchdown… even when you’re only stretching on the sideline.
He doesn’t know the kind of peace that crawls into your bones when you’ve got a home to come back to. Not a cold apartment either. A nice bungalow with laughter in the hallway,toys underfoot, and the smell of cinnamon rolls because your wife can’t stop baking when she’s pregnant.
Griffin doesn’t know what it’s like to bewantedlike that. Needed. Loved. But I do. Missy and Ethan changed the game. They gave me more than a title or a number on my back. They gave mepurpose.
Now, I wake up to sleepy kisses. I get tackled by an eight-year-old in superhero pajamas who thinks I hung the damn moon. I get to be his dad. His protector. His loudest fan on the sidelines of life. James gets to be his uncle. He lives in the apartment over our garage, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Now life is about to change all over again. We’re giving Ethan a little brother. There will be another set of tiny feet to patter through the halls. Another boy who will call meDadwith absolute trust in his voice, as I teach him how to be a man.
The best part is, Ethan won’t have to shoulder the burden of responsibility like I did growing up. He won’t be forced into protector mode before he’s ready. He’ll get something better… a built-in best friend. A sidekick for every treehouse mission and mud puddle adventure. A co-pilot for every pillow fort and late-night giggle fest.
A forever bond. A rewritten legacy.
One misdialed call, accidental text, or late-night drunk dial sparks instant attraction, unexpected chemistry, and a whole lot of trouble. From grumpy mountain men to handsome hockey players, and smoking hot firemen, each wrong number leads to the right kind of love connection. Your next obsession is calling.
Wrong Number, Right Guy is a multi-author series of short, steamy instalove stories with guaranteed happily-ever-afters.
