Page 39 of Ready to Snap
“Yes you did, baby. Who’s coming?”
I briefly glance out onto the ice where the Zamboni is doing laps. “Promise you’ll act surprised?” He nods, and I take a deep breath before admitting, “The guys. They’re bringing their wives and girlfriends.”
“What? Are you serious? Those bastards! I knew something was up last week on our call.”
“You told them a few months ago that you wanted them to come, and they wanted to surprise you.” There’s a knock at the door, and I turn to the sound, then return my attention to my phone. “Hey, I’ve gotta run, but there’s something I have to tell you first… I love you.”
“Fuck, you’re killing me! You tell me this now when I can’t drop to my knees and properly kiss you?”
It takes me a moment to realize what he meant, and I bark out a laugh. “Will!”
“Yes, baby?”
“You’re on speaker! Someone could’ve heard that!”
He shrugs. “You think I care? The woman I’ve been in love with for the better part of two years finally admitted she loves me back. You’re lucky that’s all I said.”
A blush creeps up my neck. “I’ll call you after the game.”
“I’llseeyou after the game. I love you, Elle.”
“Love you too.”
“Damn, I’m never going to get tired of hearing that.” He kisses his fingers, then taps the screen. I do the same, then we hang up.
I stare at my phone for a moment, unable to wipe the grin off my face. I open the door to Dean on the other side, and without a greeting, I blurt out, “I’m in.”
CHAPTER 15
WILL
Six minutes left in the fourth quarter. We’re only up by three—it’s anyone’s game. These are the moments I live for. As fun as it is to be up by over twenty points, I thrive when the pressure is on. My adrenaline is at an all-time high, the guys are hungry for the win, and we give it everything we’ve got.
This could be my second-to-last game of my career. We clinched the division, and while it doesn't matter if we win today, three of my best friends flew in for this… and my girl is here. I’m playing for the W.
Second and eighteen, and we’re set up for a run.Snap. The swarm in the middle distracts everyone, and instead of handing off to Norton, I find Boyd off to the left, slinking past the defense. I give him a second to gain a few yards, but it’s too late. I’m sideswiped from my right, knocking the ball out of my hand. They’re scrambling, and thankfully, we’re able to recover it.
Third andtwenty-six.
Fuck!
The play clock runs down to two seconds and I call a time-out, then jog over to Coach. He keeps his mouth covered as he shouts, “Get it off to Wallace—they haven’t been covering him.”
“Got it.”
We run back out, and with a few adjustments, I’m feeling a lot better about getting the ball off to him. The ball is snapped, and I’m protected with time for Wallace to run like hell. I wrench my arm back and, if he keeps the same pace, he’ll catch it around the fifteen. The ball sails through the air, and time slows down as it reaches him. At the last second, it’s picked off. The crowd roars with boos as the defensive back runs it back—then he trips. Fucking trips, when he’s knocked by Norton. The ball is only a few feet from me. With it loose, I rush to smother it.
First and ten.
Fuck. Yes.
We take our time moving the ball up the field, running down the clock as much as possible. They’ve been on Matthews and Wallace, but Smith is open, and I toss it to him. He runs it in for a touchdown, and the stadium erupts with cheers. Our fans are always loud, but I love when I can feel it in my chest. We kick in the extra point, guaranteeing the win.
Our defense holds them back for several minutes. With the two-minute warning seconds away, we get the ball back and I’m feeling cocky. A smart man would run a few plays, then take a knee. Instead, I throw a Hail Mary to Smith, and he runs it in for his second touchdown of the game.
We end twenty-four to seven, and I couldn’t be happier. If my girl was still our media director, she’d remind me to behumble with reporters. I will do no such thing. Our new director, Mark, is nowhere to be found to wrangle me, and I’m allowed to bask in the glory while I still can.
While speaking with the media on the field, I thank the guys and emphasize it’s a team effort—while jumping out of my skin with excitement.
