Page 138 of Home Town Advantage
The last twentyminutes have been madness. There are people everywhere. Green confetti blankets the field. Every player, coach, and reporter has been all over me. Television cameras are shoved in my face. My head is spinning. All I really want is my family and Sulley. I’m sure they’re being escorted down to the field now.
I see my parents first. I hug them and they tell me how proud they are of me. And then I see my girl, hanging back, giving me my moment with my parents.
Our eyes meet, and she cracks a small smile. I just had the biggest moment of my professional life, and all I can think is that it wouldn’t have meant anything if she weren’t here with me.
She looks sexy as sin. She’s in some version of my jersey that I’ve never seen before. It’s like someone took several ofmy jerseys and created a sexier, more fashionable version of them. Designers were clamoring to dress her for this game, knowing she’d be on camera all the time. She’s wearing high boots in Camels’ green. She’s so hot.
I begin to approach her. I’m aware of hundreds of flashes going off, but I don’t care.
As she gets closer, I hear her say, “Nice throw, nineteen.”
I crack a smile. “Thanks, twenty-two.”
It’s not lost on me that this was how Finn and I communicated, and she’s never once before called me by my number. I know he’s here in spirit, relishing this moment as much as I am.
My arms immediately wrap around her, and my lips find hers. I can’t begin to count how many flashes go off.
“I’m so proud of you,” she whispers into my mouth before our lips break apart.
I smile down at her. “I’m proud of me too.”
She shrugs her shoulders and exhales a long breath. “I guess I owe you.”
I pinch my eyebrows together. “What do you mean?”
The corners of her sexy red lips rise in amusement. “I told you I’d marry you if and when you won a Super Bowl.” She drops down to one knee and takes my hand in hers. “A promise is a promise.”
If I thought thousands of flashes were going off before, I was wrong. Now it feels like a million, but I pay them no attention.
I smile as I mumble, “This is supposed to be my role.”
She looks up at me with all the love in the world. “I told you, I only marry champions. How about we both walk away with rings tonight?”
EPILOGUE
EIGHT YEARS LATER
SULLEY
Isee Vance and Finn approach our stables on top of SoFi, Vance’s horse. They’re both in jeans, flannel shirts, cowboy hats, and cowboy boots because Finn wants to be just like his daddy all the time. Vance’s big arms keep Finn’s little body safe as he’s seated in front of Vance with a huge smile on his adorable face.
Finneas O’Shea McCaffrey was born nearly five years ago. We never discussed what his name would be. We both just knew. Boy or girl, Finneas or Finnley, it was always going to be Finn.
Two years later, our daughter arrived. Hazel O’Shea McCaffrey was named after MeeMaw, who passed just before Hazel was born.
I was fortunate in my ability to get pregnant exactly when we planned it, always between my seasons. I never had to miss a single game. Because I have the best husband on the planet, I still don’t have to miss a single game.
After a then-toddler Finn saw his father win his second Super Bowl, Vance decided it was time to retire. He helps coach at a local high school when he can, manages a real estate portfolio, and runs the Finn O’Shea Foundation, which helps families who have lost a loved one in the line of duty with both their emotional and financial needs.
I’m holding an anxious Hazel as our boys approach. She’s reaching for Vance, ready for her turn on SoFi.
Vance’s eyes meet mine, and my heart does a somersault, just like it always has when I see him. He tips his hat as his eyes move up and down my body. “Howdy, ma’am. You’re looking rather edible today.”
“What are you gonna do about it, QB1?”
He licks his luscious lips. “We’ve got a long plane ride in the morning. I’m sure I’ll think of something.”
I can feel my body flush with thoughts of what I know will happen on that plane tomorrow.
