Page 85 of Flag On The Play
Roxy yells from somewhere behind me, “You’re on the jumbotron, lovebirds!”
Delaney’s voice follows, sing-song and teasing, “Better make it a good one!”
Finlay just smirks and kisses me again, slower this time, like he’s savoring it, like the world can wait. And maybe it can because this is our win, too.
The club is packed, the bass from the speakers rattling my chest as lights flash overhead. Everywhere I look, there are football jerseys and championship hats, the air buzzing with victory. The Nighthawks have claimed the VIP section, and somehow, so have Roxy, Delaney, and I.
“Free drinks all night, baby!” Roxy shouts over the music, shoving a glittering cocktail into my hand. She’s practically vibrating. “I swear I’ve never been this close to so many ridiculously good-looking men in my life. God bless professional sports.”
Delaney grins, leaning in so I can hear her. “It’s surreal, isn’t it? A week ago, you were avoiding his calls, and now…” She tilts her chin toward the dance floor. Finlay’s out there with some of his teammates, laughing so hard he’s bent over, and when he looks up, his gaze finds mine instantly. That smile—that stupid, heart-melting smile—is all for me.
“Yeah,” I say softly, my chest aching in the best way. “Now, I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.”
Before I can blink, Finlay’s weaving through the crowd, scooping me into his arms and spinning me around like I weigh nothing. My drink sloshes dangerously, but I’m laughing too hard to care.
“Ladies,” he says to Roxy and Delaney once he sets me down, “I’m stealing your girl for the rest of the night.”
“Better bring her back in one piece!” Roxy warns, but she’s smiling like she already approves.
He pulls me toward a quieter corner of the club, away from the pounding music and flashing lights. His hands slide around my waist, his forehead resting against mine. “I still can’t believe you’re here,” he says, voice low and warm. “That we get to do this. Together.”
I run my fingers along the edge of his jaw, feeling the faint stubble and the steady strength beneath it. “I almost didn’t give you another chance.”
“I know.” His eyes are serious now. “And I’m never going to waste the one you did give me. You’re it for me, Nova Wilde. Always.”
I bite my lip, my heart flipping in that reckless way it always does for him. “Good. Because you’re it for me, too, Finlay Reed. Always.”
He kisses me slow and deep, like the rest of the world can spin without us for a while. Around us, the celebration roars on, but in this little corner, it’s quiet and sure and perfect.
When we finally pull back, he grins. “Guess we just won twice tonight.”
I laugh, pressing my palm to his chest where his heart is pounding steady against mine. “Yeah, we did.”
And just like that, with his arms around me and his future wide open, I know this is our forever.
EPILOGUE
NOVA
2 YEARS LATER
The crowd is on their feet, the deafening roar of the stadium washing over me. I clutch Roxy’s arm while Delaney leans forward in her seat, both of them screaming like lunatics.
“There he is! Your man!” Roxy shouts as Finlay jogs onto the field, helmet under his arm, grinning like the show-off he is.
“He’s not just my man. He’s our Victory Bowl champion,” I yell back, though my voice is already hoarse from cheering.
The game is long over, confetti still littering the turf. The New York Nighthawks have done it again. They are Victory Bowl champions. This time, I’m not watching from the stands with a knot of uncertainty in my chest. This time, I’m here as his wife.
The silver band on my finger catches the stadium lights, and I can’t stop smiling. Life hasn’t just been about football these past two years. I’m still dancing, still performing at Heaven’s Edge, and Finlay has never once asked me to give it up. In fact, he brags about it. Says he loves that I own who I am and that my strength is part of what drew him in from the start. He’sfront row at my big performances when his schedule allows, the loudest and proudest one in the crowd.
When Finlay spots me in the stands now, his whole face lights up, like the noise, the cameras, the crowd all disappear. He makes his way over, ignoring reporters and cameras, stopping only when he’s right in front of me.
He reaches up, pulls me down by the back of my neck, and kisses me like we’re the only two people in the world. The stadium erupts. Somewhere behind us, Roxy and Delaney are wolf-whistling like maniacs.
“Still my good luck charm,” he murmurs against my lips.
“Always,” I whisper back.
