Page 656 of One More Kiss

“Let her go,” the gentle tone of my dad’s voice brings me back from seeing red. “Tonight’s about Milo. If she wants to throw a temper tantrum, I’m guessing because you said no to money, let her do it somewhere else.”

Coming to my father’s side, my mom offers a sympathetic smile. She points to the stage that’s now set up in the middle of the field. “They’re about to start the speeches.”

Having every intention of staying put with our parents, I blow Milo a kiss, but he shakes his head as he makes his way over to me.

“Come on,” he says as he extends his hand. “You’re with me.”

There’s a brief moment of contemplation before I lace my fingers in his and let him lead us through the crowd. I remind myself to breathe as we weave through the sea of people until we find ourselves in a small group of players and their significant others.

We are greeted with such enthusiasm that I temporarily forget about my insecurities. These aren’t just Milo’s teammates, they’re our friends. We’ve vacationed together, attended their weddings, celebrated their children’s birthdays…

The energy surrounding us is contagious. Everyone is buzzing with the excitement of what was accomplished tonight and what is still to come.As the team owner and head coach make their speeches, I’m hanging on by the tiniest thread, knowing the announcement for the game’s MVP is coming at any minute. I’m completely biased, but it should be Milo.

He played the best game of his career tonight—racking up over 130 receiving yards and he’s responsible for three of the five touchdowns tonight. He’s already broken league records this post-season.

He’s also the best hype man in the locker room and on the sidelines. Even when they’re down, even when it looks like something is impossible, he never gives up hope—and he refuses to let his teammates or the coaching staff give up either. He deserves the MVP title.

Thinking all of that doesn’t stop the flutter of excitement when his name is called.

“Don’t worry,” Madeline Crawford, wife of defensive tackle Jeremiah Crawford, says as she steps forward next to me and slides her arm in mine. “We got Lochlyn.”

With that reassurance, Milo sprints up to the temporary stage. His smile could light up the entire stadium. At this point, I stop caring about what anyone around me thinks.

“Go, Miloooooooo!” I scream like a lunatic despite knowing he probably can’t hear me over the roar of the fans.

When the sports reporter on the stage asks Milo if there’s anyone he wants to thank for tonight, my stomach knots as he thanks his parents first, as always. Then he mentions the owner, his coaches, and teammates before wrapping up his speech with, “And, of course, my beautiful fiancée, Lochlyn. I couldn’t and wouldn’t want to do any of this without you. I love you more than tacos.”

My heart stops.

Did he just say… fiancée?

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