Well, figuratively.
She hoped, anyway. Not as if she’d know for sure until post-mortem, and this was why she couldn’t watch the game anymore.
But then everyone in the box cheered, and she popped up in time to see the Mustangs had intercepted the ball.
The two-minute warning came and went, and Gavin tugged on his helmet and rushed onto the field again. Without Julie having to ask, Charlotte extended her hand once again, and Julie clamped on.
First down came and went.
Second down happened after a pass with way too much height and speed. “Don’t let it get to you. You’ve got this, you’ve got this.”
He handed off to Christian, who barreled through the tight line of bodies, but made it only about three yards.
The next minute was a blur. Gavin cocked his arm and threw a long pass.
Jason stretched his arms for it, and the crowd inside and outside of the box shot to their feet as he caught it and sprinted for the end zone.
Ten yards…
Six…
Two…
While she was sure she wasn’t the only one who’d advised him not to showboat so close to the end zone, pride and excitement still swelled as he sprinted full-out, waiting until he was fully across that vital white line to drop the ball and celebrate his touchdown.
And then the Mustangs were officially in the playoffs for the first time in eighteen years.
Getting to the field wasn’t easy, but there were perks to tagging along with the man who owned the team. Finally, he, Charlotte, and Julie made it to the turf where the team was celebrating.
As soon as Julie spotted the big block letters FROST across the back of a red and black jersey, she abandoned all sense of decorum and sprinted like she’d never sprinted before.
She hit a slight snag, but then Smitts appeared out of nowhere. She yelled out congrats, but instead of responding, he took her hand and blazed a trail.
Julie’s steps faltered when she spotted Gavin talking to the female reporter who’d slid into his DMs. Not because she worried he’d break his word, but because she knew he had interviews to do and didn’t want to interrupt.
She’d ignore the fire ants buzzing in her gut and wait her turn, although she couldn’t promise to do so patiently.
Evidently, Smitts had no such qualms about crashing an interview. He tapped Gavin on the shoulder, and Julie lifted her hand to let him know he could finish up. Before she could get so much as a word out, though, Gavin took two long strides and boosted her into his arms.
What else was a girl in love to do but wrap her legs around his waist and hold on for dear life? In an instant, Gavin’s lips were on hers, and then he was thanking her and telling her he loved her.
She whispered it back, sinking into the kiss as everything else faded into the background.
It was only when she came up for air that a funny thought hit her. “Do you think our parents are watching this right now?”
“I guarantee it,” Gavin said. Keeping one large hand planted on her ass, he walked them back to the stunned reporter, who extended the microphone as if she already knew he had something to say. “I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank my teammates, Coach Bryant, and Lance Quaid for taking a chance on me and ensuring I had everything I needed today to win this game.
“And even though I know it’ll end with a whole lot of ‘we told you so’s,’ thanks Mom, Dad, Peggy, Ed, my grandparents and Julie’s, along with my little sister, Niki, for their liberal use of mistletoe and being the most meddlesome family in the entire world. Thanks to them, I got the best present ever for Christmas. And I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with her.”
Epilogue
Julie linked her fingers with Gavin as they stood on the sandy shores of Crystal Lake and glanced out over the water.
Funny how much they’d griped about having the picture of them as toddlers in their swim diapers hanging on the walls at both of their parents’ homes, but when deciding on a wedding location, they’d looked at each other and knew it was the perfect place to start the second phase of their life together.
After taking that moment to allow the photographer to recreate a fully clothed picture of them staring at the water—which was a pinch blurry through the layers of white tulle—Julie turned toward Gavin.
He lifted the veil off her face and secured it back with the other layers covering her blond curls. She bit her lip, and he grinned ear to ear, handsome as ever.
Yes, June was a nice month for weddings, but how could they do it any time other than Christmas? After eight months of long-distance dating, which wasn’t easy but also included some of her very favorite memories with Gavin, Julie was offered a job in San Antonio that put her in charge of three labs. It didn’t get any better than three-labs-worth of tumors and weird growths to dissect.
Especially when she factored in living with Gavin, in the beautiful house they’d bought and moved into last month.
Kylo Ren was adjusting to the change, and speaking of the disgruntled ring bearer, he was glowering from his perch on the train of her wedding dress.
Their families beamed from the first row, as did the football players crammed into the chairs behind them. Even though they’d attempted to space out the seats to accommodate the guys’ size, they were still shoulder to shoulder, dapper in their suits.
If anyone had told Julie that she’d have a wedding in the cold, she would’ve scoffed. Since her internal thermostat still ran low, several space heaters surrounded the area, and the tent just down the beach was even toastier.
But for this part, she’d happily endure the cold. With the help of a faux fur wrap.
“Here, I’ll hold your bouquet,” Niki whispered from Julie’s side. She had a matching wrap, but her dress was long and ruby red, which matched her lips and complemented her skin tone. They’d spent most of their morning getting ready together, telling each other how beautiful they looked.
Jason Holt leaned in from Gavin’s other side and asked if he needed him to hold anything. His gaze remained on Niki the entire time, though, so to say there were ulterior motives involved would be fair.
To say the spark between them had caused Gavin grief this past week would also be fair. Ever so slowly, he was sorta coming around to the possibility.
“Shall we get started?” Preacher Abbott asked.
“Yes, and can you put the pedal to the medal?” Grams hollered, and Granny Frost uttered an “Amen.”
“We’ve just been waiting for this moment for twenty-six years,” Darlene said.
Then Mom chimed in. “And it took enough effort to get them here; we want to make sure it all goes off without a hitch.”