But they’re ready now. They’re serious. This one counts. The starters will be in.
And that’s why it feels extra ominous when a strange sensation washes over me as we walk toward our seats. I may not know the details of whatever secret Savannah holds over the Dalton brothers, but for some reason, she slithers into my mind.
I ask Nicki out of the blue, “Does Savannah come to these things?”
She shrugs and purses her lips. “Doubtful, but given her history with both brothers, maybe. She’d probably love to run another profile on the two of them, and what better event to dig up dirt than when they’re playing each other?”
Speaking of Luke’s exes, I bring up the other pain in my ass. “Think we’ll be lucky enough to run into Michelle today?”
She laughs. “We’ll definitely see her on the sidelines. Maybe after the game, too, if we go to the team dinner. How’s that whole living with her thing going, by the way?”
I roll my eyes. “About as awful as you’d expect. But I’m hopeful for good news when the paternity results come in.”
“When are those supposed to show up?” She pauses to look at the numbers at the top of each section in the stadium to find the ones that match our tickets.
I stop with her, and we find our section. “With any luck, they’ll be waiting for us when we get back home.” We both turn in and show our tickets to the attendant at the top of a long row of stairs.
“I’ve got my fingers crossed for you.”
We opted for tickets we found in the third row near the fifty-yard line on the away team’s side of the field. My heart thumps when we slide into our seats, and it starts racing when the announcer introduces the Vegas Aces. Nicki and I cheer like a couple of maniacs, drawing the ire of several Broncos fans sitting nearby.
I spot eighty-four right away as he runs beside my brother, and I can’t help but stare at his long, lean frame as he rushes across the field from the locker room they just came out of toward the sideline.
God, he’s hot. And I’m married to him.
This still doesn’t feel real. I didn’t even know him a few months ago, and somehow we’re living out our fairy tale now. He’s in love with me. I’m in love with him. We’re giving this a real effort.
I’m a nervous wreck as a handful of players move to the center of the field for the coin toss. The Aces will get the ball first, and a bunch of men line up on either side of the ball for kickoff. I say a little prayer in my head. Please keep him safe. Please don’t let him get hurt.
I look for eighty-four. “Is he out there?” I ask Nicki, and before she answers, I find him standing on the sidelines as he waits for his turn to take the field.
She shakes her head. “The special teams unit goes out there for kickoff. But he’ll be on for the next play.”
And then the players are running at each other.
“Go, go, go!” Nicki yells as some guy in a black and red uniform runs with the ball. He makes it to the thirty-yard line before he’s tackled, and I wince at the contact. God, that can’t feel good.
We watch as a bunch of players run off the field, and then I spot Luke as he runs on.
Number three, Brandon Fletcher, hands the ball off to Jaxon Bryant for the first play for no gain. He does that again on the second play, and this time Jaxon gets away and manages to get a first down. I only know this from the announcer narrating the events.
My eyes are zeroed in on number eighty-four. I watch as he fights off Hammond to try to get free, but he seems unable to escape him.
On the next play, Fletcher throws to my brother, who makes a big gain and another first down.
They don’t get much further than that, and the first drive is over for the Aces, ending with no score as it’s the Broncos turn to take the field.
I breathe out a little sigh of relief that Luke isn’t on the field for a while. I can breathe easier while he rests. I sort of like when the other team has the ball just for that very reason, though I’m sure he’s itching to get back on the field to try to escape Hammond.
I watch Jack as he goes to work. I don’t know him well, but from the few interactions I’ve had with him, it’s safe to say that he’s a confident guy. That translates to the field, too.
I watch as the center snaps the ball to him, and all the linemen protect him from the defenders who are trying their hardest to take him down. He’s clearly in his element as he takes his time scanning the field, watching his men move into the places where they’re supposed to go based on the strategies the team has practiced over and over. The way he stands there before he throws the ball reminds me a lot of the way he acts in his everyday life. He takes his time, he waits with poise, and then he throws the ball with accurate precision.
A wide receiver catches it and gains a few yards before one of the Aces defenders takes him down.
I can’t help but picture Thanksgiving at the Dalton house as Carol and Kaylee made the turkey inside and the boys went outside to toss around the ball. I can just see Jack and Luke making even a simple game of catch into a competitive sport.
It actually sort of helps me understand their relationship now in a way. The competitive spirit has always been there between them, starting with sports but not ending there. Clearly that spirit has infiltrated every aspect of their relationship, and I can’t help but wonder if it’s beyond repair. They’re two stubborn men, and Luke obviously drew the short end of the stick when it comes to fitting in with his own family.
Enter Ellie.
I’m his family now. Josh is. Even my parents are.
I text my mom. I’m sure they’re watching the game. In fact, I bet they’ll come to Vegas next weekend for the home opener.
Me: Will you be in Vegas next weekend? Luke and I would love to take you to dinner.
I’d invite them to stay with us, but we have that whole Michelle issue going on.
With any luck, she’ll be out of the house by next weekend. Surely we’ll get the test results in the next few days, and I’m certain those results will show us that Luke isn’t her baby’s daddy. And I can’t wait. I can’t wait to get her out of our house. I can’t wait to have Luke to myself. I can’t wait to look ahead to our future together—maybe with babies in it, but babies that belong to Luke and me.
The Broncos score, and my chest tightens as some players run off the field while others run on. The Broncos kick the ball back to the Aces, and Jaxon Bryant catches it and runs it all the way to the forty-yard line.
I’m getting pretty good at understanding what’s going on.
My eyes zero in on the hottie wearing number eighty-four as he runs into his position. I spot Hammond standing on the line across from him, and something punches me in the gut. I have a sudden bad feeling.
I want Luke off the field.
Maybe it was Jack’s ominous threat before the preseason game, or maybe it’s just some strange premonition poking at my gut. My stomach twists and I feel like I can’t watch as the ball is snapped to Brandon Fletcher.
I watch as Brandon looks around the field for an open receiver. I watch as he spots Luke.
And then I close my eyes as Luke makes the catch.
CHAPTER 27
I regret closing my eyes, but only because in closing them, I heard the crowd’s reaction before I saw what actually happened.