CHAPTER TWENTY
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“HOLY SHIT. HOLY shit. Holy shit.”
“Shh,” Levi cautioned Dylan afraid his friend might jump out of his skin at any second. “Look at the clock. Until the fucking thing hits zero, don’t even breathe.”
“Thirty seconds left. Up by ten points.” Dylan gripped the facemask of his helmet until his knuckles turned white. “Holy shit, Levi. We’re going to the playoffs.”
As his teammates jumped and screamed and hollered around him, Levi waited until the final gun sounded before he let himself celebrate. He wasn’t superstitious, exactly. At least no more than your average athlete.
But Levi didn’t believe in tempting fate. He refused to spit in the face of the football gods, the ones who so graciously sat on his shoulder while he led his team to the postseason.
As Levi ran across the field to shake the opposing quarterback’s hand, he promised himself to never take his success for granted. He was given a gift when the Knights named him as their starter. Every moment since then had been a living dream. Levi had one more wish—he’d worked hard and figured he had the right.
If I am dreaming, he thought, hoping someone was still listening, don’t wake me up until after the Knights go all the way.
Levi waited for the crack of doom, the signal he’d pushed his luck too far. But all he heard was the sound of his fellow players, the crowd in the stadium, and the city of Seattle going wild with joyous excitement.
The Knights, and Levi, were headed to the playoffs. He grinned as a Gatorade coated Coach McClain wrapped him up in the best bearhug ever.
While pandemonium reigned around him, Levi thought of Piper. She never lost faith in him. And, she was due a huge, I told you so. Fine with him. He couldn’t wait.
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“I REFUSE,” PIPER said, shaking her head.
“Come on,” Levi urged. ‘You earned the right.”
They were in Levi’s bed. Hours after the celebrations had died down and the post-game interviews were over—after making love to Piper—he was still too jacked up on adrenaline and an otherworldly sense of disbelief to settle down into something as mundane as sleep.
A bit of verbal sparring with Piper seemed like a good way to burn off the last of his endless energy.
“Say, I told you so,” Levi said. “Please. I won’t be able to relax until you do.”
“My maturity level has progressed beyond the juvenile need to gloat about how right I was.” With a superior smirk, Piper shrugged. “As long as you know the truth, I’m satisfied.”
“Party pooper.” Levi sighed. Then, he grinned. “We did lose one game. The second to last. I thought you might cry.”
“Me? You were the one who beat yourself up for a week.” Piper let out a huff of disgust. “Everyone agreed that the loss wasn’t your fault. You played like a lion. A gladiator. A Superhero.”
“You’re reaching, just a bit,” Levi told her with a humble sigh. But knowing how his woman felt about him, inside, he grinned from ear to ear.
“No, I’m not.” Turning serious, Piper cupped his face between her hands and looked straight into his eyes. “I’m proud of you, Levi Reynolds. Darcy and Mac gave you a chance to start. But you’re the one who ran with the ball—so to speak.”
“Good football analogy,” Levi said, wondering as his heart overflowed if he could take much more.
“The math was always on your side,” Piper told him with a satisfied sigh. “How could you lose?”
Levi knew Piper would be horrified, but he didn’t care about the math. The fact that she was with him through everything was what mattered. She saw him past the aches, the pains, and the self-doubt. Her support never wavered even when he thought he might.
On the outside, Piper looked delicate, almost fragile. Levi knew better. She was strong, through and through. His rock and his biggest cheerleader.
Could the power of love work miracles? Levi didn’t know. But when a woman as amazing as Piper gifted you with her heart, he was ready to believe.
Levi yawned. At last, his eyes grew heavy. He slid deeper into the bed, pulling Piper close and tucking the covers around her shoulders. Tomorrow, he would meet with Coach McClain and the rest of the staff to begin their postseason strategy sessions.
Monday would be all about watching tape and breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of their next opponent. Because the Knights were a wild card team, they had to play all their games on the road. And unlike the division winners who were rewarded with a first-week bye, a trip to the Super Bowl meant winning three games instead of the preferred two.
“I won’t have time for much of anything but football,” Levi warned Piper. “Until we lo—”
Piper covered his mouth with hers, using the best method Levi could imagine, stopping him from uttering any negative thoughts. She didn’t want to hear him think about losing let alone say the word out loud. Positive thoughts only, she insisted.
Levi cupped the back of Piper’s head, deepening the kiss. His pragmatic woman had turned into a raging Pollyanna—at least where he and football were concerned. She believed the Knights were destined to win the Super Bowl. He was done arguing.
“Sleep,” Piper insisted when Levi’s hand cupped her breast. “Your head may tell you sex is a good idea, but your body is wiped out. Even Superman needs to recharge his engine now and then.”
Levi nodded. As usual, Piper was right. His spirit might be willing, but his flesh? Toast. Rather than embarrass himself, he moved his hand to her waist and closed his eyes.
Seconds later, Piper’s whispered words were the last thing Levi heard as he sank into a deep slumber.
“Levi?” Her breath fanned out across his chest.
“Hm,” he asked, barely conscious.
“I told you so.”
With his last bit of flagging energy, Levi grinned.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
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THE SEATTLE KNIGHTS’ miracle season continues to amaze and astound. After a 2-6 start that left everyone but the most die-hard fan giving up and dreaming of next year, the team turned things around, winning seven of their last eight games.
Seated on her living room sofa, Piper watched the television screen with rapt attention. Taking a bite of pizza, she chewed without really tasting her dinner.
The NFL Network had become Piper’s favorite station. She turned it on first thing in the morning and fell asleep as she listened to the anchors recycle information that she’d heard dozens of times.
Piper wasn’t proud of her addiction and once the Knights’ season ended, she promised to quit—cold turkey. She didn’t anticipate any withdrawal symptoms. The main reason she watched was to hear the broadcasters eat their words about Levi.
All over the country, the doubts, naysayers, and haters had changed their tunes. Levi’s harshest critics now called him a revelation. With the Knights victory last night in the league championship game, anyone who hadn’t been on the Levi Reynolds bandwagon decided to hitch a ride—right to the Super Bowl.