Laird
“Snares, this is our last regular season game, and as your captain, I want to thank y’all for your hard work and dedication the last few months.” We were in the equipment room, where I’d asked everyone to report fifteen minutes earlier than normal. “Overall, this was an incredible season. I know we had some shit go down last week with Marco, but it never showed at practice or on the field. You were all professionals ‘til the end, and I appreciate that.”
I paused as people murmured their agreements and fist bumped each other.
“As y’all know, this is my final halftime show. I have to hang up my drumsticks and join the real world after this, which sucks ass. And last week, I played a solo during the snare break. But here’s the thing. I don’t want to play a solo this week. I don’t want to play a snare duel either.”
A few of the upper classmen looked at each other in confusion, but I kept Reese in my peripheral vision. I wanted to see her reaction to this next part.
“So… what are you doing?” Bubba finally asked.
“I want to play a duet. With Reese. Because I fucking love her, and I can’t think of a better way to end my last football season than her by my side, playing for forty thousand screaming Rodner fans.”
Around me, the rest of the line whooped and hollered, pounding me on the shoulders in congratulations. Beyond their genuine happiness for me, I’d told them about the shit Marco had pulled on her before last week’s game, facts Smith was able to corroborate. They’d all been understandably disgusted at Marco’s actions and even more disturbed that he’d specifically targeted a girl. I knew some of the guys with girlfriends and sisters took it especially hard that he’d physically hurt her, and they hadn’t known to intervene.
Well.
I didn’t tell them everything.
I didn’t mention the private visit I’d paid to him where I’d delivered my special parting gift of a free rhinoplasty. Some things a man just had to handle on his own.
I snuck a peek at Reese.
With her hand over her mouth and her pretty eyes wide with shock, she tried to shake her head no. To refuse me.
And it went against everything I stood for to force a woman to do anything without her consent.
But I wasn’t opposed to a little persuasion.
“It should be Bubba,” she objected, pointing at the behemoth on my other side. “He’s a senior too.”
“Darlin’,” Bubba drawled, adjusting the lapels of his uniform. “I know I’ve spent the last four years with him, but I don’t think his feelings for me are quite the same. I’m pretty sure your guy there wants you standing by his side for his last game, not me. Besides, with this face of mine, I’d attract all the attention and no one would even look twice at him.” He winked and stepped back, as if formally ceding the spot to her.
“Reese.” I used my authoritative voice, the deep tone that forced people to pay attention. “I’m telling you as your captain to accept the field placement you’ve been assigned.”
I grinned when her spine straightened with a snap, and her eyes sparked with that fire I loved so much.
Then I softened my voice and lifted my hand out to her. “And I’m asking as your boyfriend if you’d stand by my side tonight, in front of everyone.”
She paused, rolling her eyes and acting reluctant to take my hand, but I saw the smile edging the corner of her mouth. “What happened to no special treatment?”
I tugged her to my side, and wrapped a possessive arm around her waist. “I hear what you’re saying, but do you really want me to repeat that thing I did with my tongue this morning—the one where you got all religious for a moment—with the rest of these guys? ‘Cause I’d rather save that just for you.” I swung my head around. “No offense, Bubba.”
He put his hands up and retreated another step. “Yeah, I’m good over here. In the tongue-free zone.”
I looked back at her, where her irresistible grin had broken free and spread wide across her face.
She shook her head at me, her cheeks pink. “You’re—”
“Insatiable? For you, absolutely.”
And then I leaned down and captured her mouth, wrapping my arms fully around her, ignoring the catcalls and cheers from our audience. I didn’t stop until I’d given her a little reminder of what my tongue had done between her thighs earlier, slipping inside for a quick taste when she moaned. When we broke apart, I kept her in front of me, using her as a barrier to hide the evidence of my raging arousal, even though I’m sure every guy there saw right through my ploy. I didn’t care though.
Let them be jealous.
Even though we’d barely left my bedroom for the last three days, I couldn’t get enough of her.
It was like hearing those three magical words, that she loved me, had ripped free the last of my inhibitions. No more hiding and sneaking around.
I wanted everyone to know that she was mine.
After the preshow festivities ended and we were situated in the stands for the first half of the game, Reese and I decided to keep the duet simple. It’d be a riff off the cadence we’d both been teaching Eli in the hospital. It felt right to continue to honor his memory today, especially since he’d been such a big Rodner fan.
And when the time came, she performed flawlessly next to me, our drumsticks in perfect unison, our timing impeccable. I was so damn proud of her.
As we finished out the show, I scanned the stadium, taking in the view from the field under the floodlights one last time.
It felt slightly larger than life, being a part of a production like this, knowing everyone was watching you, knowing it was one of those performances where everything just clicked and flowed effortlessly.
My pulse raced at the same tempo as my drumsticks, the adrenaline thrumming in my veins, mixing with the roar of the crowd.
I was going to miss this.
As we marched off the field, the drumline pounding out the popular fight song while the audience cheered, I saw him.
My hands kept playing on autopilot, but I twisted my head for a second glance.
It was my dad. In the stands. On his feet and clapping, looking right at me.
I’m not sure he’d ever seen me play before.
Not in person.
But when the game ended, and the fans emptied the stadium to continue the celebration of another win somewhere else, I couldn’t find him.
Not that I expected to.
Still, it was a nice gesture on his part.
After a pit stop at Sammy’s, where I doubled our usual order, ignoring Reese’s protests and telling her that I intended to help her work up an appetite, we headed back to my townhouse and changed into comfy clothes.
When the doorbell rang fifteen minutes later, I feigned confusion.
“Can you answer it? I’m feeding Oscar.” I held up his dog food bowl as proof.
“Are we expecting someone?” Reese glanced down at her gym shorts and t-shirt, and patted her messy bun self-consciously.
She looked beautiful.
I just shrugged, since I’d promised myself I’d never lie to her again.
Reese cracked the door slowly and peeked outside, before suddenly yanking it all the way open.
“Mom? Dad? What are y’all doing here?”
Her mom fluttered around Reese, touching her arm, her cheek, smoothing a stray lock of hair off her forehead. Her dad wiped his feet fastidiously before entering.
“We got a call,” her mom said, “from that young man you had to rush back here to see. He told me he felt bad we’d missed Thanksgiving with you, and flew us down, set us up with box tickets—it’s so much cleaner up there—then said to swing by for a late dinner. He even booked us a hotel. So here we are.”
She wrapped her daughter in a hug, then studied me over Reese’s shoulder.
“He’s very good looking,” her mom stage-whispered. “And so thoughtful.”
Reese laughed. “Among other things.”
She untangled herself from her mom’s embrace, hugged her dad, then joined me in the kitchen, where I was putting the subs and chips on actual plates instead of just serving them on their wrappers like we normally did. I figured I’d serve them up fancy since it was Thanksgiving dinner and all. When I was organizing this surprise, I’d considered ordering a turkey and all the fixings from Publix, but changed my mind.
The subs were her favorite, and she was my favorite. It was that simple.
Her parents were washing their hands in the bathroom, out of sight, but I still wasn’t expecting her to launch herself at me the way she did.
I barely caught her as she wrapped her legs around my waist, then pressed her mouth to mine for a hot, but brief kiss.
“Have I told you today that I love you?”
“Not in the last hour, at least.” I stole another kiss.
“Tragic. How can I make it up to you?”
I whispered a couple dirty suggestions in her ear that had her squirming against me until we heard her parents approaching, and I reluctantly had to let her go.
“Later,” she whispered. “All of those things. At least twice.”
It was the best Thanksgiving dinner I’d ever had.
Especially dessert.