Out of My League (The Underdog series Book 1)
Page 32
He snorts against my neck but catches himself before losing a grip on his amusement. When he lifts his head, and I flutter my eyelashes at him, he almost cracks up again.
I’m right there with him, not sure how much longer I can keep this up, but I manage to choke out, “I’m still waitin’ on an answer, Professor Hoss.”
We both collapse into giggles at that improvised detail. Breathless, he grips my forearms and bends at the waist, laughing at his shoes. “Oh, damn. I was okay until ‘Professor Hoss.’”
I recover more quickly and, dabbing at my eyes, resume character. “Now, Professor, we ain’t got no time for silliness. This is serious work. For science.”
He stands at his full height and transfers his hands from my arms to my face. The smile still plays on his lips, but his eyes are earnest as they roam my features, and he says, “I love you, Maura Richards, and I can’t wait to be your husband, to come home to you after every win, after every loss, after each grueling practice or press conference or public appearance.”
“Aww. Bless your heart!”
“I meant what I said to that reporter. You inspire me to be better, to work harder, to play smarter. You’re the first person who’s ever made me feel like I’m more than just an arm. Out at The Ranch, when you said I had heart…” The corners of his mouth turn down, and he blinks rapidly. “I’ve been waiting my whole life for someone to see that.”
I stand on my tiptoes and kiss his chin but keep the Horse Lady accent to prevent any more crying. “I saw it right away, the minute you sat down next to the saddest, most pathetic, loneliest party guest and tried to cheer her right up.”
“My heart may not have been the only thing at play there.”
Smacking his chest, I say in my normal voice, “Big talker.”
“And when you called me out on our first date for not quite being able to place your name with your face, I thought, this woman is going to change my life. And you have.”
Now he takes a knee and pulls a familiar baby blue ring box from his pocket. “So, I know I already asked you in front of a million people, but I want to ask you again, with just the two of us. I want to look you in the eyes when I say it. Maura, will you marry me?” He opens the box with a squeak of its hinges and reveals an enormous glass cocktail ring crammed between the two pillows that make up the bottom of the box.
I roll my eyes and mutter, “Oh, my gosh,” on a giggle.
He looks down at the ring, then back up at me. “There wasn’t a chance in hell I was going to risk screwing that up again. You’ll be picking out your own ring.”
I pluck the costume jewelry from its nest and slide it onto my finger, then hold out my hand, turning it side to side to inspect it. “I think this one is perfect.”
“So, is that a yes?”
“Absolutely.”
He rises to his feet and embraces me. After a deep kiss, he startles me by sweeping me off my feet and carrying me toward the stairs. As we ascend, I throw back my head and drawl, my voice echoing in the high-ceilinged area, “Ah’m so blassed!”
Acknowledgments
Huge thanks go out to the usual suspects, including friends, family, people I haven’t seen in a long time who still keep up with my writing (thanks to the magic of technology), members of social media groups, and readers who follow me on Facebook and Twitter. Your encouragement has been the difference between publishing and quitting some days, so thank you!
Specifically, I’d like to thank Laura Chapman, fellow author and football lover. She and I may root for different NFL teams (Packers for her and Chiefs for me, just FYI), but that only made our conversations about the game more interesting. She also hosted me on an incredible weekend in her delightful hometown of Lincoln, Nebraska, where I was an honorary Huskers fan for a day. She introduced me to her cats and some of her friends and family, red beer, and Runza sandwiches (if you’ve never had one, they’re uh-may-zing). The Chapman clan made me feel very much at home, which was heartwarming and something I’ll never forget. (Thanks, Bruce, Linda, and Sarah!)
Most importantly to this project, however, Laura encouraged me to dust off and revamp an old, dismissed manuscript that was previously destined for the hard drive graveyard. She spent a lot of time reading rough, rough, rough drafts of most of this book, hot off the brain, then more time reading a more polished version. Thanks for being a rock, L.C.!
Other beta readers (you know, those brave souls who read a fully written manuscript and tell the author exactly how they feel about it?) for this book were Erin Baker, Jami Deise, Bethany Dodson, Nicole Ford, Kylie Frankel, Mary Macklin, Kaley Stewart, and Natasha Walsh. Each reader provided a special perspective, and as usual, their responses made this book better than it was when I sent it to them. As a matter of fact, it’s almost an entirely different book altogether. Thanks, ladies!
I dedicated this book to my husband, but I feel like a more thorough thank you is in order. The man not only helped me come up with The Underdog Series title (and its funny runner-up, The Pigskin Passion Series), but he answered some random questions at some ungodly hours of the day without batting an eyelash. He also didn’t roll his eyes once (that I saw, anyway) when I compared Jet Knox’s quarterback stats—completely made-up, remember—to the real football players we watched on Sundays, Mondays, and Thursdays. He even acted like he cared when I lamented having to change my fictional NFL scandal to something less similar to real-life goings on, even though it didn’t affect his life at all, and he probably could have done without that half-hour angsty conversation when he was trying to eat dinner after a long day at work. We’ve been on the same “team” for a long time, and it works because he accepts my kookiness, and I appreciate his level-headedness. I love you, Clint, which is why I had the Cowboys win the Super Bowl in this book. You’re welcome!
Finally, I’m going to offer a preemptive shout-out of gratitude to reviewers, and not just the ones I hope will chime in after reading this book, but every person who’s written a review for any of my works. Whether you’re an individual who just likes to share your thoughts about the books you’ve read or someone who has a more structured platform, like a blog, your words matter. You influence readers’ choices about how they spend their free time and which characters they spend that time with. When you’re recommending my books to others, I appreciate it. And when you’re conveying your disappointment with one of my works or with a certain aspect of a story or character, you’re helping me consider ways in which to grow and be better, both as a writer and a person. (Or you’re ruining my day. But don’t worry so much about that, as long as you don’t make it personal.) So don’t assume your opinion is worthless. If you enjoy telling other people about the stories you’ve read, do it! Voracious readers love recommendations from other reading enthusiasts.
Thanks for reading!
About the Author
Brea Brown's irreverent romantic comedies feature a roster of unlikely but believable characters that will keep you turning pages late into the night--or laughing in public! She draws her inspiration from her wacky family, her Midwest upbringing, the dimestore novels she devoured as a kid, her own mishaps, and her overactive imagination. She believes in making her characters work for their dreams, but she's a sucker for a happy ending.
She lives in Springfield, Missouri with her husband and three rambunctious sons.
About the Publisher
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THE END
Also by Brea Brown
The Secret Keeper series:
The Secret Keeper (Boo
k 1)
The Secret Keeper Confined (Book 2)
The Secret Keeper Up All Night (Book 3)
The Secret Keeper Holds On (Book 4)
The Secret Keeper Lets Go (Book 5)
The Secret Keeper Fulfilled (Book 6)
The Underdog series:
Out of My League (Book 1)
Rookie of the Year (Book 2)
Opportunity Knox (Book 3)
The Nurse Nate series:
Let’s Be Frank (Book 1)
Let’s Be Real (Book 2)
Let’s Be Friends (Book 3)
Stand-alone novels:
Daydreamer
The Family Plot
Plain Jayne
Quiet, Please!