Tackled in Seattle

by Jami Davenport

  “I would be sad if you moved to Seattle and I couldn’t see you once a week, but I would be happy for you.”

  “I’d live here during the off-season. We’d do things together then.”

  “I’d like that.”

  “So would I.” I squeezed her hand, and she squeezed back.

  “Would you teach me to ride a horse?”

  “I will as soon as you’re strong enough.” She’d made so much progress already, she’d be there soon.

  I stayed for a while longer and had to leave for another engagement. When I got back to the palace, I asked my private secretary to clear my calendar for the weekend.

  I’d made my decision.

  Chapter 26—Former Fiancée

  ~~Gage~~

  Today I would play in my first regular season professional football game, or at the least, I’d be riding the bench. Today I began my new life. Today I was embracing honesty.

  I’d started the day by meeting Riley and Tiff for breakfast. Next, I had to make amends with my parents, who were flying in for the game.

  Instead of meeting at the airport, I’d arranged to meet them in the lobby of the hotel near the stadium where I’d made reservations for them. I’d resisted my original inclination to reserve a room at one of Seattle’s swankiest hotels, knowing they wouldn’t be comfortable there. Instead I’d found a nice little boutique hotel with all the amenities and a good restaurant that served down-home cooking. My dad wouldn’t eat anything he couldn’t pronounce or had no clue what it was. He was a meat-and-potatoes guy.

  I hugged my mom tight. She dabbed at her face with a handkerchief and sniffled.

  “We’re so proud of you, honey.”

  “Thanks, Mom.” I’d explained over the phone why I’d stayed so private, but I needed to get this off my chest.

  “It’s the first time we’ve seen you play in person since you were in high school.” My dad shook my hand firmly. Dad wasn’t known for his excessive displays of affection, or any displays of affection, yet his blue eyes were suspiciously bright. Dad was the rock of the family, dolling out praise and punishment with fairness and kindness.

  We walked into the lobby, and I steered them toward the small, intimate bar where we could have an uninterrupted and private lunch together. The team wasn’t playing until later that evening, so we had time to catch up.

  “You look good, Gage,” Mom said.

  “So do you guys.” I was lying, and they knew it. They looked worn out as usual. I vowed to lessen their burden once those bigger paychecks started rolling in. Rookie salaries weren’t huge, but they were more money than I’d make in any other job, even if most other careers lasted longer.

  We made small talk through lunch. I caught up on my siblings and their kids along with all the other relatives, friends, and neighbors. The sibs had wanted to come but couldn’t leave their work or the farm behind. I had an away not far from them in December, and we had all promised to get together then.

  After we were done eating, I took a deep breath, steeled my courage, and dived in.

  “Alisa and I broke up because she found out I was a farm boy. She thought I was rich.”

  “Why would she think that?”

  “I never talked much about my background. I wanted to keep it private, to protect my family from unwanted attention. I know you and Dad don’t like to be in the limelight. People made assumptions, and I never corrected those assumptions.”

  “It’s fine, Gage.” My mother gazed sympathetically at me. My father frowned and sat back, arms crossed over his chest, and waited for me to continue.

  “I’ve been living for nothing but football since my senior year of high school, and part of my MO was to keep everyone at arm’s length so football was my sole focus.”

  “Honey, we understand.” Mom glanced at Dad, and they exchanged one of those looks that said a lot but left me out of the conversation. They turned their attention back to me, and I rushed to explain why I’d not straightened out people in the first place. Mom looked down at the table, but Dad continued to regard me with his unreadable expression, as I finished my story.

  “I hope you never thought I was doing anything but protecting you both and my family and, I suspect, myself.”

  Dad covered Mom’s hand with his and leveled me with a fatherly look that included everything from chastisement and disappointment to love.

  “Son, people who are only your friends because you are somebody or you have money aren’t the people you want in your life. It’s your strength of character and what’s in your heart that matter most.”

  Was Alisa that person? Had she only loved the image she’d believed in, but not the real me? She’d never given the person I truly was a chance.

  “I know that now, Dad. You’re the best parents a guy could ever have.”

  “We love you, Gage,” Mom rushed to add.

  I looked to Dad. He was the tough nut to crack. He nodded. “We love you, Gage, and we’re damn proud of you.”

  “That means the world to me.” I placed my hand over the tops of theirs and blinked back tears. My mother sobbed quietly, and one tear trickled down my father’s cheek. We smiled at each other through our tears. This was unconditional love at its finest, and I was the luckiest guy in the world to have them for parents.

  Now if I could only straighten out the rest of my personal life.

  ~~Alisa~~

  Tiff met me at the airport. My flight was late, and by the time I got there, we had just enough time to make kickoff. With my usual security detail in tow, we braved Seattle traffic and arrived at the stadium with minutes to spare.

  Tiff had arranged for us to sit in the owner’s box, even though I’d have preferred being down on the field. I knew this was better. I didn’t want Gage to see me until after the game. Despite my love of football, the game seemed to last forever. I wanted to pace the box, but I couldn’t, not with all the other people present. Instead I calmed my frayed nerves by drinking a glass of wine and stuffing my face with any appetizer I could get my hands on.

  “What if he tells me to go to hell?” I said for the thousandth time.

  “He won’t,” Tiff answered mechanically, not taking her eyes off the field, her gaze fixated on Riley.

  “I wish I had your confidence.”

  “It’ll be fine. I’m sure of it. He hasn’t dated anyone since you, not even a hookup. That says a lot to me.”

  I sighed and sat back in my seat, glancing once more at the time left on the clock.

  With the Steelheads leading by three touchdowns with two minutes left, I saw Gage put on his helmet and sat up straight, interested in the game for the first time.

  “They’re putting Gage in,” Tiff said.

  “I know.”

  Tiff shot me a quick glance and smiled. “I bet you do.”

  “I should’ve planned some grand gesture to prove how much he means to me,” I fretted as Gage jogged to the huddle.

  “Your being here with your entourage is a big enough grand gesture.” Tiff glanced over her shoulder at my security detail. My very own men in black stood against the wall on either side of the doorway, arms crossed over their ample chests, sunglasses covering their eyes, and grim expressions on their faces. I knew better now. I’d gotten to know them over the past months, and they were great guys with families of their own.

  “I guess so.” Turning back to the game, I held the binoculars up to my eyes. The man was hotness personified in those tight football pants and shoulder pads.

  “You’re drooling.”

  “I am not.” Without thinking, I wiped my mouth, and Tiff threw back her head and laughed. She didn’t believe me any more than I believed myself.

  Still, I wished I’d arranged some profound message to be displayed on the big screen as soon as the game ended or planned something special. Instead, I had nothing but myself.

  “He’s going to be speechless when he sees you,” Tiff added, reading my mind, as she often had during our decade-
long friendship.

  Gage’s performance on the field, while short, was memorable. He threw for sixty yards and scrambled for a touchdown as the clock ticked down the final seconds.

  “Let’s do this.” Tiff winked at me. I didn’t have a plan beyond waiting outside the locker room for him to come out and professing my undying love and begging for a second chance. I guessed that’d have to be good enough.

  Once we were down in the catacombs of the stadium, we stood outside in the long concrete corridor, waiting for him to emerge. My attention drifted to a middle-aged couple standing off to one side looking as out of place as I felt. Most likely a player’s parents. They were dressed in worn jeans and Steelheads jerseys. When one of them turned to talk to the other, I did a double take. They were wearing Gage’s jersey number with his name on the back. I studied the man. He had a strong jaw and blue eyes, the same as Gage. The build was similar.

  “Tiff,” I tugged on her shirt sleeve, “are those Gage’s parents?”

  Tiff’s gaze landed squarely on the couple and her eyes widened. “My best wild-ass guess is that they’re his parents. Why don’t you introduce yourself?”

  On the way to the game, I’d told Tiff the entire story about the breakup and how I’d let him leave after he’d told me the truth. She’d listened and not passed judgement, but she had asked how I felt knowing he hadn’t been raised with a silver spoon in his mouth. I’d told her it didn’t matter one damn bit.

  And it didn’t.

  All that mattered was that Gage and I were together.

  If only I could pull this off.

  Steeling my courage, I walked the several steps across the corridor to Gage’s parents. They glanced my way and watched me approach. By the expressions on their faces, they knew exactly who I was.

  I held out my hand. “I’m Alisa. Gage’s former fiancée. And you two must be his parents.”

  Chapter 27—My Alisa

  ~~Gage~~

  It took me a while to escape the locker room. Since I was a former Tyee player making somewhat of a comeback, I was in high demand by the local press. I curbed my impatience and answered their questions with graciousness and tact, recalling how well Alisa stood up under the pressure of her new country’s press. She’d be proud of me. That thought depressed me.

  With a sigh, I showered, dressed, and went to find my parents. I’d put them on the list so they could wait outside the locker room. I pushed open one of the double doors and spotted them immediately chatting with an attractive brunette. She looked like… But then I saw Alisa in every brunette I passed on the street. Wishful thinking on my part.

  I stared harder. The woman laughed. I knew that laugh.

  What the fuck was she doing here?

  I put my hand out and steadied myself on the closest wall. Shit. I wasn’t going to pass out or do something totally bullshit like faint. I couldn’t. They hadn’t seen me yet and weren’t witnessing my total meltdown.

  Yet.

  I called forth every ounce of inner strength I could muster. The spinning slowed until it stopped. My heart still raced, but at least I was semi-functional. I would not reveal what a hot mess I was at seeing Alisa again.

  My dad noticed me first, and Mom and Alisa turned to see who he was staring at. I squared my shoulders, stilled my shaking hands, and strode toward them as if my entire life wasn’t poised on the edge of a black hole and about to be sucked into it, never heard from again.

  “Honey, look who’s here.” My mom, ever cheerful, grinned happily.

  Alisa stepped forward hesitantly, while my parents stayed back a few steps to afford us a little privacy.

  “Hi,” she said with a shaky voice. A tiny bit of confidence surged through me. She was as nervous as I was.

  “Hi.”

  “Can we talk?”

  “Here?” I took a quick glance around and didn’t see any members of the press, only Alisa’s security detail.

  “Yes, here.” She stood up straighter, showing that backbone I’d always appreciated.

  “Okay.”

  “I’ll make this direct and to the point. I love you. I miss you. I’m sorry for all the things I said. I want you back.”

  Well, fuck. That was a lot to absorb without warning. I was completely speechless. In fact, my brain rebooted, forcing me to wait until it’d logged back in and started functioning. Alisa waited me out. Not adding to what she’d already declared but simply staying silent. Not something she normally did. Alisa liked to talk, but talking more would’ve diminished the power of her words and compromised my ability to absorb the message she’d delivered.

  “Are you proposing to me?”

  “Yes, if that’s what it takes.” She took a few steps forward until she was a foot away from me. She didn’t bother to blink back the tears but let them run freely down her beautiful face. I didn’t know if they were tears of joy or sadness or something in between. I hadn’t given her an answer yet.

  “But I’m a second-string quarterback from humble roots. Are you good with that?” I had to know. I had to hear how she felt from her own lips.

  She glanced over her shoulder at my now-smiling parents. Mom looked the same way she looked when watching the end of a sappy movie, and Dad just looked, well, happy.

  Alisa turned back to me and put her hands on my shoulders. “I love your humble roots.”

  “I’m sorry for not opening up to you. I thought I was protecting my family, but maybe I was also protecting myself.” I searched her blue eyes for any hesitancy on her part and only saw love there. Love for me. Love for who I really was. Love for my wonderful family.

  “I understand, but you have to be open with me from now on.”

  “I can do that.” I crossed my heart and grinned at her. Oh, yeah, I could do that. Anything for Alisa.

  “Gage, I can’t live without you another moment.”

  “If I marry you, do I get to be a prince?”

  She blinked several times before she realized I was joking, then she punched me in the arm.

  “Ouch.” I rubbed my arm where she hit it, and she rolled her eyes.

  “You’ll be my prince.” She cast a spell on me with her brilliant smile. “If you want more than that, you’ll have to take that up with my grandfather.”

  I nodded and finally found the words I’d been wanting to say. They weren’t exactly poetic, but they were from the heart. “I love you, Lis. From that first moment I hit on you, I knew you were special, and I was putting my heart on the line. I want to be with you now and forever.”

  Alisa threw her arms around me, and I lifted her off her feet, spun her around, and kissed the hell out of her. I heard cheering and clapping, faintly noticed flashes of light from a camera, but I didn’t care. I had my Alisa.

  My princess.

  My first, last, and only love.

  Chapter 28—Royal Ending

  ~~Alisa~~

  Our wedding was the royal wedding of the year. We were married in my new country during the Steelheads’ bye week in November. We postponed the honeymoon so we could get back to Seattle and set up our new condo on Lake Washington.

  I wore a handmade lace dress that was simple yet elegant. Gage wore a black tux. Tiff was my maid of honor and Riley was Gage’s best man.

  Everything was perfect, as I wouldn’t have it any other way. Even the weather dared not rain on my parade. The sun came out and shone on a brisk winter afternoon.

  We rode in a carriage from the wedding to the reception, sitting side by side and waving at the people lined several feet deep on both sides of the street. The entire thing was surreal.

  “This is a fairy tale come true,” I said.

  “Our fairy tale. You are and always will be my princess.”

  “You’re my prince, even if you don’t get the title.”

  “About that title…I was talking to your father, and there’s a chance.”

  I laughed. “You really could be a prince.”

  He shrugged. “Maybe, but it
doesn’t matter to me. I’m just Gage. The guy who plays football for a living and loves you for a lifetime.”

  “And I’m just Alisa. The girl you fell in love with for a lifetime.”

  “We don’t need more than that.”

  “No, we don’t.” I lifted my chin and tilted my head. He leaned down and kissed me, a kiss full of promises for a bright future and a life of love.

  ~ THE END ~

  Thank you for spending time in my world. I hope you enjoyed reading this book. If you did, please help other readers discover this book by leaving a review.

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  Complete Booklist

  The following Jami Davenport titles are available in digital and many are available as trade paperbacks. These books can be read as standalones.

  Gone Missing Investigations

  Gone Missing

  Evergreen Nights Series

  Save the Last Dance

  Who’s Been Sleeping in My Bed?

  The Gift Horse

  Seattle Sockeyes Hockey

  Skating on Thin Ice

  Crashing the Net

  Love at First Snow

  Melting Ice

  Hearts on Ice

  Bodychecking

  Goaltending

  Penalty Play

  Shutdown Player

  Shot on Goal

  Deflected

  Seattle Skookums Baseball

  Bottom of the Ninth

  The Scoring Series (Seattle Sockeyes)

  Shutout (Coming January 2020)

  Men of Tyee

  Sacked in Seattle

  Tackled in Seattle

  Seattle Steelheads