A gasp escaped Darcy’s lips. Felicity told her that walking in the rain was a private matter for her brother. She understood that his invitation was special
How much more could her heart take?
“One day. Not tomorrow or next month. But one day, I’ll ask you to marry me.”
Darcy touched her cheeks. Somehow, McClain had done what no man could before him. He’d made her cry. Letting the tears flow freely, she answered him in her heart.
One day. When you ask. I’ll say yes.
“I want to raise a family with you. My parents—”
McClain stopped. Darcy heard his labored breathing. She reached for his hand, threading her fingers through his. He drew in a shaky gasp of air and continued.
“My childhood wasn’t ideal. I’d like the chance to do better. I want to be a good father. Someone my children can look up to. Someone they admire. A man they can love.”
“Two,” Darcy said when she could find the words.
“A boy and girl?” he asked, his voice heavy with longing.
“That will be up to you, bub. Men determine the sex of a baby, you know.”
“Thank you, Doctor.” McClain laughed and Darcy’s heart felt lighter.
“Anything else?” she asked.
“I want to make love to you, Darcy Stratham.”
Darcy smiled. She didn’t panic but she did want to run. Straight into his arms. Love? Yes, please.
“Okay.” McClain squeezed her hand. “Your turn. Take your time.”
“I know what I want to confess.” Darcy breathed in, then out. “I want the same things you do. All of them.”
“You don’t want to edit me?” he asked, a teasing smile in his voice. “Just a little?”
“I’ll just add two things to the list—for now.” Darcy leaned back until her head rested on McClain’s shoulder. “First. I want to call you Joshua. Everyday. All the time. If you can control yourself when I do.”
“Sounds good,” he said with a chuckle. “What’s number two?”
“I want to fall asleep next to you. I want to feel your arms around me. All night. Every night. For the rest of our lives.”
The cushion between them flew through the air. Darcy didn’t see where it landed, she was too busy returning Joshua’s kiss. Joshua. She imagined that she would slip now and then and call him Mr. McClain. Probably when she was annoyed or flat-out angry. But from now on, she would think of him as her Joshua.
“Why are you wearing so many clothes,” Joshua asked as he pulled her sweater over her head.
“Would you prefer I went around naked?” Darcy wanted to know. “You need to be more efficient. Look at me. I already have you down to your underwear.”
“Men’s clothing is easy. Fewer buttons and frou-frou crap.”
“Please.” Darcy snorted. “Point out one thing on me that qualifies as frou-frou.”
“That.” Joshua tugged the bow at her wrist. “Shirts have buttons. Not weird tie things.”
“It’s called fashion. Sheesh.”
Joshua pushed his face close to hers until their noses bumped. His eyes were a bright emerald.
“Darcy?”
“Hm?”
“I hate to repeat myself.” Joshua stood, scooping her into his arms. He moved to the bed, tossed her onto the mattress, and followed. His body covered hers. “Just for now. Stop talking.”
“Let me say one more thing. Please,” she said when Joshua shook his head.
“One thing. Then, I don’t want to hear more than a moan, sigh, or gasp of pleasure for the next two hours.”
“Two hours?” Darcy grinned. “Someone has a high opinion of himself.”
“Darcy.” Joshua shook his head. “You’ve been warned.”
Darcy touched his face. His lips. His chin. So beautiful and all hers.
“One thing I forgot to say before. I love you.”
Joshua closed his eyes. When he exhaled, the air came from his lungs in a long, jagged breath.
“Forget I said anything,” he said as he raised her hand to his lips. “Talk all you want.”
“Later,” Darcy said. “After.”
“Okay.” Joshua nodded. “By the way?”
“Yes,” she asked, holding her breath.
“I love you.”
▲ ▼ ▲ ▼ ▲
DARCY DIDN’T CARE if she ever moved again. Lying next to Joshua, her legs tangled with his, she was the happiest she’d ever been. She planned to feel the same way often and for many, many years to come.
“Sleep,” Joshua said, brushing a kiss over her forehead. “You said you would.”
“I will. Eventually,” she promised. “Right now, I’m too tired to sleep.”
“I don’t know what that means.”
“Doesn’t matter.” Darcy rested her head on his chest. “Just take my word.”
“Tell me a story,” Joshua said as he ran his hand up and down the length of her thigh.
“What kind of story?”
“Tell me how you fell in love with football.”
Darcy smiled as she thought back all those years ago.
“I was six years old,” she began. “I had no idea that on a Sunday afternoon in late September, in a seedy little bar in Bridgeton, Idaho, my life was about to change forever.”
EPILOGUE
▲ ▼ ▲ ▼ ▲
KNIGHTS’ STADIUM
EARLY SEPTEMBER
GAME ONE—A NEW SEASON
“FIVE, FOUR, THREE, two one.”
The sell-out crowd counted down the clock and the final gun sounded. Looking at the scoreboard, Darcy felt a surge of pride.
Knights: 31. Bears: 28.
The final score reflected a back and forth battle between two evenly matched teams. The game hadn’t been perfect. Not by any means. The Knights’ starting quarterback fumbled the ball twice and threw a pair of interceptions—one was returned for a touchdown.
Luckily for the home team, their veteran running back produced a career game. He ran for almost two hundred yards and scored three times. On his back and with a defense that bent but refused to break, the Seattle Knights started the season with a win.
“Congratulations,” Riley said, hugging Darcy. “The first victory of many.”
Darcy had watched the game from the owner’s box instead of down on the field. Joshua was nervous enough without the feeling that she watched and judged his every move. They were in love, their relationship stronger than ever. However, when the woman you planned to marry was your boss, things might get sticky during the heat of the game.
“The fourth quarter almost gave me a heart attack,” Darcy said.
“Our head coach kept his cool. Personally, when Monte Oliver fumbled the ball on the five-yard line, I would have handed our quarterback his ass on a plate.”
Riley laughed, something she could do because the Knights eventually pulled the game out in the final thirty seconds. If the team had lost…
Nope. She refused to think about anything negative. Tomorrow she would get to work, tweaking, and fine-tuning. Today, they would celebrate.
“I knew we’d win,” Darcy said as she watched Joshua shake hands with the opposing coach. So handsome, she thought with a sigh.
“When did you know?” Riley asked.
“When it started to rain.”
The moment would stay with Darcy for the rest of her life. Five minutes left on the clock. The Knights trailed by four points which meant a field goal wouldn’t do. They needed a touchdown. Pushed back to their own fifteen-yard line, things looked grim.
Then, the skies opened up. Players grumbled. The crowd wasn’t happy. Yet on the field, off by himself, Joshua raised his face and grinned. And Darcy knew everything would be okay. The rain never let him down.
“I’ll call you tomorrow,” Darcy told Riley. “I want to get down to the locker room.”
“Go,” Riley said. “You’ve earne
d the right to celebrate.”
As the elevator descended, Darcy placed her hand on her stomach. The game was over, they’d racked up a win, and all of sudden, she had a case of butterflies. She had to laugh.
As she walked into the locker room, she waited near the back. Joshua occupied center stage with a rapt audience of players and media members. Darcy wanted to enjoy the view.
“Great victory,” he said, grinning when his team cheered. “I’ll have a lot to say on Tuesday—lots of drills.” The cheers turned to groans but Joshua kept smiling. “Today, all is good. You guys did yourselves, each other, the owner, and the general manager proud.”
Darcy shook her head. He shouldn’t have mentioned her. The man was shameless.
“Now, go home. Be with your loved ones. And enjoy the moment.”
As the excited chatter and pounding music bounced off the walls, Joshua pinned Darcy with his emerald gaze. She smiled. Of course, he knew she was there. The man saw everything.
Darcy entered Joshua’s office. She didn’t have long to wait until he joined her. Without a word, he pulled her in for a kiss. Ignoring his sweat and Gatorade covered body, she wrapped her arms around him and let herself enjoy the moment.
“You shouldn’t kiss your boss,” she said when Joshua finally raised his head. “Especially at work.”
“First game, first win.” He nuzzled her neck. “Just for today, no scolding.”
“Deal.” Darcy kissed him again. Then backed away. “Go. You have a press conference to attend.”
“Wait for me?”
Darcy nodded. Without knowing, she’d waited for Joshua all of her life. And, he’d waited for her. They were living their dreams. Side by side. Together. Forever.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
IF YOU LOVE GAIGE AND VIOLET, YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS THE OTHER ONE PASS AWAY BOOKS.
Logan's story: AFTER THE RAIN: CLICK HERE
Sean's story: AFTER ALL THESE YEARS: CLICK HERE
And coming soon. More books in the ONE PASS AWAY: A NEW SEASON series.
The Seattle Knights are back on the field, hotter and sexier than ever. Order your copies today.
THE BACKUP PLAN (BOOK TWO) Click Here
THE LAST HONEST MAN (BOOK THREE) Click Here
And catch up with the ONE PASS AWAY boys in the spin-off series, ONE STRIKE AWAY.
Four sexy baseball players heat up the diamond. Four women, they can't resist. Grab your copy now.
CLICK HERE
AUDIOBOOKS
ONE PASS AWAY SERIES
After the Rain – click here
After All These Years – click here
After the Fire - click here
HOLLYWOOD LEGENDS SERIES
Dreaming with a Broken Heart – click here
Dreaming with My Eyes Wide Open
HARPER FALLS SERIES
If I Loved You – click here
If Tomorrow Never Comes – click here
If You Only Knew – click here
If I Had You – click here
THE SISTERS QUARTET
One Way or Another - click here
Two of a Kind - click here
ROCK & ROLL FOREVER
Almost Paradise - click here
Almost Blue - click here
Almost Everything - click here
Almost Home - click here
Almost Like Being in Love – click here
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Writing isn't easy. But I love every second. A blank screen isn't the enemy. It is an opportunity to create new friends and take them on amazing adventures and life-changing journeys. I feel blessed to spend my days weaving tales that are unique—because I made them.
Billionaires. Songwriters. Artists. Actors. Directors. Stuntmen. Football players. They fill the pages becoming dear friends I hope you will want to revisit again and again.
Thank you for jumping into my books and coming along for the journey
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