The Final Score

by Jaci Burton

  "Ohhh," Tara said in response. "So are you going to?"

  Mia took a seat. "Wait. Flynn wants you to move into his place?"

  Amelia nodded. "Yes. We've been taking things slow, you know. I mean, we love each other. That's a given. But I didn't want to jump into anything. I'm still leasing my house."

  Mia nodded. "Right. You said you wanted to keep your own space. But it's been a while since you two committed to each other. And obviously something has changed if he's asked you to move in."

  "Yes. A lot of things have changed. We've grown even closer. We've talked about getting a dog."

  "Aww," Tara said. "That would be wonderful."

  "It would be. But it wouldn't make sense for us to have a dog unless we're living in one place. Especially with Flynn traveling so much during the season. And my place doesn't allow pets. So . . ."

  "But a dog wouldn't be the only reason you two would move in together, would it?"

  "No." Amelia lifted her glass of wine and took a sip. "He also asked me to marry him."

  Mia's eyes widened. "He proposed? When?"

  "Last week."

  Tara grabbed Amelia's wrist. "And? What did you say?"

  Amelia gave them both a serious look.

  Oh, God. She turned him down. Flynn had seemed his normal, happy self. But then again, he didn't tell her everything.

  But then Amelia grinned. "I said yes, of course. I love that man."

  "Oh, my God, Amelia," Mia said. "You scared the shit out of me."

  "Me, too," Tara said. She got up and hugged Amelia.

  Mia did, too, then whispered, "Brat," in her ear.

  Amelia laughed as they sat down. "Sorry. I couldn't help myself. He gave me an amazing ring. It's perfect for me."

  Mia searched Amelia's finger. "Where is it?"

  "In my purse. I don't wear it when I'm cooking."

  "Go get it," Tara said. "You're not cooking now."

  "I do need to check on the kitchen. I'll be right back."

  Amelia left and Mia turned to Tara. "Secrets. I can't believe they kept it a secret for this long."

  Tara nodded. "They probably wanted to be alone with it for a short period of time. You know, to celebrate it by themselves. Engagements can be overwhelming, and then suddenly everyone's bombarding you with wedding questions that you're totally unprepared to answer."

  "I suppose that's true. But I'm still going to kill my brother for not telling me."

  Tara laughed. "As is your right."

  Mia sighed. "I'm so excited for both of them. I've never known two people more in love. It took them a while to get there, too."

  Tara nodded. "I know. I even tried to fix them up with different people."

  "You did?"

  "Yes. Before they got together, Flynn was having all those difficulties finding the right person. I had a dinner party, so I invited him, and he invited Amelia to join him in his misery, or something to that effect."

  Mia laughed. "Of course he did. Even back then I knew he liked her."

  "Yes, he did."

  "So what happened at the dinner party?"

  "The two people I fixed them up with ended up with each other."

  Mia laughed. "Seriously? That's awesome."

  "It is. They're still together, as a matter of fact. A lovely couple. As are Flynn and Amelia. Sometimes people are just right for each other, even if they don't see it at first."

  "True."

  Mia looked up when Amelia came back outside.

  "How are things in the kitchen?" Mia asked.

  "Running smoothly, just as I expected. I have a great staff."

  "Okay, let's see it," Tara said.

  Amelia held out her hand.

  Mia gasped. "Oh, my God, Amelia. It's gorgeous."

  It was a large emerald cut center diamond, surrounded by diamonds on the setting, with more diamonds on the band.

  "I agree," Tara said, taking Amelia's hand. "It's stunning."

  "Thank you. I was so shocked. He brought me flowers, cooked me dinner, poured wine and even made dessert. He wrote me a terrible poem--it's kind of become his trademark. And then he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It was sweetly romantic and the best night ever. I swooned. Okay, I don't really know what swooning is, but I felt a little weak in the knees. Is that swooning?"

  Tara laughed. "Sounds like swooning to me."

  "I agree. Who knew my brother was that romantic?"

  Amelia grinned. "I did. He's always making gestures like bringing me a single rose to work, or texting me to tell me he misses me. They're not huge, but there's nothing like having someone in your corner, you know?"

  "Yes," Tara said. "It means everything. Even after all these years, Mick will still call me every day to see how my day is going. It means so much to me. And he always wrote me a note when he left town."

  "Love notes, right?" Amelia asked.

  Tara looked down, then back up again. It was so cute to see the stain of blush on her cheeks. "Actually, yes."

  "Flynn does that, too. It makes my heart melt."

  Mia had no idea what that was like. The few relationships she'd had hadn't worked out. Not that she was all broken up about it since she hadn't put her whole heart into those guys anyway. She'd never had that all-consuming kind of love that Amelia and Tara were talking about. Which was fine. She had her career to consume her. That was her love. It was all she needed.

  Maybe someday she'd settle in with a nice, hot guy like Nathan. When she was ready to fall in love. Because if she was ready, she'd want someone like him. Hot, smart, funny, considerate . . .

  Which reminded her . . .

  "So next week is Nathan's birthday," Mia said.

  Tara nodded. "Yes, it is."

  "Are you going to be in town still? I'd love to throw him a birthday party."

  "That's a wonderful idea. And we could arrange to stay a little longer. What did you have in mind?"

  "Nothing yet. But training camp starts not long after so I want to have a big blowout party for him. Invite all his friends and any family that would be available to come. Since you're in town, we could always do it earlier."

  "His birthday is just a couple of days after I planned to leave. I could adjust my schedule. And maybe invite a few other family members. I know they'd love to come."

  "I could do the food," Amelia said.

  Mia looked at her. "I couldn't ask you to do that."

  "Why not? Flynn loves a good party and I know he'd pitch in and help me. Just let me know what day and I'll arrange to take the day off."

  "That would be wonderful," Mia said. "Thank you, Amelia. Okay, so we'll need a venue. I could probably arrange the clubhouse at my condo."

  "Hey, I am an event planner," Tara said. "Let Maggie and I work on that."

  Now Mia was excited. "This is awesome. Should we make it a surprise?"

  Tara grinned. "Isn't it better that way?"

  "I think so," Amelia said. "How often do you get to surprise a guy?"

  "Not nearly often enough," Tara said. "We'll leave that part up to you, Mia."

  "I can handle that."

  They finalized what plans they could. Then Amelia had to head back inside to check on things in the kitchen.

  Mia and Tara went back inside. Nathan, Flynn and Mick were still huddled around the table.

  Nathan had watched Mia come in. They might have been talking football, but a part of his brain had been reserved for Mia. And when she'd left, he missed her. Watching her come back in made everything within him tighten.

  Yeah, that was a big change in their dynamic. Sure, he'd always been happy to see her whenever they were together. But something was different now.

  Now he wanted to put his hands on her, to pull her down onto his lap and kiss her and touch her.

  "Okay," Tara said. "Breaking up the shoptalk."

  Mick slipped his arm around Tara's waist. "Hey, I'm retired."

  Tara slid into the chair next to Mick. "Babe, you might be
physically retired, but you're always going to be in the game."

  "He's going to be missed," Flynn said. "And he's still got keen insights about the Sabers as well as our competition. We were just picking his brain."

  Mick leaned back. "You don't need me anymore. Nathan's got this all under control, don't you, kid?"

  All that warmth thinking about Mia suddenly dissipated. Nathan sucked in a breath, trying to calm his rapidly beating pulse. "You know I do."

  "Yeah, we all know it, too," Flynn said. "This is gonna be one hell of a season."

  Nathan had spent the majority of the time listening to his dad and Flynn talk. For the most part, they were reliving the past season. The past season where Nathan had warmed the bench. Sure, he'd watched, he'd listened and he'd learned. But he hadn't taken a single snap in a game situation. They'd had another backup quarterback, and as a rookie, Nathan's job was to absorb, to learn the playbook, to watch his father in action.

  Now the backup had been released, a new backup had been signed, and Nathan was suddenly the starting quarterback.

  Physically he was more than ready. He knew this game, had known it almost all his life. Hell, he'd been ready from the day the Sabers drafted him.

  Getting the team to believe in him? That was something else. You didn't just walk out onto the field as the starting quarterback and gain the trust of the team. You had to prove yourself. He had a lot to prove.

  His dad leaned over. "You know you got this."

  Nathan nodded and gave his dad a confident grin. "Yeah, I got this."

  Okay, so maybe it was more than getting the team to believe in him.

  He had to believe it, too. And until he held the ball in his hand and started calling plays, it still didn't feel real to him.

  FIFTEEN

  MIA SAT DOWN NEXT TO NATHAN AND RAN HER HAND over his back. "Everything okay?"

  Funny how she could always pick up on his moods. "Yeah, it's fine. How about you?"

  She smiled at him. "I've had a fantastic dinner, and got to visit with your mom and Amelia. So far it's been great."

  Nathan took a quick glance over the table. His mom and dad were busy talking with Flynn and paying no attention to them, so he smoothed his hand over her back. "Want to come home with me tonight?"

  Mia gave him a questioning look, then shot her own glance across the table before answering. "That's a loaded question."

  "Not really. Unless your answer is a flat-out no."

  "We have things to talk about."

  He arched a brow. "Things?"

  "Yes. You know, about last weekend."

  He wasn't sure he liked the direction of this conversation. "Okay. Let's talk about them."

  "Not here, obviously. We'll go to your place after we leave here."

  "Sounds good."

  What didn't sound good was the direction of her thoughts.

  Fortunately, they wrapped things up and his mom and dad said their good-byes.

  "We'll talk again, Mia," his mom said as they hugged.

  "Soon. I had a great time tonight."

  "Me, too."

  Amelia came out from the kitchen to say good night to everyone. Nathan hugged his parents.

  "You want to come back to our house?" his dad asked.

  "Uh, I have plans tonight."

  "Oh. Sure. Call me tomorrow."

  "Will do."

  After his parents left, Mia stood.

  "Well, I'm going to head out," she said, sliding a short glance at Nathan.

  "Okay, see you later," Nathan said. It was obvious Mia didn't want to give his parents or Flynn any idea that they'd be meeting up later.

  He was okay with that, but they were friends. It wasn't a big deal for the two of them to hang out and he didn't think anyone would blink twice if they'd left together. But he wasn't Mia and he had no idea what was going on in her head.

  So about five minutes later he said good-bye to Flynn and Amelia and headed out to his car. Mia was still there in the parking lot, leaning against her car waiting for him.

  "Thought you'd already left," he said as he came up next to her.

  "That would be pointless since I don't have a key to your house."

  "We can go to your place, ya know. Since you hate my decor."

  She snorted out a laugh. "Good point." She pushed the button on her key fob and unlocked her door. "Let's go to my place. Your fridge is probably empty anyway."

  "It is not. But I don't have wine."

  She slid into the car seat and looked up at him. "Another reason we're going to my place."

  Several clicks caught her attention and she looked over to see that same photographer she'd spotted in Napa.

  "Nathan, that's the same guy who was taking pictures of us last weekend."

  Nathan whirled around. "Yeah? Where?"

  When she peeked around Nathan's form, the man was gone. "He was right there, two cars away."

  Nathan wandered off to search the parking lot but the guy wasn't lurking around. He came back to Mia and he could tell she was upset. Her arms were crossed tightly over her middle and her gaze kept darting left and right. "I didn't see anyone, Mia. Are you sure it was the same photographer?"

  "Yes. Mid-forties, short, light curly hair and glasses."

  "Wow, you're good."

  She frowned. "At what?"

  "At memorizing what people look like."

  "I just remembered him because I thought it was strange he was taking our picture. And then here he was again. I know I saw him, Nathan."

  "I believe you. But the pics he took of us in Napa never showed up anywhere. You said you searched online, right?"

  "I did."

  "Then don't worry about it. I'm not news." Nathan grinned. "Not yet, anyway. Wait 'til the season starts."

  She rolled her eyes. "Nathan, this concerns me."

  "Okay. I'll keep an eye out for him. And I'll follow you home."

  "All right."

  He got into his car and drove behind her all the way to her place. When he pulled into Mia's complex, he parked on the street, lingering to make sure no one had followed. There were no cars on the street at all. Satisfied the guy hadn't followed them, he walked with Mia up to her door.

  Once inside, Mia made a beeline for the kitchen and began uncorking a bottle of wine. He followed her and watched her work, enjoying the sight of her gorgeous legs as she reached up into the cabinet for a glass.

  She'd worn a dress tonight, a navy blue one that skimmed along the edges of her knees and hugged tight to her body. He'd wanted to put his hands on her and smooth his palms over the soft fabric, but since his parents had been there, he'd resisted. Plus he wasn't sure what the boundaries were between Mia and him yet. They'd had that fun weekend in Napa and hadn't talked about it since. He knew what he wanted, but he had to be sure she wanted the same thing.

  She had amazing legs. He could imagine them wrapped around him as he thrust into her. The thought of the two of them tangled together made his dick twitch.

  She glanced over at him. "You want a beer?"

  He wanted her. But for now, he'd settle for a beer. "Sure."

  He went into the kitchen and Mia handed it to him.

  "Let's go sit down in the living room."

  He cocked his head to the side. "I hope the next thing you say isn't 'We need to talk.' Because that's the kiss of death."

  She laughed. "It isn't, doofus. Though I would like to talk about that photographer. That worries me."

  She kicked off her shoes and tucked her legs underneath her, then took a sip of her wine. She looked relaxed, which made him feel better. He didn't want her upset about some dumbass photographer who didn't have a picture of anything other than Mia and him talking at her car.

  He took a long pull of his beer. "Tell me what's bothering you."

  She inhaled and let it out. "You. Me. What that photographer has in mind with those photos."

  "Babe, there's nothing in those photos other than you and me having a chat in
the parking lot. It's not like there's anything scandalous. We weren't making out, I didn't have my hand up your dress and you weren't sucking my dick."

  She spit out a laugh. "Nathan."

  "Okay, so maybe that was the direction my mind was going over dinner tonight."

  "While your parents were there? Nathan. I'm shocked."

  "No, you're not. Tell me you didn't think about the two of us together."

  She took a sip of her wine, and he saw the desire in her eyes. "Maybe. But I'm also conflicted."

  "In what way?"

  "Our friendship. You know what that means to me. And now I'm also wary of stalking photographers and what that could mean."

  "The photographer means nothing, and we'll always be friends. I think you're just trying to avoid having sex with me again."

  She lifted her chin. "Utter bullshit. And I think you have a penis ego problem."

  He gave her a confused look. "Huh?"

  "Your penis has an ego. You and I had sex last weekend and because I didn't immediately jump right on board for another go at it, your penis is offended."

  He laughed. "Oh, is that it?"

  "Yes."

  "Uh-huh. You wanna know what I think?"

  "Of course."

  "I think you're trying your damndest to keep from diving into the zipper of my jeans to get to my awesome dick."

  She rolled her eyes. "I went three years without your dick, Nathan. I'm sure I can live without it for three more years."

  "So the sex sucked."

  She laughed. "It did not and you know it."

  "If the sex blew your mind you wouldn't be telling me you want to be just friends."

  "I never said I wanted to be just friends."

  He leaned back. "So what do you want?"

  "I . . . don't know exactly. This all happened so fast and we haven't had time to talk about it."

  "Do we have to analyze it? Can't we just go with it and see what happens?"

  She looked at him like he'd suddenly started talking a language she couldn't fathom. "Of course we have to talk about it. We need ground rules and . . . things."

  He raised a brow. "You mean you'll need to add a section in your planner for 'Mia and Nathan's Relationship'? Will there be bullet points?"

  She shoved at him. "You know, sometimes having someone know you so well can be a detriment. No, moron. What I mean is I need to think about this. We need to talk about it. Are we in a relationship? Are we still friends? Are we going to get emotional about this or are we just having fun? And yes, dammit, I will be making notes in my planner about it."

  His lips curved and he laid his beer down, took her wineglass from her hand and set it on the table, then pulled her onto his lap. "You know, I love that you're so analytical about everything, Mia. It's who you are. But sometimes, you just have to let things happen."