When the last of her boxes were loaded in the rented U-Haul, I gave the keys to Josh and said I'd meet him over at my place. Poppy was standing by the garage talking to Brooke when I walked over.
"You ready to go?" I asked, winding my arm around her waist and placing a kiss on the top of her head.
"Yeah, I'm just saying goodbye to Brooke." Both girls had tears in their eyes as they hugged. Good Lord. She was only moving one street away.
"When does the new tenant move in?" Poppy asked.
Brooke swiped her hand across her cheek. "Next weekend. My grandma said he's the new principal at the elementary school. Yawn. There's no way he'll be as much fun as you."
One more hug later I finally herded Poppy into my truck. Putting my hand on the back of her headrest, I said, "You ready for this?"
She smiled at me, and for the first time since I returned to town, there was not a trace of doubt in her eyes. Only hope and love.
Leaning over to press her lips to mine, she whispered, "I'm ready."
Epilogue
Poppy
Having graduated from medical school four months ago, I had officially earned the title of Doctor, although my training was far from over. Next year I would begin my residency in Oncology, but right now I was doing my intern rotation in the ER.
The ER was practically deserted, like it always was on a Saturday afternoon during a home game. I never understood the level of devotion fans have for their football teams until I moved to Columbus, Ohio. To say Buckeye fans were loyal was an understatement. The hospital understood that the traffic surrounding campus on game day was what kept people avoiding the Ohio State University ER. But I think people just put off coming in until the game was over. Some of the rabid fans I’d seen would rather die at home watching the game than miss a second of play to come into the hospital. So, when the call came in that a player was injured and on his way in, almost the entire ER staff was on alert. We already knew the injury was bad, because the TV in the doc box was set to the game. With nothing else going on we all had been watching the game.
Upon seeing the quarterback's injury on TV, I immediately went over to the staff doctor in charge of the ER and said, "I want on this case."
Knowing my ties to the team, Dr. Robbins glanced up from the online medical record he was working on and nodded curtly. "Fine. Call up to Radiology and have them prep for a CT. It looks like we're going to need one."
From what we could see on the replays, the player took a hard hit to his shoulder. It looked like he might have lost consciousness briefly when his head hit the ground so hard his helmet flew off. Hence the probable need for a CT scan.
I was still on the phone when the sliding doors opened and the medics wheeled in Owen Roberts on the stretcher. Dr. Robbins spoke to the medics while I finished the call to Radiology. I came over to them and took the stethoscope from around my neck. Pressing it to Owen's chest, I listened to the breath sounds on both sides of his chest. Over the stretcher, my eyes met Ford's. Concern flashed in his eyes, and I knew this had to be bringing back some seriously bad memories for him.
Owen moaned in pain and winced when he attempted to move. Ford held him in place with one hand on Owen's good shoulder.
"Coach," Owen groaned. "What happened?"
I expected Ford to describe the injuries he had sustained, but instead Ford said, "You made it, Roberts. Anderson caught your pass in the end zone. You got the score. And a penalty for roughing the passer."
Owen made a sound that could have been a laugh and nodded his head. "Good."
The next few minutes were spent assessing Owen's condition. He was coherent though he did show signs of a minor concussion. A CT scan would confirm there was nothing more serious going on with his head. His shoulder, though, was another story. Some pain meds pumping through his IV had Owen comfortable and sleeping.
I called Ortho to schedule a consult and then went to sit by Ford in the waiting area of the ER.
"He's asleep, and Ortho will be down soon to take a look at his scans and do their exam."
Ford still looked worried, but his eyes held none of the sadness I thought I might find there. It had been a long time since I had worried about him sliding back into the moody intense guy I met five years ago. Apparently I didn't need to worry at all anymore. If any situation would take him back, it would be this one. Seeing one of his players, his quarterback at that, seriously injured had to have him remembering his own injury on the field.
When I chose to move to Ohio and attend medical school at Ohio State, Ford came with me. We rented a tiny one bedroom apartment over the bar where Ford found a job bartending. For the first year here I was constantly on edge that he would realize he hated following me around so I could chase my dreams while he left his behind. It was all in my own head. Never once did he seem unhappy or like he wanted to be anywhere else than where I was.
It wasn't far into the school year that the head coach of the Buckeyes football team caught wind that Ford was in town. The Coach was familiar with Ford during his playing days and offered him a job on the spot. That next spring Ford served his last drink and traded his bar shirt for a scarlet and gray polo shirt.
The same week he started coaching, he put a ring on my finger. A big beautiful diamond that spent most of its time at home in my jewelry box. My platinum wedding band was the only jewelry I wore when I was working. Getting blood and other bodily fluids on my engagement ring was out of the question for me.
We didn't waste any time flying out to Vegas to get married, and my family and our friends met us out there for a long weekend. At the end of our lease on our apartment, we bought a larger two bedroom condo in downtown Columbus. It was still close to campus, but it got us out of living over a bar and next door to crazy college kids. With Ford's salary we could afford it. Not to mention the fact that I no longer had to pay tuition since I was the spouse of an employee. Ford always jokes that I only married him so I could go to school for free.
I linked my fingers with his. "He'll be okay," I said.
Ford nodded. "I know. I'm glad you're on today, but doesn't your shift end soon?"
I glanced at my watch. "Yeah, my eighteen hours are almost up. But I'm going to stay on until we have results for Owen." I knew most of the team, and Owen, being the quarterback and Ford's main responsibility, had been at our place many times for dinner. I cared just as much about him as Ford did.
“If we have a son, I really hope he doesn’t want to play football,” I murmured. “Maybe golf - less chance of injury.”
Ford chuckled and shook his head. We wouldn’t be having kids anytime soon. At least not until I was done with my residency. But we both wanted them eventually, and I knew it was a lost cause to talk Ford out of football if we had a boy. So, we would just have to have girls.
We sat together for a while longer in silence until the Ortho doc came down for the consult. Owen was awake as they examined him and told him he would likely be out for the rest of the season. Ford had called his parents who were on their way from Pennsylvania.
He pulled up a chair next to Owen’s hospital bed. “I’ll be here until your parents arrive, buddy.”
“Coach?”
“Yeah?”
“I know they said I won’t play again this season, but...do you think it’s over? Is this it for me? Will I ever play again?”
Ford leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees. “I really think you will. There’s a lot the doctors can do now. There’s been huge progress made even in the years since I was injured. But, if you don’t...that’s okay too. Life has a way of working out so you end up right where you’re supposed to be.”
Those blue eyes I loved so much looked at me as he said those last few words. For a guy who used to communicate through grunts and scowls, that was the perfectly right way to put it. Through all the ups and downs, we had ended up right where we were supposed to be. Together.
The End
Fourth Down Playlist
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Viva La Vida - Coldplay
Behind Blue Eyes - Limp Bizkit
If Today Was Your Last Day - Nickelback
Talk - Jason Aldean
Can’t Fight This Feeling - REO Speedwagon
Fall For You - Secondhand Serenade
God Gave Me You - Blake Shelton
Addicted - Saving Abel
When I’m Gone - 3 Doors Down
She Is Love - Parachute
Listen To Your Heart - Roxette
It’s Your Love - Tim McGraw
I Never Told You - Colbie Caillat
It’s Been A While - Staind
Life After You - Daughtry
Better - Maggie Rose
Home - Blake Shelton
Anywhere With You - Jake Owen
Something I Need - OneRepublic
About the Author
Hello! I am an author of new adult and contemporary romance novels. My husband and I live in Columbus, Ohio with our two young daughters and happy golden retriever. When I’m not spending time with my family, I can be found doing one of my other favorite activities - writing, reading and napping.
Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed Fourth Down. If you haven’t read Taryn’s story, Safe With You, or Lindsay’s story, Just One Reason, be sure to check them out. I will return to this series in 2014 with books for Brooke (Poppy’s friend) and Lincoln (Taryn’s brother). However, my next project will be the first book in a new series. Follow me on Facebook and check my blog for teasers and details about my next book.
My Books
Safe With You
Just One Reason
Fourth Down
Contact Me
E-Mail: [email protected]
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorkirstendemuzio
Blog: http://authorkirstendemuzio.com
GoodReads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/7067558.kirsten_demuzio
I would love to hear from you!
Just One Reason
Prologue
Lindsay
August 2006
The doorbell rang and I stuck my head out the door and yelled downstairs, “Lana? Can you let him in? I’ll be down in five minutes.” I was never on time, and tonight was no exception. It was a testament to how special tonight was that I was running only five minutes late.
I skipped over to the closet and pulled a pale blue sundress off its hanger. There was a quiet knock on my door, and I pulled the dress on and smoothed it down over my slim hips to hide my carefully chosen pink lace bra and panties before calling, “Come in.”
My aunt, Lana, came in and stood just inside the doorway, watching as I fluffed my long light blonde hair and applied a second coat of shimmery lip gloss. Lana was younger than my mom and only twenty years older than me. We could have easily passed for mother and daughter, or maybe even sisters, with how much we looked alike.
“I know this is your last night with Grady before you leave tomorrow,” Lana began.
I glanced up at the ceiling for a moment, willing myself not to cry. I would never get through the next twelve hours if I let myself think about leaving him. Even though I was young, I knew without a doubt that leaving him would be one of the hardest things I would ever have to do.
What had started out as merely a way to escape spending the summer trapped in the city with just my parents had quickly become the best three months of my life. My cousin and best friend, Taryn, was travelling through Europe with her parents for the summer. I couldn’t bear the thought of summer in the city without her, so I had asked to visit Lana.
My mom and Lana are sisters and grew up here in Penn Yann, New York. We never come back to visit and Lana has only come to the city once or twice. Needless to say, they are not close. When I first asked my parents, my mom sort of freaked out, but my dad thought it was a good idea to get to know the other side of my family.
Lana was more than welcoming, and we’d grown close over the summer. I learned it was my mom who put the distance between them. Apparently small town living was beneath her now. Just one more reason I was dreading returning home to the city tomorrow.
Lana patted my arm, knowing a hug would have sent me over the edge. “Just be home before breakfast.” She winked at me before leaving my room. For about the millionth time since the summer began, I thanked God that I had decided to spend my summer break here. Not only had I gotten to know my aunt better, but I had met the love of my life.
Remembering the mischievous twinkle in his eye the first time we met, it was hard to believe how far we had come. My first impression was that he was a player, and a skilled one at that. In fact, he probably had been. But that all changed when we fell in love.
I took one last look at my appearance in the mirror and followed Lana downstairs. Grady Hawke stood at the bottom of the stairs looking up at me as I came down. Just the sight of him always made my heart beat faster. Like me he had blonde hair, though his was darker than mine, and blue eyes, though his were lighter than mine - almost an icy bluish gray. I often thought we would make beautiful babies someday.
The full skirt of my dress swirled around my legs as I ran down the stairs and jumped from the second step into his arms. Grady caught me around the waist and swung me around with his nose buried in my hair.
“Mmmm, you smell so good,” he murmured, holding me tightly. I knew he was feeling the same bone deep sadness that I was at our impending separation. In the weeks leading up to my return to the city, he had grown more serious, making sure I knew how much he cared about me.
He took my hand and led me out the front door as I called, “Bye, Lana!” His motorcycle was parked out front, and he secured a hot pink helmet on my head before I climbed on behind him. The helmet had been a gift to get me to ride with him. It worked. I wrapped my arms tightly around his waist, enjoying the feel of his defined abs under my fingertips.
“Hold on, Bambi!” He yelled over the sound of the engine. Grady had nicknamed me Bambi because of my big blue eyes. He said I reminded him of a baby deer caught in headlights when he first saw me. I always thought they were too big for my face and made me look like I was constantly surprised.
We raced through the streets of Penn Yan, New York and down the winding road that lined Keuka Lake. I knew we were headed to our spot, the place we had spent almost every evening for the last three months.
Grady’s grandfather owned a lakefront plot of land that had never been built on, and we had spent countless hours lying in the grass under the stars just talking and listening to the waves.
Tonight was our last night together before I went back to New York City for the start of my junior year of high school. Lana didn’t expect me home and I had no intention of sleeping tonight. I didn’t want to miss one second of my last night with Grady.
The sun was just setting over the hill across the lake when Grady parked his bike in the trees lining the property. He helped me off and set our helmets on the back.
“I’ve got a surprise for you,” he said, smiling at me and taking my hand.
We walked through the trees to the large clearing that looked out over the calm blue water. Normally there was only grass and a few patches of wildflowers, but tonight there were stakes in the ground with twine wrapped around them forming a large outline on the grass. My eyebrows pulled together in confusion, and Grady laughed at my expression.
“Come on,” he said tugging on my hand. “I want to show you around our house.” My eyes widened at his words, and I started to see that the twine formed an outline of what could be a house covering a large area of the clearing.
“What do you mean ‘our’ house?” I asked.
He grinned at me, “Lindsay, my grandfather is giving me this land. My dad doesn’t care about building a house here, but I do. I want to build a big beautiful house here. On the lake. And I want you here with me forever. I love you, Lindsay.” I threw myself at him, wrapping my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist.
“I love you too! T
his is perfect.” He laughed at my enthusiasm and twirled me around twice before setting me back on my feet. We walked all around the “house”, and Grady showed me where all the rooms would be. As he talked I could imagine us living there together, married, with kids running through the grass and swimming in the lake.
After the tour was over, we settled on a large blanket in the space that would be the master bedroom and looked up at the stars. We both knew we only had a few hours left together, but neither of us wanted to talk about it just yet. There really wasn’t much left to talk about anyway. We had worked out the details of our long distance relationship over the last few weeks.
I still had two years of high school left, so I planned to spend next summer here again and then move here permanently after graduation. There was a college on the other side of the lake that I could attend if I decided that’s what I wanted to do. Lana had given me an open door invitation to visit or stay with her whenever and for as long as I wanted.
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