Jump Shot

by Sierra Hill

  I continue. “I know I’ve been a source of your pain, and I’m still on the path to recovery and I can’t promise an easy road ahead. But you helped me see who I could become. And I mean it when I say that I want to be that man for you…” I drop my eyes to her belly, which her hand covers protectively. “And for our child.”

  “Mica, if you can find it in your heart to forgive me, again, and say yes to marrying me – I promise to be the best man I can be. The best husband. And…the best father.”

  I drop to my knees and I reach my hand out to cover her stomach, my large, oversized palm on top of her small hand.

  “Baby Britton, I’m sorry for my initial uncertainty about being a dad to you. I was so, so wrong. And your mom, she’s just the most amazing woman in the entire universe. And even if she doesn’t want to be my wife, I will always be there for you both no matter what and I’ll always love you.”

  When I look back up at Mica, I expect to see trepidation and rejection again. Instead, I find her grinning down at me with tears in her eyes. And then she opens her arms and wraps them around my shoulders.

  I wait for her to say something, but I think I’ve stunned her speechless.

  “Will you say something, Georgie?” I plead, nervously glancing around the room to see that there are six pairs of eyes trained on us. Her fathers are the only ones that have the death glare.

  A peel of laughter bursts from her chest and we both shake from the wild, jerky movement.

  Her response is unexpected and her voice an octave higher than normal. She speaks with a lilt of animation, ruffling my hair with her hand.

  “Just what I always wanted. My own little bunny rabbit. I will name him George, and I will hug him and pet him and squeeze him…”

  I tilt my head up and smile, squeezing her tightly.

  “And I will love him and marry him and be with him forever and ever.”

  The End

  Epilogue

  Lance - June

  I once had a monster living inside me.

  A dark, angry beast that fed off my sorrow and my doubt. The monster I kept hidden inside me, chained up and determined to escape through any means possible. It was a villain and attacked me and beat me down until I was scraping from the bottom of the pit to get out alive.

  But now, that monster has been subdued. Changed into a monster that only wants to love and fiercely protect its family. His wife and unborn child.

  Yes, Mica and I are married. Going on two weeks now. Married at the same Maricopa County courthouse where two years ago Cade had his run-in with the law that changed his destiny.

  Ainsley and Cade stood up for us, but we didn’t invite anyone else. Her family wasn’t particularly happy about this fact, but we promised them we’d have a big wedding reception sometime in the fall, so that her entire clan could celebrate the event. But for now, we wanted things low-key before they got too ‘loco.’

  In the meantime, we had a brief honeymoon in Sedona right after I graduated with my degree in Communications from ASU. It was perfect. She’s perfect. And tonight, she looks absolutely stunning as the Matron of Honor at Ainsley and Cade’s wedding reception.

  Up until a few days ago, she’d been feeling great, but suddenly she has been plagued with morning sickness and dizzy spells. The doctor said there’s nothing to worry about, but for her to stay hydrated and keep off her feet as much as possible.

  Which is where she’s right now, sitting at the reception table with her bare feet up on my lap. We’re both dressed to the nines in our groomsman and bridesmaid dress. It’s a pale peach dress that shows off the tawny colored skin of her shoulders. And I’ve been nibbling on those for the last fifteen minutes.

  “God, you taste so good. You know, with this long tablecloth covering your legs, I could push up this skirt and do whatever I wanted to you right now.”

  This earns a scoff and a swat of her hand, but that sexy smile on her lips tells me she likes the idea.

  “Don’t give me any ideas, mi corazón. I’m so horny I’d probably let you do anything to me right now.”

  I glance around surreptitiously, checking to see if anyone can see us. But all I see are my friends out on the dance floor having a good time.

  This has been an incredible night and a wonderful reunion of all our old friends. Everyone is here, and it was a huge wedding event.

  Carver and Logan flew in from Seattle. Logan has a break from school where she’s studying to become a dentist. And Carver is of course one of the highest paid rookies of the NBA. You can’t pass a newsstand or a sports channel without seeing his handsome, cocky smile on the cover of a news story.

  “Do you think Carver and Logan will get engaged soon?” she asks, as if reading my mind.

  I bite her earlobe, tugging it a little until she squirms on my lap. Wrong move. My dick is painfully engorged and stiff, ready to bust out of my zippered pants.

  “I don’t know. Maybe…I know Carver finally got her to say yes to moving in with him. That girl is certainly independent. Most women when dating an NBA pro would want them to put a ring on it as soon as possible, but not her.”

  Mica lifts her hand in front of her face, admiring her simple gold ring I gave her as a sign of my love and commitment. It’s not much, because I still have yet to get a permanent job, but I’ve been helping out Coach Parker this summer at a private basketball camp. I’ll be earning some money at the very least. If I like coaching, maybe I’ll see about sticking in that field.

  I place a sweet kiss on her cheek and I feel a blush warm her face, mainly because my hand has ridden up her thigh and she knows what’s on my mind.

  And just when I think I’m about to get away with it, Van and Kylah stop at the table and plop themselves down.

  “Yo, I hear congratulations are in order.”

  My eyes widen, because no one else knows about the baby or our marriage yet. But I’m guessing Cade and his big mouth let the cat out of the bag.

  “Can I see the ring?” Kylah asks Mica shyly.

  Mica holds her hand out for Ky’s inspection and she gushes over it.

  “God, I’m so happy for you guys. It’s like everyone’s getting married or living together or buying houses…” And then she covers her mouth with her hand like she wasn’t supposed to let that slip.

  “Oops.”

  I give Van the evil eye and he snickers.

  “What can I say? I got a promotion to Senior Accountant, so we decided to buy a house.”

  Mica sits up, jostling my hand off her leg and I groan with disappointment as she moves to the chair next to me.

  “Wow, that’s amazing you guys! When do you move in?”

  Kylah’s beaming with excitement. “It’s being built out in Chandler, so it won’t be done until September or October, sometime later this fall. But we’ll be sure to have a housewarming party.”

  I whisper into Mica’s ear so only she can hear me. “They better make that a baby shower, too.”

  As she giggles we’re awarded with two inquisitive looks from Van and Kylah.

  We talk happily a little longer. Kylah brings up her twin sister, Kady and her NBA boyfriend, Gavin. They live in LA but sounds like they might be transferring to New York or Miami. Kady is managing a chain of high fashion stores and Gavin is doing well playing in the big leagues.

  Just as the conversation begins to wane, one of Ainsley’s friends, Brooklyn Hayes, whom I’ve known peripherally over the last four years, stops by to say hello. I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I tried to hit on her once at a party my sophomore year, but she shot me down.

  “Hey Lance, hey Micaela, how’s it going over here?”

  I introduce her to Van and Kylah, since neither of them know her and we chat about school, graduation and what’s next in life. She mentions that she just graduated with her BA in Early Childhood Development and is starting grad school in the fall for some specialization that I don’t quite understand.

  “I really need a job this su
mmer. The market is so tough and it’s even more difficult for someone like me where I need to find something with children, but it can only be for the summer. I’d love for it to be something for special needs kids, since that’s what I’ll be getting my M.S. in.”

  Mica turns to look at me, her brows raised high.

  “Lance, didn’t you say Coach Parker is looking for someone to nanny for Caleb this summer?”

  “Oh, um, yeah, I guess so but I don’t know the details,” I say, waving my hand because I have no clue what his needs are. Not something I particularly paid too much attention to, since I’ve had my own stuff going on.

  “Maybe we can give you his number and you two can hook up. It couldn’t hurt to put you in touch with him.”

  We give her Coach Parker’s number and I promise to follow up with him sometime this week. Soon she leaves to head to the bar and Van and Kylah take off for the dance floor, leaving Mica and me alone once more.

  The lights in the ballroom have been lowered and it casts a low, intimate glow across the room. I can’t take my eyes off Mica, my wife and the mother of my unborn child. Her eyes and smile are soft and sweet, her hair pulled away from her face in a pretty updo.

  “You’re so beautiful, Micaela Britton. How’d I get so lucky?”

  She shrugs her shoulders playfully. “You were persistent, I guess.”

  I laugh at her joke, because that’s the truth. I was doggedly determined to pin her down. And even with all the turmoil and ups and downs we faced along the way, I’m just thankful that she allowed me back into her good graces.

  Reaching over to move a strand of hair from her face, I lean in and place a kiss on her lips. It’s tender but tells her how much I love her.

  When I pull away, her eyes sparkle with happiness. And I vow to myself that I will keep it there for the rest of our lives.

  “Hey, sexy wife?”

  She waves her ring fingered-hand at me to remind me who she belongs to. “Yes, handsome husband?”

  “Shall we go dance or go back to the room and fuck like newlyweds?”

  I love the eye roll she gives me. I’m crude, but she likes it. But it’s her response that makes me love her even that much more.

  “After you kiss me, why don’t you take me back to my room and do both – naked?”

  Wiggling my brows at her suggestiveness, I pick her up off her feet and hook my arm around the back of her knees.

  “Sounds like a plan, Georgie. A really good fucking plan.”

  Next Up - Game Changer

  Did you enjoy the little taste you got of Coach Garrett Parker in Jump Shot? Well, he has his own story coming up in Game Changer (Change of Hearts #1) - a spin-off college campus series NOW AVAILABLE.

  Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/gamechangerbook

  Game Changer blurb:

  Up until two years ago, I was living large and my life’s priorities were anchored to three things – my NBA stardom, money and celebrity.

  I was also a colossal dick.

  Until one night turned my world upside down and I suffered unspeakable loss. That event changed the man I was and made me a widowed-single father.

  Now I’m a desperate parent trying to raise my special needs son and find him a trustworthy live-in nanny.

  Grad student Brooklyn Hayes may be the one, with her single-minded focus on caring for my son and finishing her Master’s degree. She’s the perfect fit for our needs.

  Maybe too perfect…with her bright smile, nurturing kindness and gentle touch. Caleb isn’t the only one who’s fallen for her.

  I don’t know when or how it happened, but she changed the game for me. Turning my losing streak into a winning second-half.

  Acknowledgments

  Writing this series has consumed the last two years of my life. I began the journey in February 2016 as I watched college basketball with my husband. My muse was the cute young player on the Duke Men’s Basketball team, Grayson Allen.

  Thanks to all you readers who’ve taken time out of your busy lives to read about my boys. They will always have a special place in my heart, as I hope they do yours.

  Thanks to Cristina. You’ve been so generous of your time and support. And thank you so very much for working through the revisions of this ending with me. You gave me inspiration and ideas to ensure the ending was truly worthy of Mica and Lance’s happily ever after.

  To my beta readers – Christine, Renee, Patricia, Cristina and Gina – thank you for the suggestions and corrections and feedback. And Keyanna, my proofreader, for providing me the candid feedback and sensitivity read through.

  Gina – my lovely friend. I couldn’t have written Mica Reyes without your intimate and personal knowledge of the Hispanic family and heritage. So glad you’re living your very own Happily Ever After.

  My editor, Michele Ziemer. Thank you for your help and for making this the best story it can be.

  Amy Queau from Q Designs. Thanks for making this rebranded and recovered series such a perfect fit!

  And lastly, to all my ARC readers, bloggers and support folks who make what I do as an indie author come to life. Thanks for sharing, posting, tagging, commenting, and reviewing my books!

  All my love to you.

  About the Author

  Since writing and publishing her first book in 2014, Sierra Hill has found her creative passion in writing about the fictional characters that live in her brain, who constantly shout for their love stories to be told.

  Sierra frequently indulges in unhealthy doses of reading, too much dark chocolate, and never enough coffee. She often finds herself traveling around the country to see her favorite musicians in concert and is an alternative music enthusiast.

  Sierra resides in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of twenty years and her long-haired, German Shepherd. She is currently working on her next book.

  Before you go…want more?

  Stay tuned for the spin-off series, featuring Coach Garrett Parker and Brooklyn Hayes…

  Sign up for Sierra’s Newsletter at:

  https://www.sierrahillbooks.com

  Also by Sierra Hill

  The Physical Series

  Physical Touch

  More Than Physical

  Physical Distraction

  Physical Connection

  Standalones and Short Stories

  One More Minute With You

  The Reunion

  Character Flaws

  His Fairytale Princess

  Whipped: A Second Helpings Story

  Resolution: Road Trip (A Resolution Pact Story)

  Be Patient – The Waiting Game (An Escaping the Friend Zone Novella)

  Courting Love (A College Sports Series)

  Full Court Press

  The Rebound

  Pivot

  Fast Break

  Jump Shot

  Reckless – The Smoky Mountain Trio serial

  Reckless Youth

  Reckless Abandon

  Reckless Hearts

  Reckless – The Smoky Mountain trio boxset