by Ryan, Kaylee
“As much as I love this, we have work to do. Come on, love birds,” Aubrey says as she leaves the room. She’s acting as though we have to go, but I know she’s giving us privacy, hence the reason she shuts the door behind her.
“Did that just really happen?” Emma asks.
“Yeah, it did.”
“I-I didn’t expect that.”
“I know, but I heard you two talking and it felt right. It might not have been the most romantic admission of love, but I promise you, it’s with all of my heart.”
“I love that it was spontaneous. It’s real. Not that practiced or planned isn’t real, but that’s not life, not really. Very rarely do things go as planned, and it’s definitely a moment I will always remember.”
“A story for the grandkids.”
“Come on, you two.” Aubrey knocks on the door.
“I need to get out there.”
“Where do you need me?”
“There are three new stations waiting for you to give them an interview.”
“Do it with me?”
“Landon, I—” I hold up my hand to stop her.
“You are the woman I love, and if I’m going to tell the world we’re together, I want you by my side.”
“Like this?” She looks down at her work polo shirt and khaki shorts.
“Just like this. Come on.” With a quick and final kiss to her lips, I link her fingers with mine and lead us outside to the main entrance of the shelter where the news reporters and camera crew are ready and waiting.
“Landon, why the interest in South Bay Animal Shelter?”
“Landon, any thoughts on tomorrow’s game?”
“Landon, who’s the woman?”
Question after question is fired off. I pull Em up next to me, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “One at a time please.” I hold up my free hand and the crowd quiets down. “First of all, I want to thank you all for being here. For giving the South Bay Animal Shelter some screen time. I can answer two questions at once. “Why South Bay and who this beautiful woman is. This is Emma Deaton, the love of my life.” Girlfriend makes me sound like we’re in high school. It’s freeing now that I’ve told her. I can shout it to the world. “She assists Aubrey Bateman, and before you ask, yes, Chance Bateman’s wife.”
“The love of my life,” Chance repeats as he and Aubrey join us.
“What about tomorrow’s game? Coach Bateman, any insight?”
“I’m sorry, but that’s a question I’m afraid I’m not willing to answer. The team looks good, and that’s all I’m going to say. Today is about the shelter, about these two amazing women who pour their hearts and souls into this place, and the animals who will hopefully find new homes today.”
A few more rounds of questions that Aubrey and Emma field and we’re free to go. The reporters stick around to get some footage of the animals and the guests arriving, but they leave us alone.
“Hey, you two.” I hear from behind us. I turn to see my parents wearing huge smiles. “Emma, this place is amazing. What a great turnout,” Mom praises.
“Carly, Bryan, this is Aubrey, my best friend and boss, and this is her husband, Chance. Guys, this is Landon’s parents.” Handshakes and “nice to meet yous” are exchanged.
“Put us to work,” Dad speaks up. “We’re happy to help.”
“That’s so kind of you. I think we have it under control right now, but I might have to look you up later,” Aubrey replies.
“Well, we’re going to go walk around. Let us know if you need us,” Mom says, linking her arm through Dad’s and walking toward where the animals are.
“Your parents are great,” Emma says, smiling up at me.
“They are,” I agree. “Back to business. What do you need?”
“Well, that tent over there”—she points to a white tent with tables underneath—“is for you and your teammates.”
“Yo, Barker!” I hear yelled, and I don’t have to look to know it’s Case.
“Speaking of,” I say with a chuckle.
“Oh, it’s the lovely Emma. So nice to see you again.” Case doesn’t give a single fuck that I’m standing next to her with my arm around her shoulders. He swoops in, lifting her off her feet and giving her a hug.
“Release my girl,” I tell him. My voice is gruff, but he knows I’m kidding. Mostly. By the time he puts her back on her feet, Thomas, Kaden, and Jack all step in and do the same thing. They know it’s going to irritate the fuck out of me, which is why I bite my tongue. It’s not until Case mentions Corey that my hackles truly rise.
“My brother’s been asking about you,” he tells Emma.
“Nope. Not happening.” I pull Emma into my chest, her back to my front and rest my chin on top of her head. “She’s taken.”
Case grins. He knows she’s taken. Fucker wanted to get me riled up. Payback’s a bitch, though. I’ll remember this.
“Now that the pissing contest is over, I’ll show you where you’re all going to be.” Aubrey steps in and takes charge. I’m sure she thinks she’s diffusing the situation. It’s not like I’m going to start a fight with my teammates. Although if they were serious, I wouldn’t hesitate. Not when it comes to Emma. I know they’re razzing me to try and ruffle my feathers. It worked.
Bending my head and placing my lips next to her ear, I whisper, “I love you.” I follow it with a kiss to her neck before releasing her and following after Aubrey, Chance, and my teammates.
* * *
It’s been over three hours since I’ve talked to Emma. I’ve seen her, my eyes scanning the crowds looking for her, but as far as getting any time with her, that’s been nil. Bad for me, good for the shelter. The turnout has been incredible and from the looks of the smiling kids’ faces packing animals with them to their cars, a huge success.
“So, Emma.” Case grins when there’s finally a break in the action. We’ve been signing autographs for three solid hours.
I nod. “Emma.”
“I told you we should have put bets on it,” Jack grumbles.
“What are you talking about?”
“You see, QB, we knew you were toast the minute you laid eyes on her. We could all see it. We knew it was just a matter of time before she wore you down.”
I throw my head back and laugh. “You think she wore me down? I wish it were that easy. She fought me every step of the way. As far as me being toast, I’ll admit that. At first I was blowing it off that she turned me down. I was persistent and the more time I spent with her….” My eyes scan until I find her. She’s kneeling next to a little girl who has a kitten in her hands.
“He’s a goner,” Kaden chimes in.
“Yeah,” I agree. No point in denying it. There’s not a damn thing wrong with me being in love. I’m not embarrassed by it. If anything, I want to show her off. She’s incredible.
“Hey, guys,” Chance says, walking up to the tent. “Thanks for being here today. I appreciate your support of Aubs and Em.”
“Does this mean you’re going to take it easy on me at practice next week?” Thomas asks.
“Nope.” Chance chuckles. “Really though, I know we have a game tomorrow and I’m sure this is the last place you want to be today, but we really appreciate you being here. Aubrey and Emma bust their asses for this place. It’s nice to see they’re getting the word out.”
“Like your status didn’t bring any of these people in,” Jack tells him.
“Maybe, but it’s not my name on the backs of all these jerseys.” He nods toward the crowd. “I’m new to the team, and I haven’t played in a long time. Unless they’re a collector of my ass trinkets, it’s all you.”
“W-What?” Case sputters with laughter.
“Oh, let me tell you about the ass trinkets,” Aubrey says, stepping up behind her husband. He wraps her in his arms as she tells us all about it. She has us all rolling with laughter by the time she’s finished. “Anyway.” She grins, clearly proud of herself. “Things are winding down. You guys can
head out. Thank you for being here.”
“Wanna grab a beer at Harvey’s?” Case asks our group. Thomas, Kaden, and Jack immediately agree. “Landon?”
“We might catch up with you. I’m going to stick around and see if Emma needs anything.”
Thomas begins to sing “Another One Bites the Dust,” making everyone laugh. “Next thing you know he’s going to be walking down the aisle and having babies like Trent.”
He’s joking, but what he doesn’t realize is the thought of that… it’s not scary. Not even in the slightest. That’s… unexpected, but then again, everything with Emma is new and unexpected. I’m a greedy bastard because I want more of it.
More of her.
Any way I can have her. If that means with a ring on her finger and growing round with my child, I’ll take it. In fact, now the thought is in my head, I can see it clearly. Our future flashes before my eyes. If it plays out anything like my mind has created, I am indeed one lucky bastard.
Chapter 19
Emma
The crowd is electric as we walk into the Trojans stadium. It’s as if the entire building is lit up with the excitement of the fans.
“Damn, I’m glad I left CJ with his aunt Adele. This place is crazy.” Aubrey links her arms through mine as we filter our way through the crowd. “Maybe we should start taking them up on sitting in the box,” she says once we find our seats.
“What? And miss all the action. Pfft.” I wave her off. “This is where it lives.” I give her a cheesy grin.
“Yeah, it meaning the madness.”
“Exactly. It’s exciting and electric. Besides, I like to cheer and scream and I don’t think that would be allowed in the box. Then again, I wouldn’t really know as I’ve never been in there.”
“We should try it at least once,” she counters.
“Fine, we can try it once.” I hold up my index finger for emphasis, making her laugh.
“Excuse me, are you Emma Deaton?” a woman asks from next to me.
“Uh.” I look over my shoulder at Aubrey, then turn back to the woman. “Yes, do I know you?”
“No, but I’m a huge fan of Landon Barker. You’re his girlfriend, right?”
I nod. I didn’t expect this. “That’s what I thought. He can do so much better than you,” she sasses, then turns and marches up the steps. Turning to face forward, I try to wrap my head around what just happened.
“Did she say what I think she said?” Aubrey asks.
“She did. Those box seats are looking better and better,” I admit.
“Oh, hell no.” Aubrey stands, but my hand on her arm stops her.
“Don’t. She’s entitled to her opinion. I’m different from any woman in his past.”
“Yeah, since you have a title that none of the others had.”
“That too. Let’s just watch the game.” Luckily, kickoff is a few minutes later and I’m able to push the woman to the back of my mind. Mostly. I mean, who isn’t going to be affected by a comment like that? The first half of the game flies by, and before I know it, it’s half-time.
“You want anything?” Aubrey asks.
“No thanks.”
“You want to come with?”
I could use the restroom, but I don’t want to run into any other disgruntled so-called fans, so I opt to stay here. “I’m good. Thank you.”
She leaves and I pull my phone out of my pocket to not seem like the loner girl sitting alone. I’m scrolling through my social media when I feel a tap on my shoulder. Turning, I see a guy who’s about my age, mid-to-late twenties. He has a scruffy beard, mustard on his shirt from I’m assuming the half-eaten hot dog in his hand, and he has a beer in the other. His eyes are glassy and it’s obvious that he’s beyond wasted.
“Yes?” I ask, keeping my voice polite, trying not to let my earlier irritation show, or my dislike for this guy already.
“I’d do you.” He grins, taking another messy bite of his dripping mustard hot dog. His buddies cheer and laugh.
I don’t know what to do. What do you say to that? So instead, I don’t say anything. I turn back to the field and find Landon’s eyes on me. I smile, not wanting him to see I’m irritated, and raise my hand on a wave. Our seats are prime bottom row on the fifty-yard line, so he’s close enough to see that something’s wrong. His blue gaze is penetrating as he takes me in. Then without warning, he spits out his mouthguard, rips off his helmet, jogs to the concrete wall, and propels himself over it. How did he jump that high? My man’s got skills.
The crowd goes wild, and his coach is glaring at the back of his head. “What are you doing?” I hiss when he’s over the wall.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. You’re going to get in trouble,” I say, eyeing his coach.
“What happened?”
“You’re really his girlfriend?” the drunk guy behind me asks.
“She’s mine.” Landon’s voice is firm and loud. So loud in fact everyone in our section heard him. Hell, I’m not sure the entire stadium didn’t hear him.
“Barker!” his coach yells.
“This guy bothering you?”
“No, but that bitch from earlier probably still is,” Aubrey says, standing at the end of our aisle.
“Explain.” His blue eyes bore into mine.
“Nothing. I’m fine and you’re overreacting. You’re going to get fined or worse, benched. Now go.” I push at his chest, but he doesn’t budge. With all that gear on, he looks even bigger. Larger than life.
“We’re not done talking about this,” he says as Coach Neil yells out for him. Before I can shy away, he wraps one of his big, calloused hands behind my neck and pulls me into a kiss. “Let them talk, Emma. We know what this is. I love you.” He quickly kisses the corner of my mouth and then he’s gone—back over the wall and jogging toward the locker room with Coach Neil beside him.
“Look!” Aubrey points to the jumbotron screen and they’re replaying the kiss with pink and red hearts.
Well, if people didn’t know about us after yesterday, they do now. “I can’t believe him,” I say, sitting back down in my seat. Aubrey elbows me and the camera is on me. I smile and wave, not letting on that I’m embarrassed and still reeling from my not-so-nice fan interactions. I mean, I guess the guy was okay. At least he said he’d do me.
All throughout the game, the cameras kept panning to me. It was usually when I was on my feet cheering for Landon and the rest of the Trojans. I can’t wait to see what the media has to say about this. I can see the headlines now. Trojans quarterback slumming it with local girl. First look as she acts a fool cheering for her man.
“Another win, baby,” the drunk guys behind us say. “Tell your man, good game,” they tell me before filtering up the steps.
Aubrey grins. “They’re fun.”
“Oh, yeah, they’re fun, but I could have done without the ‘I’d do you’ comment.”
She throws her head back and laughs. “I don’t want to be around when you tell Landon about that. I can’t believe he climbed the wall to check on you.”
“He’s crazy. Certifiable.”
“Nah, he’s in looove,” she says dramatically.
We’re still sitting in our seats letting the crowd thin out. We’re supposed to meet Chance and Landon outside the locker room. The passes hanging from our necks guarantees us access. “I think I should just text him and tell him I’ll meet him at Harvey’s.”
“Nope. You’re not going to run from this. That’s part of dating him. It’s not always sunshine and roses, Em, but he’s in this with you. He made that clear at half-time.”
“I know. You’re right. It’s just going to take some getting used to.”
“Well, I’d say after his little stunt, there are going to be images of the two of you kissing all over, so you need to get used to it. It’s out there and it's happening.”
“I can do this.” I stand and stretch.
“Damn right you can. Come on. Let’s go find Cocky
and Lucky, and get one of those juicy burgers from Harvey. It’s calling my name.”
Thankfully, most of the crowd has thinned as we make our way to the locker rooms. We flash our badges and sure enough, the big bouncer guy lets us in, no questions asked. There’s a long hallway where wives, kids, and I assume other family members, wait for their players. In our case, player and coach.
“CJ would have loved this,” Aubrey states.
“You should have Chance bring him when there’s not a crowd.”
“Yeah, we didn’t get to explore the locker rooms when we brought him for training camp.”
The doors open and players begin to filter out. None that I know, so we stand and people watch. I’m not much for conversation about me and Landon where everyone can hear us. I've been heard enough today. Or seen rather. Either way, I’ve had my fill for the day.
Most of the crowd is gone by the time Chance, Case, Trent, Thomas, Jack, and Kaden exit the locker room. Everyone on the team I know, or have met rather, except for the man I want to see most. “Where’s Landon?” I ask Chance.
“He’s getting his ass chewed by Coach Neil,” Case offers.
“Oh, no.” I cover my mouth with my hand, my wide eyes staring at Chance, waiting for his confirmation.
“I wouldn’t say chewed.” Chance tries to downplay it. “He is in his office.”
“He knows better,” I say, irritated he would put his position on the team on the line. Hell, it wasn’t even worth a fine I’m sure he’s getting right now.
Trent nods. “Yeah, but when it’s your girl, the heart always wins. We know we’re going to pay for it, but it’s worth it.”
“This guy”—Kaden points to Trent—“he did something similar. Only he stole a mic from a reporter and asked Luna to marry him.” Trent’s all smiles as his buddy tells the tale.
Before I can comment, the locker door opens, and we all turn to look. Landon grins and holds his hands out at his sides. “I’m feeling the love,” he says, his long legs carrying him to me. He wraps me in a hug, lifting me off my feet.
“I’m going up to the box to get my wife,” Trent tells us. “She prefers the stands, but since she’s pregnant, I like her to be in the box, without crazy fans being able to get to her.” With a wave, he’s ambling down the hall.
