I fought the urge to bite my nails as I watched Greg call a time-out. Jacob ran to the sideline to coordinate with him. It was the final game of the regular season, the one that decided whether or not we went to the playoffs. Currently, the team was tied with another in the division, and a win tonight would push us over the top. With a minute left, there were only six points between us and the playoffs. One touchdown was all we needed.
The referee blew the whistle, and I pressed my hand over my belly, feeling the small flutter of movement in response. She was a flurry of activity tonight, excited like I was for her daddy. When we found out that the baby was a girl, Jacob burst into tears. I had thought he would’ve been disappointed that it wasn’t a boy, but I was way wrong.
“Wow,” he said, wiping his face with his hand. “A girl. I can’t believe it.”
“Are you disappointed?” I asked hesitantly, knowing that most men wanted a boy, a little miniature copy of themselves to play ball with. Jacob shook his head, his eyes glimmering with tears. “She’s never gonna want for anything, Lucia. I will protect her with my very life. But she’s not dating till she’s at least thirty!”
It had been the sweetest thing I’d ever heard, and I promptly burst into tears with him, which was something I did on a pretty frequent basis.
But now, now the focus was on Jacob and the chance to fulfill one of his lifelong dreams—go to the playoffs and win the Super Bowl. I was nervous for him, but not as nervous as my father, who was currently wearing down the grass on the sideline, walking briskly with his hands clasped behind his back. This was going to be the pivotal moment to prove that he hadn’t made a bad investment. At his urging, Jacob and I had done a joint interview with the newspaper to try to smooth over the bad publicity that Jacob’s father had brought forth. Jacob had really opened up and talked about his childhood, though he left some of the more disturbing details out it. Then he turned to his future with the team.
We also went public with our relationship and the pregnancy, knowing full well I wouldn’t be able to hide it much longer. Overall, the article had been well received, and I felt like Jacob was understood and accepted here in Jupiter. My dad’s campaign was in full swing, as well, which was another reason we wanted to air our ‘dirty laundry’, but right now the polls seemed favorable to him—the little scandal hadn’t caused too much of a fuss.
But, if Jacob didn’t get the win tonight, I feared all his hard work would be overshadowed by one loss. He’d be back in the limelight again, the backlash would be fierce, old dirt would be dug up again and again.
Up until now we’d been living almost in a dream state. I thoroughly enjoyed waking up next to him in the morning, loved watching him as he caressed my growing stomach tenderly before we got ready for our busy day ahead. And then coming home from work to find him there, waiting to hear about my day and vice versa. It was everything I never knew I’d lacked until now and with the unlikeliest of characters making me deliriously happy. I couldn’t imagine anyone else. We would weather the outcome of this game together as best we could, whatever happened, but I still kept my fingers crossed just in case.
The offense broke the huddle, and Jacob trotted to his position behind the center, his eyes shifting left then right as he called out a series of plays. The crowd seemed to come to a dull roar as the ball was snapped. I held my breath as Jacob looked for an open receiver, his feet dancing around the turf to keep himself out of harm’s way. Then he let go of the ball, the entire stadium watching as it sailed thirty yards to the open receiver near the end zone. The ball soared directly into his open arms—a direct hit—and he took it over the line.
I stood there, mesmerized, as the crowd went wild and Jacob thrust his arms into the air, the referee signaling touchdown just as the time clock wound its way to zero. He had done it! We were going to the playoffs! The sideline erupted, and I clapped excitedly, following my father as he rushed out onto the field and high-fived the players as they came back to the bench.
Jacob jogged to the end zone, a shocked look on his face as he pulled off his helmet and hugged his wide receiver, number 27—Terrence Gold—lifting him high in the air. They’d worked so well together in practice that Greg had had no choice but to bump Terrence up to first string. And now that decision was definitely paying off.
“You did it!” I exclaimed as I waddled towards him. It was totally unorthodox for me to be on the field, but I dared anyone to stop me. He put Terrence down and ran to meet me, gently hugging me as we came together. “I did it.”
“Playoffs, baby!” I laughed as he kissed me soundly on the lips.
“Yeah,” he said with a grin, wiping the sweat off his face then stripping off the glove from his throwing hand. “I can’t believe it. Oh my God, we are going to the fucking playoffs. This is, fuck, I don’t know what to say.”
“I knew you could do it,” I grinned, putting my hands on either side of his face and kissing his lips, tasting the tangy saltiness on them from the four rough quarters he’d had to contend with. “Nora and I knew you could do it.”
Reaching down, he touched my bulging belly, a tender smile on his face. “Nora? Really, are you sure?”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way, naming her after your mom just seems right.”
“It’s perfect,” he said, tears threatening to spill. “Hear that, Nora? Daddy is going to the playoffs!”
I laughed then, feeling deliriously happy at all that life had brought me over the last few months. It was hard to even imagine what my life was before I’d bumped into Jacob and how unhappy I truly was.
“So,” he said as I released him. “I had a bet and I’m going to make good on it.”
“I thought you were done with bets,” I teased, remembering the playbook that had brought us together in the most unconventional way. “Don’t you know what kind of trouble they get you in?”
“I don’t think I will have much problem with this one,” he replied. Terrence suddenly appeared, thrust something into Jacob’s hand and with a secretive grin backed away just as quickly.
Jacob dropped to one knee, and my stomach did a somersault. I felt the world around me fade out as I realized what he was doing. I was torn between wanting to tug him up and wanting to join him on my knees on the field. “Jacob, we don’t have to do this.”
“Oh yes we do, right here. Right now.” He smiled, tenderness in his eyes. “I should have done this a long time ago but I wanted to prove to you that I had what it takes.”
“Oh, Jacob, I always knew you did.”
“Lucia, will you marry me?”
I looked down at him, biting my lip hard. I wanted to believe that he was doing this because he wanted to, but I had to be sure. “Did my father put you up to this?”
“Babe,” he started, reaching out to grab my hand. “I want the world to know that you are mine. Marry me and put me out of my misery. Make me the happiest man alive, please?”
“Yes,” I exclaimed, throwing my arms around his neck, all of my worry disappearing at his words. That was the Jacob I knew and loved. “Yes, I will marry you.”
“Thank God,” he laughed, picking me up as he rose from his knee. Clapping erupted, and I looked around, finding the entire team surrounding us—tiny explosions crackled as they all launched confetti over our heads.
“It’s about time!” I heard a voice saying. They came around us, congratulating us, but between a couple of the players, I saw my father standing idly by. His face was full of happiness as he nodded his approval. I suspected the bet was between the two of them.
“You didn’t even look at the ring,” Jacob said, kissing me on the side of my neck before setting me down gently.
“I didn’t need to. The look in your eyes told me everything I need to know.” He laughed and kissed me harder, causing everyone to cheer again.
“Would you still have done it if you’d lost?” I asked as we walked. “Propose, I mean?”
“Not on the field,” he said, grabbing my hand and pulling me toward the locker room. “But yes, I would have done it tonight regardless. I can’t wait to make you officially mine, and this is the first step, babe. I hope you are ready for this ride, because I don’t plan to get off at any point.” I grinned and laid my head on his shoulder. It was sinking in only now that he was mine, for real. I was very lucky indeed that he had found that playbook and chosen to pursue me.
Thank God for determined, arrogant football players, bad boys who didn’t give up so easily.
...and they lived happily ever after!