Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 40420 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 202(@200wpm)___ 162(@250wpm)___ 135(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40420 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 202(@200wpm)___ 162(@250wpm)___ 135(@300wpm)
He’s a fucking jerk. I grin at him like a moron, still so totally in love, even a year later.
“How’s it looking?” I ask him.
Robby looks over and nods. He’s used to me now, but it took him a little while to warm up. Once he did though, I realized he’s such a good guy.
Now I get why he ended up dating Tessa, and why they’re still together.
“Not too bad,” Cole says, glancing at the field. “Groundskeepers are pretty great.”
“Told you it’d work out.”
He rolls his eyes at me. “Of course you did.”
“Come on, I did.”
“Okay, okay.”
I stand next to him and we survey the field together. It’s still slightly covered in snow but the guys are clearing it, little by little. They’re being careful, since they don’t want to mess up the grass.
I lean up against Cole’s shoulder. Instantly I feel warmer, even though it’s still freezing out here.
Typical Fargo weather. Last year around this time, it was a little chilly, but not bad.
This year, it’s a freaking winter wonderland.
He puts his arm around my shoulder. “Thanks for coming in early. You know I appreciate it.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“I just can’t trust anyone else with this.”
I make a face. “You could definitely trust someone else. I mean, it’s just physical therapy. How many trainers has Sean worked with?”
He shrugs. “Plenty. But you’re the best.”
I roll my eyes, smile, and kiss him.
“I have to get back to it,” Robby says, cutting into our moment. “I’ll check in later.”
We wave at him and he trudges off. I lean against Cole again for a second, and we stand there together in the cold, in the near-dark, watching the field slowly get shoveled out.
“Okay, come on,” I say finally. “Let’s go get started. Is he here yet?”
“He’s here,” Cole confirms.
We walk back inside, hand in hand.
It feels good, not hiding what we are. I mean, we haven’t had to in a long time, not since last year when Cole kissed me after that big win.
Things changed after that game. The Chainsaws went on a really great run, but Sean got hurt toward the end of the season, and our backup just didn’t have it in him.
We narrowly missed the playoffs. I know Cole did everything he could to try and make it happen, but it just wasn’t enough. There wasn’t anything he could, not with his quarterback sidelined.
Atlas gave him a bonus anyway. Half a million dollars.
It was more than enough to buy ourselves a beautiful house near here. I moved in right after the season. We’ve been living together ever since.
And we don’t hide anything. We don’t have to. The media reported on the kiss and even though it was a minor scandal, it somehow passed into just another bit of old news. Nobody fired Cole, nobody even complained.
It just became a normal thing.
Now here we are, undefeated after five games. I look up at his face and smile. We’re going to make the playoffs this year.
Hell, if Cole has his way, we’re going to win the Super Bowl.
Keeping Sean healthy is a big part of my job these days. Ever since his off-season surgery, he’s been in a little pain. I’ve been working with him, but recovery is hard.
“How’s he been feeling?” Cole asks me.
“Good, I think,” I say. “Winning helps. He’s in pain all the time, but there’s no helping that.”
“No,” he grunts. “The kid’s really strong.”
“He really is.”
“Plays his heart out for me.”
I sigh, put my hand on Cole’s shoulder. “It’s okay. It’s his decision.”
Cole nods, face tight.
I know playing Sean is tough on him. Everyone knows we need Sean to win, and Cole knows it most of all. But he hates putting Sean in when he’s always hurting.
That’s why I come here and do extra therapy with him every day. Not exactly for Sean, although it’s for him too, of course.
Mainly it’s for Cole. I want to help him as much as we can.
We come down the hallway. Cole glances at me.
“You know I love you, right?”
“I know,” I say, smiling. We come up to the training room door. There’s a strange yellow glow from inside. “What’s wrong?”
He sighs and smiles. “Go ahead.”
I bite my lip, hesitating. “Cole.”
“Go on.”
I open the door and step inside.
The training room is covered in candles. It’s absolutely packed with them. Most of the players and the training staff are there, staring at us. Tessa is there, Felix and Patrice and Sean, they’re all there. I stare at the group, eyes wide.
Everyone’s smiling huge, but nobody speaks. Even Robby’s grinning at me, and winks.
I turn to Cole. “What is—”
The words die in my throat.
He’s down on one knee in front of me, a big diamond ring in his hand. “Leah, ever since we met, I knew. I love you more than anything, and—”
“Yes, you idiot!” The words come out in a rush.