How I ever got so lucky to have a woman like her on my arm, I have no idea.
All I know for sure is that I don’t intend on ever letting her go. Stacy is a remarkable, beautiful soul and she brightens the lives of everyone around her. Her patience seems unlimited, as does her willingness to give and love. I think that’s rubbed off on me too because I feel like I’ve become a better person since meeting her.
The final chords of Eric’s song fade into the fervent cheers of the fans around the stadium. After thanking them he heads off with his band and the makeshift stage that had been rigged up is cleared away so that my team can head out of the tunnel where we’ve been waiting and warming up.
My heart picks up pace like it always does before a huge game, adrenaline surging through my veins. On instinct, I twist my head toward Jenny’s old seat.
Though it’d been empty the better part of last year, that’s no longer the case.
Stacy sits there, screaming my name. She looks so cute in her personalized Mrs. Hartbreaker jersey that I have to blow a kiss her way, wishing I could make a quick detour up to the stands to steal a real kiss for good luck.
She laughs, clapping for me while Ryan jumps up and down at her side. Chloe, Donovan, and Morgan are there too, with a few more seats reserved for Eric and his band once they make their way over.
In the past when I’d looked toward Jenny’s empty seat, I would feel just as hollow as the vacant space. It was impossible then to imagine that I would feel anything remotely resembling joy again, but Stacy has personally seen to it that I rediscovered happiness. She fills all the emptiness I thought I’d never be rid of.
I still miss my older sister with all my heart, and I would do anything to bring her back again, but I know now that I must live on for her. She would have wanted me to spread kindness and love in her absence, so that’s what I’ve set out to do.
I’ve also done the best I can to make sure that Ryan never forgets his mother, even with Stacy’s presence in our lives. The three of us make an effort to talk about Jenny all the time, laughing at our favorite memories of her and watching old home videos she’d posted online. Her photos are still up and framed in the penthouse suite that we now call home.
My bachelor pad is definitely a warm and cozy family abode these days. It’s full of love, from sweet notes left on the fridge to photos on the wall. Stacy and Ryan are my everything, and they will be forever.
This is all because of my sister.
Had she not stepped into the shoes of parenthood that our mother and father failed to fill, I would have never turned out how I did. I would’ve wasted away on some street somewhere, probably turning to crime or mischief instead of doing anything real with my life.
But Jenny pushed me as hard as she could and then somehow found the willpower to push even more until I discovered my passion for football, which in turn led me to finding my better half and the love of my life.
Jenny has also given me Ryan, and now I can’t imagine waking up every day without the sound of his little footsteps in the hall or his laughter in our house.
Because Jenny always believed the best in me and never gave up on me, I have everything that I do now. I have a career I adore but that I’ve learned to balance, I have a nephew who fills me with pride, and I have a woman I love more than myself . . . my soulmate, my Stacy.
Even though Coach is giving a pep talk right now and I know in a few minutes the game will have my entire attention, I step away from the huddle to spare just another few seconds to gaze up at Stacy, Ryan, and all our friends.
They wave and cheer for me, and this time Stacy blows me a kiss. I pretend to catch it while the rest of the crowd oh’s and ah’s over the cute moment.
While I was living the bachelor life, I’d always thought I was happy. I’d convinced myself that I had everything I could ever want and that I had enough money in my wallet to face anything life threw my way, but I’d had no idea what I was missing.
Now, even more than I love my career, I love my family.
Being with them is what makes life worth living.
Now I know what it means to love with my entire being and to be loved in return, and for that, I am the luckiest man in the whole world.
— E — N — D —
Do you want to know what happens between Jacob & Stacy behind closed doors?
Download The Exclusive Content Here
Also by Christina Benjamin
THE BILLIONAIRE BOYFRIEND SERIES
Sebastian: A Clean Billionaire Romance (Book 1)
Cooper: A Clean Billionaire Romance (Book 2)
Donovan: A Clean Billionaire Romance (Book 3)
Eric: A Clean Billionaire Romance (Book 4)
Jacob: A Clean Billionaire Romance (Book 5)
YOUNG ADULT CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
(All Boyfriend Books are Stand-Alone Novels and can be read in Any Order)
The Practice Boyfriend (Book 1)
The Almost Boyfriend (Book 2)
The Goodbye Boyfriend (Book 3)
The Holiday Boyfriend (Book 4)
The Stand-In Boyfriend (Book 5)
The Maybe Boyfriend (Book 6)
The Accidental Boyfriend (Book 7)
The Summer Boyfriend (Book 8)
The Wedding Boyfriend (Book 9)
The Winter Boyfriend (Book 10)
The Lost Boyfriend (Book 11)
About the Author
Author, Christina Benjamin, lives in Florida with her husband, and character inspiring pets, where she spends her free time working on her books, eating chocolate and drinking wine.
Christina is best known for her bestselling Young Adult romance novels, The Boyfriend Series, which proves that book boyfriends are like chocolate... you can never have enough. Check out the Boyfriend Series for fast, fun, YA romance reads. These destination novels let you fall in love in a new city with new characters, every time.
Join her secret Facebook group to beta read, chat about books over a glass of wine and a dessert. Click here to join her Facebook Group.
Interested in joining Christina’s Newsletter for updates and book releases? Click Here to Join Christina’s Newsletter.
Follow Christina’s Amazon Page to get updates when new books are released. Click Here to Follow on Amazon.
For more information visit:
www.crownatlanticpublishing.com
Jacob Page 12