Play Maker

by KB Winters

  I chuckled. “What would you think about moving out here?”

  “Moving?”

  I slid my hand into the back pocket of her denim shorts and tugged her hip toward me. “It’s not official yet, but the Pelicans have been chasing down my agent pretty hard to get a meeting once the Super Bowl is over.”

  “And this is what you want to do?”

  I shrugged. “Maybe.”

  “Ross…”

  “All right,” I said, taking in a deep breath. “I want to go where I can actually play. The Knights won’t need me anymore once Brandon and Peters are back. Even if Peters retires, which, after his injury, is highly possible. I won’t get that much time once Brandon is back, and he should be by the time fall rolls around. Out here, I could be the big guy.”

  Shelby nodded slowly..

  “I’d keep my condo in Bitsberg, and we could stay there during the off season, enjoy the summers there, and then be out here during the season. It’s not that long on a plane, three, four hours tops. You could go back and forth as much as you wanted to. With the contract numbers people are speculating about, money wouldn’t be an issue.”

  “I’d have to take the bar all over again,” she said. “For California.”

  I nodded, my heart sinking. She didn’t like it. I was about to drop it, ask her opinion on dinner when she took my hand and rested her head against my chest. “If you’re in LA, then I want to be in LA too. Hudson’s case is resolved, and I feel good about moving on. Lacey and Chance have been asking me about joining the board of directors for their non-profit and providing legal advice as they branch out and grow. I would have a lot of pull and a lot of resources at my disposal. I wasn’t sure whether or not to take it but maybe that’s what I’m supposed to do. My next step.” She paused and looked up at me. “That is if you and Chance can still be friends once you’re on opposing teams.”

  I chuckled. “I’m sure we’ll manage just fine. Why didn’t you tell me about the job offer? That’s amazing!”

  Shelby tilted her head up, soaking up the sun as we reached the end of the sidewalk and stopped to wait for the light to change. “Because I wasn’t sure whether or not to take it. I just got started at the public defender’s office and didn’t want to walk away until I was really sure what my next step was going to be. The whole time I was in law school, I was planning to get out and help Hudson, but then to move on and help other people like Hudson who needed someone to give them a chance.”

  “I get that.”

  “But with an organization like what Lacey and Chance have built, it feels like I could make an even bigger difference. They even talked about expanding at some point in the next five years and arranging to have an in-house team of lawyers that could help people like Hudson, people from the system, and help them. I could do a lot of good and be a part of something big and moving and breathing.”

  I traced my fingers down the side of her face. “Sounds like you’ve kind of made up your mind.”

  Shelby met my eyes. “I guess I kind of have”

  “Well, assuming Lacey and Chance don’t have a problem with you telecommuting, it sounds like you could work from LA, or Bitsberg, or even New York.”

  “I guess that means you’re stuck with me for a while,” she teased.

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  Super Bowl Sunday came all too quickly. After saying goodbye to Shelby, I met up with the team, and we bused it over to the stadium. It was an odd kind of silence that followed up as we prepared for the game. Coach normally had to compete with all the different personalities to make himself heard, but on game day, sitting in the locker room, he could have whispered, and we all would have heard every word.

  “This is it, Leverette,” Beauman said, taking his new-normal place beside me as we prepared to go out to the tunnel.

  My jaw was tight, but I offered my best attempt at a smile. Though, it felt more like a grimace. My stomach was in knots, and every nerve and muscle was wound tight, ready to spring. I knew once my cleats hit the turf, I’d spring into action, but thinking ahead, all I felt was nauseous.

  And for a good reason. By the time we made it through the first two quarters and the hoopla spectacle of a halftime show, we were down six points and the nerves that had kept everyone quiet prior to the game were now all channeled into smart ass comments and frustrated glares at one another in the locker room.

  Coach tried to rally us, but when we hit the field for the third quarter, we were more disjointed than ever. The weight of it fell square on my shoulders. I was the quarterback. The leader. I was supposed to have my team’s shit together in the moments they were losing it the most. But the third quarter saw us slide even further and despair was palpable as we took a timeout.

  “Leverette, over here,” Coach said, jerking his chin toward me.

  I jogged over as he pulled me aside. “Yes, Coach?”

  “Son, we gotta get this game back on course. We need this next play to get them fired up again. They love you. You’re the underdog story of the year, hell, maybe the best one in NFL history. So, if anyone is going to get the team in the right frame of mind to win this thing, it’s you. You got it, son?”

  “Understood, sir.”

  He laid out the play, and we hit the field, ready to get back on top. The Baltimore Bulldogs were a top team, one that was favored to win, and their arrogance poured off of them as they got into position. I channeled Coach’s voice inside my head and followed the play he’d passed down. It went off perfectly and we scored a touchdown.

  The crowd cheered, and we stopped the Bulldogs from gaining ground before the end of the quarter. We went into the fourth on level ground, but thanks to a fumble; we wound up back where we started. By the middle of the fourth, we were down 21-17 and the Bulldogs had the ball. Their play was obvious, move the ball down the field and eat up as much time as they could to kick it and leave us with no choice but to get a touchdown or go home.

  I watched from the sidelines, bouncing from one foot to the other, and was stunned when Chance caught an interception and stopped the Bulldogs’ reign of terror. We had two minutes left, and even before Coach pulled me aside, I saw what we needed to do.

  We needed a touchdown, and damn it, I was going to make it happen.

  For me. For the Knights. For my teammates, Brandon and Peters, who were waiting on the bench and praying all their hard work from the regular season wouldn’t come undone. For Shelby and our future.

  It all came down to one moment.

  Time was suspended in some kind of slow-motion action scene, and I was left with a familiar choice—tuck and run.

  So that was what I did. I faked a pass, tucked the ball as tightly as I could against my side, and ran like hell for the end zone.

  The stadium took a collective gasp as the Bulldogs realized the play and reassembled, everyone making a mad dash for me. I could hear them, feel them coming for me, but I zigged, zagged, and jumped.

  And landed right in the end zone.

  A twenty-five-yard touchdown was mine and the crowd went wild.

  The Knights raced onto the field and piled on top of me before I could even process what had happened. We took the kick, but it was just for show. There was no way for the Bulldogs to take the title from us. We’d done it. We’d won the Super Bowl!

  Confetti was raining down, the gold and silver speckles glittering in the afternoon sun. I stared up at it, trying to keep from breaking down into tears right there on the fifty-yard line with millions of people watching me.

  “Ross Leverette, I’m not sure we’ve ever seen anything like this! What a season!”

  I nodded and swiped at my eyes. “God, yeah, I don’t even—I can’t get my head together right now. This is just—”

  “Ross!”

  I turned at the sound and spotted Shelby bolting toward me, full speed, with the widest grin on her face. She crashed into my arms, nearly taking us both out, and planted a huge kiss on my lips, oblivious
to the cameras or the thousands of people in the stands watching us.

  I laughed as we broke apart. She squeezed me tight. “You did it! You were amazing!” She turned to the cameras, still beaming, and pointed at my chest. “He’s amazing!”

  The reporter laughed softly and nodded. “You’ve gone from a third-string, career bench rider, to the star quarterback of not just the season, or your league, but the Super Bowl! And what a finish! What are you thinking? How does it feel?”

  “I just—I’m so grateful—” I clung tightly to Shelby and searched for words powerful enough to express the joy and gratitude radiating through me. I shook my head, too overcome with emotion to find my voice. “This win isn’t just about these last few games. It’s about the work put in all season, from every single player on this team. I know, even for myself, as some player no one even knew about, I was still there, putting in the work, and I think that’s the lesson here. You know? Put in the work and be ready for your name to get called up.”

  The reporter fired off her next questions. “What are you going to do next? Where do you go from here?”

  I grinned down at Shelby before glancing back up at the reporter. “It looks like I’m getting a ring, but I think it’s high time I go ring shopping for this sexy woman right here.”

  “Ross!” Shelby slapped a hand across her mouth.

  “Oh, and then we’ll go to Disneyland.”

  Shelby laughed with the reporter as she stared up at me, shaking her head. “You’re crazy.”

  “Maybe.” I grinned down at her and tucked her hair behind her ear. “I get paid a shit ton of money to say that. Besides, don’t you want to lead a parade down Main Street?”

  “Sure!”

  “So, what do you say?”

  “To what? The ring, the parade or Disneyland?”

  “Here, this oughtta clear it up,” I said, dropping to one knee. “Shelby Markson, you’re the most beautiful woman in the world, and most of the time I wander around wondering how the hell I got so lucky to catch your eye. I couldn’t do any of this without you. So please, do this poor sap a favor and agree to be my wife.”

  Shelby laughed even as tears splashed down her cheeks. I held my breath, waiting for that all important answer, and when she nodded, something burst inside of me, like fireworks, cannons, and a dam all going off at once.

  “Yes! Ross, oh my gosh!” she shouted, loud enough for everyone on the field to hear before collapsing into my arms. “Yes!”

  Epilogue

  Ross

  Today was the day I’d always dreamed about. We’d only been back in town for a few days, but the Superbowl parade down Main Street was set to draw the biggest crowd in the history of Bitsberg.

  I patted my right front pocket for the millionth time since I’d put the engagement ring in there. I pretty much sealed the deal on Superbowl Sunday, but I didn’t have a ring stuffed in my football uniform. I had planned to give it to Shelby at some point during the parade. I hadn’t seen her since I’d returned home the night before. We talked and texted constantly, but the Superbowl MVP had a few extra requirements with the league and media.

  The four-year contract I signed with the team owner, Jace Reed, in his private plane yesterday made things even more surreal. It was hard to believe that I wasn’t even sure if I had a future in football a few short weeks ago. Now I was looking at more than a hundred-million-dollar deal over four years with a million-dollar signing bonus. They would trade Tom Brandon off and the Knights were mine.

  I shook my head in amazement at the crazy money they threw at me. My agent just smiled and kept pushing papers for me to sign. He was star struck by the sudden VIP treatment and was sucking up every bit of the song and dance they gave us about the deal. When all was said and done, my—and Shelby’s—financial future was beyond belief.

  I fished out the fancy box from my pocket and opened it. The two karat solitaire shone like the sun and fire all mixed together. It would be perfect on Shelby’s finger.

  I was looking for something sensible and ended up buying the most expensive ring in the store. I’d looked at dozens of rings before they showed me this beauty. When I saw it, I knew right away it belonged on Shelby’s finger.

  When I saw the total, I chuckled at the absurd price for this most perfect ring. But I knew Shelby was worth every penny. So I signed my name on the dotted line with no problem and wondered if the bank had increased my purchasing limit recently because the ring cost more than my truck.

  My phone buzzed again. Chance’s name popped up on the screen, so I picked up the call. “What up bitches?” I’d never been known to use the word bitches, but somehow today it felt right. Yeah, I was in a good mood, and something told me Chance would be too.

  “So, you win the Super Bowl MVP and suddenly everybody is your bitch?” Chance laughed.

  “It’s usually the star of the game who gets the trophy, not the guy with the biggest mouth, Beauman.”

  “Damn boy, you are full of yourself today. You do realize you aren’t the only one who just inked the deal of a lifetime. I got a contract extension that puts me among the highest paid players in the league. I just left Nolan’s office and haven’t even spoken to Lacey yet.”

  “That’s awesome man, nobody deserves it more than you, Beaumonster.”

  “Winning the Super Bowl has opened so many doors for me. You did good. For all of us. I’ve got companies calling me left and right. One shoe company sounds like it could be bigger than my contract.”

  “That’s great, man. Just remember your star quarterback wears a size thirteen.” I said, looking down at my watch. Shelby should be calling soon.

  “I’m putting a big part of my deal toward the Heritage House. Those kids could use some help.” I heard laughter in the background.

  “Where are you at, man?”

  “I’m having tacos with Nolan at a little hole in the wall by his office. You know we have a parade to attend here in a little while, right?”

  “Yeah, I know. I’m on my way over there,” I said, getting in to my truck.

  “You realize these things never start on time, right? Besides, who’s gonna leave without the Beaumonster on board? You might be the unsung hero of the hour with your Super Bowl MVP Trophy. Still, nobody is going anywhere around here without the Monster of the Midwest. Besides, I’m across the street from the meetup right now, so I’m good. Lacey, Aria and Shelby are due her any minute.” He paused for a second and the laughter in the background was being overtaken by cheers and roars. “The only question I have for you is, where the hell have you been?”

  “I stayed an extra day to do a commentary on ESPN and flew back late last night on Reed’s plane.”

  “Damn, that’s rough. My first contract year, I had them put it in writing that I got to use that plane a few times a year. It’s a beauty.”

  I let out a laugh. “I wish I would have known that yesterday. I could have had it added into my contract.”

  “I saw your numbers. You did pretty damn good for a guy that ended the regular season as the third-string quarterback.”

  I knew he couldn’t see me, but I nodded my head. “No doubt about it man, it looks like you and I are going to be teammates for a while.” A text alert from Shelby drew my attention to my phone screen.

  “Hey man, I got a text from Shelby, and I need to get going or I’ll be the dude left behind.”

  “I got your back, man. I can hold up the show by at least thirty minutes without even getting creative. Oh, that reminds me, I told Shelby earlier that I’d have you meet us here, so according to the badass SUV that just pulled into the lot, you’re late to the party Mr. MVP. Or as I plan to call you, Lover-ette.”

  I could hear glass being clicked together as he paused. “Do I need to send a car after you or can you manage on your own here Lover-ette?”

  I patted my right front pocket, making sure I had the ring for the hundredth time. “I’m good. See you in a few.”

  “Right on m
an. See ya.” I clicked off the call. Damn. The year was shaping up to be the best one yet. We were going to have a wedding.Chance and Lacey’s non-profit would be fully funded and the girls would get season tickets. They loved to watch us play. And we loved having them there.

  I never thought that winning the biggest game of my career could somehow feel like a secondary prize, but when compared to thinking about my future with Shelby as my wife, it didn’t even come close to being the best thing that ever happened to me.

  With Shelby at my side, we could do anything.

  Thank you so much for reading my books! You mean the world to me!

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  KB xoxo

  Thank You So Much!

  Thank you so much for reading my books! It means the world to me and I appreciate all of you!

  I hope you enjoy my books and if you can leave a review, or even tell your friends, I’d be honored.

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  Thanks to all of my beta readers, ARC readers and Facebook fans. Y’all are THE BEST!

  And a very special thanks to Helen. You are a Godsend. Thank you for making my books, words and writing make sense.

  A huge shout out to the fam bam who has to put up with me at all hours of the morning.

  Y’all are the true champions.

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  Hugs!

  KB xoxo

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