“Natalie Boyd,” I said, pulling a small box out of my pocket, “Will you do me the great honor of marrying me?”
She covered her gaping mouth with one hand. I felt like time stopped. If she said no, it would be the most humiliating moment of my life. If she said yes, we’d be showing our children pictures of our proposal for years to come.
She nodded. “Yes,” she said, a wide grin appearing over her face.
The press room erupted into cheers. I slipped the ring I’d had Wesley go out and buy for me onto her slender finger.
Apparently, the team was waiting behind the curtain and when she said yes, they came pouring out, patting me on the back.
“This concludes our press conference,” Coach said, laughing.
Slowly, the reporters and photographers trickled out of the room, leaving me with our group of well-wishers. Russell and Michael came walking toward us, beaming.
“Congrats, Natalie,” Russell said, embracing her. “I’m so happy for you.”
She wiped the moisture from underneath her eyes. I couldn’t stop looking at her.
“Chris and I are getting married,” Natalie told Michael, scooping him up.
“I’m so confused,” he said, to which we all laughed.
“I’ll explain later,” she said, kissing him on the head.
Wesley walked up to me and gave me a hug. “Congrats, man. So, now that you’ve popped the question, let’s talk wedding exclusives. We could sell pictures of the wedding to a few magazines, or, we could potentially just air it on television. What do you think?”
“I can’t do this anymore, Wes,” I said. “You’re a good friend, but I don’t know if we can work together anymore.”
Wesley grimaced. I think he knew that this was coming.
“You’ve made me a lot of money in the past few years, though, and I’m thankful for that.”
He nodded. “Yeah, you’ve been a pretty profitable client. I’ll be sad to see you go.”
“If you want me to recommend you to other guys, I’ll be more than happy to. Maybe you’ll find a boyfriend for an actress yet.”
He laughed. “Well, congratulations on your new life. She’s gorgeous and I couldn’t be happier for you. I’ll see you around, Chris.”
“Well,” Russell said as the crowd was dying down, “should we go to dinner to celebrate?”
“Yes,” Natalie and I said in unison.
“As a congratulatory gift,” Russell said, “I went ahead and made reservations at a place downtown. We should probably leave now if we want to make our time.”
“How did you know I was going to say yes?” Natalie teased.
“I just had a feeling,” he said, winking at me. “If he could convince me that he was good enough for you, then I knew that you could be convinced too.”
Russell took Michael to the restaurant in Natalie’s car, and Natalie joined me in mine. It was our first moment alone as a couple, and it felt so nice to be able to call her my fiancée.
The second we were alone, she leaned over the armrest and kissed me. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders, wishing we were at home and not in a car, on our way to a family dinner. A week without her touch had been too long for me. I needed her now.
“We better go,” she said, giggling, as she wiped a bit of lipstick off my lips. “We don’t want to be late.”
“Ugh,” I groaned. “Your dad is treating us to a really nice dinner, and all I can think about is getting you home as soon as possible.”
She licked her bottom lip. “Patience,” she said.
“Were you surprised?” I asked as we drove down the freeway.
“Extremely surprised,” she said. “I felt like something was up, by the way my dad was acting, but I didn’t think it a proposal.”
“You have no idea how nervous I was,” I said.
“Yeah, that makes sense. It is a little crazy that we decided to get married after hanging out a few times. I think I’ve lost my mind,” she teased.
“But it’s what you want, isn’t it?”
“It’s exactly what I want,” she said, putting her hand in mine.
At the restaurant, we were escorted to a table in the back. There was already a bottle of champagne on ice for us. The restaurant was really nice, and I felt bad that my future father-in-law was going to pick up the tab. There would be plenty more dinners where I could pay, so I supposed I could let him pay this one time.
After we ordered, we decided it would be the best time to explain everything to Michael. I was a little nervous to see how he would react to all of this news. I didn’t want to overwhelm him with this knowledge, but it was time he heard it.
“Michael,” Natalie said carefully. “There’s something that Chris and I want to tell you.”
“You’re getting married and we’re going to be a family,” he said matter of factly. “Grandpa already told me.”
I smiled. He was a smart kid.
“There’s more,” she said. “Do you know how some kids have a mom and a dad? Well, you have a dad too.”
“Really?”
“Yep. The reason Chris and I were friends when I was in college is because he’s your dad.”
“Chris is my dad?” he asked, clearly confused. I hoped he didn’t ask any more questions. I didn’t know if I could sit through a lesson on the birds and the bees with her dad here.
“Is that okay?” I asked, concerned by his reaction.
“Yeah,” he said, cracking a big smile.
“Good. I’m glad that I’m your dad.”
“So if you want,” Natalie added, “you don’t have to call him Chris anymore. You can call him Dad.”
“Okay,” he said cheerily.
I knew it would take some getting used to, for all of us, but I knew we would be a happy family in no time at all.
When the food came, Michael had about a thousand questions about the game today, and I was happy to explain everything to my son. I couldn’t wait to tell him everything about me—everything I should have been telling him since he was a baby.
Things were happening so quickly, but I wasn’t even scared of the future with Natalie by my side. Eventually, she and Michael would meet my family, and I would meet hers. Then we would have to introduce each other to all of our friends and co-workers. There would be engagement parties and bridal showers to plan and attend. We’d have to decide where we were going to call home, and how we would live our daily lives.
There was still plenty of time until we needed to decide these things though. All I knew was that I wanted to enjoy the moment with Natalie.
After dinner, Russell suggested that Michael go back to his house with him for the evening. It was like he’d read my mind. He told Natalie and I to celebrate as a couple. I think he knew what we’d be getting up to, and luckily the thought of what I’d be doing to his youngest daughter didn’t make him want to kill me.
When we left the restaurant, Natalie hugged her dad and gave Michael a kiss. We promised him that we’d all hang out tomorrow together, much to his delight.
“So where are we going now?” Natalie asked me once we were back in my car. “The night is still young, and I want to enjoy my first night as Chris Taylor’s fiancée. Should we go to a bar or something?”
“You haven’t been to my place yet, have you?” I said with a grin, pulling out of the parking lot. “Why don’t we go there?”
24
Natalie
“This is it,” he said, pulling up the circle drive to his house. I knew that he lived in a big house, but I had no idea just how big it was.
“Do you even use half of the rooms in this place?” I asked.
“No,” he admitted, “but maybe I would be able to now that I have someone to live with me.”
“I’d love to move in here,” I said, walking through the front entrance. It was such an elegant space. I could see myself entertaining guests with Chris at home.
I walked from room to room, many of which were empty or were used as storag
e. He had a well-stocked kitchen and a cozy living room area. I imagined myself snuggled up on the couch, watching TV with my boys.
“When can I move in?” I laughed, wrapping my arms around his waist.
“Tomorrow, if you like,” he said. “I want you and Michael to make this place home. That is, if you like the house.”
“I love it. It’s perfect,” I gushed. I was already planning what furniture would go where. “It’s too bad we’ll have to move away from my dad’s neighborhood. It’s so nice to be able to have a babysitter ready at all hours of the day.”
“He can live here too.”
I laughed at that comment. “I’m not so sure about that.”
He poured us a few drinks and we sat out on his back porch. I sat on his lap on his porch swing and my rested my head against his.
“We’re going to be so happy together,” he said, kissing me on the head.
“I can’t wait,” I said.
I wrapped my arms around him and gave him a kiss. He kissed me back with even more passion.
“Do you know what the best part about you moving in with me is?” he asked.
“What?”
“The fact that I’m allowed to make love to you, and we don’t even have to climb through any windows to get to each other.”
I laughed. “Don’t forget that there will be a child in the house.”
“With any luck, maybe a few of those,” he said, kissing me again. “Don’t worry, we can put them at the other side of the hall.”
I gigged, sliding a hand below his waist. He was just as eager as I was.
“You don’t know how bad I’ve been wanting you,” he said, placing his hands on my waist. “Ever since our night together, you’re all that I think about.”
“I feel the same way,” I said. “I love you, Chris Taylor, and I want you to make love to me on every surface of this house.”
“Well then,” he said with a grin, “we’d better get started.”
I followed him inside the house, expecting him to lead me to the bedroom, but he stopped just inside the kitchen, pulling his shirt off. His lean torso was rippled with perfectly defined abdominal muscles.
“I was kidding,” I laughed.
“I wasn’t.”
With one quick motion, he picked me up and set me on the kitchen counter. I pulled my shirt off and he undid my bra clasp. His eyes were in line with my chest, and he was enjoying the view. Chris took my erect nipple into his mouth, flicking it with his tongue.
I put my hands behind me on the counter, almost dizzy with arousal. He slid my jeans off, then my soaked panties.
“I love it when you’re wet for me,” he breathed, feeling me with his fingers. I spread my legs wider, inviting him in.
I let him play with me for a moment, letting the sensations take over my body. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, letting him do his handiwork.
When it was feeling too good, I hopped down from the counter. I kissed him, pushing our bodies toward the couch. Laying him on his back, I sprung on top of him, unbuttoning his jeans as we made out.
I placed a hand down his pants, gripping him tightly. Chris let out a small moan as I worked my hand up and down his smooth shaft. I got up to pull off his jeans, leaning down low so he could feel my warm breath on the head before coming back up to kiss him on the neck.
Sensing that I was playing games with him, he went to flip me onto my back, but he was a little too eager, and sent me right to the floor.
“Holy shit,” he gasped. “Are you all right?”
I could hardly speak, I was laughing so hard. “I’m fine,” I giggled. “If you want to play rough, maybe you should take me to your bed,” I joked.
I kissed him, and he pulled me up off the ground. We walked toward the bedroom, unable to keep our hands off of each other. We didn’t make it very far.
With no effort at all he picked me up off my feet and pressed me against the wall. I wrapped my legs tightly around his torso as my tongue was intertwined with his.
Swiftly, he entered me, my pelvis grinding against his. As he thrusted, my fingers dug into his thick hair. He gripped my thighs, squeezing tighter as he got going. His mouth was warm and wet pressed up against my neck.
I pulled his hair as I started to come, and in response, he slowed down to make me last longer. I couldn’t take it though; I wanted him to finish me off.
“Faster,” I begged, biting my lower lip. He caved to my desires, picking up the tempo.
“Yes,” I moaned, not caring if the whole street heard me. Chris instantly came inside of me, throbbing as I tried to regain composure. When he finally set me back on the ground, my legs felt weak. I braced myself by hanging my arms on his shoulders, giving him a soft kiss on the lips.
“I can’t believe that I get to be the only guy who gets to see your face when you come for the rest of your life.”
“It’s a big responsibility,” I said, matching his grin. “But if anyone is capable of it, I think you are.”
“I can’t imagine anything better than that.”
We held each other for a moment, completely naked in the middle of the hallway.
“What now, Future Mrs. Taylor?” he asked. I like the way that sounded.
“Let’s go again. But this time, let’s do it in the bed.”
“I almost forgot,” he said, running into his bedroom.
I followed him, curious as to what other surprises he could possibly have for me today.
I pulled on his robe as he grabbed a box from his table. He handed it to me.
“What is it?” I asked. I already had a massive diamond ring on my finger. I felt like that was sufficient.
“I bought this for you the day I disappeared from your life. I meant to give it to you, but—” he cringed. “You know.”
Inside the box was a beautiful watch. I pulled it out and fastened it around my wrist.
“It’s beautiful! Thank you.”
Under the watch, was a little scrap of paper. I pulled it out and unfolded it, reading his chicken scratch.
“Even back then,” I said, my eyes hot with tears, “I think we knew that we were going to spend the rest of our lives together.”
Epilogue
Natalie
Chris and I never did anything slowly, so we decided to get married just six months after the proposal seen all over the internet. We knew it was best to plan the wedding for the off season, and Chris and I didn’t want to wait a whole other year. Our wedding was small, but absolutely perfect. We had a little ceremony at a vineyard nearby, and needless to say, there was a lot of wine drunk at our reception.
My father walked me down the aisle, and my son stood next to his father as the best man. We were surrounded by our families and closest friends. I don’t think I had ever felt so loved in my life.
Since everyone in my life was so busy during the fall, we decided to have a family get-together during Chris’s bye week. My dad came to our house, and Chris’s parents flew over to visit too.
My dad still lived in the city, but he wasn’t home as often as before. After much persuasion on my part, he ended up taking the position of football analyst. A lot of the work could be done in the studio, but he had to fly out to different football games across the country. He loved the work, and I was glad to see him doing something he loved.
Even Michael was busy that fall. He started school and absolutely loved it. Every day, he was bringing home a new book to read to me, or telling me some story about what happened during the day. He had become quite popular in his class, especially amongst the sports fans, because he could tell you anything you could ever want to know about the L.A. Tigers and professional football in general. His school principal had Chris come out to talk to the kids, and I had never seen Michael so proud in his life.
Chris had taken to fatherhood so quickly; I was surprised that initially he didn’t think he was good with kids. It didn’t take long before Michael was calling him Dad, and they became t
he best of friends.
That’s not to say that there wasn’t a bit of a learning curve. Chris quickly found out that rules were a necessary part of life when raising a five-year-old boy. After a few afternoons of taking care of a sleep deprived child, jacked up on junk food, he learned the value of an early bedtime, and healthy meals.
It also didn’t take long for him to take on the role of concerned parent. After losing track of Michael at the park for five minutes, he rarely let him out of his sight again. The moment he realized that he had an impact on how Michael would turn out, he became much more cautious of him.
Chris and I made a great team, and I was so lucky to have him in my life. When I had to work late, Chris was around to pick Michael up from school and feed him supper. When Chris had away games and had to go out of town, Michael kept me company as we watched him on our big screen TV. My dad had been an immense help during the first few years of Michael’s life, but there was something about having an extra hand living in the house that made life so much easier. The days of having to do the cooking, cleaning and laundry by myself were over, and I couldn’t be more thankful.
My career was just as important to me as ever, and it kept me on my toes. After years of hard work, I was given a substantial raise. Although, it wasn’t like we were pressed for money anymore. The respect I earned on the job from the other higher ups was just as rewarding. In such a male dominated career, it felt good to be able to call the shots.
As I sat on the back porch with his parents, watching my dad, son, and husband play football in the yard, I couldn’t stop thinking about how lucky I was. Everything I’d gone through to have my son and Chris was totally worth it.
There were definitely moments where I wasn’t sure I was going to make it. When Michael was a baby, I remember times where I would hold him while he slept and just sob. Fresh out of college, being a single mother was really hard. I was tired all of the time, and had no idea what I was doing.
Mostly, I was incredibly lonely. While my friends were branching out all over the country starting new jobs, I was coming home from work every evening to take care of my baby. I rarely went out on the weekend and hardly ever met new people. When I craved a man’s touch, I had no one to call.
Game Winning Catch: (Secret Baby Sports Romance (Pass To Win #5) Page 15