Chuckling, he pulled her closer mumbling into her neck. “I told my parents we’d be to them by dinner time tomorrow.”
Smiling past a cry, she collapsed into him. His arms around her, she felt at home. At peace and safe. The future wasn’t scary anymore, it was exciting. Leaning them both back on the couch, he ran his hands through her hair. She could feel his heart beating inside his chest as he began humming her song. The song he had hummed to her in every quiet moment they shared since she found him on top of the mountain back home. Smiling at the low rumble of his voice against her ear, he began You are my Sunshine and she closed her eyes.
She finally had them.
She finally had her perfect little family.
“Y’all ready for today?”
Nodding to the security guard holding the elevator door for her, Emme McGovern stepped inside. Smirking to herself, she watched the doors close.
Are we ready?
Of course we were ready. The Carolina Mavericks had secured and dominated their spot in the playoffs and there was only one game standing between them and charting off to San Diego for the Super Bowl. The door chiming, she stepped off the elevator picking up her pace, her Louboutins clicking against the floor. Instinctively turning into the third suite box she saw her boss’s lined up against the glass looking at the incomparable aerial view of the football field. The dome was open, the crowd was electric, every single seat filled with a fan. It was going to be a great day.
“Oh, look who decided to grace us today,” Bill Mathis, her boss grinned, looking behind him as the team’s new owner, Dean Prescott looked over his shoulder.
“Some unsuspecting tourists nearly lost a day of their life after deciding to stop on Route 1024,” her brows rose as she stood between them. Snickering, her bosses continued to discuss amongst themselves and she admired the scene before her. To her right was the team owner, the man who poured millions of dollars into the Mavericks organization and to her left, the general manager who dedicated his entire life to making careful and precise decisions for the same team. And then there was her. Mathis’s assistant. The one on the right didn’t know it yet, but she was going to take his job one day. And she was going to utilize the man on her left to do it. Looking down in the club boxes below her, she saw the quarterback’s wife Liv with their twin girls and Chelsea, Trevor Perry’s wife and their son anxiously awaiting kickoff.
“Have you booked your suite, yet?” Prescott asked Mathis, a sly grin crossing his face.
Raising a brow, Mathis looked down at her. Shaking her head, pointed towards the stadium. The Mavericks had this. They were going to the Super Bowl, she didn’t doubt that for a minute. But she was also superstitious and she wasn’t booking any suites or penthouses in San Diego until the confetti from this championship game settled tonight. Bowing her head as a young country starlet belted the National Anthem, chills ran up her arms in anticipation watching the captains walk onto the field for the coin toss. Clapping as the Mavericks got the ball first, she crossed her arms.
Here we go.
Watching the ball soar through the air, Shay Cunningham caught it in the twenty. Smiling to herself she remembered only eight weeks ago she had lost countless hours of sleep pushing numbers and calling in favors to make sure that they had enough money to keep Cunningham on the Mavericks during contract negotiations. He was an incredible receiver, arguably the best and paired with Monaghan and Perry, they were lethal. And a stadium housing over seven thousand fans, the entire city of Charleston was counting on that power team to take them all the way this year.
Watching Monaghan work the ball down, Perry ran it down to the ten as the stadium went crazy. Denver was tough- undoubtedly the toughest competitor this season, but the Mavericks had more heart. You could feel it in the air, see it in their moves and if she looked close enough she could almost touch it too. They wouldn’t allow this to slip between their hands. Stepping closer towards the glass, she watched as Monaghan handed the ball off to fullback, Austin Kendrick. Jumping over the end zone, the stadium went crazy; navy and teal towels waving in the air as the Mavs scored the first touchdown of the game.
Silently thanking Jesus, Emme looked over at Prescott shaking his fist in the air. Showing as much liveliness as an esteemed team owner could. Looking down at her, Mathis winked. She loved the man. She really did. He dressed absolutely ridiculous and looked like a walking heart attack, but he was her mentor. “Better get that room ready, McGovern.”
Shaking Prescotts’ hand hard as Colbie got the field goal, the stadium went nuts. She knew the game better than anyone in this room. Maybe even better than anyone in the stadium. She was going to cheer this team on and then was going to own it one day as well. She hadn’t spent the last three years making Mathis look like a shining star inside this franchise for nothing. Watching Denver and the Mavericks go tit for tat well into the second quarter she leaned over the glass as Monaghan lined up again. The Mavericks’ offensive was something for the books today, but Denver’s defense was out for blood. Handing the ball off to their running back she held her breath. Just one more touchdown and they would have the lead they needed heading into halftime. Feeling Mathis and Prescott tense up beside her, she watched and cheered through her teeth as the Mavs ran down the field.
“Run boy, run,” Mathis growled and she gripped the top of the glass.
We have this.
Noticing the Denver lineman showing no signs of stopping, she looked back at the running back sprinting hard just inches from the goal line. Holding her breath, the defense slammed into him, his body going left as the ball went right. Flipping over the lineman’s, his body circled before stopping the gruesome hit by slamming onto the ground.
The entire stadium deflating like a balloon, she looked down at their running back unmoving, her stomach twisting. Paramedics rushing the field, several Mavericks players tore off their helmets running over as Prescott and Mathis’s phones rang. Standing up on the chair for a better view of the field over the glass, she was certain of two things. She had just witnessed the end of the Mavericks season. And quite possibly, the end of a man’s career.
Oh.
My.
Gosh.
There really aren’t any words to describe how blown away I am and maybe a small part of me still feels that all of this isn’t quite real yet. There was a time when I doubted my ability to write my first novel, let alone share it with the world and I would have laughed if someone told me that not only would I write that first novel and share it, but that my second novel would be released the same year. Yep, still not sinking in. However, it was time to put this story in your hands.
And maybe that’s just the thing. To never, ever count yourself out. That if you want it- whatever it may be - then go get it. It actually isn’t that simple at all, but with plenty of love, hustle, passion and heart- you’ll get there. I promise you.
This story has a permanent place in my heart and I am so happy that I get to share it with all of you. And there are a lot of people to thank for that.
Jason: I could go on and on thanking you for picking up my slack and for all the cooking and cleaning and driving and being an all-around Super Dad. For all the Saturday nights you watched movies by yourself while I was writing. For all the cold takeout you’ve endured and coming home to a disaster zone. All the date nights that I had to stop you mid-sentence and write notes down for this story. For believing in me and having just as much faith in this story as I do. For making me laugh while reading it out loud and remembering when to take it from my hands for my own personal sanity. I simply could not do what I do without you. Thank you for knowing what I need even before I know exactly what that is. Thank you for being Super Dad, but mostly Superman. I love you.
Jocelyn: My very own baby girl. My inspiration. Thank you for being so very patient and kind and understanding far beyond your years. For your kisses while I’m writing, for understanding when I zone out to the writing world and for loving me even when I’
m being really hard on myself. I love you baby girl. Thank you for being mine and allowing me the incredible gift of being your mama. I get up every morning and lay my head down every night with such joy because aside from all the chaos, life is simply perfect. It’s perfect because I have you.
My mama, Janice: I have said it before and I’ll say it again, I simply don’t know how you did it. You’re the strongest woman I know and I can only hope to be half the woman and the mother that you are. Your determination to give us what we needed exactly when we needed it never went unnoticed and it still doesn’t. Thank you for being my mine.
My Father, Mick: Your genes made me fall in love with writing, but your stories made me fall in love with the game. Thank you for raising me up right because somehow these two passions have come together and has been one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. I love you.
My sister, Shauna: Thank you for simply being you. Really that’s it. Oh and for bringing me back down to earth when I need it and for being my ride or die. There isn’t much in the world I would be able to do without you and that’s the truth. You’re my best friend. My person. And I love you.
Ali: Thank you for always handing me a heavy dose of the straight up truth and for always listening to my craziness as both a reader and a bonus sister. You’re my secret weapon, but mostly, you’re a true gift.
Heather: We both know that I couldn’t and wouldn’t ever want to do this without you. Thank you for all your time and energy and support. Thank you for always listening and rationalizing and always getting me back on track when I wander off lost. The only thing better than having you as a publicist is having you for a friend.
Ellie: Thank you for taking yet another one of my book babies and making it perfection. People always told me that my editor would be my biggest asset and they were right because you my dear, are simply magic!
Shann: Your creation for this book cover makes you a visionary. And well, your patience with me makes you an absolute saint. Thank you!
Mikey: My book bestie. Thank you for always reminding me to have FUN and for all your endless support. And in case I haven’t said lately (which we both totally know that I did like five minutes ago) I’m so proud of you.
My incredible family & friends: Thank you for always forgiving me when I’m frazzled and forgetful. When I’m too overwhelmed to pick up the first few phone calls and for all the late text messages. Thank you for always understanding when I’m running late and when I feel completely burned out. Thank you for pulling me away from work and reminding me to live life. And for still loving me in spite of it all.
Readers: I said it in False Start and I’ll say it again. THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU! And perhaps, it feels even more special now because of all the overwhelming support and unexpected love that I have received from y’all over the past year. You have truly changed my life. You make my days brighter and hearing that you enjoy these books or that you found an escape or you connected or fell in love with a message or a character just finds its way into my heart and you don’t know what that does to me. I wish for nothing else but to continue to encourage, inspire and entertain each and every one of you. And to simply say Thank you. And I love you.
Until next time,
Julianna
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Table of Contents
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Epilogue
Coming Soon…
Acknowledgments
Hail Mary (The Mavericks Series) Page 31