Well, no more. I’m stepping up and taking what I want.
I need Izzie and Liam in my life.
The fear of deciding to commit to Izzie should terrify me, but it doesn’t, and if that’s not proof that this is right, I don’t know what is.
I’ve already missed enough of my son’s life; he’s a great kid and doesn’t deserve to be ignored by his father, especially when I’m right fucking here.
Liam and Izzie deserve all the best that life has to offer, and I can give that to them. I should give it to them.
I wasn’t totally honest with myself when Izzie and Liam left. But I was hurt. I wanted to push my hurt onto someone else—only I didn’t realize what I was really doing.
Izzie didn’t want anything from me. She never asked me for anything. How could I accuse her of using me?
Climbing into my car, I head home.
I’m excited and scared at the same time. There are so many great fucking ideas running through my head.
I can’t wait to get started on organizing it all. Whatever I do, I know it has to be epic and over-the-top.
I need something worthy of Izzie. She’s so fucking perfect, and she needs to know it with one grand gesture.
Smiling, I imagine Liam, too. His excitement and what this will mean to him.
I’m thrilled about the Superbowl; it’s been a dream of mine since I was a kid. But I’m even more excited about what life holds in store for my family and me—once we’re all together again.
Chapter 33
Izzie
Standing in the kitchen, I’m making a sandwich with all the fixings when my phone rings.
I look at the caller ID, but don’t recognize the number.
Hesitantly, I accept the call.
“Hello?” I say.
“Hi. Is this Ms. Williams I’m speaking to?” a deep voice says on the other end.
“It is,” I respond.
“Excellent! I’m calling to let you know that you’ve won a family four-pack ticket to go to this year’s Super Bowl.”
I stand there, saying nothing.
How the hell did I win tickets?
I didn’t even enter into a contest or anything.
“Ms. Williams?” the man on the phone says.
“I’m still here,” I state. “Sorry. How exactly did I win these tickets? I never entered into a contest to win Super Bowl tickets.”
“I don’t know what you did to win the tickets, ma’am. I was just instructed to notify you.”
“Okay,” I say in a confused tone. I’m going to have fun messing with this scammer.
“Along with the tickets, all expenses will be paid. Airfare, hotel, driver, and food. You will have a driver who will pick you and your guests up, take you to the airport, where your plane will bring you to your destination. Your tickets are special VIP passes and will be waiting for you at the hotel.”
As he lists off each thing included with the tickets, I become more and more stunned. I fall onto the nearest barstool resting against the kitchen island.
This is crazy. How is this happening?
“I’ll be sending you an email with all the details,” the man on the phone continues. He confirms my email address. “Is that the most efficient way to send you the info, Ms. Williams?”
“Uh-huh,” is all I can say.
“Excellent!” he exclaims. “I will send you an email right away, and I do hope you have a wonderful time at the Super Bowl with your guests. Have a wonderful day, Ms. Williams. Goodbye.”
“Bye,” I say to dead air after the man has already hung up.
He didn’t ask for my address, my social, and my card info. I actually think this might be real.
My head is spinning. The tickets and the amenities are amazing. Anyone would be jumping up and down in excitement if they were in my shoes.
But they don’t have the same messy circumstances as me.
The man I slept with and came to care about is playing for one of the teams in the Super Bowl.
Also, I’m still pissed that I lost my job with the team and under ridiculous circumstances.
I sigh. This is all confusing.
If I’m being honest with myself though, I would love to see Brady again. I miss him. A lot more than I thought I would miss him.
I miss his smile, the way he played with Liam, his touch, and most of all, his presence.
Despite everything he said the last time we were together and all that he has done, I still miss him.
I know I shouldn’t miss him, and that I should just leave things the way they are.
No contact, and especially no showing up at any of his games, where there’s a possibility that we would run into each other.
God. This is all a huge mess.
But how can I pass up an opportunity to go to the Super Bowl?
I’ve always loved football.
I’ve always loved the San Antonio Rangers. To be in the stadium when they win would be a dream come true.
And yes, they’re definitely going to win. No doubt.
I have to go.
Decision made, I go in search of the email I’m expecting for the details.
Reservations about going because of Brady are shoved away as I open the email.
Fifteen minutes later, Liam is running around the apartment in excitement from the news that we’re going to the Super Bowl.
“You can pick one person to go with us, Liam. It’s going to be you, Alex, me, and any friend you want to bring along.”
He runs over to me and hugs me around my legs.
“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!”
I laugh.
“Don’t thank me, Liam. Thank whatever powers that be that gave us the tickets.”
There he goes again with the jumping.
“You have to decide now who you want to take because we have to leave tonight.”
“Okay,” he says.
Six hours later, we’re all packed in the limo and heading towards the airport.
On the flight, we’re shown to our first-class seats and settle in for the four-hour flight.
Liam and his friend entertain themselves with their tablets loaded with movies and games.
Alex is sitting close to me, so she is able to lean towards me to talk.
“You doing okay?” she asks me.
“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be okay?”
She gives me a look. A look that says don’t bullshit me or yourself.
“Fine,” I exclaim. “I’m a little on edge. I’m worried about who we’ll run into with these VIP passes. Even after what happened the last time we were in the same room, I still miss him.”
“Are you hoping for you two to make amends and get together?” she asks next.
“Honestly, I don’t know,” I sigh.
She sits silent for a few seconds.
“Well, why don’t you take the time we have between now and the end of the game to sort it out in your head,” she finally states. “Come to a definitive decision. But don’t stress too much about it. You should enjoy this trip. Who knows if you’ll ever get another chance to go to the Super Bowl again. The Super Bowl, where your favorite team is playing.”
She’s right. I need to sort out everything going on in my head while enjoying this experience.
“Okay,” I respond.
She nods her head in approval and settles back into her seat.
I settle back into mine and start thinking about what could happen between me and Brady.
I’m also thrilled about walking into the most extravagant and amazing hotel I’ve ever been in.
Whoever provided this package that I miraculously won is pulling out all the stops.
A driver, first-class plane tickets, and now this.
“Wow!” the boys say.
“Wow is right,” Alex states.
“Yeah, wow,” I add.
After a few minutes of taking it all in, we walk over to the front desk.
Soon, we have the Super
Bowl tickets and our room keys.
We’re in the penthouse suite!
The suite is huge and just as amazing as the hotel lobby.
The boys go nuts as soon as we’re in the room and me and Alex laugh.
“This is going to be great,” Alex states. “Thank god for however you ended up winning all this, Izzie.”
“You’re telling me,” I say.
Now all that’s left to do is chill out for the rest of the night.
And then go to the biggest football game every avid professional football fan dreams of going to, where their favorite team is playing.
The excitement and anticipation of going to the stadium and watching the game is thrumming through me completely.
I don’t know if I will be able to get any sleep tonight between the excitement and the thoughts still churning in my head over Brady.
Don’t worry about that right now, Izzie. Like Alex said, just enjoy the experience right now.
I smile and feel like a child, just like the boys in their excitement.
Soon, all four of us are jumping and spinning around the room.
Super Bowl game, here we come.
Chapter 34
Izzie
I can’t believe I’m at the Super Bowl!
I’ve always loved watching the game on television, but there’s nothing like being at the stadium for the big event.
Every seat is filled, which makes me even more grateful that Brady invited us to share his big day.
Liam looks really excited. When the announcer introduces the San Antonio Rangers and the New York Bulls, he jumps out of his seat and cheers.
This morning, I presented him with an official Brady Thomas jersey to wear to the game, and he told me he couldn’t believe he knew a real football player with his name on a shirt.
How cute is that?
“Is he going to win?” Liam asks me.
“I hope so. But even if he doesn’t, it’s exciting just to be in the Super Bowl. Some players spend their whole careers trying and never make it. Brady is really lucky.”
“He’s not lucky, he’s the best!” Liam seems to have inherited his father’s competitive spirit, and while I hope he won’t worry too much about the outcome of this one game, I have to admit that his enthusiasm is contagious.
While Liam and his friend compare Cracker Jack prizes, I offer to get Alex another drink.
We’re in one of the fancy VIP boxes that come with a dedicated snack bar and beverage cart. This is way better than sitting in the nosebleed section and having to climb down a mountain to get to the concessions stand.
Plus, I have an unobstructed view of Brady. He looks so amazing in his uniform, with his broad shoulders and muscular thighs. All the men on the team are fit—I’ve made sure of that—but he’s really something special.
When will it be my turn to tackle him?
For a brief moment, I imagine that Brady and I are married, and that Liam and I always come to Brady’s games. In this fantasy, I’m one of those football wives who shows up on the jumbotron so often, that her makeup is always perfect, and she doesn’t even get nervous.
But I can’t think about that right now. It’s enough that Brady has invited Liam to watch him play. I can’t expect him to sign up for parent-teacher conferences and trips to the dentist’s office right away.
Baby steps.
The game begins, and Brady has never been more focused on the game than he is right now.
Playing against his old teammates seems to be working out for him, because he anticipates almost all their moves. The scoreboard lights up with every touchdown and field goal.
For a brief moment, Brady appears on the jumbotron, larger than life and ready for action, and my heart flutters.
“Do you see Brady up there?” I ask Liam.
“Whoa,” he says. “He’s a giant!”
During the halftime show, a woman in a stadium uniform approaches our row. “Is there an Isabella Williams here?”
I raise my hand. “That’s me.”
The woman reaches into her bag and pulls out a football. “This is from Mr. Thomas. He says to give it to Liam.” She looks at the little boy sitting next to me, his eyes lighting up with hope. “Is that you?”
“That’s me!” he agrees happily. The woman hands Liam the football, and he squeals when he sees that it’s been signed by every member of the team.
Then she gives me a handwritten note. Brady’s signature is at the bottom, and the note reads, So far, this is the best game of my career. You must be my good luck charm. Even coach can’t deny it.
I burst out laughing at the last part. After a rocky start in the season, it’s good to see Brady back at the top of his game.
“What does the note say?” Liam asks me.
“Brady says you’re his good luck charm. He can hear you cheering for him up here, and it makes him feel really good.”
I know the note is meant for me, but Liam is having so much fun being a sports fan that I want to let him soak up every joyful moment he can.
This is the kind of childhood memory I’ve always wanted him to have, and I am so glad that Brady is the one who’s given him that.
The second half of the game is even better than the first. Some fans are so nervous about their team winning that they can’t stand it when the other team scores, but I like a little bit of a challenge. I’m glad the Bulls aren’t making it too easy for the Rangers to win.
In the last quarter, the quarterback for the Bulls is moments away from making a game-winning throw when Brady intercepts the ball and runs it all the way down the field. He’s tackled, just short of the ten-yard line, but with a few seconds left on the clock, the Rangers can still win the game.
If Brady can kick a field goal.
With the camera focused tightly on his face, he turns and—I swear it—winks at me. But this time, instead of being distracted, he seems even more motivated to score.
In one powerful motion, he makes contact with the football and sends it soaring through the goal posts just as the buzzer sounds.
The roar of the crowd is deafening.
Brady’s teammates surround him in the happiest bro hug I’ve ever seen.
Coach McGoy has to stop and wipe his face off with a towel. I’ve never seen him so sweaty, and that’s saying a lot. I hope someone dumps Gatorade on him soon.
Once again, the woman in the stadium uniform approaches our row. “Isabella Williams?”
“That’s me.” What gifts did she bring this time? Another signed football would be okay, but a signed jock strap might be a little much.
“Mr. Thomas has invited you and the rest of your party to come down to the field to celebrate with him.”
I gasp. “Really?”
“Really. Right this way.”
“Thank you so much!”
“No, thank you. Now I get to go, too.” She gives me a big smile and then leads the four of us down the stairs.
Once we’ve reached the bottom, she pushes the barrier aside and lets us onto the field.
We’re immediately swarmed by cheerleaders, football players, and camera crews.
When we find Brady, he’s already talking to a news reporter, a distinguished gentleman in a suit.
“Brady, how does it feel to win against your old team?”
“Wow. Before I joined the Rangers, I was afraid to leave the Bulls. I seriously didn’t think I could play without them. But now I know that every player in the NFL is a champion, and if you can just respect your teammates, no matter what city you’re playing in, you’ll always feel at home.”
“Wise words from a key player in tonight’s Super Bowl.”
While the reporter is wrapping up his interview, Brady catches me watching him and smiles. I melt right on the spot.
“Brady!” a second reporter shouts, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him in front of her camera crew.
He’s stunned by all the attention, but he doesn’t seem to bind. “Yes,
ma’am?”
“What do you want to do now that you’ve won the Super Bowl?”
He stops for a moment to consider his answer. It’s a question that reporters have been asking Super Bowl winners, since the beginning of televised football, but it must be different when it’s your turn. When it’s happening for real.
“Well, I’ve been waiting my whole life for this moment. I’ve worked so hard and made so many sacrifices. And don’t get me wrong, it’s every bit as rewarding as I hoped it would be. I’m thrilled right now. But now that I’ve checked winning the Super Bowl off my bucket list, there’s only one thing I’d like to do.”
“And what’s that?”
“I’d like to go home and play video games with my son.”
The reporter gives him a solid “Aw!” in response, but she has no idea what this means for Liam.
I can’t stop the tears from streaming down my face when Liam looks at me and says, “Did he just call me…”
“Yes, Liam. Brady’s your dad,” I confirm through tears, “and he wants to play video games with you.”
Meanwhile, the reporter is making her closing remarks. “And that was Brady Thomas, quarterback for the…”
“Wait just a minute. I have one more thing to say,” Brady interrupts, grabbing the microphone. “Izzie? Liam? Will you step forward? I have something I want to ask you.”
I hold my breath, grab Liam’s hand, and walk toward the man I love.
“When you first joined the team as our nutritionist, I had no idea just how good for me you’d really be. You’ve taken such good care of me—and of my son—and now, I want to take care of you. Both of you. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. All I want is for us to be a family.”
Then, right in front of Liam, our friends, the Rangers, the reporters, and everybody else watching the game, he gets down on one knee and takes my hand. “Isabella Williams, will you marry me?”
I don’t even have to think about it.
“Yes!”
This is like a jumbotron proposal on steroids. The cheerleaders wave their pompoms, the marching band plays, and Brady’s teammates lift the three of us on their shoulders and carry us away to the locker room.
Brady has won Super Bowl, and Liam and I have won his heart.
This time, everybody wins.
A Daddy for Mother's Day_A Secret Baby Romance Page 18