The Nanny Rules

by Melynda Price

  “Tell you what, if she says no, I’ll marry you.”

  His offer incites a chorus of chuckles, and I flip him off.

  “Hard pass.” Shaking my head, I loosen my tie and begin to shed this monkey suit to don my gear.

  “You’re breakin’ my heart, Evans.”

  I laugh at the dipshit who can add levity to any situation. “You’ll get over it,” I tell him, pulling on my jersey and taking a seat on the bench with the rest of the team as we wait for Coach to come in and give us “the talk.” Energy is high with nerves and excitement. I’ve got to get my head and my heart into the game. If we lose, we’re done for the season. No Super Bowl. I’m sitting here in a locker room full of guys that are counting on me to win, and all I can think about is finding Amelia so I can tell her how sorry I am that I hurt her.

  I am completely, entirely certain that I want to spend the rest of my life with this woman. If I’m honest, I knew it before now, only I was too scared to admit it because I didn’t want to want her as desperately as I do. They say you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone, and that’s totally true. I can only pray I’m not too late.

  “All right, everyone. This is it,” Coach booms as he walks in and the locker room grows silent. “Our chance to make history. You’ve had a great season, and I’m proud of every one of you.” He takes the time to look each of us in the eye and make a personal connection. “You’re probably expecting some big motivational speech, so here it is. Don’t fuck this up.”

  The locker room erupts into laughter and cheers. I stand and clap for the man who’s been the glue that’s kept this team together and am joined by the rest of the guys. I’m going to lead this team to victory, and then I’m going to find the woman I love and convince her to marry me.

  …

  Amelia

  “Hi, Mia!”

  I step through the door, and Lily runs over to give me a hug. I scoop her up and squeeze her tight, inhaling her signature strawberry scent. A rush of emotion floods through me at the thought that this little girl could be mine. All I need to do is say yes. But…

  “How’s Mason?” she asks.

  “He’s all right.” Julia and I discussed what she’d tell Lily about why I left so suddenly, and we decided to keep it simple until I had the chance to talk to her myself. She wiggles out of my arms and heads back to the poster board she’s drawing on at the kitchen table.

  I enter the living room where Julia’s watching TV and sit beside her. She lifts the remote, turns off the television, and tucks a leg beneath her as she turns to face me. “I was hoping you’d decide to come back.”

  “Did you see the interview?”

  “I did.”

  “Did Lily see it?”

  “No, she was in her room. Brody doesn’t like her to watch ESN.”

  Tell me about it.

  “You don’t look very excited.”

  “Because this is exactly what I was afraid of happening. Now I’ll never know if Brody proposed because he truly wants to marry me, or if he’s desperate for me to stay. Yesterday he’s telling me to take the job and now he’s asking me to marry him? I have emotional whiplash.”

  Julia exhales in what sounds a lot like exasperation. “Amelia, have you ever known my brother to be pushed into something he didn’t want to do?”

  “No. He’s bullheaded.”

  “Have you known my brother to be impulsive?”

  “No.”

  “Double-minded?”

  “No.”

  “Would you say he’s self-sacrificing?”

  “Yes.”

  “Enough to let someone he loved go if he thought that’s what they wanted? If he thought he was holding them back from a better opportunity?”

  Is that what Brody thought? That I wanted to leave? Of course I want the job, but not at the expense of living without him and Lily. That realization has never been clearer.

  “You probably aren’t aware of this, but Stella gave up her career for Brody, and she resented him for it. He’s afraid the same thing will happen with you. That’s why he told you to take the job—not because he doesn’t love you, but because he does. If Brody asked you to marry him, he wants to spend his life with you, Amelia. The more important question is, what do you want?”

  It isn’t even something I have to ponder. My heart already knows the answer. “I want Brody. I want us to be a family with Lily.”

  Julia pulls me into a hug and squeezes until I can hardly breathe. “I knew you’d say that. Can I tell you a secret?” she whispers conspiratorially. “I always knew you and Brody would be perfect for each other.” She lets me go and glances at the clock on the wall. “The game is just starting. Do you want to watch it with me?”

  Before I can respond, Lily comes into the living room holding up the sign she’s made. It’s a stick drawing of Brody holding a football. “Look what I made for Daddy.”

  “It’s beautiful. He’s going to love it.” And then an idea strikes me. “Hey Lily, do you have any more of that poster board?” As I follow her to the kitchen, I pull out my cell and call Mary, Coach’s wife. She picks up on the third ring, and I hear a cacophony of cheers from the stands as she shouts, “Hello? Amelia?”

  “Hi, Mary. I’m sorry to bother you, but I need your help with something.”

  …

  Brody

  It’s halftime, and we’re getting our asses handed to us. This is the most important game of my career, and all I can think about is Amelia. I take a seat on the bench, pull off my helmet, and drag a towel through my sweat-drenched hair.

  “This fucking sucks.” Penner gripes, dropping down next to me.

  “I’m sorry, man. These plays just aren’t coming together.”

  “It’s not your fault. We can’t get open.”

  I drape a towel over my head for a few minutes of privacy and lean forward, bracing my elbows on my knees. I need to center, to refocus—find my zone. I can barely hear myself think over the noise in the stadium and the excited ramblings of the commentators as they drone on about something. There’s cheering from the crowd, and I try harder to block it all out.

  “Hey,” Penner throws an elbow into my ribs. “You seeing this?”

  “What?” I growl, ripping the towel off my head. I just want two fucking minutes to myself.

  “There.” He points to the big screen above the endzone. “Looks like you won’t be needing me after all. Unless it’s to be your best man.”

  The camera is zeroed in on someone, and it takes a second to process what I’m seeing, to realize who that is in the crowd wearing my jersey, because her face is covered by the large poster she’s holding up. Any question vanishes when I read the sign. In big block letters are the words, I love you, too! YES! I’ll marry you!

  My heart stutters then kicks into a rapid gallop. I stand up and tear my gaze away from the screen to search the stands for her, but I don’t have to look for long. Within moments, Coach is escorting her onto the field.

  I step onto the turf to meet her; the fifty-yard line separating us. A hush ripples through the stands and the only thing I can hear is the sound of my heartbeat crashing inside my chest. She stops when she sees me and smiles over the sign. My knees almost buckle. She’s so beautiful. God, I love this woman.

  My feet start moving before I even make the conscious decision to run, but then I’m sprinting toward her, and in my peripheral vision, I can see this is playing out on the stadium screens overhead. Twenty, thirty, forty-yard line.

  She drops her sign and runs toward me. We meet at the fifty-yard line, and the irony isn’t lost on me that this is a metaphor for our life. We both started in our end zone and had to overcome some yard-line obstacles to get us to where we could meet in the middle.

  I wrap my arms around her, picking her up and hugging her tight as the stands erupt in riotous cheers. The suffocating weight of regret lifts as I hold her, and joy floods through me like a tidal wave, bringing moisture to my eyes and blur
ring everything in my vision but this beautiful woman who has broken through my crusty shell and taught me to love again.

  “You saw my interview,” I shout over the deafening crowd. “I was worried you wouldn’t watch it.”

  “I couldn’t help it. You were on every television in the airport,” she laughs.

  My heart catches at discovering just how close I came to losing her. “I meant every word, Amelia. I’m in love with you. I’m just sorry it took me so long to admit it. I was scared of getting my heart broken again, and in trying to protect myself, I pushed you away. It wasn’t until you were gone that I realized my heart had left with you.”

  “I love you, too, Brody.”

  I have no more words, so I tell her everything she needs to know with a kiss worthy of live TV. The fans are on their feet, cheering as I claim her mouth in a soul-searing kiss, publicly declaring this woman as my own. Being someone who has shied away from the public eye for the last year, this is a major step for me in letting go of the past so that I can embrace the future—with Amelia by my side.

  Epilogue

  Amelia

  Six months later

  “Are you sure you want to do this? It’s not too late to change your mind,” Mason whispers near my ear.

  I shoot my brother a scathing look, and he bursts into laughter. “It’s not funny,” I hiss under my breath, but I can’t hold a straight face, and I crack a smile as I jab my elbow into his side. Where I once would have connected with ribs, there are now slabs of muscle bulking his six-foot-two-inch frame. He looks incredible, and finally, after all these years, he’s clean, and happy, and healthy. And there’s no one I’d rather have walking me down the aisle than this man.

  “Ah—you know I’m kidding. I’m happy for you, Sis.” He pulls me into a hug that’s a little too tight and lasts a little too long, since I can’t breathe, but it tells me more than words can ever say.

  Tears burn my eyes, and my vision blurs. “Stop it,” I tell him. “You’re going to ruin my makeup.”

  He laughs and reluctantly lets me go, but the look on his face is one I’ll forever hold in my heart. This is the man I knew he could become, and I am certain he wouldn’t be here without Brody’s help.

  After completing treatment, Brody and I moved Mason to Cleveland where he could be close to me and have a fresh start. Brody got him connected with the team’s physical therapist, and they’ve done miracles on his arm. He’s been gaining a surprising amount of flexibility and strength. He’s even getting in the bullpen again.

  Checking on the delay, Lily pokes her little head into the aisle, her bouquet of wildflowers clutched tightly in her hands. She’s so beautiful in her Elsa princess dress, complete with a tiara and everything. “Man, I love that kid.” Mason chuckles when he sees her.

  “Me, too.” I can’t believe she’s about to officially become mine. Her face lights up when she sees me, and she waves excitedly as I mirror her enthusiasm.

  “Thank you, Amelia.” Mason whispers near my ear.

  “For what?” I ask, glancing up at him.

  “You never gave up on me. Even when I gave up on myself. I wouldn’t be here without you, and I’m so honored to be giving you away.”

  He offers me his arm with a gallant bow, and I slip my hand into the bend of it, kissing his scruffy cheek. “I love you, Mason.”

  “Right back at ya.” Blinking away the moisture in his eyes, he clears the emotion from his throat and stands a little straighter, shoulders back, head held high.

  The wedding march begins, and our guests rise, but my attention is on Brody as he turns toward me. Our eyes lock, and something elemental passes between us. It’s like he’s seeing me for the first time, only I’m not wearing my turtle print shorts—though, I did pack them for our honeymoon.

  Our honeymoon… I love the sound of that. Brody has vowed to make me his in every way and I can’t wait for him to fulfill that promise. Heat blossoms in my cheeks at his heated stare, because I can’t stop thinking of the wicked things he whispered in my ear before we parted yesterday.

  His sapphire gaze slowly travels over me, lingering possessively. He’s breathtaking in his traditional black tux, and his tie is the same ice-blue color as Lily’s dress. My heart melts as he stands there tall and sure, looking every inch the determined quarterback who, against all odds, led his team to a Super Bowl victory. My heart swells with pride at what he’s done, and even more for what he’s overcome.

  All eyes turn to me, but I hold steady to one man’s gaze—strong, confident, and unwavering. I’m humbled by the love and adoration I see staring back at me. Brody flashes me that dimpled, panty-melting grin, and a rush of joy floods through me so strongly it takes my breath away. Lord, I love this man.

  “So, you ready to do this or what?” Mason whispers.

  Before this moment, I never realized that my heart could be so full. As a child, I never dreamed that a man as incredible as Brody could be my husband, or that a child as wonderful as this little princess standing beside him could be my daughter. Yet here I am, about to walk down the aisle and become a part of their family.

  “Absolutely,” I whisper back, unable to contain the smile of pure happiness spreading across my lips as I take the first step into the rest of my life.

  Like FREE Books?! Download one of Entangled’s bestselling books here!

  Acknowledgments

  First and foremost, I want to thank God for blessing me with the opportunity to pursue my passion. Many thanks to my wonderful editor Candace Havens, and the amazing staff at Entangled for your dedication and commitment to Brody and Amelia’s story. To my fabulous agent, Nalini Akolekar, you’ve literally made my dreams come true overnight. I can never thank my incredible critique group enough for all your hard work. Sally, Mikayla, Linda, and John, you make my stories shine and I love you dearly! Last but certainly not least, thank you to my wonderful family for your continual support, for believing in me when I don’t always believe in myself, and for all the times you’ve heard “In a minute” or “Just a second” and patiently waited for me, knowing it was going to be at least another hour. I love you with all my heart!

  About the Author

  Melynda Price is a bestselling and award-winning author of contemporary romance. Her books have finaled in many prestigious awards such as the RONE, USA Today BBA, Golden Quill, National Readers’ Choice, and New England Readers’ Choice. Fighting for Control won the 2017 Write Touch award. What Price enjoys most about writing is the chance to make her readers fall in love, over and over again. Her greatest enjoyment is making the unbelievable believable, while taking her characters to the limit with stories full of passion and unique twists and turns. Salting stories with undertones of history whenever possible, Price adds immeasurable depth to her well-crafted books. She currently lives in Northern Minnesota with her husband and two children where she has plenty of snow-filled days to curl up in front of the fireplace with her Chihuahua and a hot cup of coffee to write.

  Also by Melynda Price…

  Vow of Silence

  If you love sexy romance, one-click these steamy Brazen releases…

  Rules of a Rebound

  a Breakup Bash novel by Nina Crespo

  Natalie Winters is celebrating her divorce with her friends at the Breakup Bash when she meets security specialist turned bartender Rome Collier. He’s strong, protective…and hot—everything she’s ever wanted in a man. But can she convince him—and herself—hat he’s more than just a rebound?

  Scoring the Player’s Baby

  a WAGS novel by Naima Simone

  After divorcing her cheating football player ex, Kim Matlock would rather cut out her own heart than work at a wedding expo. The last thing she expects is to be kissed breathless by a hot giant looking to fend off a stalker. She doesn’t want relationships, but she agrees to one scorching night with the sexy stranger. To her shock, she finds out afterward that a) he’s a pro football player, and b) she’s pregnant.

>   Playing House

  a Sydney Smoke Rugby novel by Amy Andrews

  Eleanor is content with her boring life—mostly. She’s even fine being the quirky sister in a bevy of beauties. So imagine her surprise when one of her brother’s Sydney Smoke mates hits on her at an engagement party. Bodie is shocked the next morning to find the soft, sexy virgin who seduced him with corsets is his best friend’s little sister. If he could kick his own ass, he would. Two months later, he’s in for an even bigger surprise…

  Skin in the Game

  a Play Action novel by Jackie Barbosa

  When injured NFL quarterback Cade Reynolds returns home to coach his old high school team, he’s not expecting the blond bombshell he brings back to his hotel to be the geeky girl who once gave him football pointers—or that she’s not about to let the hometown hero take her team away from her.