“I’ve missed you, too,” she confessed, her voice muffled against his chest. “You know how much I care about you, don’t you? What we share isn’t about a fake marriage or breaking a clause or doing something because Harvey made us. It’s about you. And me. Together.”
He was left momentarily breathless, like when he took an extra hard hit out on the field. Her confession gave him so much hope he almost wondered if he were dreaming.
“I want to make this work,” he murmured, floored that he would admit such a thing. But damn, his life just didn’t make sense without her in it.
“Oh, Jared.” She withdrew from him, her arms falling away but he didn’t let go. Found that he couldn’t let go of her. “No matter how much I want you…I don’t know if we can.”
He frowned, gave her a little shake. “Why not?”
She nibbled her lower lip, lowered her gaze. “Everyone thinks we’re faking it. How can they believe we’re real after what happened? How can I…” She swallowed hard. “How can I believe it’s real?”
Slipping his fingers beneath her chin, he tilted her face up. He could hear from within the locker room his team getting ready to go out onto the field. Coach was talking, getting everyone fired up. Jared knew he should’ve been in there, listening, yelling his encouragement, getting pumped.
But he couldn’t leave. Not when the woman he loved was in his arms but somehow still slipping out of his grasp.
“It’s real,” he murmured, dipping his head so his lips settled over hers. She opened to him, allowing his tongue to sweep the depths of her sweet mouth. Her familiar taste exploded within him, fueling him, giving him hope. “I’ll prove it to you,” he whispered after he broke the kiss.
A burst of noise exploded within the cavernous hall and his teammates came running out. Jared and Sheridan sprang away from each other, his body vibrating from the too-short kiss.
Nick flashed them a lazy smile when he passed. “Hey, Miz Quinn,” he said to Sheridan.
“Hi, Nick. Willow says hello,” she called to his retreating back.
Jared laughed. His wife was as feisty as ever. He turned to look at her. She was so beautiful it hurt. “Meet me here after? I’ll text you when I’m ready to go.”
“I…I don’t know—” she started but he grabbed her again. Kissed her in front of God and everybody—as in his team. He didn’t care who saw.
“Just say yes, wife,” he commanded with a smile.
“Okay, fine.” She smoothed the front of his jersey with the tips of her fingers. “Yes.”
…
“You look petrified,” Willow muttered, shaking her head.
“Of course I am.” Sheridan gripped her hands together, her gaze glued to the field. “There are less than two minutes left and it’s freaking tied.”
The game had been a nail-biter from minute one. They’d run neck in neck the entire game, Jared getting sacked at one point, causing Flynn to go in to finish out the first half. She’d been afraid it would mess Jared up, make him think they had no confidence in his playing, but luckily enough, he’d come right back out onto the field to start the second half with a killer instinct, playing as if his life depended on it.
She’d been in awe of him the entire time, her eyes never leaving him. He looked amazing out there, just like the fan behind her said. How fast he’d been when the opposing team went after him, agile and quick. The fans cheered him on, having forgotten his earlier troubles, and she’d cheered along with them, excited that the man she loved was the one everyone adored.
“Jared will be fine.”
Sheridan’s head whipped around to find a woman sitting with whom Sheridan assumed was her husband. She smiled at Sheridan and patted her shoulder. “Your husband is amazing and he’s playing so well today. Don’t worry about him.”
“Um, thank you.” Surprise filled Sheridan at the woman’s reassuring tone, her easy acceptance.
“I think you guys make an adorable couple,” the woman continued with a gracious smile. “I don’t care what the media says. I believe in you two.”
Sheridan was touched. She had no idea a
nyone believed in them. Of course, she’d hardly ventured out in public or read anything to know how anyone felt.
“They like you,” Willow murmured after Sheridan turned back around. “They like you and Jared together. Looks like you have the fans’ support.”
Yeah, it did. She couldn’t quite believe it.
“If he’d just throw the ball to Nick, everything would be fine,” Willow continued breezily. “They’d score another touchdown, problem solved.”