My mouth landed on hers with a hungry kiss. She had no idea how we were going to celebrate. For the first time in my life I had everything I wanted. It was worth an epic, unforgettable celebration.
/> Thirty-Six
Julie
This game was more nerve-wracking than the last one. My dad was on one side of me, Hunter on the other, and Pops paced behind us. He had the hardest time watching. Every time there was a play he looked up and then started grumbling.
The Sharks were down by a touchdown with only six minutes in the fourth quarter. It wasn’t looking good.
I had successfully downed two beers, which was two beers more than I ever drank. It still didn’t take the edge off. I was a complete wreck.
Hunter was worried too. There was a look of fear on his face. I tried to reassure him.
“Kane’s got this. Don’t worry.”
But I didn’t know what I was talking about.
“He has great receivers. Nothing to worry about,” my dad piped in.
I tried to smile, but my stomach was in knots. I wasn’t sure I wasn’t going to throw up. What did I do if they lost? How did I help him through it? Was I built to handle this kind of pressure? I was supposed to be the support system, and I was barely keeping it together. Hunter needed me to stay calm and Hawk was going to need me to be his rock when this was over.
“I can’t look,” I whispered.
My dad wrapped an arm around my shoulder. Hawk had the ball. I took a peak through my fingers just as he threw a sharp spiral into the end zone.
We jumped up and down in the box. “Yes!”
The game was tied, but now the ball went back to the other team. If they scored on this drive, we might not have a chance to get the ball back in time.
Hunter was wringing his hands and his feet shuffled back and forth under his recliner. Poor thing. I wished there was something more I could do. We were all on edge. This must be what football families went through every Sunday. Winning was fun . Losing was painful.
I don’t know how it happened but the XX couldn’t make it past the third down. They had to punt on fourth down and the Sharks ended up with just over a minute on the clock and the ball on the forty-yard line.
“Come on, Kane. Come on,” Hunter coaxed. His little face was scrunched up in concentration.
I echoed the same words. “Come on. Come on.”
The ball was snapped. I gripped the edge of my seat. Hawk took three steps backward and then he was pummeled to the ground in a vicious tackle.
“Oh my God.”
He bounced up, cursing at the guy who had rushed him.
It was now second down.
The time was ticking off the clock and I felt a ravenous desperation in my veins. He had to do this. He had to find a way to get the ball in the end zone.
Suddenly he had the ball in his hands. Instead of stepping back into his usual drop count, he ran forward and slid to get the first down.
Air gushed from my lungs. I looked at the jumbo-tron. There were forty-five seconds left and I wasn’t sure I would survive it.
Hawk looked calm. I saw the intensity in his eyes when the camera zoomed in on his face. He was determined and certain.
The whistle blew for the play and Hawk handed the ball off to one of the running backs. There were only thirty seconds left when he ran seven yards.
The Sharks called time out.
I didn’t know how Hawk handled this. How he was made to shield himself from the pressure. But he did. He was cool and calculated out there. I bit my lip. Honestly, it was hot as hell how he commanded that team. How he led them. How he took control.