Nixon (Raleigh Raptors 1)

A knock sounded at the door.

“Fuck off,” I shouted over my shoulder and went back to kissing Liberty.

“Son, you’re due to give this toast right now,” Coach called from the doorway in a no-nonsense tone. Fuck, I thought I’d locked it.

“Shit.” Liberty was so freaking close, and yet once again, I couldn’t quite get to her. “Can I have five minutes?”

Liberty flat-out laughed, ducking to hide her face.

“No. You can have fifteen seconds. We’ve already been looking for you for five minutes,” Coach drawled in his Georgia-boy southern accent.

“I might only need fifteen seconds,” I muttered. I hadn’t had Liberty in almost two months. I’d probably come in about five seconds.

She laughed even harder, her shoulders shaking against my chest.

“What was that?” Coach asked.

“He said he’ll be right out,” Liberty answered for me. “Oh, and he also said he’d take the seven-year contract.”

Coach’s eyes popped wide. “Really? I thought you were…”

“I’ll call my manager, and we’ll get it done,” I promised.

“Thank God. The thought of moving Castle to first string is paralyzing,” Coach muttered.

“Does that earn me five minutes?” I asked hopefully.

“No. Let’s go.” He walked out and closed the door.

Two seconds later, a voice filled every speaker in the hall, including our private room. “And now with a Holiday toast, your Raleigh Raptors quarterback, Nixon Noble!”

“He wasn’t kidding,” I swore as I helped Liberty off the table.

“Is there a podium up there?” she asked with a wicked gleam, noting my misshapen pants.

“Not that I saw. This is great.” I clutched her hand as we walked to the door.

She slid in front of me as I clutched the handle, ready to push it open. “Make it a short toast, Nixon. Then take me home.”

We walked through the doors, and a microphone was thrust into my hand. Liberty stayed right in front of me the whole time as I talked about family, and love, and celebration for all of two minutes.

Shortest toast in the history of the holiday party.

Then I took my girls home, where I finally had it all—the love, the celebration…and the family.

Epilogue

Liberty

Five Months Later

Nixon waited for me outside my headquarters, Nicole happily gnawing on the front of the baby carrier strapped over Nixon’s broad chest.

Holy God, Nixon Noble wearing a baby, my baby, had to be ten-times sexier than his Raptors tights.

“Hi, my loves,” I said, my smile stretching so wide it almost hurt as I hurried to greet them. Nicole grinned up at me, kicking her little feet where they hung from the carrier.

“Hey, beautiful,” Nixon said, planting me with a quick kiss. “How was work?”

“Great,” I said as we walked toward our tent across the village—more like a makeshift yurt after Nixon had his way. The thing had an attached shower—low water pressure, but a luxury I’d fought tooth and nail in the beginning. But, after how much Nixon was donating to the program every month, how could I deny him one small luxury? “How was your day?”

“Nic had a very good day,” he said, playing with her little hand that gripped his finger. “She learned all about offense and nearly chewed through the tiny plush football I brought her.” I chuckled, my heart swelling. “And then she took a two-hour nap with Daddy.” He cooed toward her.

“Two hours?” I gaped at the pair of them. “She never does that on my shift.” I was lucky to get twenty minutes on my days off.

Nixon shrugged, pride gleaming in his eyes. “She’s a daddy’s girl.”

I eyed him up and down. “Not hard to be.”

He smirked, stopping before our tent, where his dad sat waiting in a chair outside of it. He’d flown his parents out since he was giving up his visiting time for me during his off-season. Compromise, beautiful, humbling, wonderful compromise.

“Hey, Pop,” he said, calling him by the grandfather name he’d selected himself. He carefully removed Nicole from the carrier and passed her to me.

I took my warm wiggly whoosh, some piece of my heart settling into place the second I had her against my chest.

“All is well,” Pop said, rising from the chair. “Nothing in or out,” he teased as he scooped up a football from next to his chair and came to meet us.

“Good looking out,” Nixon said, stealing the ball from him and taking off to the clearing next to our place.

I laughed as I held Nicole and watched Nixon throw passes to his dad, much gentler than he did during the season. A few of the local kids came running at the sight, always ready to jump in and catch passes from Nix when he had the ball out.

I bounced Nicole, content in a way I’d never known possible. We’d be headed back to the States soon for preseason practice where I’d claim a part-time position at the Breaking Boundaries sister company in the city. Dr. Bernard had been incredibly flexible when it had come to the transition of merging both Nixon and my lives, and I would be forever grateful to her for that. Nixon deserved his dream, and I did too, and because of our love for each other, we’d found a way to have it all.