Fighting For You (The Connor Family 5)

I turned around briefly so he could see the number, and when I faced him again, my heart stuttered at the pure joy on his face. I caught Hailey’s expression as I sat down. There was that knowing smile again.

“You make him so happy.”

“It’s not hard to do that. He’s always such a positive person.”

“I’ve known him for far longer than you have. Trust me, there’s happy, and then there’s this.” She pointed toward the field. “I knew it. You’re—"

She stopped abruptly, pressing her lips together. Ah-ha. My instincts had been spot on. That knowing smile could only mean one thing. Hailey was keeping secrets.

“I’m what?”

“Great. You’re great.”

“Hailey, you honestly don’t think you’re fooling me, right?”

“My lips are sealed. And you can tell Jace I told you nothing.”

“Nothing about what?” I bluffed.

“Nice try.”

Wow. Hailey was getting better at keeping secrets. I didn’t have time to ponder creative methods that would lead to secret spilling, because the game began. I’d never seen a game quite like this one.

Andrew scored at the seventy-five mark, and then Jace at the eighty-first. I had no clue who was cheering harder for Jace: Hailey or me. I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to be able to speak the next day. Adrenaline coursed through me for the rest of the game, and even after it was over.

“Shall we go to their locker room?” I shouted over the sounds of the crowd.

“It’s best if we head straight to the hotel now,” Hailey said. “It’ll be madness outside if we stick around until the team leaves.”

“You’re right.”

I was just too excited to jump right back into Jace’s arms. On second thought, perhaps it was best to wait until we were at the hotel to jump him, or everyone was going to witness some PDA.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Brooke

Leaving the stadium wasn’t as easy as getting inside had been. Everyone was rushing out at once, and finding a cab was a nightmare.

In the end, we only arrived at the hotel about ten minutes before the team. The bar and restaurant area had been closed off. Only the team and their family and friends were allowed inside, which meant the celebration was a private affair.

Even so, quite a few of the other hotel guests were fans who’d attended the game and were now in the lobby, waiting with jerseys and hats ready to be signed.

Hailey and I went straight inside the restricted zone, waiting at the bar along with a few other friends and relatives of the players.

When the team finally came inside the private area, everyone clapped, then Jace made a beeline straight for me. He took one look at my jersey before kissing me. He tasted like Gatorade and mint, and by the way he pressed his hand on my lower back and the lazy strokes of his tongue, I could tell we wouldn’t linger at this party for long.

Jace’s kiss consumed me. I wasn’t aware of anything except him: his mouth exploring me with growing urgency, his hand pressing possessively at the small of my back.

Belatedly, I realized someone was clearing their throat.

“Hello, brother. I’m doing all right. Thanks for asking,” Hailey said. We pulled apart, chuckling. Jace kissed his sister’s forehead.

“Thanks for coming to the game, brat.”

“That’s my repayment? I come all the way here so you can call me brat? You were fabulous.”

The two of them went on to discuss some of the crucial moments of the game. I joined in, trying my best to hide my smile when Jace rested his hand at the small of my back, slipping the tip of his thumb in the waistband of my jeans.