was a whisper. “I knew the drugs had to wear off, and you’d be confused but—”
Aside from a headache and the ringing in my ears, I was fine. “It’s coming back. I can’t believe I missed her birth.”
“It’s okay. You’ll be there for everything else.”
I shared her grin. “I swear it. I love you, Rory. I want nothing more than to take care of you both.”
Her eyebrow arched. “I might be taking care of you for a while.”
“Am I in bad shape?”
“You’re pretty tough, but it was a rough hit.” She leaned in to kiss me. “But I’m going to fix you. I’ll put you back together, Jude Owens. You aren’t getting away from me that easily.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it, Doc.” I looked to the bassinet. I remembered carrying a football into an end zone, but I had never held anything so important before. “Can…do you think I…?”
Rory nodded. She cradled Dawn close to her chest. She leaned over me, careful to keep her hands on the baby as well, just in case my head decided to fog.
Never again.
Not now. I couldn’t let myself go now. Not when I held the baby in my arms.
My daughter.
“She’s mine,” I whispered. “Rory, I don’t care if she’s not my blood. She’s mine.”
“Then my last wish came true.”
Her joy would heal every last ache in my soul. I stared at Dawn, at her chubby cheeks and tiny hands and her sweet, pouty lips, just like her mom’s.
What had I almost done?
I’d got hurt. Badly. I’d walked onto the field to protect Rory and nearly destroyed myself and my chance with my baby.
Never again.
“Rory, there’s something I have to tell you,” I said. “The reason I played in the championship game.”
“I understand, Jude. You wanted the chance. The win.”
“No. I wanted to walk away.”
She frowned. “Then…why—”
“Coach Thompson threatened me. If I didn’t play, he’d tell Frolla to ruin you. They’d have destroyed your credibility with the fellowship. He wanted to strip you of your medical license. I had to play…” I grimaced. “And I have to play next season too.”
“No,” Rory said. “No, you don’t.”
“I won’t let them destroy your reputation.”
“You won’t have to. I’ll destroy theirs.”
Rory pulled her phone from her pocket. She let me listen to the devious recording she had captured. Coach Thompson’s voice was muffled but unmistakable.
“…We’re going to the championships, and Jude Owens will lead us there on a smear of his goddamned brains if that’s what it takes.”
Her eyes brightened, and she almost kissed the phone. “I recorded Thompson and Frolla. I’ve already given a copy to Leah…with a couple secrets selectively edited out. She’s distributing it to the media as soon as you’re well enough to collaborate the story. The league might not care about last year’s cheating, but they’re taking a hard line on player safety. The union won’t let this go unpunished. Coach Thompson and Clayton are done.”
I grinned. “I’m glad you have a fully functional brain to plan these things.”
“Oh, yeah?” Rory brushed her hand over Dawn’s blanket. “If I’m so smart, why did I wait twenty years to tell you how much I loved you?”
“Because it took me twenty years to get my eyes off the field to see what really mattered.” I cradled Dawn closer. “I thought football was my life, and the championship my greatest achievement. I was wrong. This is what I wanted all along. I wanted a reason to wake up. I found it.”
“I can’t promise this won’t be complicated,” she said.
“No. This is something even my head can understand.” I pulled her close for a kiss. “I’ve been a part of a team for twelve seasons. Now it’s time to be a part of a family.”
“I love you, Jude.”
“You two will be my everything.” I kissed her once more. “My career might have its ever-after…but this is the start of a beautiful fairy-tale.”
Epilogue - Rory
I tossed the manila envelope on Clayton’s desk.
“My resignation from the fellowship program.” I gave him a sweet smile. “Thank you for the opportunity, but I feel my expertise is better suited elsewhere.”
Clayton’s eyes shimmied over my body. I let him gawk. I was rocking the post-pregnancy body and looked fantastic for having a three-month-old daughter.
“Is that all I’ll find in this envelope?” he asked.
“Did you want a thank-you card as well?”
“I expected a lawsuit for paternity.”
I tilted my head. “You aren’t my child’s father.”
“Biologically—”
“Clayton, if it wasn’t for my baby, I’d have forgotten all about you. Soon enough, I will. I don’t care