Happily Ever All-Star: A Secret Baby Romance - Sosie Frost Page 0,98

eyed the team. “Think you can get through?”

“They’re expecting a pass. Give me the ball. I’ll get our yardage.”

“You sure?”

Lachlan agreed. “I’m getting nowhere. They’ve been all over me down field. I want a chance to block and hit one of these fuckers myself.”

Jack grinned. “That’s all I needed to hear. Wait for the audible.”

We broke the huddle, and I lined up behind Jack, heart-pounding. The tremor in my hand had cleared, and the throbbing pain in my head dulled.

This was it.

One chance. One good run, and we’d change the momentum of the entire fucking game. I had to get the guys a little closer to the goal. Open up the field.

Jack barked the audible. No fog this time. My mind immediately deciphered the play-call.

A run up the middle, just as I’d asked.

I felt it—that instinct when I knew I’d break through the line of scrimmage. Sweat dripped in my eyes. I cracked my fingers as I clenched a fist.

Jack shouted for the snap. I raced forward and took the hand-off, securing it against my midsection and bursting into the fray. Bodies twisted. Men swore. Blood pumped.

And I found my daylight.

I bent, churned, and rushed through. Past the linebackers and into the open field. Through the secondary as they broke ranks and turned to chase me.

The end zone lay before me…undefended.

The stadium thundered as I sprinted the field. I cut outside, chasing the sidelines as the hash marks counted down for me.

The twenty.

The fifteen.

The ten.

The defense closed in. I saw the safety rushing across the field, full-speed and aiming for me.

I could either brace for the hit or cross into the end zone. I chose wrong.

I dove across the goal line, slamming into the painted grass just as the safety struck me.

Full force. Helmet first, he crashed against my head.

My vision immediately blackened.

I fell.

And the only image I saw in the darkness was a memory of Rory.

24

Rory

I gripped my tummy. The Braxton Hicks contractions weren’t fucking around now.

They made a tense game entirely too uncomfortable. I checked my watch. I’d been cramping on and off since the first quarter. With five minutes left in the fourth, I was ready to get up, go for a walk, lay down, curl up, do anything to get cozy again.

I rubbed my back. Even that hurt.

Leah stopped pacing long enough to shake her head at me. “You do realize that you’re in labor?”

“I am not.” My voice cracked as a painful cramp eeked through me. “I’m fine.”

Piper held both of her children in her lap. Rose bounced and giggled, waving frantically at a sleepy Sammy punking out on Leah’s shoulder. Ethan slept soundly, despite his mother’s frantic cheering whenever Cole took the field.

“Take it from me,” Piper said. “You’re having contractions. You’re in labor.”

I laughed. “I’m the one with the medical degree. This is false labor. I have ten days to go yet.”

Leah held out her phone. The text from Elle was a betrayal.

She’s definitely in labor. Tell her good luck!

I sighed. “And tell Elle to keep working. Doesn’t she have a game to photograph?”

“She might have a birth announcement to do soon,” Piper grinned.

“I’m fine.” I gritted my teeth. “It’s just…uncomfortable.”

Leah agreed. “Probably because you’re pushing out an eight-pound watermelon. It might pinch a little.”

“Well, I’ll let you know in a week. When I’ll actually be delivering this baby.”

“A week. Two hours. Who’s counting?”

This was ridiculous. I ignored the women—the very experienced women who had already given birth and knew the signs—and focused on the game instead.

The team lined up on the thirty, and I had no nails left to bite. We were down by four in a hard-hitting, harder-scoring game. We needed something, anything, to get ahead.

“Jack’s audibling.” Leah was a better color commentator than any TV announcer. “He’s changing the play. What the hell is he—Come on, Jack! Snap the damn ball!”

We all flinched, including Genie. Apparently she was tired of the low scoring game as well.

That…or she wanted a front-row seat.

The ball snapped, and Jack handed off to Jude. My chest clenched, but he broke through the line and into the clear. He raced down the field in a dead sprint, just as fast and powerful as he was when he was ten years younger. The rocketed to their feet. I followed, just a little slower.

My stomach clenched as hard as rock, but I didn’t think it was the excitement.

Uh-oh.

Jude leapt into the end zone.

“Touchdown!” Piper and Leah screamed together. The kids shouted too.

I couldn’t speak. Couldn’t cheer. Couldn’t do