Needing Happily Ever After - Elena Aitken Page 0,73

be the first to hear about new stories, sales and promotions and giveaways!

You can join me here —>

https://elenaaitken.com/newsletter/

Wanting Happily Ever After

Please enjoy this unedited excerpt from the second in the Ever After Series—Wanting Happily Ever After

It was hot. The kind of hot that made sitting on metal bleachers, shoulder to shoulder with dozens of other parents a special kind of torture, especially when what you should be doing was sitting in the shade by the river with your feet in the water and a cold drink in your hand. But that wasn’t an option for Sarah Lewis, not with her six year old daughter, Rory running down the length of the soccer field, her teammates and friends next to her, long braids streaming behind her as she moved as fast as she could towards the goal.

For the life of her, Sarah could not imagine how any of them had so much energy on such a hot July afternoon, but none of the kids looked nearly as wilted as the parents. And if they could do it…she stood and cheered as loud as she could as Rory kicked the ball toward the net. There was no way the ball would go in. It was headed straight to the center of the goal, and the opposing teams goalie, who looked to be at least twice the size of the rest of the team. She’d easily be able to stop it. Sarah clutched her hands together and mentally prepared herself for Rory’s disappointment.

The ball moved, almost in slow motion, the goalie made her move. She opened her arms and jumped…right over the ball. Before anyone even realized what had happened, the ball was in the net and the referee blew the whistle, making it official.

Sarah exchange glances with Myrna, and Jocelyn on either side of her. The other mother’s shook their heads in disbelief for a moment before leaping up and cheering. The team had just won! They were going to the play in the championship game!

Both the kids on the field and the parents and spectators in the stands, erupted in cheering and screaming. Sarah watched as the realization of what had just happened hit her daughter. Rory’s face transformed. She dropped her hands to her knees, her hand dangling for a moment before looking up, lifting her arms into the air and screaming with joy.

“She did it. She really did it.” Tears of joy streamed down Sarah’s face, and she quickly moved to wipe them away. After all, it was just as summer league child’s soccer game, but she couldn’t help it. She was just too excited.

“She did awesome!” Jocelyn wrapped her in a quick hug. “The girls played so well this season.”

Sarah nodded and her gaze travelled across the field to where the team had met in a quick huddle to cheer their opposition and go shake hands. Her eyes landed on the coach, towering above his little players, a ball cap on his head to shield him from the sun, a matching red jersey, with ‘Coach’ emblazoned on the back, right under ‘Birchwood’, the name of the team’s corporate sponsor—and the head coach’s restaurant. Brody Morris held his ever present clipboard in hand, and used it as a prop to wave in the air as the girls ran through their three cheers and went to shake hands. A fluttering sensation landed in her stomach when he turned toward her and raised his free hand in a small wave.

“He’s the best coach we’ve ever had,” Myrna said, to no one in particular. All the other parents nodded.

“He really stepped up.” Someone else said.

“We’re pretty lucky that you’re dating Brody Morris, Sarah.” Her stomach fell, the flutterings squashed as Sarah whipped around to see who’d spoken. It was Audrey Hill. She was smiling sweetly at Sarah, but there was nothing sweet intended by the comment, and they both knew it.

“We’re not dating.” Sarah hated that she ever had to say something, particularly to Audrey. But if she didn’t say anything, the rumors would start. And knowing Audrey, in less than twenty four hours, the entire town would have heard that Sarah and Brody were not only a hot couple, but that they were expecting twins and moving in together, or something equally ludicrous. It didn’t even matter if it wasn’t based in truth, Audrey had a special gift of starting trouble, trouble that for whatever reason, she liked to aim in Sarah’s direction. It had been that way since high school,