“Yeah, that makes sense.” Kendall nods. “He’s so young and hasn’t really seen much playing time.”
“He doesn’t have that instant name recognition like Chase does,” Whitney adds.
“Or Smoke,” Kendall says on a bubbly laugh.
“Ellie!” Melody pops back next to me, standing with yet another beautiful woman, who’s holding a toddler on her hip. “This is Frankie. She and Leo faked a whole entire engagement to fix his image. How wild is that?”
Frankie props the child up and smiles. “Unfortunately, she speaks the truth. But hey, that gig got me my dream job as a sports agent.”
“It also got you your husband,” Kendall points out with a chuckle.
“Really?” I ask.
“Oh yeah.” She wipes a dribble from the tiny boy’s mouth. “Fake turned to real pretty quickly, and…fast-forward a few years…now we have little Sammy here.”
Something tightens in my chest, but I don’t fight back the adoring smile. “That’s a really cool story. And the fake engagement actually helped with his image?”
“Yeah, especially once it became real. People saw a whole new side of him, I guess. And so did I.”
“Sweeter than candy, isn’t it?” Melody swoons.
“Girls!” Kendall waves for us to sit. “Three minutes to kickoff.”
Everyone grabs their drinks and rushes to the front of the box suite, which is enclosed in a big glass panel, but also has seating right outside in the stadium.
I follow the other women as we settle into seats behind the glass.
Melody and Frankie, with Sammy bouncing on her knee, sit on either side of me.
“I love when they all run out of the tunnel. It’s my favorite part.” Melody squeezes my leg and lifts a shoulder, grinning brightly.
I notice a glimmering pink stone on her engagement ring and smile to myself about how well that suits her.
“That’s your favorite part?” Whitney asks with a soft laugh and an arched brow. “Not when Dylan kicks a game-winning fifty-yard field goal?”
“Well…” Melody pats her hands on her flowy floral dress. “I like that part, too. But when they all run onto the field together, it’s such a feeling of…brotherhood. Camaraderie. Their bond as teammates. And it’s beautiful.”
Kendall leans back in her seat and narrows her gaze, smiling as she keeps her eyes fixed on the field. “Beautiful is right.”
I turn and scoot forward, watching as the stadium erupts in cheers, and the players pile out from the tunnel, fist-bumping and chest-pounding and getting the crowd even more hyped up.
Kendall gasps a little as a player with the name Smoke on his jersey jogs out.
Okay, so that’s who Smoke is.
I start putting two and two together as I figure out who’s married to whom. I watch all the women smile and laugh and cheer for the team as the field sets up for kickoff.
I keep scanning the cluster of players in white-and-aqua jerseys, squinting in the sunlight and trying to make out McKenzie on somebody’s back.
“Come on, baby Matt, don’t let us down,” Whitney says under her breath.
I jump on the opportunity and lean forward, turning to her. “Matt, the second-string quarterback? Where is he?”
“Oh yeah, you’re supposed to be studying him.” She smiles, and I try my best to push away the unwelcome heat wave that grips my body at the thought of studying Matt.
Again.
Whitney lifts her sunglasses and points toward the sideline. “He’s over there, talking to the coaches. Chase is there, too.” She puffs out a breath. “I’ll never get used to seeing him out here not wearing a jersey and pads.”
Melody holds Whitney’s hand. “I know, love. Have you tried the essential-oil blend I told you about? It’s wonderful for healing.”
Finally, my eyes fall on Number 7. McKenzie. I try to fight the smile that pulls at my cheeks as he holds his helmet under his arm and runs a hand through that dirty-blond hair.
Chase pats him on the shoulder, and Matt nods as the coaches show him something on an iPad. His voice echoes in my head.
I want to be the next Chase Kennedy. I want people to love me the way they love him.
I chew my lip and lean back, still watching the interaction between the two quarterbacks.
“Man…” Melody finally tears her gaze from her husband and smiles at me while she sips a cocktail. “How amazing that you get to do this for work? I kind of thought all the super-rich Vices spent most of their time in offices and business meetings.”
I laugh softly. “There are plenty of those. But I’m more of an adventurer. That’s why