Touchdown - Leslie North Page 0,36

usually both precious and full of food messes. He watched as the three navigated sporks to mouths, cheering them on.

Jill appeared with plates for the adults, setting them down at each end of the table. “Cilantro lime chicken with roasted vegetables and cauliflower mash.”

“Damn.” His mouth watered just looking at his heaping plate of food. “And you said you didn’t have the gourmet touch in the kitchen.”

“I took a lot of shortcuts with this meal,” she said with a grin as she slid into her spot across the table. “But I know my playoff-ready NFL star needs his healthy calories.”

“You’re the best. It looks delicious.” He scooped some vegetables into his mouth. The thoughtfulness made his heart swell. Which reminded him of what he’d been thinking about earlier that day at work. “Maybe we could take the kids to the beach over the winter. Once the season ends, of course. Like, a week or two in California. They’d love the Pacific Ocean.”

Surprise registered on her face as she cut into her chicken. After a few long moments, she nodded. “Yeah. Could be. We’ll have to talk about it when the time comes.”

Her response had been tinny. Almost…unenthusiastic. Maxwell tried not to feel disappointed by her response and dug into his chicken. The limey-cilantro flavors burst into his mouth, more delicious than he expected, but he couldn’t fully concentrate on that as silence descended between them.

“Kinda thought you’d be more excited about that,” he finally said. “You know. Vacay and all.”

“It sounds like a great idea,” Jill said. “It’s just…who knows what will happen between now and then? We’ve got so much to think about in the meantime. Honestly, the Super Bowl seems like a lifetime away still. I can’t even wrap my head around it.”

“I like to hear that you assume we’ll be there,” Maxwell said.

“Of course I do. With how well you guys have been doing this season…” Jill winked. “Just make sure you get us tickets.”

“How could I not?” Maxwell snagged a few more bites of his meal before the kids needed help. Jill had set his mind at ease, for the most part, though part of him wondered if she was truly thinking about this from the same angle he was. It wasn’t about the when—it was about the yes. He wanted to plan things with her. They didn’t need to know when they’d go to California—just that she wanted to. With him. With them. Like the happy family they played at every day. Like the woman on his arm he was excited to woo and take places and show off to the world.

Dinner continued on as it normally did: active, loud, full of small messes. It wasn’t until he cleared the table that he remembered what was on the agenda for tomorrow.

“Oh. We can’t forget about the cookout tomorrow,” he called out as he rinsed dishes in the sink.

“That’s right,” Jill said. “I saw that in the calendar and meant to ask you about it. So it’s a Sharks thing?”

“Yeah, it’s like a meet and greet for fans, but family-friendly. So that means you and the triplets are on deck.” He loaded the dishwasher as they chatted. “It’ll start after practice, so you don’t have to feed the kids before you come. They’re cooking out.”

“Wow,” Jill said, letting Cameron out of his high chair first, followed by Kevin, then Shelley. “So this is my very first Sharks VIP event, huh?”

“First of many,” he promised just as the kids started shrieking and chasing each other into the living room.

Jill shielded her eyes from the late evening sun. Thanksgiving had just blown by that Thursday in a delicious blur and playoffs were on the horizon for the Sharks, but here at the Savannah training facility, it felt like full-blown summer fun.

The parking lot at the practice facility had been converted into a temporary cookout hub. Seven grills were smoking, manned by black-aproned chefs, while meats and veggies cooked for the fans, team members, and families in attendance. Jill was taken aback by the sheer abundance of Sharks gear surrounding her. The entire team was decked out, as well as all the fans. Enormous Sharks banners hung from a makeshift photo area, where different teammates cycled in and out of photos with fans.

Not knowing what to expect, Jill had opted to bring the nanny, in case she needed any extra support. She knew this was technically a work function for Maxwell, so she had planned to stay well out