Quarterback Sneak (Red Zone Rivals #3)(82)

I stood taller. “Even then.”

Julep shook her head, stepping between me and her father. “You can’t do this,” she told me, sniffing. “You can’t throw everything away just because—”

I slid my hands up her arms to frame her face, holding her gaze steady with my own. “I have never seen more clearly than I do in this moment, Julep Lee. And I meant what I said. I am not walking away from you. I never could.”

She nodded, a sob breaking free as I pulled her into me and wrapped her in my arms. I hugged her tight as she cried, and in that moment, I truly didn’t care what happened next. Because I had her, and she had me, and everything else was second to that one, life-centering truth.

I held her for a long while before she finally pulled back, wiping her face before she turned toward her father. They were in a silent standoff.

Coach Lee looked at his daughter, then at me, and back again. He seemed to be fighting a million wars in his head as every emotion played out on his face.

After a moment, he sighed.

“I was wrong.”

I blinked, sure I’d misheard him, but he heaved another deep breath and sank down into one of the chairs against the wall.

“Something you won’t understand until you’re a father, Holden, is that when you’re trying to be a good dad, you will do anything to protect your baby girl.” He paused, looking at Julep. “Even if it hurts her in the process.”

Julep leaned into my side, more silent tears soaking the cuff of my jersey.

“I thought I knew what was best for her. And in many ways, I think I did. I knew moving her away from home would give her a fresh start. I knew if she could sober up and remember who she was before…”

He swallowed, shaking his head.

“I knew my little girl was still in there, under the scarred tissue that her sister’s death left behind. And when I started to see her coming back to life, I felt even more protective. I was ready to fight anyone who threatened that peace she’d worked so hard to get back.”

He looked at me then.

“But I was wrong to fight you, Holden. And for that, I’m sorry.”

He held my gaze for a long moment before he stood, rubbing his palms down the front of his pants as he did.

“I’m still not happy that both of you went against my orders,” he continued. “But… I can see now that you must really care about each other. You showed me that this past month, because even though it must have hurt you both, you did what I asked of you. Julep, you’ve been straight as an arrow. And Holden… we wouldn’t be standing here on the other side of this win without you. I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect it. I expected you to fight me, to try to sneak behind my back. I had a firm plan in place with Russo just waiting for the moment.” He scrubbed his jaw. “You gained my respect when you proved me wrong. And even more so moments ago when you brought joy back to my daughter’s face that I didn’t know could even exist anymore.”

Something in him broke a little with that, and he turned away briefly, sucking in a breath before he shook his head and faced us again. He took a few steps in our direction, pointing a finger at my chest.

“But if you even think about hurting her, I will murder you and go to jail for life. Don’t make me do that to my wife, you understand me?”

I bit back a smile. “So… you’re not going to bench me?”

He looked at Julep, then at me. “Not yet, anyway.”

“I’ll take it,” I said.

He nodded, almost grinning, and then extended his hand for mine. “One shot, Moore. That’s all you get. Ruin it, and I’ll ruin you.”

“Dad,” Julep chastised with a roll of her eyes, but I reached for his hand and shook it firmly.

“One shot is all I’ll need.”

When he dropped my hand, Coach nodded to both of us before excusing himself. And then it was just me and Julep.

I swept her into my arms and kissed her without hesitation.

It was like breathing life back into a corpse, like every ounce of pain I had felt in the last month evaporated in that very moment. I felt it leaving my body like an exorcism, and the way Julep clung to me, her arms around my neck, eyes squeezed shut — I knew she was being washed clean, too.

“You stupid, stupid boy,” she whispered against my lips, crying as she did. “You could have lost it all.”

“I’d choose losing it all over losing you for a lifetime.”

She shoved me, but then pulled me back in for a kiss. “I don’t know if I want to kill you for giving me a heart attack with that speech, or tear your clothes off and show you how much I loved it.”

“I like the second option.”

She laughed against my lips, and then let me tuck her head under my chin as I hugged her and held her close, both of us sighing contently.

“Me, too, you know,” she said softly.

“You, too, what?”

She peeked up at me. “I love you.”

“Well, obviously.”

She poked me hard between the ribs, making me double over before I tickled her and pulled her squirming all the way back to me.

“Say it again,” I murmured along the skin behind her ear before I kissed the very spot my breath touched.

“I love you, you idiot.”