Quarterback Sneak (Red Zone Rivals #3)(87)

She laughed, though it was garbled with tears.

“Marry me,” I repeated, swiping the fresh tears away. “And I will spend the rest of my life loving you. No matter how long that is. Every minute I am here on Earth is yours. And after that, too.”

Julep shook her head, glancing at the ring and then back up at me. “On one condition.”

“Anything.”

“When you win your first Super Bowl, you take me to the Exumas.”

I tilted my head back on a laugh that shook me from the inside out. “I’ll take you with my signing bonus, how about that?”

“Even better.”

“Is that a yes?”

She rolled her eyes. “Put the damn ring on my finger, Holden.”

So I did, and then I pulled her into my arms and kissed her.

Inside, cheers erupted, the sliding glass door flying open as everyone piled out onto the balcony. Even Giana’s cameraman followed. I was swarmed by my teammates first while the girls rushed Julep to see the ring. Coach Lee shook my hand and Mrs. Lee wrapped me in one of her fierce hugs. My uncles hugged me last, holding me a long time to really let their love sink in — like always.

“Welcome to the family,” Nathan said to Julep next, and he tucked her into his side. “We’re going to have too much fun with this motley crew.”

Coach Lee arched a brow. “And suddenly, I’m rethinking my blessing.”

That elicited a laugh from the crowd, but it was cut short.

By my phone ringing.

My heart stopped, everyone turning to stare at where I stood. I tried to glance at the TV through the sliding glass door, but I couldn’t see clearly enough to know who was picking. On the third ring Clay snapped me out of my haze.

“Answer it, bro!”

I fumbled with my phone as I pulled it from my pocket, and then I held it to my ear.

“Hello?” I asked.

“Speakerphone,” Giana mouthed, pointing at the camera.

I switched it over to speaker just in time for a booming voice to say, “Holden, this is Coach Nixon out in Charlotte. I’ve got team owner Michael Bradshaw here with me. Are you having a good night out there in Boston?”

A smile split my face as the rest of my family looked at each other with bright eyes, bouncing and hitting each other and making all kinds of muffled, high-pitched noises. I looked at Julep.

My fiancée.

“Yes, sir, I am,” I said.

“Well, I hope you enjoy it, because we’re going to get you on a flight to Charlotte in the morning. That is, if you’d like to come be a Panther.”

My friends couldn’t hold it in. Leo howled first, and then the rest of the guys joined in and so did my uncles. They were cheering so loud I didn’t know if coach could hear me when I said, “I’d like that very much, sir.”

“Good. Well, we’re going to run now, but someone from the front office will be calling you here in about ten minutes with more information, alright? And we’ll see you in the morning.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Alright, son. Take care.”

The call ended, and the house went absolutely insane.

I was distantly aware of the camera light in my face as Julep jumped in my arms, kissing me hard as her legs wrapped around me. I hoped that diamond was shining on her finger when they showed this clip on television.

“We’re going to Charlotte, baby!” I said.

She just screamed and kissed me harder.

As soon as I set Julep back on the ground, I was enveloped in bone-crushing hugs from my uncles, and then from all my teammates, and finally, from my coaches. Coach Lee held my hand firmly, a soft smile on his lips.

“You proved me wrong,” he said. “I’m really glad you did.”

“Me, too, sir.”

We piled inside the house just in time to see the announcement, and even though we were set up for “live” reaction, it was a ten-second clip from outside that ran on the screen, all of us jumping up and down and screaming with the news.

Just like I’d hoped, Julep’s ring was flashing bright.

When they launched into my backstory, showing highlight reels and talking about my tragic past, I turned the TV off.

“Hey!” Riley protested.

“They’re going to have plenty to say about me for the rest of my life,” I told her and everyone else. Then, I reached for the nearest glass. “Tonight, I just want to be here, with my people, celebrating the best night of my life.” I paused, looking at Julep. “So far, anyway.”

She blushed and smiled as Uncle Kevin scrambled to the kitchen. “Wait! I have champagne!”

That made everyone laugh, and Uncle Nathan helped him distribute flutes until everyone had one in hand. Once they were full, we toasted them together in the middle of the silent living room.

“To Holden!” Uncle Kev said.

“To the Panthers!” Leo added.

“To dreams coming true,” Julep said, her eyes sparkling in the light as she smirked at me.

I looked around the room at the people I loved most, at the people who loved me. I was sad for this door closing. I was impossibly excited at the one that opened behind it. But as my eyes landed on Julep, I knew the emotion I felt more than anything was impatience.

I couldn’t wait for her to be all the way mine.