Page 175 of Hometown Halftime

I hit accept before lifting the phone to my ear.

“Hello?”

“Riley, It’s Beckett Morgan.” The coach’s voice comes through calm and steady. “Are you ready to come play football in Roanoke?”

Everyone waits silently for my answer.

And suddenly I’m eight years old again sitting beside Dad watching Pride games on television believing impossible things could happen to people like me.

Emotion surges so hard through my chest I can barely get the words out.

“Yes, sir, I’m ready.”

The first person I look for is Kinsey.

Then, the camera man ducks forward to hand me a fresh Pride hat as I hear the confirmation on the television.

“With the second pick in the Professional Football League draft, the Roanoke Pride would like to welcome Riley Weston, quarterback, Cartwright University.”

The room erupts into absolute madness.

My mom bursts into tears while Poppy screams loud enough to wake Beau clear across the room. Lee launches himself at me hard enough that we nearly fall sideways over the couch cushions, while Knox lets out a shout that hardly sounds human.

And suddenly I can’t breathe. Every ounce of pressure I’ve carried for the last year finally cracks open inside my chest. I press my palms to my eyes, trying to pull myself together, but it’s useless. My throat burns. My eyes sting. I’m crying in front of everybody, and at this point I don’t even care.

Then Kinsey grabs my face, and everything else disappears.

She’s crying too; her eyes are wet and full of emotion. Somehow, through all the noise and chaos and celebration, she’s still the only thing I can focus on.

“You did it,” she whispers.

Emotion wedges painfully in my chest because she still doesn’t understand. She still thinks this belongs only to me. But it doesn’t, because we’re starting this next chapter together.

I pull her into my arms, holding her so tightly that I can feel her laughing and crying against my chest. Around us, the room stays loud and chaotic; my family and friends are still celebrating.

I pull Kinsey closer. For years, I thought getting drafted would be the moment everything finally fell into place. But now, standing here with her in my arms, I realize it already has, because I have her.

Epilogue

Kinsey

Tonight proves that getting drafted by the Roanoke Pride turns you into a local celebrity in Cedar Falls, because the entire town showed up for our going away party wearing red-and-black Pride shirts with the lion mascot stretched across the front. Haddie Carmichael convinced Gordy to hang a giant handmade Good Luck Kinsey & Riley! banner above the bar, complete with glitter football stickers.

Music blasts through the bar while Lee and Darren are by the pool table in the corner and Knox holds court near the bar with Beau strapped to his chest.

Brynn catches me staring and grins. “He’s obsessed with that child.”

Knox overhears her and shoots her a wink. “I’m obsessed with you too, Baby Girl.”

Warmth spreads through my chest while I glance around the room at all the people who became family over the years. Kate cuddles with Cam in a booth near the dart boards while Ty and Levi demolish a basket of wings at the bar. Poppy dances beside Emma near the jukebox while Haddie records every angle of the bar for Facebook like it’s breaking national news.

I’m going to miss this place.

Strong arms wrap around my waist while warm lips brush lightly against my temple.

“Hey, Kitten.”

The nickname still makes me smile every single time.