The Running Series Complete Collection: 3-Book Set plus Bonus Novella (108 page)

“Damn it, are you going to sit there and stare at me all night or are you going to do something?” I grumble.

He stands, looks deep into my eyes and confesses.  “Juliette, I’m trying to find the words to describe what I’m thinking, but there are none.  It’s always been you.  Even before we met, it was you.  I will never want anyone the way I want you.  I will never need anyone the way I need you.  It’s only you.  You belong to me and my heart belongs to you.”

Evan covers my lips with his and plunges his tongue deep into my mouth.  I close my eyes as a lightning bolt of energy rips through me.  My fingers dig into his skin as I kiss him back, drowning in the taste that is uniquely Evan.  His hands travel up and down my body, until I become crazed with need, until the only thing left is a painful ache to have him inside me. 

I rip his boxers from him and bring him down to the bed with me, a painful combining of needs, intense and primal, as I revel in the intensity of our lovemaking.  Pleasure crashes over me in waves, and I can hear Evan cry out as he joins me, and in that moment we are one.

He rolls over and pulls up a blanket to cover our bodies as I curl up into him. No thoughts claim me in this moment, and I treasure the deep peace I find, safe in his embrace.  I slide effortlessly toward sleep, held tightly and loved completely.

W
e arrive at the stadium in plenty of time before the kickoff.  The suite has more than enough room for the Rivera family, the Marise family, and our rather large gathering, all joined together to cheer on Evan in his debut home game. 

I tried to convince Jill and John to join us in the suite, but they flat out refused.  “I’ve been watching my boy play from the stands since he was eight years old,” John explains.  “Sitting in the stands and listening to the roar of the crowd is my favorite part of the game.  There are no better seats in the world.” 

Evan gives them his two complimentary tickets to every game.  I doubt I will ever see them up here in the suite, even in the cold throws of winter.  They are professional football fans, and it takes a lot more than cold temperatures to deter their resolve and dedication.

Shaun’s parents, brother, and sister-in-law are here.  Shaun introduced Reese to his family about a week ago.  She liked them, but she didn’t seem overly enthusiastic about it.  I think they were a little too uptight for her liking.  Mrs. Marise is a librarian in an elementary school and Mr. Marise is a Certified Public Accountant.  They are both lovely people, but painfully reserved.  I can see how Shaun developed his quiet ways.

Carlo Rivera’s wife Willow is here with her in-laws, too.  They all agreed to let Evan have the majority of the space in the suite this week.  Today, there are nine guests in our party:  Callie and Dean, Emmy and Adam, Camilla and Marcus, Reese, Derek, and me.  There’s a skeleton crew working at Rush tonight, and Marcus keeps calling the hostess checking in.

“Come on, Jette.  The best seats are outside on the deck.” Willow opens the glass door and escorts Reese and me to the private outdoor stadium seating.  “It will be too cold in December, so enjoy it now while it’s warm out.”  There are eighteen seats outside and nearly just as many indoors, too. 

“Can I get you ladies something to drink?” our waitress asks as we sit.

“I’d love a Long Island Iced Tea,” Reese requests.

“Oh, yes.  Me, too,” Willow interjects.

“Make it three.”  Seems like the perfect drink for football and fun. 

Our drinks arrive just as the team makes their way onto the field.  It’s hard to tell most players apart as they all come jogging out of the tunnel and across the field, all wearing their red jerseys, royal blue football pants, and matching helmets.  Faces are unrecognizable.  But there is one player who needs no introduction.  Leading the team is number sixteen, Evan “Big Mac” McGuire.  Emmy, Reese and I are jumping up and down screaming his name.  But our voices are drowned out as the stadium erupts into cheers and applause, chanting, “Mac A-ttack.  Mac A-ttack.”  It’s exactly as I imagined. 

By the kickoff, most of the guys have joined us on the deck.  Emmy, Camilla, and Callie stay inside and watch the game on the huge flat panel displays in the air-conditioned suite.  The Sentinels lost the coin toss, and now Troy Duffy takes the field for kickoff.  Again, the stadium explodes with excitement as the Jaguars catch the ball in the end zone.  Once the excitement dies down, we all sit back down again, watching the defensive team take the field.  I can’t take my eyes off the gorgeous quarterback standing on the sidelines, watching each play.

“You know, Jette, the game’s over there,” Derek teases, pointing to the line of scrimmage.  “Most people come to watch the game, not ogle the players.”

“Oh, yeah?  Then how come it’s okay for you to stare at the cheerleaders the whole time?  Shouldn’t you be paying more attention to the game yourself?” I point out. 

Derek just shrugs his shoulders and laughs.  “Yeah, but I’m just a guy.  I can’t help it.  We’re pigs.”  Reese rolls her eyes and gives a big huff.  She puts on a good show when it comes to Derek, but the big grin splashed across her face can’t hide how she really feels.

My heart pounds as I watch Evan strap on his helmet and take his team onto the field and into a huddle.  Evan takes his place behind the line of scrimmage and I hear his voice booming throughout the stadium, “Right arrow, right arrow, set, check check check.”  He looks up and down the field then calls, “Blue 25, Blue 25, hut, hut, HUT!”  The ball is snapped and I’m on the edge of my seat, my eyes fixed on Evan. 

Emmy grabs my arm and points to the stadium’s huge video screen focused tightly on Evan as he scans the field.  I can see the look of determination in his face as he searches for a receiver.  I feel like everything is happening in slow motion.  When he spots an open man, I see his biceps tighten as he reaches back.  Quick as lightening, he releases the ball and sends it barreling towards Shaun.  It’s a little high and Shaun has to jump for it, but he easily swipes the ball out of the air and comes crashing down under the crushing weight of two defensive tackles. 

Reese’s breath catches in her chest and I don’t see her breathe again until Carlo offers him a hand up.  Shaun tosses the ball to the refs and rejoins Evan and Carlo in the huddle.

I turn to Willow and ask, “How many more times is that going to happen?”

She laughs at my naiveté and chuckles, “Oh, not too many.  Only about sixty more plays to go.”  She sees the shock in my face and tries to calm me.  “I know it seems like a lot, but you get used to it . . . eventually.”

“Sixty?  You’re kidding, right?” Reese asks, her face ashen.

“I wish I were.”

The first quarter passes by painfully slowly.  My heart stops with each impact, wondering which blow will deliver the most harm.  How is it possible to take three quarters of an hour for the game clock to move only fifteen minutes?  And how much punishment can one body take?

The second quarter is no better.  In fact, it’s worse.  Evan is tackled hard when he tries a rushing play through the line.  I see him struggle to get up.  Although he puts on a brave face, I can tell he’s hurt.  He hides his pain well, sucks it up and keeps on playing.  When the team leaves the field for halftime, the Sentinels are losing to the Jaguars ten to seven. 

Our waitress returns with trays of appetizers.  She barely puts the tray down when the guys attack.  You’d think they’ve never seen fried ravioli or pulled pork nachos before. 

The girls and I are tempering our drinking with rounds of bottled water.  As I begin passing out the ice-cold bottles of Perrier supplied in the suite, my phone rings.  It’s Auggie.  His plane must have landed in Alaska.

“Hey Jepetto.  We just landed in Anchorage.  I only have a minute before we take off for Seward.  I’m watching the bags while the girls get us a rental car.”  It sounds like he’s super excited.

“How was the flight?” I ask.

“Long.  I’m just glad to be on solid ground.  I can’t believe that in about three hours, I’ll be in a national park on a glacier with Lucas.  Can you believe it?”

“Call when you land, please.  And don’t forget to send pictures,” I remind him.

“You’re being very bossy for someone who was supposed to send me pictures of Evan’s fancy suite,” Auggie teases.

“Oops.  Sorry, Aug.  I’ll send them right away.  I got a little . . . distracted.  You’ll see.  When you land, you’ll forget all about sending me pictures, too.  But I’ll forgive you.”

“You’re probably right, Jette my Pet.”  I hear Auggie talking to someone else.  The girls must be back with their car.  “Gotta run, kiddo.  The girls are here.  We’re off on our Alaskan Adventure.  Love you!”  When Auggie hangs up, I walk around the suite taking pictures to send to him.

The Jaguars make the first touchdown of the second half and the score is now seventeen to seven.  I’m a bundle of nerves.  I know Evan can’t win every game, but I pray to God to let him win this one.  It’s his first home game.  He earned this.  He deserves it.  I see him talking with Coach Vinciguerra on the sidelines.  Evan is nodding a lot.  They must be adjusting their strategy.

When Evan’s offensive team takes the field, I watch with pride and joy as Evan makes first down over and over again until, in no time at all, it’s second and goal.  We hear Evan’s voice echoing throughout the stadium, “Shotgun.  DC Right.  Flip 90.  Dig.  On the Center.  On the Center.  Hut, hut, HIKE!”  When the ball is snapped, a hole right in the middle of the line opens and Evan slips right through.  Touchdown!

All Evan’s teammates stop dead in their tracks.  Evan hands the football to the nearest referee as music fills the stadium.  Everyone around him freezes in their tracks except Evan, who’s dancing alone, looking silly and ridiculous.  Once I realize they are playing the Harlem Shake, it all makes sense.  The moment the rhythm drops and the bass sounds kick in, the rest of the team spring to life.  Carlo, Xander, Anthony, and Shaun run over to join him in the end zone and start dancing like maniacs.  The crowd jumps to their feet, dancing. It’s bedlam.  I knew about touchdown celebrations, but I’ve never seen anything like this. 

The music dies down, the guys make their way to the sidelines, and Troy Duffy takes to the field for the extra point.  I watch in amazement at his ability to concentrate and focus among the deafening sea of cheering fans. When the ball is snapped, a hush falls upon the stadium.  All eyes watch as the football glides through the air and successfully reaches its target.  The crowd roars when they see Troy earn the extra point.  The score is now seventeen to fourteen.  The Sentinels are still behind, but not by much.

After the end zone dance, the momentum has clearly shifted in our favor.  The Sentinels are now dominating on the field.  Evan’s on the field more than he’s not.  Near the end of the third quarter, they call Troy back for a field goal attempt.  We all hold our breaths as the ball is snapped.  Troy is attempting to make a fifty-two yard field goal, which, if successful, will tie the game.  I don’t know much about football, but I do know that is a nearly impossible distance.  Willow assures me it’s been done before and he could make it happen.  We watch breathlessly as the ball soars toward the field goal.  From the angle of our seats and the distance from the goal, it’s hard to tell if it’s good.  The cameras pan to the head ref who holds both hands straight up in the air and announces, “Field Goal”.  The score is now tied at seventeen.

Throughout the fourth quarter, both teams take turns moving the ball up and down the field, neither successful in their drives towards the end zone.  With two minutes left in the game, the Sentinels make an interception and gain control of the ball with only twenty-five yards to go. 

Again, Evan’s voice reverberates throughout the stadium, “Wichita, Wichita.  Blue 25, Blue 25.  Hut, hut, HUT!”  My eyes are transfixed to the big screen, watching in terror as Evan searches for a receiver.  No one is open.  The linemen are holding back the rushers, but barely.  Evan backs up a yard or two and slips to the right.  He plants his feet in the ground and throws the ball into the end zone.  With such a small chance of success, he’s taking a great leap of faith that someone will be there to complete his Hail Mary pass.  The stadium is humming with excitement as the ball flies down the field.  Out of nowhere, Carlo Rivera hooks right and snags the ball.  Touchdown, Sentinels! 

There is less than a minute left on the clock and unless something unforeseen happens, Evan has just won his first home game of the preseason.  The crowd goes wild, and that includes every single occupant in our suite, even the reticent Marise family.  The extra point is good.  The clock runs out.  The final score is twenty-four to seventeen and I think I am the proudest woman in the world.