Cami’s Georgia Patriots Romance Collection Page 16

  “What present?” Lily asked.

  “Oh, we just sent a little something to Josh.” Allie gave her a quick hug, then looped her elbow through Teresa’s and tugged her down the hallway. “And give Hyde a hug from us too.”

  “We’ll see,” Lily shot back.

  “Girl’s gotta hope.” Allie winked at her. “Make it work, boy,” she barked.

  Lily laughed, confused until she turned to head back to the waiting room. Hyde was leaning against the wall, watching her. The air whooshed out of her. He looked tired and tall and impossibly handsome.

  “Yes on the hug, or no?” His cheek crinkled as he smiled at her.

  Lily tilted her head to the side. “It’s a soft maybe right now.”

  Hyde nodded and walked slowly toward her. He stopped a foot away. His eyes searched her face. “I’m sorry, Lily. Sorry I believed you would date Ike behind my back, and sorry that I got upset and said things I shouldn’t have, and really sorry that Josh and Caleb were in the accident.”

  Lily nodded. She was beginning to see that he would never have hurt her or her brothers purposely, and neither would his mom. Hope started to swell in her chest. Maybe there was a chance for them after all. She studied his dark eyes for a few seconds before finally admitting, “I understand, and …” She bit at her cheek and then forced the words out. “I’m sorry too.”

  “You shouldn’t apologize.” He took a step closer.

  “I’ve been pretty unreasonable. The article ticked me off, then you ticked me off, then your mom ticked me off, and then …” She gestured toward where Josh’s room was.

  “All very good reasons to be unreasonable.” He took another step and extended his hand. “Please forgive me and be my trainer again?”

  Lily took his hand, loving the pressure of his large fingers encompassing hers. She debated for a few seconds, then worked up the courage to ask, “How about your trainer and your girlfriend?” She bit at her lip as she waited for his response.

  Hyde’s eyebrows darted up. He chuckled and tugged her into his arms. “Does that mean I’m getting the hug Allie demanded?”

  “It’s still a maybe.” She blinked up at him.

  “Can we make it a definite maybe?”

  “Maybe.” She laughed, and it felt so good.

  Hyde clasped her to him, holding her like he hadn’t seen her in years. A shudder ran through his body. He kissed her forehead and whispered, “Oh, Lil. I’ve missed you.”

  Lily stood on tiptoes and brushed her lips over his. “Not nearly as much as I’ve missed you.”

  He bent closer and kissed her until the world was swirling. Lily decided forgiving him was definitely worth it.

  Epilogue

  Christmas Day

  Hyde prepared to jog down the tunnel. This was one of the best parts of any home football game: running out to the roar of the crowd. His beautiful fiancée, her family, his mom, Auntie Allie, and Lon were waiting in the stands, and he couldn’t wait to repay Dallas for their triumph in the Super Bowl last year. Josh was expecting him to win the Super Bowl this year, and a victory over Dallas would be the perfect step in that direction. He smiled to himself, as if he had sole responsibility or ownership of the win or loss.

  Rigby Breeland grinned at him and tugged his own helmet on. “Catch the ball this game, will you?”

  “Throw it my direction and you’ve got nothing to worry about.”

  The Rocket thumped him on the shoulder. “I want to take it to Legend.”

  “Let’s do it.”

  Hyde bounced onto his toes, pumped to go play.

  “Hyde?” Someone was tugging on his arm. He turned, and the world started spinning.

  “Dad?” he asked tentatively.

  His dad had aged twenty years since Hyde had seen him last February.

  “Dad.” Hyde hugged the older man to him. His dad had always been a big guy—bigger than Hyde, even—but he’d not only lost twenty years, but probably fifty pounds and a couple of inches of height too.

  “Son.” His dad hugged him tight. “I just wanted you to know that I’m here. I’ve always been here.”

  Hyde pulled back. He received regular postcards, but that was it. “But why? Why don’t you come home?”

  “I can’t. Your mother.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I know I’ve gone about this all wrong, but the two of us are like … coffee and alcohol together.”

  His father was obviously downing a lot of alcohol to look this rough. Hyde cleared his throat as the crowd roared and his teammates started filtering around him to the field, unsure what to say. He wanted his dad to come home and he knew his mom did as well, but he’d just disappear again and that would hurt his mom all over again. She was doing good right now. Really good. Sariah had moved into the house, taking over Hyde’s area above the garage when Hyde relocated to Atlanta. Sariah was going to massage therapy school and being there when his mom needed somebody, and Hyde was able to pay her well and not have Lily’s family think it was charity.

  “You’ve got to go.” His dad knew. He’d been here.

  “Do you need anything?” Hyde asked.

  “Naw. I’ve got money and a place to stay. I’m fine.”

  “Please, Dad. Call me sometime. Don’t cut me out too.”

  His dad nodded and gave him a little shove. “Go.”

  Hyde turned and jogged away.

  “I’m proud of you son,” his dad yelled after him.

  Hyde waved in acknowledgment, emotions battling within him. His dad really had deserted his mom, but he hadn’t deserted him. It was bittersweet, like trying to eat Sour Patch Kids—the sweet almost made you keep eating them, but the sour made it not worth it.

  He ran onto the field and the crowd noise swelled. He looked around desperately for Lily and his mom. Finally, he spotted them by the fifty-yard line. Right where they always were. Right where they should be. They were holding hands and cheering for him. Josh and Caleb were next to Lily, screaming and waving too.

  Sariah was between his mom and Allie. The girl had flourished as much as his mom had, though she still kept her hair covering the burns on her right side. Sariah needed the semi-independence and financial security of working for his mom and being able to go to school, and his mom needed to know that someone was there who loved her.

  Hyde brought his glove to his mouth and kissed it, then waved it at all of them. His dad had deserted them, but Hyde would never repeat that family curse. He would be there for his family no matter what.

  * * *

  Lily lost her voice sometime in the third quarter, and kept screaming anyway. With only twenty seconds in the game, Dallas was up twenty-eight to twenty-four, but Georgia was on the nineteen-yard line. Hyde had played insanely well, but he and the Rocket needed one more touchdown completion or Dallas would keep the bragging rights, unless they matched up in the Super Bowl again.

  Josh clung to her left hand and Teresa to her right. They all bounced almost in unison as they watched the center hike the ball and Hyde sprint for the end zone. The clock ran out as the Rocket dodged defenders. The crowd held its breath, then started screaming as one when the Rocket drilled the ball Hyde’s direction. Hyde was in the end zone, but the pass was a little low and a Dallas defender was in front of him. Hyde twisted and dove around the defender. He snatched the ball with both hands, inches from it touching the ground, and rotated his body, landing in the end zone on his shoulder and back.

  The noise in the stadium was deafening. Lily was screaming, even though her throat was raw. Josh hugged her while he jumped up and down.

  Hyde leapt to his feet, holding the ball aloft as the crowd continued to roar and the referee threw his arms up.

  “He did it!” Teresa screamed.

  Lily hugged her. “You should be one proud momma!”

  “You should be one proud future wife!”

  They both laughed.

  Hyde sprinted down the field and through his teammates, who were streaming onto the field and
slapping him on the back. Hyde clung to the ball, not slowing as he focused on Lily. He reached their spot in the stands and leapt up, grabbing onto the railing with one hand, tossing the ball to Josh with the other, then pulling himself up with both hands. “That’s for you, bud. It’s not the Super Bowl, but almost.”

  Josh clung to the ball. “Yes! I love you, Hyde!”

  “I love you too, bud.”

  Lily hurried to the edge and grabbed on to him. He climbed the rest of the way and jumped down next to her.

  “I’m happy to see you too,” Lily laughed.

  Hyde whipped his helmet off, picked her off her feet, and kissed her. He tasted like salt and happiness.

  She could hear the crowd roaring around them, but all she could feel and see was Hyde. “I love you, my mega-stud,” she whispered against his lips.

  He chuckled. “I owe all my mega-studness to the best trainer in America.”

  “Maybe in the world.”

  He laughed, then murmured, “I love you, too,” and gave her one more mouthwatering kiss.

  It was one of those perfect moments. Their families crowded in around them, and it only added to the joy as Hyde picked up Josh with one arm and hugged his mom with the other with Lily still pressed against his abdomen. Lily knew Hyde was far from that guy she’d thought threw his money around. He threw around love and made others better, happier. Not because of his money, but because of who he was.

  She squeezed him tight and grinned. The best part was that he was hers.

  The Gentle Patriot

  Chapter One

  Mack Quinn, offensive lineman for the Georgia Patriots, followed the crowd of his teammates as they surged toward Hyde Metcalf, their wide receiver, to celebrate the winning touchdown pass. A win against Dallas on Christmas Day was great vindication after Dallas had beaten the Patriots out of their spot in the Super Bowl last year. Teammates slapped Hyde on the shoulder and someone hoisted their quarterback, Rigby “the Rocket” Breeland, into the air, but Hyde Metcalf dodged anyone trying to slow him down.

  Staying close to his fellow linemen, Mack tried to keep up with Hyde, and blend in with the crowd. Not an easy feat when you were six-eight and over three hundred pounds. Luckily, Mack could move fast, even if his siblings and teammates teased him that he was built like a Mack truck.

  He approached the sidelines and watched as Hyde launched himself over the barrier and into the waiting arms of his fiancée, Lily Udy. Mack’s gaze didn’t linger on the couple kissing, he searched for the young woman who accompanied Hyde’s mom and fiancée to every game. He stopped in his tracks and let out an audible sigh. Sariah Udy.

  Somebody ran into him from behind, but he couldn’t do more than mutter, “It’s okay,” to their apology. The woman of his dreams was less than ten feet away from him … and she had absolutely no clue that he existed. Sariah was cheering, along with her family, as Hyde and Lily kissed and then Hyde started hugging everybody.

  Mack had a great family of his own. He’d meet up with them after he showered. He’d bought them a private box last year when he started playing professionally. Usually, a few siblings and his parents were at each home game, sometimes the entire family would show. Today it was his parents, his sister, Navy, and his brother, Colt. Ryder had a game of his own with the Texas Titans tonight, Kaleb was doing a benefit concert in California for Christmas, and Griff was off saving the world somewhere.

  He loved his family being here, but he thought it was pretty great that Hyde’s family sat on the front row. Maybe he’d move his family’s seats next year, if they wanted. The youngest in the family, Mack had never been one to ask much of anybody, especially his family who were much too good to him. He was blessed for sure. If only he could have the blessing of Sariah Udy noticing him. His gaze was still locked on her. She was helping Hyde’s mom get her scarf on properly. It was a mild Georgia winter, but the older lady probably chilled easily.

  Mack knew far too much about the Metcalf and Udy families. It couldn’t really be considered stalking as they’d garnered a lot of media attention last spring when Hyde and Lily had a turbulent love story splashed all over the tabloids. Back then he’d found all the stories interesting about Lily’s large family and how her six younger siblings had all fallen in love with Hyde. The first time Mack saw Lily’s sister, Sariah, in person the stories went from interesting to fascinating.

  It had been the first game of pre-season, August fifth to be exact, and Mack had run on the field with the team, excited for the start of his second year with the Patriots. As he neared his sideline, he’d glanced up at the stands, noticed Sariah, and plowed into the backup quarterback, Tate Campbell. Luckily, he didn’t knock Tate to the ground. After Mack apologized, he focused back on Sariah. She was an unreal beauty with olive skin, deep brown eyes, high cheekbones, pouty lips, and long, dark hair. Her thick hair swooped across her forehead, covering the right side of her face and neck, her right eye barely visible through the cloud of hair. The look made her even more exotic and appealing to him.

  She’d met his gaze that first day and they simply stared at each other. A silent communication happened between them that he’d never experienced before and for some insane reason he felt like he could see past her beauty to a tender, yet funny woman who always put other’s needs before her own. He’d even gone so far as to imagine she could see past his thick muscles, “pretty boy” face—his brothers’ words not his—and shyness, to his heart that needed someone like her to understand him.

  The communication came to an abrupt halt when someone nudged him and muttered, “The national anthem, dude.”

  Mack had whirled around to salute the flag. Since that day, before and after games he was staring at the stands, and quite often she’d be looking his way also. He hadn’t dared approach her in the past three months but today was Christmas and he’d decided his gift to himself was to get brave enough to say hello. It was a small step, but he had to start somewhere.

  Now, as he waited directly below Sariah, praying she’d glance his way, he started second-guessing himself. Just because he’d fallen hopelessly for her didn’t mean she even knew who he was. Maybe all these times he thought she’d been tangling glances with him, she’d truly just been watching the game, or worse, she’d been staring at Tate Campbell or somebody like that who could flirt with a woman like her without their tongue swelling in their mouth.

  Sariah finished helping Hyde’s mom. The family was still focused on Hyde and Sariah’s little brother, Josh, as he exclaimed over the game. Sariah’s gaze traveled around the team slowly. Was she searching for him? Mack wanted to yell, “I’m here! Look down.” But he didn’t. He was the biggest chicken he knew.

  Sariah finally seemed to sense him staring at her and her eyes met his. Mack tried to sputter out a hello, but he couldn’t have said anything to save even his mama’s life.

  A slow grin curved Sariah’s full lips and her deep brown eyes sparkled at him. She pulled her hair forward on the right side, twisting it in front of her neck. Mack was panting for air worse than when they made him run sprints at practice. He savored every second of the connection, knowing it couldn’t last. He’d never gotten this close to her, but he’d watched her after every home game of the season. She’d head up the stairs with her sister and Hyde’s mom soon and he’d be left watching her go, like always.

  Instead of turning away she stepped right up to the railing, leaned over, and reached her hand down, still giving him that beautiful and inviting smile. Mack’s heart leapt. He felt like a loyal knight who might get the opportunity to touch the beautiful princess’ hand after winning the tournament.

  Usually, Mack was light and fast on his feet, even with his large size. Right now, he lumbered forward, his size fourteen feet felt like blocks of cement, and all he wanted was to get close to her faster.

  Finally, he reached the wall and luckily, he was tall enough he didn’t have to reach up very far to wrap his hand around her delicate fingers. A zing of awaren
ess and warmth shot through him. His brain tried to keep up with his heart but his heart was singing too loud, Sariah Udy is holding my hand!

  She smiled down at him. The smile was sweet and welcoming and all the oxygen rushed out of Mack’s body. He could face down the most vicious defenders on the field, but he had no clue how to react to holding Sariah’s hand and having her smile at him like that.

  The roaring crowd around them disappeared as they focused on each other. Mack knew right at that moment—he was in serious like and he had to do something about it. He’d dated different girls throughout high school, college, and the past couple of years women had chased him relentlessly, but he’d never felt a connection like this. This had to be the right woman for him.

  “Hi,” she said softly.

  “Hi,” Mack dumbly repeated. He squeezed her hand, he hoped gently, and searched his muddled brain for something poetic to say. His brother, Kaleb, was a professional country singer and had all manner of beautiful things to say or sing. His brother, Colt, was a professional woman-magnet and had trained Mack relentlessly on how to give a woman a smoldering look or say the right phrase to draw her in.

  Mack prayed for inspiration and finally muttered, “Hi, pretty girl.”

  His face flamed red. What had he just said? He probably sounded like a creeper or something. That line had worked on his older brothers’ girlfriends when Mack was eight and cute. Now he was twenty-five and hopefully there was nothing cute about him.

  Sariah let out a soft chuckle and then tugged her hand free, waved quickly to him, and hurried to her family. Mack watched them all walk away. Her dad gave him a backwards, concerned glance, but Sariah didn’t turn around or acknowledge him again.

  Mack felt like he’d been slugged in the abdomen by his brother, Griff, the ex-navy SEAL who could take down any man. His big chance and he’d messed it all up. Hi, pretty girl? Sheesh, he was an idiot.