Epilogue
TALIA
“And it will be my honor to retire as a Nighthawk at the end of the current season.”
I stood off to the side with Brady, where no reporters could see us.
He’d given me a heads-up that Prentice’s announcement was coming, but I still felt a surge of adrenaline when I heard the actual words coming out of his mouth.
And I wasn’t the only one judging by the feeding frenzy of questions it spurred in the reporters.
When the fervor finally died down—after Prentice answered what felt like a million questions about what was next for him—he called an end to the press conference. Then he and Naomi left the platform and moved toward us.
Prentice paused to clap my husband on the back. “You’re next, man.”
“Not today. Which is good because I fucking hate giving press interviews,” Brady grumbled.
Prentice laughed and shook his head. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”
“You’re not done yet, old man,” Brady teased with a grin. “You just told them all that you plan to keep playing until February because you need another ring before you’re done.”
“As if you don’t want another, too.”
“We all do, and you’re going to lead us to this one.”
Naomi and I shook our heads at their back-and-forth banter, but the moment was interrupted when Barbara—one of the team’s press liaisons—called for Brady. Wrapping his fingers around my wrist, he tugged me along with him.
Most reporters hadn’t left yet, and one noticed us and called, “Is Brady here because you’ve already picked him to be Prentice’s replacement?”
The coach sent Barbara an exasperated look before climbing up the steps to lean close to one of the microphones lining the table. “You just heard Wright say he’s playing through the rest of the season and plans to win another championship. Isn’t that enough of a story for you?”
The reporter shrugged, looking not even the slightest bit bothered about being chided by the coach. “It’s a great one, but confirming that Summers will start next season would make the story even better.”
“Well, you’re just going to have to be satisfied with what you’ve already got because the press conference is over.
” The reporter’s lips parted, but he didn’t give the guy a chance to say anything else as he shooed with his hands toward the door.
“You heard me. Anyone still here in two minutes risks getting their press pass pulled.”
His threat got the reporters moving, and I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing at how quickly they headed out.
Brady’s coach waited until the room emptied and the door shut behind the last reporter to say, “As pissed as I am that they thought I was going to steal Wright’s thunder with an announcement like that, you have to know it’s true.”
Brady’s hand gripped my waist hard enough to leave a mark, but that was the only visible sign of his reaction to the confirmation of what we’d talked about last night when he’d told me that Prentice was going to announce his retirement after today’s game.
He thought the odds were good that he’d step into the starting position since he’d been doing it each time Prentice couldn’t play since we met, but there were no guarantees the coaching staff would see it the same way when the other backup quarterback was younger and had more playing years ahead of him.
“You want me to start next season?”
The head coach nodded. “Talked to Lennox and the rest of the coaching staff last night. We all agreed that it’s got to be you next year.”
“Fuck.” Brady glanced down at the floor for a moment while he pulled himself together. “Thanks for your faith in me. I won’t let you down.”
“I know you won’t, Summers.” He jerked his head toward the back of the room, where Prentice and Naomi watched us with big grins. “You’ll get us another ring after he fills his last remaining finger this season.”
“Damn straight,” Brady agreed with a laugh.
“Keep that enthusiasm,” Coach ordered before walking away.
Brady picked me up and twirled me around, claiming my mouth in a deep kiss as he slid me back down his body to set me on my feet again. “See, I told you that you’re my good luck charm.”
I shook my head. “Nuh-uh, this is all you. You’ve worked your butt off for years to earn this.”
“Wrong, baby.” He pressed another quick kiss to my lips.
“What I said the day I confessed my feelings for you is even more true now than it was back then—you make me a better player and man. You can add father to that list, too. The best damn thing that’s ever happened to me was being in the right place at the right time when you needed rescuing. ”