Chapter 31
Quinn’s whole body felt as if it were floating as they all made it down to the field.
She was exhausted from cheering. But to see Knox achieve this made her heart soar.
Taylor was crying. Holt was smiling so big she didn’t know how he could smile any more.
Annaleigh was jumping up and down. Chantel and Elisha were screaming at each other and Maeve gave a shy smile.
“Do you want to go down with us?” Quinn asked since Taylor told her she had no option but to go to the field.
“I do, but I don’t know if I can.” Quinn hated the way Maeve seemed ashamed of that.
“How about you stay in the tunnel?” Annaleigh asked. “I did that with Holt when he was performing the anthem and it’s much quieter. You can still see what’s going on and you know Zack will run over to see you.”
“Okay, let’s try it. I can go to the family area if I can’t handle it.”
They all headed down to the field together. Holt’s celebrity status got them a private elevator while Landon and the rest of the suite guests were in another elevator. Quinn couldn’t wait to see Knox and to hug him. She was so happy for him. All of their hard work had paid off.
The elevator opened and the guards showed them to the tunnel. “Is this okay, Maeve?” Quinn asked her friend.
“Yes, thank you.” Maeve stopped where the tunnel led out to the field.
Music was pumping through the stadium. Fans were still cheering.
Confetti was still swirling in the air, although slower now.
And in a span of five minutes a stage had been set up.
Someone from the television network was trying to wrangle the coaches and players up onto it even as a sideline reporter was doing interviews with the players.
Knox and his father were being led up the stairs when they both spotted Quinn and Taylor.
Quinn waved and Knox leapt from the stairs with his father right behind him.
Cameramen were in her face, well, more like Taylor’s.
But they were all around them as Knox reached down and wrapped his arms around her.
He lifted her up and kissed her. She could feel his love, his happiness, and his pride as he kissed her with her feet in the air before he twirled her around and set her down.
“I am so proud of you!” Quinn yelled to him.
Next to them, America’s Sweetheart and her football coach husband were putting Quinn and Knox’s kiss to shame.
“Mom, Dad, not again,” Holt groaned. “Bro! You had an amazing game!”
Quinn went to move out of the way, but Knox kept her tucked against his side as he hugged his brother.
“Baby!” Deon yelled, shoving reporters out of the way as Chantel flew into his arms.
“Zack!” Quinn yelled as she saw the big lineman who appeared to be searching the crowd even as Jaylen turned his back to the cameras to kiss Elisha.
Zack caught her eye and Quinn pointed to the tunnel.
Zack turned to see what she was pointing at and she saw his lips turn up into the biggest smile before he took off at a run for Maeve.
The announcer came on and told people it was time for the trophy presentation.
Quinn gave Knox a squeeze, but he didn’t let go.
“I love you, Q, and I can’t wait to marry you next week.
A championship and the perfect bride. I don’t know how I got so lucky.
” He kissed her forehead as he finally let her go when she was standing at the front of the pack of players, staff, and photographers.
Will and Mo were there for the presentation as their wives and families stood around Quinn. Up front stood Will, Mo, Trey, and Knox. Behind Knox stood Jaylen and Deon. Then behind Will, Mo, and Trey were the rest of the coaching staff and several players who were key to the season.
Quinn just couldn’t stop smiling as presentations were made and as Knox hefted the trophy over his head.
“Ahh!” someone on the stage yelled louder than everyone else.
Trey was finishing his speech when he turned around to see who had yelled. “Kate? Are you okay?”
“Kate?” Landon asked, stepping closer to the stage.
“I’m good,” she said between taking deep breaths and clutching her belly. “Finish your speech, Trey.”
“Sweetheart,” Landon said slowly as the cameras panned onto him, “are you in labor?”
“Nope. I’m gooooooood.”
Kate reached out and grabbed Samson’s arm, scaring him to death.
“Okay, now we have a coach who needs to get to the hospital. Make a path!” Trey yelled as the team all seemed to rush the stage.
“I am not having this baby at a stadium that isn’t ours and in a hospital that doesn’t have baked goods,” Kate said as if she had a choice.
Mo pulled out his phone and spoke into it. “Yes, at the stadium,” he snapped. “Everyone, make room for my helicopter,” Mo ordered. Rahmi's security helped stadium security block off a landing area inside the stadium on the field for his helicopter.
Quinn watched as Knox held his hand out to Landon and helped him onto the stage.
Kate was shaking her head, refusing to leave even as the helicopter landed.
It was quite the spectacle. But maybe it was the entire team of men forming a tunnel from the stage to the helicopter to cheer on their coach in labor that was more of the spectacle.
Landon, Kate, and Jace, who was the team doctor, boarded the helicopter. Everyone moved back and the helicopter took off. Reporters were firing off questions, but the team was huddled together.
“Yo!” Deon yelled to the coaching staff. “We can’t let Coach have this baby without us. We have to have her back like she has ours.”
“The buses are too slow, even with a police escort,” Austin said, suddenly supportive of the coach who had whooped his butt into gear along with the Rose sisters.
Dani, Mo’s wife, let out a sharp whistle as if she were hailing a cab in New York City.
Everyone turned to her and waited to hear what she had to say.
“We don’t have our helicopter anymore, but Greer and Sebastian were able to secure a jet that seats three hundred.
The airport’s twenty minutes away and they’re fueling it up now.
If we hurry, we can get to the hospital in Lexington before she gets there. ”
“Let’s go! Men, you have five minutes to change into street clothes,” Knox yelled and together the team took off. “Will you be okay?” Knox asked Quinn.
Quinn nodded, but even as she did, Greer and Dani were already organizing the Keeneston crowd into who would fly and who would drive.
Rahmi guards were being used as drivers when some of the cars were to be left behind.
Even as the team left the press chasing after them, the people of Keeneston were filing out to the buses and their cars.
Ryan had called in a police escort and within minutes they were on the move.
“What is this all about?” Elisha asked as they were all ushered onto the plane ahead of the players.
“Babies are a very big deal in Keeneston. And I’m guessing for the team. After all, they’ve never had a female coach, so I think they all feel like her brothers,” Quinn told her.
“Well, I’m glad I came with you or I’d be lost,” Chantel joked as she looked over at Aniyah. “That bag is amazing.”
“Thanks. It has its own pocket for my gun that makes it not show up on scanners.”
Chantel quickly took a seat away from Aniyah as Quinn tried not to laugh.
The two worlds were merging and it was funny to see how they reacted to each other.
The team bus literally came to a screeching halt at the base of the aircraft stairs and the team ran up to board.
Knox took the seat next to Quinn and placed his hand instantly over hers. “What a day!”
“And it’s not over yet,” Quinn told him as the plane’s door was closed.
The flight was only twenty minutes thanks to flying private with a priority takeoff, but the party was in full swing before they even took off.
The only reporter who made it onto the plane was from The Keeneston Journal.
They were taking videos and photos to post to social media along with the team’s social media coordinator.
Holt was singing a party anthem of his and Bette was grabbing guys as she went up and down the aisle to get them all to dance. Even the flight attendants did a strut down the aisle to the music.
Quinn was laughing as she danced in her seat.
Knox and Zack were battling it out in a karaoke battle between Knox’s side of the plane and Zack’s side of the plane.
Quinn looked over and saw Maeve laughing so hard she was red.
Then Quinn looked around the rest of the plane and smiled even more.
Two completely different groups of people—the Rose sisters to law enforcement to royalty sat mixing it up with football players all out of love for Kate Davies.
The second they began to taxi to the private plane area buses were already pulling up with a police escort.
“Players to the right, Keeneston to the left,” Detective Braxton ordered as Agent Warner stood by her side looking as if they’d both been to a party together since they were wearing matching Thoroughbreds gear.
The officers all cheered for the players and the players quickly took photos with them as they boarded the bus.
“I’ll see you there,” Knox told her before kissing her again. “We have something planned. Maeve?”
“It’s all taken care of,” Maeve told him sounding slightly insulted that he doubted her if only for a second.
“You know,” Veronica said, stepping off the plane with the royals. “If you ever want another job, I’d love to work with you.”
“I would be good at organizing a secret mission where a government is overthrown,” Maeve said seriously as they made their way onto their bus.
“I know. I wouldn’t have suggested it otherwise.”