Chapter 31
Knox
Standing in front of my locker, I close my eyes and listen to the noise echoing from the stadium. I can’t believe it’s been a whole year since I blew it at the playoffs in the Dome, then decided to ditch everything and run away for a trip to the Bahamas.
That fateful night I stepped into Melody’s Honda Pilot.
Back then I wanted to forget everything. I was climbing out of my skin, convinced I’d never live up to my dad’s legacy, my brother’s historic number of Super Bowl wins, my grandfather’s name.
I was so fucking depressed and miserable… then I lost it, screaming at Melody for missing an exit.
It’s all back. I’m back. My life has completely changed. I’m about to win this game and lead our team into the history books. We’ll get our rings. It’s my dream come true, yet none of it compares to the two people who love me for more than my name.
The two people who have made my life complete.
My phone lights up, and I quickly glance at the screen.
Mav
I’ve got it… and it’s good. I’ll email the info complete with pictures. It might not hurt their numbers, but it’ll definitely hurt their credibility.
“Yo, funny guy, we gotta get out there.” Fonz slaps me on the shoulder pads. “Halftime’s over. Let’s go win this.”
Turning around, I face my teammates. They’re all bright-eyed, smiling, amped, waiting on me to inspire and encourage.
“Y’all don’t need me to tell you this is one for the history books. The first half was a killer match, but we held onto the ball. Baker, way to use your hands. Fonz, way to take it. Armstrong, keep coming in their faces.” A low rumble of laughter flows through the group.
My show with Melody is a big hit, and all the guys love it. It’s even bigger than when she was riding my ass every week, and the sex is hotter, too. It’s basically an hour of foreplay.
“We’ve worked hard to get here.” I look from Baker to Kyler to Etienne and Fonz. “We’ve earned this win. It’s not the Jets’ year. It’s ours. Now let’s go.”
We join hands briefly in the middle before shouting March in! Then we jog out as a group onto the field.
* * *
“Right here, where you’re on Jones’s backside…” Melody freezes the screen in the seconds before the snap at the end of the fourth quarter, just before my gorgeous pass lands straight in Baker’s hands for the winning touchdown.
“Is this a special moment between the two of you, or…?”
“Yeah, QP, it’s special.” I rock back in my chair, grinning. “It makes him run faster.”
“Whatever it does, you guys were unstoppable out there tonight.” Melody smiles at me, and I’m right back on the field with her in my arms.
Confetti falls all around us as the cannons shoot fireworks over the stadium. Cricket squeals, reaching her cute, chubby arms overhead trying to catch them. Haddy, Gavin, Gina, Owen, even Mav and Dove were there standing with me, cheering my big win. One word is on repeat in my head, Family.
“That win has been a long time coming, and it was a joy watching it happen,” Melody continues. “Saints Nation is going to be partying all over the Big Easy tonight. Any final thoughts on all your accomplishments before we sign off?”
“Just Gratitude, QP. I wasn’t alone out on that field. We won through solid teamwork, no hero ball, just moving it down the field, finding that hole and bearing down on it as we drove all the way, again and again.”
“You’re definitely a master at that, K-Brad.” Melody gives me a wink, and it’s time.
“Speaking of masters, I’d like to shift gears just a bit before we sign off, if that’s okay?”
Her brow furrows, and she nods. “What’s on your mind?”
“I’m sure everyone remembers what brought us to this place of working together, declaring a truce.
” I tap on my phone, sending the text to Lindsey, who helped me set up this surprise.
“For any new members of the group, that’s Susan Jackson and Chet Arnold on your screen.
They set up an elaborate ploy to doxx my baby girl, which led to her being forcibly taken from me by police right before Thanksgiving. ”
Melody’s brows quirk, and she blinks over to the screen where a picture showing Susan and Chet holding up champagne glasses sits.
She exhales heavily. “It was a devastating moment. That’s for sure.”
“We were all caught off-guard by that dirty trick, and it took a week and a lot of concentrated effort to get my daughter back, but what a lot of our viewers might not know is this is the same duo behind an infamous exposé on my cousin Maverick Murphy and his Stanley Cup-winning hockey team.”
“I did hear about that, K-Brad.” Melody’s eyes are downcast. “I didn’t know when I briefly worked with Susan she had done it.”
“What we’ve since learned is Chet-n-Sue are paid to find hit pieces by the owners of the TMI tabloid organization.
” I send Lindsey her next cue, and she changes the photo to show check stubs.
“Thanks to the good reporters who’ve since left that organization, we were able to confirm Susan Jackson was promised a bonus of ten-thousand dollars if she was able to get Maverick to give her information about his teammates’ private lives.
We’ve also been able to confirm Chet-n-Sue paid double that amount to get your photo from the Walgreens computer and to pay for Jada Allen to make the trip to be on that show. They received even more to report it.”
Melody’s eyes widen as I speak, and her lips part. “Oh my God.”
“They’re dirty, unethical, and they’re not real journalists.” I look straight into the camera. “If you want to send a message, I urge you to write, email, call, unsubscribe, unfollow, report… It’s the only way we’re going to stop this kind of hurt from happening again.”
Hearts, red angry-faces, and thumbs-up emojis flood the screen. Melody wraps it up with her usual sign-off, telling them to stick around for fun episodes coming during the break, and we switch off the feed.
Our eyes meet, and she stands, crossing the room and climbing onto my lap. My arms are around her, and her knees are bent. For a few moments we don’t speak. Melody’s hand is on my chest, and she curls her fingers against the material.
Cricket is in her crib as usual, sleeping while we record the show.
After several minutes of silence, Melody turns in my lap to face me. “Thank you for doing that.”
Reaching up, I put my hand on the side of her neck, tracing my thumb along her jaw. “You never have to thank me for taking care of you. You’re my girl.”
Her lips tighten, curling into a smile and her pretty eyes sparkle. “Your girl?”
“That’s right. I’ll always take care of you. I’ll kick any ass I have to, and in this case, I’ve got the Bradford boys helping me. We take care of our own.”
She leans forward holding me close. “I felt so alone when we met. I’d lost my career because I fought Susan.” She exhales a sigh. “It’s nice to know the good guys can still win.”
My chest surges, and I lift her off my lap to stand.
“You bet they can.” I take her hand, leading her to the balcony. “Wait right here.”
She lets out a little laugh, watching me. “What?”
“Just wait.”
Leaving her alone, I run to my bedroom, digging in the coat pocket still hanging on the dresser. We haven’t even unpacked since we flew in this afternoon. We came straight to my apartment to record the show.
Still, the ring Haddy and Gina helped me pick out has been burning a hole in my pocket all weekend long.
I hustle to the kitchen, taking out the unopened bottle of champagne and popping the cork.
Then I quickly pour two glasses and carry them out to where Melody’s waiting, bare feet on the rug, huddled beside the heat lamp.
“It’s freezing out here!” she whispers. “What are you doing?”
“Damn, sorry about that.” I put the champagne flutes down and dip into the living room to grab a plush throw off the back of the couch. “Here.”
I wrap it around her petite frame, then I take her hand in mine. “You need to know, I’m shit at keeping secrets. Everyone will tell you. The only one of us worse is Haddy.”
“Okay?” Melody frowns.
“I originally planned to do this on our visit to Newhope. Mom and Aunt Dylan worked out this whole thing…” I laugh, looking down. “They’re going to be pissed, but I just can’t wait another day.”
“Knox…” Her voice wavers, and she blinks back tears.
I look down at her slim, ivory hand clutched in mine. I don’t have to search for the words. I’ve known what I was going to say at this moment for months.
“Melody Kate Dunne, you’re the first person I ever met who believed in me…
outside my family, of course.” Air puffs through her lips, and she lifts her hand holding the champagne flute to her nose.
Encouraged, I keep going. “You gave me shit for being impulsive and undisciplined, but I know it’s because you believed in me.
You made me believe in myself. Then when Cricket came along, it all just clicked.
You drove me crazy not telling me you loved me, even though I knew you always did.
” She laughs again, and I grin. “You belong with me. You’re my Melody, a song I always want to hear.
You’re part of my legacy. You’re my family. Will you make it legal and be my wife?”
“Knox Bradford…” Her voice breaks, and a crystal tear drops onto her cheek.
I take out the ring. “Check it out, the quarterback princess engagement ring is an actual thing. Princess cut with all these small diamonds around it. It’s made for you.”
“It’s gorgeous!” Her eyes widen, and I slide the platinum band holding the massive diamond onto her finger.
She lifts her hand, holding it up and admiring it. It actually does look like it was made for her.
“So what do you say?”
She frowns briefly, and my stomach dips. “Wait… I didn’t just say yes?”
She starts to laugh, and my heart starts to beat again. Bending down, she puts the champagne flute on the table then hops over to wrap her arms around my neck.
“Yes.” Her pretty blue eyes hold mine. “It would be the greatest treasure of my life to be your family. I love you, Knox Bradford. I do believe in you, and I can’t wait to see the legend you become.”
My arms are around her waist, and I lift her off her feet. “We’re just getting started.”