I’m on my feet like everyone else in the stands, cheering as she gets tackled to the ground by her teammates.
“And there you have it folks!” the announcer screams. “Thank you for spending your Saturday with us in Clear Lake!”
Mallory wiggles out of the pile and scans the stands. I follow her smile, only to find a carbon copy of Mallory in the section over. If I didn’t know she was an only child, I’d assume the woman was her sister. Their grins are identical, pushing the boundaries of their faces.
The team jogs to the edge of the bleachers, tossing their towels into the stands. Mallory heads for her mom’s section, but winks at me when she passes my seat.
“Never expect to get your girl’s towel,” Cade says, waving at Shay as she jogs by. “They always give them to the kids on the front row or to their parents.”
My girl.
We haven’t had the official talk, but after three dates, it’ll happen soon. Still, she’s my girl, and I’ve been hers since the moment I met her.
“Shay’s your girl now?” I ask, knowing it’ll piss him off.
“Why does nobody understand friends with benefits?” He grunts and points at the gate. “There’s MalPal. Stop messing around and just ask her to be your girlfriend already, okay? It’s been almost three years. I can’t wait another day.”
“Almost three years of what?”
He grins at Mallory before turning his smile to me. “Of watching you be completely in love with her. Do something about it already.”
I jab him in the side with my elbow and stand. He’s right and knows he’s right. He’s my best friend for a reason.
Waving goodbye to Cade, I make my way down the bleachers. Too many people stand between me and the woman I’m trying to get to, clogging the aisles and hugging their players tight.
I’m ready to hug mine.
“Great game,” I say when I reach her, pulling Mallory into my arms. Her skin smells like grass and sunscreen. The scent of hard work. “That last stop was amazing, Eddie. She really thought she could score on my girl.”
She smacks my chest with her glove. “You’re getting way too comfortable being all cozy and cute with me in public.”
“Do you want me to stop?”
“Nope,” she smiles. “Just acknowledging it.”
We walk out of the stadium hand-in-hand, with Mallory’s eyes on a swivel once we reach the sidewalk. “Did you see my mom?”
“If by mom you mean twin, then yes. She was your second biggest fan out there today.”
“Oh really? Who’s number one? Cade?” she teases, unbraiding her hair. “Would you like to meet her?”
I blink hard. “You want me to meet your mom. Is that—”
“Normal this soon? Probably not, but I’m okay with that. Only if you want to though.”
Meeting the parents is something I haven’t done before. Dating was out of the picture in high school, my limited free time spent working at Gray Construction and working for a swimming scholarship. Not a single person has caught my eye since meeting Mallory on the first day of freshman year, so I don’t care if it’s too soon.
I would be honored to meet the woman who raised the woman of my dreams.
When I nod, her eyes blow wide. “Are you sure? This is your last chance to back out.”
“Eddie, I’m not going anywhere. This, you, is all I’ve ever wanted.” I pull her to me and kiss her like there’s nobody around, even though there are people all around. When I finally pull away, I say, “Plus, I need to see if the high level of energy is genetic.”
“It absolutely is. You’ll see.”
The sound of her name makes us jump, and we turn around to find a woman running straight at us.
“Mama!”
