“You missed all of the halftime show. I know you love Maroon 5,” Resha stated as I sat down.
I shrugged. “I had more important things to do. The next half is not going to go like the first half. I guarantee you that.”
Simply hearing the joy in Tyler’s voice at finding out that he was going to be a father was more than enough for me not to even care about missing one of my favorite bands perform. There was a much better performance on the way.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Tyler
“Tyler, Tyler, over here!”
“Over here!”
I blinked as the incessant lights from flashing cameras and yells from the reporters who’d swarmed our locker room went off. The scene was chaos as just about everyone of my teammates shook and sprayed a bottle of champagne while shouting in celebration.
The second half of the game had not gone like the first half at all. The news Destiny had shared with me lit a flame under my ass that nothing else could. Knowing the woman I adored and loved more than life itself was carrying my son was all I needed to hear to pull my shit together. That, and the fact that I believed her when she said she’d use my poor performance as ammunition to tease me for the next twenty years. I couldn’t allow my future son to think his old man had choked in the big game.
“Congratulations, Mr. MVP!” Kelvin yelled over the raucous of the crowd, clapping me on the back.
I slapped my hand against his open palm and pulled him in for a hug.
“Something lit your ass in the second half.”
“My wife telling me I’m going to be a father!” I gushed, unable to contain myself or the good news.
“Ah, man! We need fucking cigars and champagne!”
“Keep Destiny’s pregnancy to yourself, though,” I told Kelvin.
I didn’t give a shit about anyone finding out about our marriage. I’d sing that from the rooftops myself, but I knew I was the first person Destiny had told about her pregnancy. Seeing as how we were surrounded by reporters, I didn’t need that news getting out before we could tell our respective families.
“Tyler, did you think after that dismal first half you would now be in this position?” a reporter from theSun Timesasked, thrusting his microphone in my face.
“What the hell else was I supposed to think? That was over after the first half? You think I’ve been playing sports for a damn week? I knew we still had a hell of a chance,” I growled at the reporter, annoyed by his asinine question.
“Tyler, tell us what you were thinking as you tossed that seventy-five yard pass to Gellman as the final play in the third quarter for the touchdown that took you over the Falcons?”
“I was thinkinghe better fucking catch it,” I stated honestly, causing the reporters standing around to laugh. But I wasn’t kidding. That was the longest pass of my career, a perfect spiral right into the hands of one of our receivers who’d been wide open in the end zone.
“Anything you want to say to your fans and people watching?” another reporter asked.
I turned and looked into the camera next to him. “I want to thank the Cougars’ fans for always supporting us, my family of course, and most importantly, my wife, my good luck charm for giving me the best gift I could ever imagine. I love you, precious.” With that, I stood and pushed passed the reporters to celebrate with the rest of my teammates.
The rest of the time in the locker room was a blur. There was a ton of celebration, champagne splashing, yelling, dancing, and more. And while I took it all in with my teammates, the real celebration for me began once I laid eyes on my five-foot-three dynamo of a wife. A wife, who I knew was pregnant with my son.
“I’m so proud of you,” Destiny gushed as I pulled her into my arms. “And you smell.”
I tossed my head back, laughing while also picking her up. “You still planning on bad mouthing me to my kid?”
She giggled. “Only a little but you’ll probably deserve it for one reason or another.”
I shrugged. “True.”
I lowered my mouth to hers, taking my fill of her plump lips and kissing her with all of the energy I had left in my body. “I love you,” I murmured against her lips.
“And I you.”
My face turned serious as I placed her back on her feet. “How’re you feeling?” I questioned, my hand going to her belly.
