“Go bust ass.”
I put the phone away. “So, all good?”
Luke nodded. “Yeah. He insisted I was more than ready and that they were in for a surprise if they thought I wasn’t. He told me which side they’re weakest on and some tricks he used against them in other games.” Brown eyes shone with admiration. “Dev’s the best. I was nervous, but now I’m pumped to get out there and show him I can do it.”
My chest swelled with pride. “He’s great that way. Even in college he was always putting the team ahead of himself. He loves the game and winning.” I patted him for reassurance. “Now let’s go out there and kick their asses. For Dev.”
We joined the rest of the team in our usual circle to calm nerves and center ourselves, and today we all recited a prayer for Dev’s recovery. One last cheer and we headed into the tunnel to the field, already hearing the roar of the crowd filling the stadium.
**
“Did you see that throw?” Zeke yelled as we hit the locker room. “Kid’s got it locked down.”
We were all celebrating our 21-14 win, but Zeke seemed to take particular pleasure in getting in my face to let me know what a great job Luke had done as quarterback.
“He was great,” I agreed, and Zeke’s smile grew even more malicious.
“Looks like your best friend should think about packing it in.”
“Fuck off.” I flipped him the middle finger and gave him my back. Luke entered the room, and we all surrounded him. The kid deserved all the accolades—two touchdown passes, over three hundred yards passing. Damn, I felt like a proud papa.
“Luke. Way to go.” I hugged him.
“Thanks.” Eyes bright and face flushed, he rubbed his face with both hands. “I can’t believe it. Everything Dev said was right on point.” He blinked, and overcome with emotion, brushed at his lashes. “I couldn’t have done it without his support.”
“Conference Championship, here we come!” Jonas turned the music on blast, and the reporters started streaming in.
“Get ready for it, kid.” I squeezed Luke’s shoulder and watched as the press made a beeline for him. It was a rookie’s dream, and while I was happy for him, my heart ached, knowing how badly Dev wished he were here. Several reporters from the national news media approached me, and I put on my game face.
“Blink, tell us about the first touchdown from Luke Fontaine. Did it feel different with him leading the team and not Devlin Summers?”
“Luke did a fantastic job stepping into Devil’s shoes. And I know for a fact Dev was cheering him on.”
“How’s he doing? Do you know?”
“From what I’ve been told, his tests are all good, and even though he wants to play, he understands he needs to take the time to recuperate.”
“How strong do you feel going into the conference championship? Do you think the Kings can win without Devlin Summers? Was today a fluke?”
I bristled. “No win is a fluke. Luke Fontaine rose to the challenge, and we defeated a tough opponent. Do I think we can win without Devlin? I think we proved that today. Thank you.”
Dismissing them, I walked away to the bathroom, where I stripped and got under the shower. After the standard check-over by the team physician, a stint in the hot tub, and a massage, I got to the hotel, undressed and lay down in bed, listening to the quiet. Normally after a playoff win like this, I loved watching the highlights on television, and Dev and I would go over the plays.
God, I missed him.
Momma knew I needed a low-key night after a game, and we’d agreed to meet later for a dinner, but right now all I wanted was to hear Dev’s voice.
“Hey, baby.” His raspy purr sent a bolt of longing through me. Even though we never had sex during playoff season, just having him with me on the field and in the hotel was enough to ground me. Without him near, I was lost and lonely.
“Hey, yourself. Did you watch?”
“Do you need to ask? Of course.” He paused for a beat. “The kid looked good. Really good.”
“He’s not bad. Talking to you helped.”
Dev chuckled. “Yeah, I watched the press conference afterward. He thanked me repeatedly.”
“He was respectful to you. I think it was nice.”
