Cam snorts. “Because usually you are.”
A shadow passes over Brook’s face, but it disappears as quickly as it came. “Well, this time I’m not. Chase can keep playing,” he says, referring to Cam’s backup who he sent in for this set of downs. “This is important,” he says, looking between Cam and me, intensity all over his face.
“No,” I say stubbornly, turning to Cam. “It’s the AFC Championship, Cameron. You’re playing. I’m not going anywhere. We’ll do us later. You need to do this now.”
He smiles, sliding his palm up to cup the back of my neck, the possessive gesture making my stomach swoop. “You’ll stay?”
I grin, kissing his nose even as my heart tugs at the vulnerability in his tone. I’ll spend the entire rest of my life making up for leaving him this week. “Just try to stop me.”
“I love you,” he murmurs, cupping my face and kissing me again, and I want him to tell me a million more times because I will never, ever get tired of hearing it.
We break apart as the music in the stadium pipes up,signaling the end of the half, and all the players make their way off the field.
Cam smiles and kisses the top of my head. “Looks like we’ve got a little more time.”
“Dad!”
We both turn as Riley and Ethan saunter up, followed by Drew, Tyler, and Sophie.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, throwing my arms around Sophie.
Sophie shrugs, beaming. “Tyler gave me an all-access pass at the beginning of the season. I wanted to see your grand gesture from the field. It was perfect, Mads. Rom-com level amazingness.”
“Right?” Riley practically squeals, tossing her arms around me. “Peak romance, Maddy.”
“Kind of gross,” Ethan says with a grimace, before breaking out into a smile. “But kind of cool too. And I like that Dad is smiling again. He was really insufferable without you.”
I grin up at Cam. “Insufferable, huh?”
Cam laughs, leaning down and kissing my head for the millionth time, like he can’t stop. I’m fine with it. “How do you know the word insufferable?”
Ethan shrugs. “Heard it in a movie.”
This time we all laugh, and Cam runs a hand over Ethan’s hair before tugging me closer. “He tells no lies. I was miserable without you. Nothing in my world was right without you there.”
“I’m here,” I say, leaning against his shoulder, speaking to both Cam and his kids. “I’ll always be here. I promise. I love you,” I say, looking up at Cam. “And I love you both, too.” I look at Riley and Ethan, and their triplet grins make my heart pound as I tighten my arm around Cam. “You’re my family now. All of you.”
“And you’re ours,” Cam murmurs, leaning his cheek on my head, and I am sure that no one has ever been this happy.
“So what exactly are your intentions with our girl, Cameron?”
When I look up at Sophie, her eyes are dancing with amusement, the grin on her face huge as she looks between Cam and me.
I look up at Cam, his eyes catching mine, and in his face, I see love and family and home. I see chaotic mornings and lazy weekends and more kids for all of us to love. I see the brightest future and forever and everything I ever wanted. “To love her until the end of time.”
Cam’s words have my eyes burning, tears pushing their way up my throat even as a grin spreads over my face. I press my forehead to his, our breaths mingling and our hearts beating out the same rhythm that sounds a lot likeforever.
“That sounds perfect to me,” I whisper, tightening my arms around his neck. “I think I would like to love you for that long too.” With our words hanging in the air, in front of our friends, our team, our kids, and sixty-eight thousand cheering fans, Cam leans down and kisses me.
And nothing in the world has ever felt so right.
EPILOGUE
MADDY
Two Weeks Later
“Shit,” Cam whimpers, as he curls one hand into the jersey I’m wearing, dropping his other hand and tracing his thumb over the spot where we’re joined. He collects my arousal and uses it to circle my forbidden entrance, making electricity pulse up my spine. “If you keep doing that I’m not going to last long.”
