Page 96 of Saddle Storm

This man . . . despite not playing tonight . . . knows exactly who he is.

The energy around him was electric. Like the cool air itself knew he belongs.

And now . . . I know it too.

I just hope I can fit into it.

It’s almost symbolic that the jersey I’m wearing is too big for me because I grabbed the first one I saw, paid for it, and raced back to my seat.

Without thinking. Without wondering if . . . it’ll fit.

But it doesn’t mean I’m taking it off.

I didn’t watch the game. Not much of it anyway.

How could I when Silas kept pulling me in like a magnet. The way he stood, poised, humble, laser-focused. The way all eyes were on him tonight, like they’ve been waiting for him.

I know the feeling.

Heat curls in my stomach as I wait for him to find us.

Nerves too.

Because I know the second I see him, with that wide grin, hair slicked, eyes glimmering—I’ll wish I had those restraints again.

Because I’m so close to claiming what’s mine, it’s scary.

31

I’m with Levi, Tessa, and the boys in the player’s family lounge just off the lower concourse. According to Levi, it’s the closest to the locker rooms and more kid-friendly than the owner’s club upstairs.

Max and Jackson have found a snack table and a few other kids to talk to. I take a moment to admire it since I never get to see him like this. Maybe he’s not as awkward as I’d thought.

Maybe he just needed this. A little confidence. A little excitement in his life.

A male figure.

Cheers and commotion erupt outside the dark glass doors and I see why. Several players stepped out of the locker room and out into the hall. VIP pass holders, reporters, and fans crowd them instantly.

“Ugh, finally,” Tessa says. “Come on, Jackson, let’s congratulate Uncle Chase and get home.” She leans in to me. “I hate to run, but we’ve got a two-year-old we need to pick up from my brother-in-law’s.”

I smile. “Ah, that’s a good age. But I’m sure you know all too well how fast they grow.”

“Not really. Jackson’s not mine.”

“He’s not?”

“Well, he’s mine in every way that counts and I love him to death—but biologically, no.”

I look at Levi. “You’d never know. You two look like you’ve been together forever.”

“Wish it were true. But no—in fact that man tried to run me out of town for three years before he let me near his kid.”

I cough out a laugh. “What? Really?”

“Even more of a fun fact, I still came knockin’ on his door to hire me to be Jackson’s nanny. I mean, the man was desperate, but he wasn’t that desperate.”

I smile. “I don’t suppose you put on a jersey to win his heart?”