Page 185 of Made Better Together

“Our one hundred chances…” he jokes back.

Happiness sweeps over me. Underneath his words, he’s projecting so much affection. So much commitment to me, to us.

After a few seconds of soaking that in, I try to be encouraging. “You might get an offer from an NFL team for next season. You never know.”

“Maybe. It’ll be hard as a rookie backup with no pro game experience. Either way I’m covering my bases.”

“The right opportunity will come. I know it.”

“Thanks for your faith in me, Rosy.” My heart clenches at how sincere he sounds. How open he seems to everything we’re becoming to each other.

“We’ll walk through it together.”

He swallows. “How…how do you feel about me waiting to see where you’re playing, and applying for positions there?”

The question validates my thought of a moment ago. Before today, I hadn’t dared to think he’d want that. It’s more permanent than I’d been able to dream about with all the chaos and secrecy. “I mean, you’d do that? Leave Orlando?”

“For you, yes. A job is a job.” He glances at me, smiling. “You’re irreplaceable, Rosy. We’ve been pulled apart so many times, and I’d follow you across the country to make sure it doesn’t happen again. If you want me to.”

My answer comes easily. “I do. I want that so much.”

His smile grows bigger. “So I’ll wait until you know. Still no news from Aiden?”

I sigh. “No, but he says maybe next week when the holidays are over.”

“It’s gonna happen.”

He brings his right hand to rest on my knee. We spend the remainder of the drive sharing stories of our last few days that we skipped over on our FaceTimes. The trip passes in a blip before we’re suddenly pulling into the high-end development where Landon lives.

“This is really nice.” The houses are larger than Dad’s and look more pristinely maintained. Then again, Landon’s endorsement money alone dwarfs what Dad made total in his career.

“Yeah, Landon didn’t go quite as big as Johnson, but their places are both mammoth.”

I check my nerves as he turns into the driveway of a house that must be his brother’s. Despite the significance of tonight, I’m more excited than anxious.

He grabs my hand and gives it a squeeze as we walk to the door.

After he punches in a code to unlock Landon’s door, we step into the front entryway, my sandals clicking on the tile. “Should I take off my sho⁠—”

Exuberant barks interrupt my question, and Landon’s beagle comes racing to greet us. He jumps on my legs, tail wagging, and I lean down to pet him. “Hi, there.”

“Grover, down,” Connor orders. The pup immediately obeys and earns a pet. “Good boy. Sit.” Grover also complies with his second, softer command.

“Man, the way you can get him to listen to you, I need lessons,” Landon says as he comes into the entryway.

He spots me and a wide grin erupts on his face. “Eden, so good to have you here. The gang is all hanging in the living room.”

“Thanks for having me.”

Landon gives a pointed look at Connor. “Sounds like it was overdue.”

Connor throws me a wink as Landon turns to lead us into the living room. It’s packed full with Grace, Rori, Avery, Johnson, and Rawley. A chorus of “hi” and “hello” breaks out when they see us.

“Ahem,” Connor says, clearing his throat. “May I present my girlfriend, Eden Larsson.”

That evokes cheers and whoops even louder than the initial greetings. “Secret no more,” yelps Rawley.

“Hi, everyone,” I say. I’m certain I’m blushing, but they’re all beaming at me, so I try to soak in the happy energy.