Beautiful Storm (San Francisco End Game #1)

EPILOGUE ONE

Amelia - The Big Day

Today’s the day and no matter what happens, it’s going to be life-changing.

With my heart lodged in my throat, I bounce Juliet softly in my arms as we enter the last few minutes of the game. The score is tied, but even with his helmet on and the distance between us, I can tell Luke’s confidence hasn’t wavered. Not making the Super Bowl was never an option in his mind, and now that they’re here, they’re out to win. It’s their year and they know it.

I watch as Luke lines up for the next play and smile through my nerves. The love I have for this man is beyond anything I’ve ever felt before, and while it’s still scary as hell, there's a giddiness running through my veins at the thought of finally finding my person. I have no doubt in my mind that I’m exactly where I’m meant to be in life. Everything that came before this moment happened to bring us together. I may never understand it, but I know it’s the truth. It has to be, because I’ve never felt more alive and I’ve never felt so centered before. Like I’ve truly found my purpose. I wasn’t born to be a muse. I wasn’t meant to be a shadow of my former self. I was meant to shine, and even when I’m at home in my pajamas, nursing Juliet, Luke makes me feel like I do. He makes me feel like I’m the star of our show, like I’m the most important person in the room—Juliet aside. He lifts me up.

Through all our faults, and we have many, the one thing that makes us perfect for each other is that we’re equals. No matter what happens in life, I know he’s got my back, and I have his. If I wanted to go back to work tomorrow, he’d support me. If I wanted to stay home and raise babies for the rest of my life, he’d support that too. And if I wanted to walk away from our relationship—not that I could ever fathom that—he’d support my decision. He’d fight like hell, but in the end, he wants what’s best for me.

I’ve never had that. Not with my parents, not with Preston. I’ve never felt that sure, that protected, that safe. And I’ve definitely never felt that loved.

Lainey bounces on her toes beside me before grabbing my free hand. San Francisco has the ball as the clock ticks down, but I still hold my breath. Cincinnati has played a hell of a game, and it could still go into overtime and go either way.

Thomas launches the ball, and my breath hitches loudly, or maybe it was a collective hitch from everyone in the room. Either way, there’s a breath of silence, then chaos ensues in the suite as the ball hits its mark, landing in Easton’s outstretched hands before he runs ahead with Luke protecting him from the side.

Barely a few seconds tick by, but I’m so tense that when my phone vibrates in my pocket, I jump, startling Juliet. She settles quickly, but when I glance up, I see Easton slam the ball to the field as the whistle blows. Touchdown.

The crowd erupts in cheers as tears coat my eyes. Summer and Lainey jump up and down screaming, but when they see me, they stop, opening their arms wide for a hug. We sway to the fanfare, my chest full of awe as we watch the guys fall all over each other in celebration.

They did it. They won.

Luke said they would, and they did. He was confident from the beginning. He knew what he wanted, and he went after it. Exactly like he did with me.

“You girls should go,” I tell Summer and Lainey when it’s obvious they’re lingering for my benefit. “The guys will be expecting you on the field.”

Lainey hesitates until I shove her toward the door, but not before giving me one more sad pout as she glances toward the field.

Luke and I agreed that Juliet and I would stay up here until the crowds had gone. We agreed to meet once his media commitments were over. After the formalities. But that doesn't mean they have to stay with me.

My pulse races as I wait, but it’s only a few minutes before the door slams open and I startle to find Luke racing through the opening, his expression a mix of love and relief, his smile wide.

“What are you—”

“We fucking did it,” he cuts me off as he wraps Juliet and me in his arms, careful not to hurt her. “And you’re here. My girls are here.”

He pulls out of the hug and stares into my eyes with so much emotion that my heart seizes momentarily.

“Fuck, I love you.” He grabs my chin and turns my head to the side, locking our lips in an all-consuming kiss. A kiss that only lasts a few seconds but fills me with more love than I’ve ever felt before.

When he releases me from his grasp, he winks before taking Juliet from my arms, cradling her against him. And like always, I marvel at how tiny she is against his huge body.

“Did you see Daddy?” he coos, like the smitten man that he is. “I did that for you, Angel. For you and Mom.”

She doesn’t even wake but still curls her body into his warmth, making my heart melt. Luke just played the biggest game of his career and won, but instead of soaking up the moment and the praise, he’s here, with us.

“You did it, Babe.” I glance up at him in awe, beyond proud of my man for more than just the Super Bowl.

“Hell yeah, I did.” He laughs like he’s joking, but the emotion in his expression gives him away.

“But you should be down there celebrating,” I begin but he cuts in before I can say more.

“I’m exactly where I want to be, Ace. They know what this means to me. I needed to see you both and nothing was going to stop me.”

Butterflies wreak havoc in my chest but I ignore them. “Will you get in trouble?”

“Oh definitely.” He chuckles. “So, I can’t stay long. But while I always thought a Super Bowl win would be my everything, it means more to me than I thought it would because I have you here supporting me. I love you, Amelia. Thank you.”

“I lo—”

“Luke,” a security guard interrupts us, “I gotta get you back down there, man.”

“Okay. Okay. I better…” He trails off, pointing to the door.

“Yes. Go. I love you. And congratulations.”

He reluctantly passes Juliet back to me before pressing a kiss to both our foreheads and hesitating again.

“Go.” I laugh, pushing him toward the door, just like I had to do with his sister. “We’ll be here when you’re done. I promise.”

A s per the original plan, Luke came back to see us after the on-field celebrations and interviews were over and escorted us to our hotel before heading off to the official after-party.

Considering I didn’t have a late night, I’m still exhausted by the time I fall into bed after feeding Juliet, and it doesn’t take long before I’m drifting off to sleep.

As expected, I’m still alone when Juliet wakes me at three, but Luke creeps in while I’m feeding her, a giddy smile still locked on his face.

“How is she?” he whispers as he strips quietly, his eyes on Juliet.

“She’s great. Just hungry. How were the celebrations? I thought you’d be out all night.”

“Me too, but I kind of missed my girls.”

“You see us plenty. This is your big day.”

“It is, but just because I’m home, doesn’t mean the celebrations are over.” He raises a brow, as a cocky smirk settles into place.

“Is that so?”

“Yep. I’m sure we could think of something to do after Juliet’s back asleep.”

“Definitely. I could use a massage. It’s stressful watching the Super Bowl.”

“I thought that only happened if you cared.”

“Well, it turns out that I do. Very much so.”

Luke chuckles before flopping onto the bed, his eyes drifting closed.

“How do you plan on celebrating when you’re ready to pass out?”

“I’m fine.” He bolts upright, almost startling me. “I just needed those few seconds of shut-eye.”

“Okay. You’re acting weird. And why aren’t you drunk? I thought for sure you’d be drinking yourself stupid.”

“Nope. I had two very important things to come home to.”

“Things?” I raise an eyebrow.

“People.”

I almost feel bad that he’s here for us, but when he takes Juliet from my arms and sings her to sleep, I snap out of it. Luke is not one to do something he doesn’t want to. If he wanted to celebrate with his team, he’d be there. This is where he wants to be. With us.

A warmth spreads through my chest, and the second Juliet’s back in her portable crib, I jump up and wrap my arms around him from behind. “You were amazing today, Luke. I’m so goddamn proud of you. You manifested the shit out of that win, never once doubting yourself or the team.”

Luke unclasps my hands and steps out of my hold before spinning to face me, cupping my cheeks. “That’s not the only thing I manifested this past year.”

“Oh yeah?”

“I manifested you.”

“You hated me.”

“Nah. I wanted to hate you, but I never really did. Not completely. You, on the other hand, can hold a grudge.”

“And you’d be wise to remember that.” I bite back my smile and he huffs before walking me over to the bed and perching me on the edge.

“It’s all up here.” He points to his head as he sits beside me. “I remember everything.” He puts on a creepy voice as his eyes widen, making me laugh.

“Stop, you sound like a stalker.”

“If you leave me, you bet your ass I’ll be stalking you.”

“I don’t doubt that.” A yawn escapes me but I try to hide it. “Sorry, the excitement of today really got to me. I’m not usually this tired. I thought Juliet’s random sleep patterns were making me accustomed to little to no sleep, but today feels different.”

A flash of a frown mars Luke’s features before he hides it. “I’ll let you sleep then. Juliet will be up again before you know it.”

He moves to stand but I stop him. “Wait. I may be tired, but I don’t want to sleep. I want to hear all about your day. The parts of it I missed. How are you feeling?”

Luke grins before his smirk turns cocky again. “I’m on top of the world, Ace. But before we talk about football, I’ve got something else to say.”

“Oh-kay.” I pout, making Luke chuckle before he bops me on the nose.

“Winning the Super Bowl was a dream come true. Something I’ve been striving for my entire life. I had a one-track mind and I wasn’t retiring until I got that ring. I may not be as stubborn as you, but I was more than willing to push my body to the limits and outstay my welcome if it meant I could realize my dream.”

I huff out a laugh, picturing a middle-aged Luke running across the field. So much for not talking about football. I’d usually call him out for less than this, but I give him a pass for today. “You’re amazing, Luke. You set out to achieve a life goal, and you did—”

“Wait, I’m not finished.”

“Ooh, sorry.” I bite back a laugh. “Go on.”

“Thank you. Winning the Super Bowl was my life goal. My dream. But when we won, the first thing I wanted to do was see you. Yes, I loved celebrating with the team, but I realized my thoughts had shifted to include other goals. Other dreams. And you and Juliet are a huge part of that.”

He stands up and it may be the low light, but I swear he looks nervous. “You know, I’ve never once dreamed about getting married,” he begins, catching me off guard. “I never wanted to be a husband and I never wanted a wife.”

My brows furrow and Luke smiles, his nerves seemingly dissipating.

“Hold your disgust until I’m finished,” he says, his smile lighting up the room. “I never once dreamed of any of that, but I dream of being married to you. And before you say anything,”—he reaches forward, covering my mouth with his hand, anticipating my remark—“before you argue, I don’t mean our online marriage of convenience. I want to see you walk down the aisle while I struggle to hold back the tears. I want to say all the sappy things people say to each other in their vows. I want our daughter in a cute little dress throwing ridiculously expensive flowers at our friends and family as they all whisper about how perfect she is. And I want to take you back to a fancy hotel and fuck you senseless while you wear a white dress telling the world how pure you are. But I only want those things because it’s you . You sucked me in when I was a kid and that poor little version of me had no idea just how deep you were going to sink your claws. Hell, the adult version of me still had no clue. I wanted to hate you more than I wanted anything else in the world. Football aside. But maybe that should have been a dead giveaway. All that energy wasted on the wrong emotion.”

I try to laugh, but my own emotion clogs my throat as tears fall from my eyes. I’ve never been an overly romantic person, so I had no idea how much I wanted to hear someone profess their love like that. Until now.

“And here I thought you were with me because of our daughter,” I joke but my words come out raspy. Luke knows I’m lying. He didn’t need to smirk for me to see that, because we both know, I don’t think that at all. Never did. He’s been all in from the moment I told him I was pregnant. Maybe even before that. I was just too blind to see it. And while I tried to pretend our night together didn’t mean anything, it meant everything . More than either of us will ever know. It gave us Juliet and, in the end, brought us together.

“Amelia Joy Rosenberg…” Luke says my name like he’s scolding me before walking over to his suitcase and rummaging about inside, hiding something behind his back. “Amelia,”—his voice softens—“you have my word that this is the last secret I’ll ever keep from you. But I promise, it’s a good one.” He drops down to one knee and reveals the small box he was hiding, opening it to show me a square-cut diamond engagement ring and a simple white gold wedding band. I gasp as I lean forward, but before I can say or do anything more, Luke continues on. “I plan to spend the rest of my life making you and our daughter happy because I have never been happier than I am with you. No amount of accolades or Super Bowl wins will compare to the joy you’ve brought to my life. And while I’ll always regret the years we lost, I know that they brought us to this moment. To our happily ever after. So, Amelia J Rosenberg, will you do me the honor of officially becoming my wife? I want you to be mine. Forever.”

I’m speechless as tears roll down my face. All I can do is nod before flinging myself into his arms.

“I’m going to need you to answer me, Ace.” Luke pulls back. “As cute as the blubbering is.”

I shove at his hard chest before smiling through the waterworks. “Luke, I have never wanted to sass you more than I do right now,” I rush out, my voice wavering. “But I also want to shower you with kisses and show you how much this moment means to me. Thank you for pushing me to see how amazing life could be with you by my side. You and Juliet are my world, and I couldn’t imagine my life without you.”

“So that’s a…” He rolls his hand, encouraging me to get the words out. Sassing me .

“Yes.” I giggle. “I’d love to officially be your wife.”

“Good.” He nods a few times, pretending he’s unaffected as his eyes well with tears.

“Good,” I repeat, my heart pounding so hard, I’m sure he can hear it. “Happy now?”

“So fucking happy.” He quickly stands and cups my face, pressing his lips to mine, kissing my mouth, my cheeks, my nose, my forehead, making me laugh as more tears fall. “I love you so fucking much, Amelia.” He pulls back and grabs the ring box again before kissing my hand and slipping both rings onto my finger.

Words get stuck in my throat as I stare down at my hand. I didn’t think much about wearing rings again. But now that I have them on, it feels like a direct connection to my heart.

I’m married to Luke Bennett.

And I’ve never been happier.

When I don’t say anything after another beat, Luke chuckles before kissing me again. “You need to get naked,” he whispers against my lips. “Before Angel wakes up again. You’re mine for at least the next hour.”

“Wrong.” I push him back, my hands locked on his biceps.

“Wrong?” He raises a brow.

“Yep. I’ll always be yours, no matter what.”

Luke’s eyes darken before he curls his hand into my hair. “God, I love hearing that. I can’t wait to make you my wife again.”

He leans forward but I hold him at arm's length, my chest tight with more emotion than I’d usually be able to handle. “This is the real deal, isn’t it?” I ask, my eyes flashing between him and Juliet. “We’re really going to make this work.”

“Absolutely.” Luke smiles, the warmth of it coating my skin in goose bumps. “I told you, whatever it takes.”

“Whatever it takes,” I agree before pulling him down on top of me and wrapping my arms and legs around him.

And for the first time in years, I feel like I’ve found my place and I don’t plan on losing myself again. Not that Luke would ever let me. It’s all up from here.