Love on the Line (Beaumont Legacy #2)

Maya

Two and a half years later

M aya pulled out of the tennis center parking lot, waving at one of the children she’d just finished coaching. She was already late to Cooper and Colton’s retirement party, and if she didn’t step on it, she was sure to get that specific look from Lucia that told her they would be having words. Kind, but very firm words.

Speeding down the road and then the highway, she made it to Colton and Lucia’s house in record time, dialing the number so that she could be let into the ridiculous security gate that encircled their property.

Colton didn’t mess around. Especially now that ’s two-year-old niece was in the picture.

Half of the Sabertooths team spilled out of Colton and Lucia’s house as pulled into the driveway, even though there was absolutely space for all of them inside. While the team was generally saddened that they weren’t in the conference finals, the watch party festivities were in full swing, and a bounce house was erected for the Sabertooths children on the large front lawn.

jumped out of her car and rushed toward Colton and Cooper, who stood watching the inflatable house. When she was only a few steps away, Cooper noticed her, opening his arms for her to run into.

She’d seen him just this morning before she’d gone to the tennis center to coach for the day, but she’d missed him in the hours they’d been apart. He hadn’t changed much in the few years they’d been together, his cowboy hat still worn proudly, jeans and tight Sabertooths T-shirt showing off the work he’d put into his last season.

Walking into his arms and being held by him felt like home.

“Hi,” whispered into his chest.

“Hi, sunflower.”

“Happy retirement. Also, I missed you.”

“Thank you. I missed you more.”

She hummed in disagreement. “Well, I love you more.”

Cooper squeezed her tight. “Say it again,” he murmured against her hair.

giggled. “I love you more.”

Colton grumbled something that sounded an awful lot like “get a room” and playfully stomped toward where Lucia was putting little bows in her daughter Lyla’s hair .

“Now you know how I feel!” called after him. “And happy retirement!”

“Thank you!” He laughed over his shoulder.

“Good one, sweetheart.”

snorted at Cooper’s sarcastic tone, turning in his arms to take in the late January day and all the people who were important to her and her family. Kids ran around screaming and chasing each other, chaotic in the best way.

She looked around for her father, already sure he wouldn’t be here. Despite the fact that neither her nor her siblings had expressly cut him out of their lives, he had quickly become like a vestigial organ—existing as a semblance of a family member, though rarely appearing at family events and being excluded or asked to leave quickly when he inevitably erupted.

Plus, he was probably distraught that Colton was leaving the league in his prime.

“Are your mom and sisters here?”

Cooper set his chin on her shoulder. “Ma and the girls are inside with your Nana and Nani, fawning over the food and insisting on taking pictures of anybody and everyone who walks into the house.” He waved his hand toward the opposite side of the yard, past the inflatable bounce house, where Devi and a teammate’s wife stood talking.

Cooper’s sisters had visited often, and had grown close to them. His mother too. His father still wasn’t the most present, and imagined he was upset that Cooper’s retirement had come and yet Cooper still had no plans to move back to Tennessee, but Cooper didn’t seem bothered by it anymore.

“I’ll go say hi. Has the game started yet?”

Landon, after spending so long in Colton’s shadow, was finally playing in a conference final on the way to the championship, and and her family couldn’t be happier for him. Her brothers had done a lot of growing in the last year, together and separately, and now more than ever, Landon was becoming a shining star. He’d risen to be one of the top tight ends in the league, trading off with Cooper, much to Cooper’s dismay, and he’d finally met a woman who could put him in his place.

“Not yet. Few more minutes and then we can go inside and watch with everyone.”

“Okay. Meet you inside?” turned back around in his arms and placed a chaste kiss to his lips.

He smiled into the kiss. “I’ll get us good seats. I’ll be the one waving wildly with a bell around my neck. You won’t be able to miss it.”

“If you can’t get good seats, plead man of honor.”

She began to walk away, but Cooper grabbed her hand and pulled her back to him gently. He put his hat onto her head and whispered gruffly, just for her ears, “You decided whether or not you’re gonna marry me yet?”

felt her cheeks warm. She’d given it lots of thought, and she already knew her answer would be a yes. “I don’t know, cowboy. You calling in your favor? ”

“If I have to use funding our charity as a means of convincing you to marry me, I’ve done something so very wrong in this relationship.”

tapped her chin. “I guess we’ll have to keep thinking about how I can pay you back then.”

Cooper cupped her chin, and she quickly put a hand on the hat that threatened to fall off her head as he pulled her gaze to him. “You know damn well you paid that off long ago, and I wouldn’t have cared even if you hadn’t. Now don’t make me beg at my own retirement party in front of all of my teammates.”

“You know how I love when you beg,” she said, knowing the smirk on her face was only fueling a fire that would spread through her later that night, especially by the way his pupils dilated and his gaze shifted to her lips.

“Big. Sloppy. Kisses.”

pulled out of his arms as he descended toward her, running away from him, a hand still holding his hat to her head. “Get us good seats to watch the best tight end in the league, please!” she called over her shoulder as she made her way to Lyla and Lucia.

When reached them, she swooped down to grab her niece in her arms, spinning her around once before placing her onto the ground. “How’s my little athletic genius?”

“Stop throwing my child around like she’s a stuffed animal, please,” Colton grumbled, though Lucia sent a wide smile .

“He’s grumpy because he has to watch Landon in the conference final this year.” Lucia laughed when Colton’s eyebrows furrowed. knew it was all in good fun, as they’d already agreed they’d be at this year’s championship game if Landon made it through the conference final. Plus, both Colton and Cooper were content with their three championship wins.

“You know I’d rather be here than anywhere else.”

Down the lawn, a few of the rookies on the team yelled for another to chug his drink, and ’s nose wrinkled. “It’s almost like you’re raising a frat baby.”

At Colton’s disgusted frown, snickered.

“How dare you.” Then he moved toward the group of guys, yelling, “Hey! There are kids at this party,” and almost felt as though she’d tattled.

Her niece waddled to her mother, who scooped her up. “I’m gonna take her inside. I thought about putting her down for a nap, but the frat house is only going to get louder once the game gets going. We’ll see how she does.”

“Auntie would be happy to take her off your hands anytime. I’m going to make her into a tennis superstar,” cooed at her, waggling her fingers as Lyla laughed and clapped her hands.

“Noted, and I will put you in rotation,” Lucia joked, heading up to the house.

walked the few yards to where Devi stood, smiling at her like she’d been waiting for years to be reunited with her, and not like they’d just seen each other last week .

had officially moved into Cooper’s house before his last season, but she traveled to Los Angeles a lot, checking in with Viola and the LA branch of the charity as well as visiting her cousin and grandparents. While she coached a lot in Charleston, both for the charity and on her own, her schedule was flexible and allowed her to be gone for a few days at a time, which meant she didn’t have to do virtual margaritas with Devi anymore and could instead be with her, slurping them down by the gallon in person. Even Landon, when he had a few hours, would fly down to hang out with them, or they’d meet him in San Jose.

The Sabertooths had loved On the Line, and over the months after she’d moved to Charleston, had created a board and taken over some of the bigger logistical aspects of the charity that were over ’s head, like expansion and tax work. She and Cooper were still cofounders, and continued coaching and handling day-to-day oversight in Los Angeles and Charleston. She also made sure to work with the board often on everything she could, especially expansion efforts, but she had learned to let other people help her when she needed it.

They now had branches in Austin, Denver, and Kansas City, and were on the lookout for more locations now that the season was over.

Her friends stopped by when they could to help with On the Line, which was fun for her and for the kids, who were excited to meet professional players. She knew their support was a way for them to show their love, rather than out of obligation to her, and she was eternally grateful to them.

was forever in awe that her small dream from three years ago had yielded something so spectacular and that On the Line had helped so many children and families.

“Hi!” pulled her cousin into a hug. Devi didn’t often come to visit them but she’d grown closer to Lucia and Colton and had wanted to be here for his retirement party. Plus, she had a soft spot for Lyla.

“I see you’re embracing Cooper’s Tennessee roots.” Devi nodded her head toward ’s hat.

“You like it? I’m going for a hybrid, tennis slash horse riding thing here.” grinned as she waved her hand at her tennis dress, which she knew did not pair well with the hat.

“It’s great. Wouldn’t be surprised if you started a trend with it.” They laughed, turning to face the lawn as more and more of the team began filtering into the house, readying for the big game.

Despite all his claims of getting them good seats, Cooper still stood talking to Colton and a couple of other teammates near the front door. They were going to end up sitting on the floor, if they were lucky.

Devi caught her look and gave her a knowing smirk.

“He ask you to marry him yet today?”

“You know it. Once a day for months.” couldn’t contain the smile that split her face as he threw his head back and laughed at something Rudy said. “Yesterday, he said the moment I say I’m ready, he’s going to throw me over his shoulder and marry me right then and there.”

“And are you ready?”

Cooper’s eyes met hers across the lawn, and the smile on his face matched hers. She gave him a small wave of her fingers, and he winked at her.

’s heartbeat increased as though she hadn’t been in love and loved by this man for years.

Her life made her happier than she ever thought possible, even more than when she had been on tour.

And though couldn’t hear her mother’s voice, she liked to believe it was because her mother had been guiding her to this better purpose, and when she’d found it, she hadn’t needed guidance anymore.

It was a bittersweet sentiment, but she loved it nonetheless.

Everything felt like it had fallen into place, and she finally felt ready.

“I’m getting there,” she lied.

Because Beaumont was already there, and the moment they were alone together, she was going to say yes to him in nothing but his cowboy hat.