Trapped and Tackled (Knoxville Coyotes Football #3)

23. Leni

Chapter 23

Leni

“Come on, come on.” I bounce on my toes, clasping Lincoln’s hand.

“He’s gonna make the extra point,” Marlowe says breezily from my other side.

Lincoln grins and hugs me closer.

She surprised us with a visit before she relocates to London, and I couldn’t be happier to have her home.

Or to have her sit beside me and cheer for Talon and the Coyotes in tonight’s game against New Jersey. Right now, it feels like old times, and I’m savoring the feeling. Nostalgia intertwines with anticipation over the next play and I’m nearly giddy as Talon walks onto the field.

He’s pure swagger, looking undeniably sexy in his football uniform.

He glances up to the stands where he knows I’m sitting. I can’t see his eyes or read his lips, but I know he’s looking right at me when he lifts a hand in the air.

“Damn,” Lincoln murmurs, clutching my fingers.

“Here we go, baby,” I whisper.

I hold my breath as the snap takes place. I zero in on Talon as he dances a few steps forward and swings his leg, kicking the ball in a perfect arc. He scores the extra point, giving the Coyotes a one-point lead, and the entire stadium erupts.

There are roars of jubilation. There’s dancing and tipped beers. There’s a wave of excitement that sweeps me up in its current, and I laugh out loud, loving the thrill of this moment.

Loving that I’m here to support my guy. To finally show up for him.

The clock runs out a few minutes later and the Coyotes secure another win.

“Hell yeah!” Linc cheers, pulling me into a hug.

“That was one hell of a game,” Marlowe agrees, clinging to my other arm.

I smile at my sister and best friend. “Are y’all ready to head to Corks?” I ask. I promised Talon I would come hang out with the team after the game. It surprised me that Avery asked him when he would bring me around, but I suppose being the coach’s daughter and being Talon’s girlfriend are two different things.

As much as I relished the title of the first, I am in love with the position of the second. I adore being Talon’s girlfriend. It happened quicker than I could have imagined but every step along the way felt right.

Real.

For the hopeless romantic who nearly gave up hope, I feel stronger than ever. Talon helped me find my confidence again and know that I’m capable of making my own choices. Of trusting my gut. Of believing in the more.

I am worthy. I am enough.

And together, we’re everything I’ve ever hoped for.

“I’m going to bow out,” Marlowe says, surprising me.

Lincoln frowns. “You sure?”

“Yeah,” Marlowe says, nodding. “I’ve got some family stuff to sort through.”

I give my friend a hug. “Call me if you need anything.”

“I will,” she whispers. It’s been a tough few weeks for Marlowe and her family. I don’t know all the ins and outs, but I know a lot of change is occurring in the McIntyre household. While Marlowe is doing everything she can to shield Adi from the brunt of it, I’m doing whatever I can to make sure she knows she has a support system too.

Marlowe gives us a wave as she gestures toward the exit.

“Let’s give the crowd a few minutes to thin out,” Lincoln suggests.

I agree and sit back down. My sister and I sit in comfortable silence, staring at the field, which was like a second home to us growing up.

“Can you believe I moved back home?” I ask, nudging her with my shoulder.

Lincoln laughs. “Yeah,” she says, staring at me. “You fit in it here, Leni. Seeing you with Talon… This is the right place for you. But I don’t know if you would have realized that without giving New York City a fair chance. I’m glad you had that experience, even though I hate what happened with Craig.”

“Me too,” I murmur. “But you’re right. If I hadn’t gone to New York, I may have wondered—what if? Now, I just want to be wherever Talon is.”

Lincoln smiles. “I’m happy for you, Leni Lou.” She gestures toward the exit. We stand and she loops her arm with mine as we make our way out of the stands. “I haven’t been to Corks in ages.”

“Me neither.” I laugh. “I can’t believe you’re only in town for a few days. I wish you could stay longer.”

“Me too. I’ve missed you.” Lincoln drops her head to mine. She hugs me closer. “Tell me, for real, how are you holding up?” she asks, her blue eyes, the same shade as mine, studying me.

“I’m…doing okay,” I admit. “I was scared to press charges, but once they were filed, I felt so much better. I started seeing a therapist last week and I think that’s going to be helpful.”

“I saw your social media posts. I’m proud of you for blasting the hell out of that dickwad.” A small smirk touches my sister’s lips.

“Yeah,” I agree, nodding. “I put a lot of thought into what I wanted to say. But I never expected that post to go viral.”

“Did he really lose his job?” Lincoln wonders.

I nod. “Did Mom tell you what else happened?”

“No! What?”

“Another ex-girlfriend of his, Lisa, reached out. The same thing had happened to her, and she felt powerless about it. She wasn’t sure what to do or who to confide in. But now that he’s been put on blast, she came forward and is pressing charges as well.”

“Shut up!” my sister exclaims.

I shake my head. “I don’t know if they’ll stick.”

“Did you feel better, after pressing charges, and talking to Lisa?”

“I did. Every day gets a little bit easier. Talon’s been my rock through it all. I wouldn’t have made it this far without him, Linc.”

“I had no idea how bad it was, Len.”

“You weren’t supposed to. I didn’t want you to.”

“I’m sorry,” she says as we near the entrance to the locker rooms.

“I’m sorry, too. No more secrets, okay?”

“Promise me?” Lincoln holds out her pinky, the way she did when we were kids.

I snort and pinky promise her. “Swear it.”

“The Strauss sisters back in action,” the security guard, Priest, calls out as we near the door.

“Here we are, Priest!” I grin, my arm still looped with my sister’s.

“Troublemakers.” He snorts, before looking at Lincoln. “Good to see you, Linc.”

Lincoln blushes slightly and I roll my lips together to keep from laughing. She’s had a crush on Priest for years.

“You too, Priest,” she manages as he waves us through the door.

When it closes behind us, we erupt in giggles, the same way we did in high school. A few people in the hallways grin at our reaction, and a few give us strange looks, which only makes us laugh harder.

“Hey! What’s so funny?” Dad asks as he walks toward us.

We shake our heads in unison, sputtering to come up with words that will make sense.

Dad grins and wraps his arms around us, kissing the tops of our heads. “Missed you, girls.”

“Missed you, too, Dad,” Lincoln says.

I snuggle closer and inhale.

Everything in my world feels right again. Real.

“Great game, Miller,” someone says, and I break away from Dad. My eyes dart behind him to find Talon.

Dad smacks a hand over his heart as if I’ve wounded him, and Lincoln snickers.

“She’s all grown up now, Daddy,” Lincoln jokes.

“Never,” Dad growls.

In the next moment, I’m swept clear off my feet as Talon lifts me up.

“Great game, baby!” I say, kissing him hard.

“I can’t watch,” Dad groans good-naturedly, turning away.

“I can,” Lincoln replies.

Talon laughs and hugs me for a moment before placing me on my feet. “Glad you could make the game, Lincoln. I know you’re only here for a few days.”

“As if this one would let me skip it.” Lincoln juts her thumb toward Dad as Talon hugs her hello.

“Welcome home, Linc!” Cohen says, passing by. He points at us. “You coming to Corks?”

“As long as Raia will be there,” Lincoln replies.

Cohen grins. “She wouldn’t miss it.”

“See you there,” I say as Talon slips an arm over my shoulders.

“I’ll get both your girls home safely, Coach,” he tells Dad who rolls his eyes.

Then, we leave the stadium behind, pile into Talon’s SUV, and head to Corks to celebrate another Coyotes win.

“I love that you’re dating Talon!” Raia Callaway says, hugging me hello.

“I love that you’re playing professional soccer,” I shoot back, smiling at her teammate who is in town with her this weekend. While I’ve seen Raia a few times at games, I haven’t had many chances to catch up with her this season. She splits her time between Knoxville and Chicago, where she plays for the Chicago Tornadoes.

“Me too.” Raia grins, her eyes dancing. “And you’re back home too, Linc!”

“Just for a few days,” Lincoln says. “Then, I’m off to London.”

“London!” Raia exclaims. “We need drinks. I want to know everything.” She clasps Lincoln’s arm and tugs her toward the bar where her teammate is ordering another round.

While they raise their glasses in a toast, I’m pulled into a conversation with Jag. Then, I stop to chat with Kiki, one of the sports reporters who regularly covers the Coyotes.

“Len! Drink!” My sister holds a margarita in the air for me.

“Better go get that,” Kiki says.

I say goodbye to her and make my way to Lincoln. “Thanks.” I take the glass from her hand.

She clinks her margarita against mine. “It’s like old times, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Avery says, coming up behind us. “Except Leni is dating Talon so I’m not worried about Coach flipping out that one of his players flirted with his daughter.”

Talon laughs. “Yep. That ship has sailed.”

“Not yet for me,” my sister shares, raising a palm. “Still single.”

“There’s no rush, Linc,” Cohen offers, stepping into our huddle.

“Hey, guys,” West Crawford announces, popping his head into the mix. “I gotta take off.”

“Baby duty?” Cohen jokes.

West grins. “I miss my girls. Don’t hate.”

“Never,” Talon says, smirking. But his tone conveys his seriousness. Having a family you adore is never a joke. It’s the ultimate flex.

“Hey, real quick.” West glances at me. “I heard you’re a huge fan of The Burnt Clovers . ”

My mouth pops open as my gaze darts to Talon.

He holds up his hands and shrugs, but his eyes are filled with amusement.

“I—I am,” I stutter.

West grins. “Good, because we got tickets to their Spring Break concert in Cancun and y’all are coming.” He wags a finger between Talon and me. “See you guys later. Good game.” West smacks Talon’s back.

I gape after him.

“Close your mouth, babe,” Lincoln mutters.

My jaw snaps shut, and I turn wide eyes to Talon.

“Seriously?” I ask.

“Seriously,” he says, wrapping an arm around me and pulling me back against his chest. He dips his head to press a kiss to my temple.

“You’re gonna discover your Irish roots,” I murmur.

At that, Talon barks out a laugh, drawing curious glances from his teammates.

But Lincoln just grins. “It’s the real deal,” she says.

“Forever,” Talon agrees, catching her drift.

I beam up at him in response and he kisses me hard.

“Oh, God, get a room, you two,” Cohen jokes.

“Like you’re one to talk,” Avery grumbles.

Lincoln snorts in response.

But Talon and I ignore them all as I deepen our kiss.

I’m savoring this feeling of being wrapped up in our little bubble. In being loved on by Talon Miller.