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Forever Goals 9
Jason was the kind of father I’d always wanted. Firm but fair. Understanding and supportive.He got it.He knew what it was like to shoulder the burden of greatness. To try and balance your dreams with everything else important to you.He was one of the best men I knew, and I could only hope to be even a fraction as good as him. On and off the field.I dropped my head, rubbing the back of my neck, feeling the weight of responsibility press down on me.“You have my blessing, son.” I lifted my head slowly to meet his certain gaze. “You had it four years ago. You had it yesterday, and you’ll have it tomorrow. But you’re right, Lily doesn’t need a ring on her finger to know you love her.”“I’m so fucking scared.”“Honestly, you’d be inhuman if you weren’t. Fear is good, Kaiden. Fear reminds us that we care. That we have something to lose. Something to fight for. Now, I’ll try to stay out of your business, but you and Lily need to sit down and talk about this before you leave.”“Yeah, you’
Forever Goals 10
“Lily won’t get a massage.”“No, well Carrie will. She fucking loves that shit. Drives me mad, thinking about some pretty boy douche with his hands all over her body.”“You seem awfully upset about this, man,” Gav said.“You would be too if Penny came home and told you all about Miguel with the magical fingers. The only person in our relationship with the magic, is me.”“Feeling a tad insecure there, Bry,” he teased, and I flipped him off.“Jesus, when did we grow up?” Gav raked a hand through his hair. “One minute, we’re worrying about winning our next game and who’s throwing the party, and the next we’re—”“Worrying about Thatch going off to rookie training camp?” I chuckled, but he didn’t look impressed. “You know, for a guy living his actual dream, you don’t look very happy.”“It’s complicated.”“Nah, it’s not complicated. You’ve got this. And Lily will deal because she loves you.”“Yeah.” He grimaced.“You’re really that worried?”“I don’t want to be the reason she slips back int
Forever Goals 11
He came over and leaned down to press a kiss to my head and then moved down to press one to my swollen stomach. “Daddy’s home,” he whispered.“Daddy’s home,” Lily mouthed at me with a hint of amusement.“I’ve told him not to say it like that,” I said.“Like what?” Xander looked up, glancing between the two of us.“It just sounds so… dirty.” Lily flushed.“You do know that’s what I’m going to be right. This kid’s daddy?”“I’m well aware of that fact, babe. But you make it sound sexual.”“Jesus.” He ran a hand down his face, stalking off toward our kitchen.“Love you,” I called after him, unable to hold in my laughter.“Kingsley is off the list,” he yelled back, and I let out a little huff.“I liked that one.”“What does Xander like?”“Clarke, after his dad. Or Galen.”“Galen is cute.”“Yeah, maybe. For a girl he likes Kadie or River.”“River?”“Yeah.” My heart stuttered.“Peyton, that’s—”“I know,” I whispered, painful memories pushing their way to the surface.When Xander had first su
Forever Goals 12
I’d imagined a son since she broke the news to me. I was terrified, yes. But determined to be a better father than I had been a young man.“And if it’s a girl…”“Then God help me, and God help any guy who ever tries to come within ten feet of her.”“Hmm, why is that such a turn on?”“Oh yeah, you like that? The protective dad routine?”“I don’t hate it.” Peyton batted her lashes at me.She made pregnancy look so effortless. Sure, she was hormonal and grumpy sometimes, but she made it work.Silence settled between us as I stroked her foot back and forth. Until a soft sigh slipped from her lips, and I asked, “What’s wrong?”“Are you scared?”“Scared?”She nodded. “That we’re not ready? That I’m too young? That it isn’t the right time?”“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared. It’s a baby. It doesn’t get much bigger than that. But we’re ready.”It had taken a while for everyone to get used to the idea. But ultimately, it wasn’t their decision what we did with our lives. Besides, Hailee w
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“No, I guess she isn’t.”But she would always be the girl I’d watched live her life unapologetically. Despite everything she went through with her mom, Peyton always lived life to the fullest.God, I’d envied her back then. Her ability to walk into the room and steal the show. Even now, she made pregnancy look effortless. But that was Peyton. She had the ability to adapt. To take everything in her stride.“One day, babe,” Kaiden said, and I frowned over at him.“What?”“One day that’ll be us.”My heart spluttered in my chest. Had he really just said that?“Lily,” he added. “What’s wrong?”“You just surprised me, is all.”“We’ve talked about the future before.”“I know.” We had. But only in the way that most college couples made plans for the future.What-ifs, dreams, and maybes.“Lily, do we need to talk about this?”“I don’t know, do we?”“This was always the plan.” Kaiden ran his hands around the wheel, frustration bleeding from his expression. “Football is…”“Everything to you, I k
Forever Goals 14
“Everything okay over there?” she asked when the server left us.“Fine.” I grabbed my beer and drained the remainder of the contents. “Just a little hot.”“It is warm in here. The open fire is beautiful, but they could do with better a/c. How was your food?”“Good. It was good.”“Kaiden, look, I know I’ve been—”“Shall we go outside? Check out the singer?”Live entertainment was one of the big draws of the place. People came from all over the local towns to watch their musicians sing, serenade, and play.“But dessert.”“I’ll ask them to bring it out to us.”“Oh, okay.” She smiled again but this time it didn’t quite reach her eyes.If she suspected I was up to something, this would be the last thing on her mind.Part of me hated that, hated that she automatically assumed the worst.I’d never given her cause to doubt me, not once. But I knew it wasn’t that simple. And I knew that me leaving soon weighed heavily on her mind.I waved over the server and ordered our dessert, requesting tha
Forever Goals 15
“Lily, thank God,” Aunt Felicity said as she and Uncle Jase appeared at the end of the hall. Lily got up and went to them, letting them wrap her up in a hug. I laid my head on Ezra’s shoulder and he gently squeezed my knee.“Anything?” I asked, as the three of them came closer.“Nothing yet. They’ve promised somebody will update us as soon as possible.”“God, this is horrible,” I said.“It’s a waiting game. But they’re in the best place,” Uncle Jase said. “I’m going to call Asher and let them know what’s happening.”“I’ve already texted Poppy,” Lily added.“I wish I could be in there with her.” Aunt Felicity stared down the hall toward the doors marked restricted access.“She’ll be okay, Mom.” Lily reached for her mom’s hand, tears clinging to their lashes.None of our parents had been happy when Peyton and Xander announced their relationship. She had been young—still in high school—and Uncle Xander had been the football team’s assistant coach. But Peyton wasn’t like most other senior
Forever Goals 16
“She’s in the NICU. She’s so fucking tiny and fragile but the doctors said she’s strong. Just like her mama.”Xander gazed at Peyton with a look of awe. Her eyes found his and the two of them shared a moment.“I can’t wait to meet her,” Lily said, still clutching Peyton’s hand.“You can, soon. You can’t go into the room yet, but they have an observation window. Xander will take you later.”“Oh my God.” My girl was crying, big fat silent tears rolling down her cheeks, our date night all but forgotten.Except, I hadn’t forgotten. The ring had burned a hole in my pocket the entire ride to the hospital.I’d waited too long to ask her, and now, my chance had passed us by. But I couldn’t regret it, not when I knew how much Lily needed to be here for Peyton and Xander.I only regretted that we didn’t have some news of our own to share with them.Maybe it was the universe’s way of saying it wasn’t the right time.I didn’t want to believe that but fuck, if I didn’t believe everything happened
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