Comeback (The Holland Brothers Book 3)

Comeback: Chapter 38



The noise of the stadium vibrates through me as we take the field. Adrenaline pumps along with the music. I know I don’t hear it like everyone else, but the moment still hits me.

I scan the crowd until I find Sabrina. Her family is up in one of the sky boxes today and she’s at the front, jumping and screaming.

My chest swells with pride. That smart, talented, beautiful girl is mine. I hold my right hand up, making half a heart and aiming it at her. She doesn’t miss a beat, giving me the same sign right back.

We’re playing the Vikings today, and Brogan and my old college teammate is their quarterback. I nudge Brogan as I spot Felix. His mouth curves into a smile and we jog toward the fifty-yard line where he’s throwing passes.

He holds up a hand to his guys to let them know he needs a minute and then turns to us.

“Holland and Six,” he says. We clap hands and hug, then he does the same with Brogan.

“How’s it going?” I ask him. The Vikings are having a great season, thanks in large part to him.

“Good. No complaints. How about you guys?”

“Ready to kick your ass,” Brogan says.

Felix tips his head back and laughs. “You’re exactly the same.”

“How’s the family? Is Dahlia here?”

His smile widens and he gets that same sappy look on his face that Brogan does when asked about London. I wonder if I get that look when I talk about Sabrina. Damn, I guess I’m a sappy fool now too.

“Yeah, she’s here.” He points and we follow his line of sight until we see her. She waves and we do too.

“Man, it feels like just yesterday we were all playing together at Valley.” I shake my head. So much has changed, but just standing here with these two, it takes me right back there.

“I heard you got engaged,” Felix says to Brogan.

“That’s right. And she’s here so I’m sorry but I was serious about kicking your ass. I need to look good in front of my girl.”

“What about you?” Felix asks me.

“I also need to kick your ass to look good for a girl.”

“He’s dating my sister,” Brogan says with a fake grimace that turns into a smile.

“Sister?” Felix asks, brows rising.

“It’s a long story.” Brogan slaps his shoulder. “We should catch up sometime.”

“I’ll be back in town for a few days at the end of the month,” Felix says. “I’ll give you a call.”

“Can’t wait.” I take his hand, and we say our goodbyes for now.

Back on our side of the field, Brogan and I fall into our usual warmups. I’m aware of Graham nearby, but I do my best to ignore him. Things have been great the past couple of days, and I don’t want to get sucked back into his bullshit.

I manage to forget Graham exists until the start of the game. The Vikings win the coin toss and receive the ball.

Felix fires a couple bullets right out of the gate, and I whistle under my breath. Damn he’s good.

“Admiring the view from the sideline?” Graham asks with a snort.

I say nothing in return, and he steps into my space.

“I asked if you were enjoying the view?” he asks again.

“Not anymore.”

A snarl curls his lip as he steps back beside me. “Get used to it. This is where you’re going to be spending the rest of the season watching me run the ball into the end zone.”

My blood boils, but I don’t give him what he wants, which is a reaction.

“How’s Sabrina?” he asks next. “I heard her little dance studio opened. I can’t wait to stop by after I sign the papers. Maybe she and I can grab lunch.”

I step in front of him so close he has to take a step back. “You can talk shit about me all you want, but you’re not going to speak her name in front of me. Got that?”

His jaw tightens and his blue eyes bore into me.

“I’ll kick your ass and then hand you over to Brogan who will do it all over again.” I glance up to the skybox and find Sabrina’s eyes on me, taking in the scene with Graham. Even from this far away I can tell she’s wearing a worried expression. She makes a heart with one hand, and I realize that I can either spend the rest of this game riled up over Graham and his bullshit or I can put him out of my mind and play football. I choose the latter.

Fuck this dude.

I step away from him and walk over to Brogan.

He glances over at me. “Are you good?”

“Yeah. I’m fucking great.”

Vikings score a touchdown and make the extra point. It’s going to be a battle today with Felix at the top of his game.

As I take the field with the rest of the offense, I push away all the noise. Which is especially difficult considering Coach has me and Graham on the field at the same time.

Cody calls the play, and we break and head to the line of scrimmage. I meet Brogan’s stare and nod to let him know I’m ready.

When the ball is snapped, I run my route, sprinting down the field to get open. Cody hits me with a perfect pass. I catch the ball and then eye the defenders closing in on me. I slip by one with a fake and then run like hell. I’m taken down at the twenty for the first down.

“Fuck yeah.” Brogan finds me and knocks his helmet against mine. “Let’s fucking go.”

The next snap is a handoff that earns us another five yards. When we huddle up for the next play, I find myself standing next to Graham.

“This one is mine,” he says to Cody. “They’re leaving me wide open. I could have run that pass to Holland all the way in.”

Cody isn’t a confrontational guy so he ignores him and everyone else does too, which I can tell just makes Graham more annoyed. What an idiot. He’s all angry and pouting. I almost laugh as I picture a big giant baby head attached to his body.

On the next two snaps, the defense stops us, and the special teams are called in for the kick.

As I predicted, the game is tough. Felix and his offense are on fire and our defense struggles to shut them down. We stay in it by pushing past theirs in the same way. Every step onto the field, I’m ready and dialed in. Cody and I are having one of those special games where he finds me through the defense, and I rack up the yardage.

At halftime, Brogan jogs beside me to the locker room.

“What is happening?” he asks, grinning wide and proud. “You’re unstoppable.”

“Gotta impress a girl.” I wink at him, which has him cackling.

Graham continues pouting and griping to anyone and everyone who will listen. By the time the third quarter starts, he’s getting a wide berth from the team and coaches. A bad attitude can spread, and this second half is going to take all we’ve got.

Coach changes things up and Graham is left on the sideline. He tosses his helmet and gets a side-eye from the coaching staff.

I pause beside him to put on my helmet before taking the field. “Don’t worry, Graham. I’ll put you in the backpack today.”

Without waiting for his reply, I take the field. Petty? Probably. But damn, it feels good.

“Ready to get into the end zone?” Cody asks me.

“Hell yeah.”

He lets a grin slip, then calls the play. As I get into position at the line of scrimmage, adrenaline pumps through me so hard that I have to wiggle my fingers to release some of the energy ready to burst out of me. The Vikings’ defensive line is big and ugly, and ready to pummel us into the ground.

At the snap, I move quickly, slipping by the purple jerseys and running down the field.

At the fifty-yard line, I glance back. The defense is making it hard for Cody to make a throw, so I keep going, watching and waiting. Cody shuffles left and gets off the pass as he’s taken down.

Everything goes quiet for me. I don’t hear the crowd yelling my name or the defense chasing after me. It’s just the ball sailing toward me and my legs pumping hard down the field. I lift my hands as the ball inches closer and drops into my outstretched fingers. I catch it and hold the fuck on as I sprint into the end zone.

The noise comes back in a wave as I stop running. My heart is still racing, and the ball is palmed in one hand.

Brogan is the first to reach me.

“Unstoppable!” he yells, getting right up into my face, then backs up to give me room to have my moment in the spotlight. I lift the football in my hand as I jog the width of the end zone in my usual celebration move. I stop in front of a camera that’s following the action, toss the ball, and hold up half a heart for my girl.


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