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Epilogue

Six months later

"Time to wake up."

I squirmed out of Jesse's hold and shook his shoulder.

"It's early," he grumbled, pulling me back against his bare chest.

"We have a game, remember? And you're my new assistant, so we have to get there early to set up and check the kids in."

I pushed off the mattress and swung my legs over the side.

"Come on, Em. Five more minutes."

He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me back, burying his head into the crook of my neck.

"Jesse, you have to get up."

"But I am up," he rasped, pressing his hand against my stomach and pushing me flush to his body—and closer to the poke at my back.

"No more of that. That's why we went to bed too late when we had to be up early." I groaned into the pillow when he drifted his hand up my stomach and cupped my breast, tracing my now-rigid nipple with his thumb.

"I can't help it if the coach I'm working for is hot." He swiped the hair off my neck and dragged kisses over my nape. "I promise, I'm here to serve you. I'll be your good boy later if you'll be my good fucking girl now."

I fisted the sheets as he traced slow, torturous circles around my clit.

"Now, that's a very good girl. Spread a little more for me. That's it."

I whimpered as he slipped a finger inside, trying to watch the clock next to the bed as my boyfriend drove me out of my mind.

We'd moved in together right after I'd returned from California. I worked out of the spare room, loving the novelty of an office with a door, and lined the living room wall with new and old bookcases. Everything was so perfect, and it was hard to imagine a time I'd been terrified to move too fast with Jesse.

We'd all come a long way. Jesse had mostly reconciled with the grief he'd always have when it came to his sister, and Maddie was thriving, despite having the occasional sad day when we'd hit a new milestone without her mother. She'd grown almost a head taller since last season and couldn't wait to get back on the field.

I was excited too—if we ever made it there.

My mother adored Jesse now, and it was still so strange to watch. She hadn't even pushed marriage too much after we'd moved in together, other than the occasional comment on showing Maddie a good example "whenever you decide that's what you want."

I'd marry him in a heartbeat, but I would also be content with just getting to keep him for the rest of my life. What we had transcended time and pieces of paper.

Jesse slid inside me with one thrust, moving back and forth in a slow rhythm before yanking me closer and picking up the pace, plowing into me so hard the mattress squeaked. He covered my mouth when I let go of a loud moan, muttering curses and dirty words of praise that almost made me forget my own name or where I had to be today.

"Come, baby. Let me feel you."

I buried my head into the pillow and let out a muffled whimper as my release crashed over me. Jesse grunted as he spilled into me, his breath slowing against my back as he gripped me tighter.

"I can help you in all sorts of ways, Coach Emily." He kissed my shoulder. "I told you. I'm here to serve you today."

I rolled over on my back and smoothed the hair off Jesse's damp forehead. I was about to bring him in for a kiss before we jumped at a knock on the door.

"Hey, I thought we had to get to the field early."

"She's like our own little alarm clock and stopwatch all at once," I whispered to Jesse.

"Just like her mother more and more every day." He groaned and stood from the bed. "I'll take a shower first. Alone, or we'll never go anywhere."

The game was the usual happy chaos. A handful of new kids who hadn't played soccer at all before had signed up this year. The other team seemed just as green, and the ball went everywhere but in a straight line to the goal for most of the game. We'd barely won, but the kids seemed too exhausted to care either way.

"This takes me back," my mother said. For some reason, she'd insisted on coming to our first game and had arrived with Jesse's parents.

"I'm sure it does. You and Grandma and Grandpa came to every game."

"Of course we did." She gingerly stood from her folding chair. "You were our pride and joy."

"Grandpa died thinking I'd go pro." I shrugged as I packed up what I now called my coaching bag.

"They both died knowing you'd make them proud. And you have." My mother's eyes filled with tears as she clutched my biceps. I'd seen my mother cry exactly three times in my life. I'd been the sap, not her, so to hear her voice crack unnerved me.

I kissed her cheek. "Thanks, Mom."

"Looks like the start of another great season." Mr. Evans came up to me. "Which one of you is going to get my granddaughter off the field?" He pointed to where Jeffrey and Maddie were practicing blocking and kicking goals on the mostly empty field with Candie and Mikayla.

"Hey, guys," I called out and blew my whistle. "Time to let the next team set up."

"Coach Emily, what was the longest goal you've ever kicked?" Jeffrey asked me as he came over to us.

"You know, I'm not sure. I think it was half a field length."

"Like that video we found?" Mikayla asked, her eyes lighting up.

"Maybe. I honestly don't remember."

"That's because it was a long time ago," Jesse said. "Coach Emily can't play like that anymore." He smirked at me as he shifted a soccer ball back and forth in his hands.

"Excuse me, I can still play if I want to."

"Do you think you could kick a goal from the other end of the field?" Candie asked me, pointing to where the cones were still set up.

"Coach Emily is older," Jesse told her while smirking at me. "Probably not."

"Give me that ball," I said, snatching it out of Jesse's hands.

I stalked over to the end of the field, ignoring Jesse's snicker behind me. The kids stood at the sidelines, bouncing up and down as I set the ball in front of me.

"Wait. I'll play goalie." Jesse jogged to the front of the net. "Let's see what you got, Patterson."

"You better move out of the way, Evans." I tucked a loose hair behind my ear and focused on the ball. I'd made this shot a million times from a lot farther away, and even though I had been a lot younger the last time I'd done this, I wouldn't falter now as Jesse goaded me from across the field.

I took a running start and kicked, the ball shooting straight across the field and right into the net next to Jesse. He hadn't made a move to stop it as he watched me and laughed.

I reached my hands into the air and turned to the kids.

"I told you…" I trailed off when I noticed Maddie and two kids holding a large sign that read, "Please turn around." I swiveled my head and spotted Jesse, on one knee with what looked like a black box in his hand.

"What are you doing?" I asked, already too choked up to form any words as I made my way over to him.

"I knew you couldn't resist a challenge." He laughed and lifted his head. "I figured this was the best place to do it since I fell in love with you on a soccer field. I'd watch you run back and forth with so much grace and beauty, and I'd think, how the hel—heck is that my girl?"

I laughed when his gaze snapped to the kids behind me.

"Really, I fell in love with you on a high school classroom carpet when I was fourteen years old. I lost you for a little while…or a long while. But now that I have you back, I'm never letting you go. I've been yours for my entire life, and I want you to officially be mine. Emily." He opened the box, and I couldn't make out the ring through the blur of my tears. "Emily, will you marry me?"

"I mean, this is all so sudden." I coughed out a laugh through my tears and knelt on the fake grass in front of him to grab his face. "But yes. All I've ever wanted is to marry you."

I kissed him soft and slow, mindful of the little ears and eyes that were focused on us as he slid the ring on my finger.

I met Maddie's gaze as all the kids and parents cheered. I almost lost it when I spotted her wide smile, looking at Jesse and me with a mix of love and relief in her eyes. I could never replace Tessa, but I was thrilled to have the privilege of loving her as much as I'd loved her mother.

My eyes found my own mother. I laughed, now knowing the reason why she was here. She wasn't crying, but her eyes shone as they held mine. Jesse's mother was full-on sobbing against her husband's shoulder while trying to smile at us.

My heart was full, and my life, however unexpected, was complete.

"What do you want to do to celebrate, Mrs. Evans?"

I stood from the ground and held out a hand for my fiancé.

"Let's take our niece home."

Want to see what the future holds for Jesse and Emily...and Maddie?

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