Page 57 of Tumbling the Cornerback

Or they would've if they hadn't been lodged up in there, too, shouting right along with the guys from the Troopers. Eventually, people drifted off. A few friends stayed to help clean up after I shooed my sister and nephew off to bed and Cooper's folks turned in for the night, unable to keep their eyes open much longer once the game was over and the adrenaline faded.

"Jesus," I muttered, staring at the recycling bins and piles of clear bags set aside for the recycling company to pick them up the next morning. "I don't even want to look at the actual trash."

"It's grim," Cooper sighed, leaning against the garage wall. "Shit. I thought playing in the All Stars was exhausting. I was practically skipping home after the game. This party knocked me on my ass."

"Well," I drawled, turning to press against him, looping my arms around his neck, "that's probably because you've been on a high since last week. All those interviews, filming the promotional stuff for Nike and all that jazz. And today you had the party and those phone-in spots to talk about the bowl and..." I sighed. "You've been running on all cylinders this past week. You're gonna crash."

"Don't wanna," he pouted comically, lifting me off my feet when I laughed. "I want to take my boyfriend to bed and do very athletic and sweaty things for the next few hours."

"Hmmm. I love that," I admitted. "But our family is sleeping on either side of us, remember?"

"Boo."

I was glad we were in the garage—my laugh was so loud surely it would've woken Bas otherwise. "Let's go to bed."

"Did Dani ever track you down?" he asked with a yawn. "I heard she was looking for you."

"Ah, yeah. Yeah, she did."

"And?" He tugged me to a stop at the foot of the stairs, raising his brows expectantly.

"You already know, don't you?" I accused. "Who told you?"

"Tori," he shrugged. "Well, her husband. She told Billy, and Billy can't keep a secret to save his life." He scooped me up, holding me under my butt when I wrapped my legs around his waist. "Tell me about it?"

So I told him, while he carried me to our room. With a soft grunt, he tossed me onto the mattress. We tussled for a few minutes, debating a shower or just going to sleep. I thought of the ring I'd been carrying in my pocket all day. My plans to propose during the party in front of our friends and family were scrapped before the party even began, but the ring was still there. Still beckoning. I wanted something for us and not part of the game, part of the team or the nonprofit or anything but him and me after so much of our lives were tied into such a public line of work. His face in ads, on television screens, in magazines. Mine... less so, I smiled to myself. But I was there, along for the ride. I had students, I performed.

But things with Cooper? That was for us and us alone.

Beside me, Cooper snored softly. I fished the ring out of my pocket and, oh so slowly, slid it onto his left ring finger. Cooper snorted, shifted, looping his arm around my waist to pull me against his chest. His newly ringed hand rested over my chest, but he didn't wake. I stared at the glint of silver on his finger, watching it in the dim moonlight as sleep slowly crept over me. My eyes were too heavy to stare for long. I melted against his chest, his breath tickling my neck, the weight of his arm comforting.

"Night, baby," I whispered, sinking.

"Night," he muttered. "And the answer is yes."