With Every Heartbeat

“I’m sorry,” he kept telling her. “I’m so sorry.”

“What are you sorry for, baby?” She smoothed his hair out his face. “You played an amazing game. I’m so proud of you.”

“I lost us the game, a shot at nationals, and no way do I have a chance at going pro now. How the hell am I going to support you guys with no future?”

“You do too have a future,” Aspen scolded. “You’re a smart, amazing, talented man. You’ll be able to do anything outside professional football that you want. And don’t you dare even worry about money. If we have each other, we can always work around that. Besides...” She shrugged. “I was scared about you going pro, anyway. You’d be out of town on so many away games, having all kind of gorgeous woman, nationwide, trying to get into your pants.”

“Are you insane?” he squawked. “I would never cheat on you.”

As he pulled her in for a hug and kissed each one of her closed eyes before kissing her mouth, I cleared my throat. “And you didn’t lose us the game today, either.”

Caroline gasped, “What? We won?” just as Noel and Aspen broke apart in surprise to gape at us.

As Quinn, Ten, Asher and I entered the room, Ten hooked his thumb over his shoulder to point at Quinn. “Mr. Second-String Quarterback here broke free of the line and ran forty-five yards for a touchdown. We’re going to nationals. Again.”

“You’re going to...holy shit,” Noel breathed. A smile broke across his face before he nodded respectfully at Quinn. “Way to go, Hamilton. I knew you could do it.”

“I’m sorry,” an authoritative voice broke in from behind us, making Quinn and me part and turn around to see the man in a suit standing in the doorway. “Is this Noel Gamble’s room?”

“Dr. Frenetti?” Aspen gasped. She moved away from Noel’s bedside to frown curiously at the older gentlemen. “What’re you doing here?”

He frowned in acute displeasure when he met her gaze. “Aspen,” he bit out, even as his gaze shifted to Noel, who was lying pale and sweaty on the bed with his arm wrapped in a cast. “I came to see if it was true. Your collarbone’s broken, then?”

Noel nodded. “Yeah.” His eyes narrowed. “But somehow, I’m not sensing your concern.”

Dr. Frenetti held his hands behind his back. “We had an understanding the last time we talked, Mr. Gamble.”

With a scowl, Noel glanced around the room at everyone gathered inside. His confused frown clearly told us he had no idea what this Dr. Frenetti guy was talking about. He returned his attention to the older man. “And I did what I was supposed to do. I stayed on the team and got us this far.”

Lips flattening in a thin, disappointed line, Dr. Frenetti shook his head. “I only agreed not to expose her,” he paused to send Aspen a significant, distasteful glance, “if you won nationals. This…” He flashed out his hand to motion to Noel’s injury, “…is no better than where we ended last year.”

Noel shook his head. “No.” He glanced at Aspen, his gaze desperate. She went to his side, and he immediately took her hand. “You can’t do that. She…you’ve already fired her. She’s been gone from there for months. How could you…it’s not my fault some asshole broke my collarbone.”

“And it’s not my fault you broke your word. I’m sending your story to the tabloids in the morning.”

“What?” Aspen and Noel cried together.

Caroline waved her hands. “Wait. What? You’re going to punish her just because she fell in love with my brother? What kind of douchebag—”

The rest of her rant was muffled behind Ten’s hand. “He’s a very powerful douchebag, sweetness,” he told her quietly enough that only Quinn, Caroline and I could hear him. “Aspen’s old boss can still destroy her with just a few words in the right ears.”

“I’m punishing her,” Dr. Frenetti stated, “because she broke university policy and slept with a—”

“Oh, would you look at the time!” Reese spoke up loudly as she slapped her hands over Colton’s ears, while beside her, Eva was busy trying to plug Brandt’s. “It’s time for us to take these minors out of the room.”

But Noel’s brothers were having none of it. They smacked the hands aside. “I’m not going anywhere,” Brandt said, glancing back and forth between Noel and Dr. Frenetti. “I want to know what’s going on. What did Aspen do that was so bad?”