Coaching His Babygirl by Rory Reynolds

Chapter Twenty-One

Melinda

“Areyou sure you don’t want to sit with us?” Darlene asks for the dozenth time.

“No, I’m going to sit down by the team. Besides, you don’t need a third wheel. Who knows if you and Colt might get a little freaky under that big blanket you brought.”

She giggles. “This is true, though maybe a bit too inappropriate, seeing as we are at a high school football game.”

I laugh. “Very true. Even so, I want to be close to Coop to cheer him on. It’s not every day you play the state championships, and it be a rematch with their biggest rivals.”

“If you insist.”

“Come on, Darlene. Let’s leave our favorite band teacher alone,” Colt says, coming to my rescue and leading my best friend away.

“Later, guys!” I call out with a wave. I head down to where the team will be sitting and find a spot right in the center and settle in to wait for the game to start.

* * *

The game is tiedas the halftime show starts. Cooper and the team run off-field and to the locker rooms for what I’m sure is going to be one hell of a pep talk. I abandon my seat and follow after them, hoping to sneak a kiss when they head back to the field. I’m stopped on my way by Darlene and Colt.

“Oh my God, can you believe how close the game is?” Darlene shouts over the din of the crowd.

“I know. Our boys are on point, but so is the other team. It’ll be close for us to pull it in for a win.”

Colt shrugs. “We’ve got this in the bag.”

I giggle. “Darn right, we do. Coop won’t settle for anything but a win. Speaking of, I’m going to try to catch him before they get back onto the field.”

Darlene gives me a quick hug then slaps my ass playfully as I walk away. “Go get ’em, girl.”

I make my way through the crowd and draw up short from a familiar sight. That same woman is standing close to Coop, flirting. I narrow my eyes and straighten my spine.

Not this time bitch, I think to myself.

I’m not the wilting flower I was last time. I’m confident in myself and my relationship with Coop. She’s not going to get between us again. I walk up to where they are standing and step between them. He looks down at me with a beaming smile while she turns her nose up at me.

“Who’s your little friend?” she asks, looking down at me.

She’s a heck of a lot taller than me, thinner, and all-around beauty queen pretty. I hate to admit that she makes me feel less than just by standing there in front of me, but I don’t let that get to me like I once would have. Cooper is with me, not her. He obviously doesn’t have a problem with my short stature and curvy body.

“This is my girlfriend, Melinda.”

“Girlfriend,” she scoffs. “Since when do you do girlfriends?”

I smile up at her, feeling a little petty at knowing she never made the cut for a potential girlfriend for Coop. “Since me, I guess,” I answer snottily.

Coop pulls me into his arms and holds me close. “Just took the right woman.”

“Whatever,” she snarks and storms off.

I look up at him and shrug. “Wonder what her problem is.”

He throws his head back and laughs. “She wasn’t expecting my kitten to have claws.”

I smile up at him. “Well, she was getting too close to my favorite person. I’m territorial like any good kitty cat.”

“Good. I only want you.”

“Me too, daddy,” I whisper just for his ears.

“I love you,” he says, pulling me in for a passionate kiss. A kiss that has my toes curling in my shoes.

“Love you,” I say breathlessly when he breaks the kiss.

“I gotta get back. Halftime is almost over.”

I nod, still feeling dazed from his kisses. Somehow, I make it back to my seat despite floating on cloud nine and wait to watch my team kick ass. Which they do. They slaughter the other team. The second they call the game and announce the winners, Coop looks to me in the stands and marches right over to where I’m standing. He wiggles his finger towards me, indicating he wants me to come closer.

I don’t hesitate. Of course I don’t. Nothing could keep me away from my man when he’s looking at me with fire in his eyes. He tugs me down from the stands and into his arms, kissing me in front of everyone like he wants to crawl inside me. Before, I would have felt embarrassment and hated every second of having everyone’s eyes on me, but now I don’t care. I like showing the world that Cooper Crane is mine.

I’m still reeling from his kiss when he drops down on one knee in front of me. My hands go to my face, and I cover it in shock. Oh my God, is he about to…

“Melinda Young, you’re everything I ever want in my life. Will you marry me?”

I gasp at the ring that he pulls out of his pocket. “Cooper!”

He smirks up at me, knowing that he’s completely caught me off guard. I never in a million years guessed this was on his mind. We’ve only been dating a couple of months, but I can’t see myself ever wanting another man. He’s everything to me, and even though it’s early, I want this. So bad.

“Yes! Yes, I’ll marry you!” I scream over the roaring crowd, throwing myself into his arms.

Our lips meet in the middle, kissing each other. Showing the world how we feel about each other. I can hear the team whooping around us and celebrating not only their win but our engagement too. Then I’m gasping for a different reason when they pour cold water over the tops of our heads, high-fiving.

Cooper and I pull apart laughing.

“I love you, daddy.”

“Always, babygirl. Always.”