The One And Only Part 47

So I step forward. Coach grins at me.

"Congratulations!" I shout over the mayhem. Then I close my eyes and collapse against his broad chest, feeling his heart beat through his wet shirt, inhaling his salty skin. "You did it, Coach," I say, more quietly, directly into his ear.

"Yes, we did it, girl," he whispers back, squeezing me tighter. "We finally did it."

I pull back and look into his eyes, and can tell that Lucy has talked to him. That he knew before the game what she has only just said to me. I was wrong.

Then, confirming my wishful thinking, he leans in and brushes his lips against mine. It is the quickest kiss ever, but very much a real kiss, right there in front of Lucy and the entire world. It is the sweetest moment of my life, yet I know there will be even better ones to come. And soon.

"I gotta go," he says, beaming at me. "But I'll see you later tonight, okay?"

Light-headed with elation, I smile and nod, then watch as he slips back into a mob of teal. For a moment, he is gone, but he soon reappears, hoisted high on the shoulders of a lucky few players, representatives of everyone who has ever put on a Walker jersey, Miller and Ryan among them. I stare up at Coach, against the backdrop of a black-velvet sky filled with a million stars, a planetarium above the most famous stadium in college football, and marvel that we can be this happy from winning a game.

Then again, I know it's not the win itself, but everything that went into the victory. The effort. The pa.s.sion. The faith. The things that Coach Clive Carr has taught me to believe in. The things that endure in defeat, and even death. The things that make football like life-and life like a game of football.

For my uncle, Doug Elgin,

who inspired my love of college sports ...

and taught me that it's more than just a game.

Acknowledgments.

This is my seventh novel-and every one has begun the same way: with an unformed idea followed by exhaustive discussion with my mother, sister, and best friend. Thank you, Mary Ann Elgin, Sarah Giffin, and Nancy LeCroy Mohler, for all of your support with this one, from beginning to end.

I am so grateful to Stephen Lee, the most loyal publicist in the world. I can't imagine this publishing journey without your friendship. Thanks, too, for the never-ending supply of peanut M&M's.

To my editor, Jennifer Hershey: thank you for believing in me and elevating this story the way you did. Your notes nearly killed me, but you were right, and I'm so glad I trusted you.

Many thanks to my entire A-plus team at Random House, including Gina Centrello, Libby McGuire, Kim Hovey, Theresa Zoro, Susan Corcoran, Jennifer Garza, Sanyu Dillon, Debbie Aroff, Melissa Milsten, Cynthia Lasky, Scott Shannon, Loren Noveck, Susan Brown, Kate Childs, Joey McGarvey, Matt Schwartz, and Paolo Pepe.

Deep appreciation to my brilliant agent, Theresa Park, for the unwavering guidance, wisdom, and thoughtfulness-and to everyone at Park Literary, especially Emily Sweet, Abby Koons, and Pete Knapp. Thank you to Mollie Smith for being the consummate behind-the-scenes pro, and Rich Green for all your work to bring my stories to the big screen.

A few words to my friends at St. Martin's Press, especially Jennifer Enderlin, John Murphy, and the late, great Matthew Shear: you remain in my heart, and I will forever be thankful for our decade and six books together.

I'm enormously grateful to three college coaches who are also among my dearest friends: Dave Odom, Jim Boeheim, and Billy Schmidt. I have loved your pa.s.sionate, colorful, quirky world since I was a little girl, and although I changed basketball to football for this story, much of the dynamic is the same. Thank you for your generous insight into Coach Clive Carr. He had some big shoes to fill (but Coach O: he still walks around barefoot in his house).

Thank you to Jennifer New, Allyson Wenig Jacoutot, Doug Elgin, Lisa Ponder, Kate McDavid, Julie Portera, Jim Konrad, Kevin Garnett, Ralph Sampson, McGraw Milhaven, J.R. Moehringer, Mich.e.l.le Fuller, Cameron Sherrill, Vahe Gregorian, and Bill and Kristina Giffin, for fielding various queries about this book or its cover.

Thanks also to Coach June Jones, Brad Sutton, and Herman Hudson for allowing me to soak up the atmosphere at SMU's spring practice. (Go Ponies!) On the home front, I am indebted to Kate Hardie and Martha Arias for their daily support and kindness-and to Jeff MacFarland for keeping me physically and mentally strong enough to meet every deadline along the way.

To all other family and friends: while you may not have contributed in tangible ways to this novel, I thank you for your love, moral support, and uplifting emojis.

And, finally, I thank Buddy Blaha for wearing so many hats, including football consultant, proofreader, short-order cook, workout partner, car-pool driver, homework checker, Little League coach, chicken caretaker, friend, husband, and father to our three beautiful children.

Edward, George, and Harriet: I love the chaos around here, most of it happy, none of it dull. Life with you sparkles.

ALSO BY EMILY GIFFIN.

Something Borrowed.

Something Blue.

Baby Proof.

Love the One You're With.

Heart of the Matter.

Where We Belong.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR.

EMILY GIFFIN is a graduate of Wake Forest University and the University of Virginia School of Law. After practicing litigation at a Manhattan firm for several years, she moved to London to write full-time. The author of six New York Times bestselling novels, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, Baby Proof, Love the One You're With, Heart of the Matter, and Where We Belong, she currently lives in Atlanta with her husband and three young children.

www.EmilyGiffin.com.

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