The scent of fresh cut grass used to be one of my favorite smells. Nothing in the world had compared to it until my junior year of high school. Staring down from my place in the bleachers, I pushed the sunglasses back up the bridge of my nose and smiled. Memories of doing the same drills as the players down on the field came rushing back as if I had forgotten them. The chirp of the whistle had summoned the players to the sidelines where Coach was standing with his staff.

Rising to my feet, I took in the surrounding area. Not too much had changed in the last five years. The track was still painted in vibrant shades against the black tar. The concession stand, although wasn't open, had the menu tacked up near the start of the line. The holsters fashioned out of PVC were waiting for their flags along the back of the bleachers.

One of the newer features was a tribute to my legacy. Mine and the boys in my life. Huge placards shaped like our home state had been attached to the outer gym, facing the field. The year and our division were printed above the two words that warmed my heart each time I saw it. State Champions. Back to back champs was something only I was able to be proud of. My brother and his friends were able to do it, but I was.

As the players let out a howl they signaled the end of practice and started toward the gym. Like my younger self had done dozens of times, I hopped down from my place on the beachers and began the trek toward the field.

"Heads up," a familiar voice shouted and I turned in time to see a football soaring toward me. I caught the ball and grinned at my brother who was waving for me to throw it back. Doing as he asked, I heard the surprised gasps from some of the players who had lingered. He shooed them to the locker room as I walked over to him.

"How are they looking, Coach?"

"You tell me."

"Well," I sighed, "Your tight end isn't waiting for his opening. He's just hitting whoever he wants. And your back up center is slow moving."

"Something good would be nice to hear right about now."

"You can pull off a polo better than I thought."

His arm wrapped around my neck to trap me in a loose choke hold. My joke made him chuckle which made me laugh with him. When he released me, I turned to find the head coach. My brother walked over to him and took some of the equipment that the team failed to take responsibility for. Coach Corey waved to me as I offered to take some of the equipment as well.

"Head coach looks good on you," I offered. My former offensive coach grinned sheepishly.

"It's been six years, and it still feels strange hearing it." He rubbed the back of his neck for a few seconds before turning his attention to me. "I thought Luke said you were up in Wisconsin. What are you doing back this way?"

"Moving back thanks to a job transfer to Chicago."

"Chicago? That's pretty convenient."

"I think it was requested," Lucas teased, elbowing me as he pushed past. "Can't stay away any longer."

"It helps that my nephew is here," I shouted, kicking my foot out in a failed attempt to kick him in the ass.

The new little Lester looked just like his dad. Dark hair and big, curious hazel eyes. I had no doubt that he would have his mother's attitude though. Zoey had kept my brother in line for so long that the proposal wasn't a surprise to any of us. Her no was though. It had taken him three times before she agreed. What she had told me was that each ask came with too much flare. She wanted something that was more like the two of them. I understood it completely.

I wouldn't want to be put on the spot in front of strangers, or go on some wild adventure. It was too much pressure to say yes with prying eyes on me. If something happened on the adventure that put me in a bad mood, I wouldn't want to tie it to the memory. I couldn't stop myself from looking down at my bare finger as we walked.

After inviting my brother and his new family over for dinner, I walked around our town. The walking distance was perfect. It was one of the reasons why I had liked attending the University of Wisconsin. While Madison was the standard metropolis, the campus felt like home. The small lake and endless open space was too alluring. A top notch football team was good, too.

Friday's were spent working or catching up on school work. After all, Saturday's were dedicated to football games. Especially when they were home games. The energy that filled every inch of the campus was overwhelming while also expected. People sporting their black, red and white get up. Girls wearing homemade tshirts that supported their favorite players or boyfriends.

Moving back home hadn't been the official plan after I graduated. I was going to stick around Madison for as long as I could. Maybe venture further into the state that had been my home for four years. Then there was an offer and my boxes were packed before I really thought about it. Zoey and Lucas were here, and now so was Caleb. Being close to them did help to convince me that it was a crazy idea.

Pushing open the door to my recently rented condo, I heard the thunderous pounding of feet coming down the stairs. There was no time to react as my year old Irish Wolf Hound practically leapt into my arms. He was still used to me being able to pick him up. In the last two months he'd reached that limit.

"Hey, Lombardi," I cooed, crouching down to eye level. "What were you up to?"

I scratched behind his ears until he'd calmed down enough for me to stand back up. My keys clattered in the bowl as I tossed them home. A sizzling came through the screen door as I traveled down the hall to the kitchen. Pulling open the fridge, I grabbed two beers then wandered out onto the small balcony.

I had planned for my future beyond football. Shane didn't believe me. He thought I was gunning for the pros since I was playing for a Big-10 school. It was never a goal of mine. I loved the game too much to let it slip away because of greed and pride. There was no reason for either in my head. Being a James' meant I had a trust set up before I was born, but I refused to dip into it. It was for emergencies only. It was a rule I set for myself when I turned twenty-two.

That's when my trust would be accessible. My grandfather reminded me every month leading up to the big day. When the unease started to show on my face, my grandmother convinced him to refer to it as my graduation gift. A gift without a receipt. I had offered to give it to my mother, but she'd refused.

After the divorce, she had moved into her own place in a neighboring town. She said that she wasn't going to hang her head in shame and give up her various charities and groups. There was a sense of determination as she shared her plans with me. It was a determination that I had given my spineless father credit for passing on to me. I was happy for her though. Not only was she getting her own place, but she was really becoming her own person.

As for my father. He got to live in the world he had created for himself while I was finishing high school. My suspicions were right and he did have a side piece. A woman who worked as an intern. She was four years older than me. Five older than the girl I had been dating. Two years older than my own cousin. It made my stomach churn when I had heard that.

I thought I had been dramatic when I told him I was fine without him finding the door and never coming back into my life. Then I had heard my grandfather all but disowned him. His own family had given up on him. Either they loved me and their daughter-in-law more, or they honestly believe there was no way he could redeem himself. I was fine with whichever was true. As long as he felt something. Angry like I had been when he started caring less about our family. Ashamed for being able to walk away so easily. Guilty for smearing his own father's name. I doubted it though.

My goal was to be nothing like him. To be better than him. I wanted my future to not revolve around work. I didn't want to marry the wrong girl over and over again. There would be no abandoning my family, or letting them abandon me. I would do something that I enjoyed and be surrounded by those who wanted to only support me. It didn't matter that they were my friends from high school. The defensive lineman turned Algebra teacher. The quarterback who was backpacking through South America. The offensive lineman who was all too happy being the dad of twin girls.

The bottle of beer being set on the grills sorry excuse of a work space made me smile. The condensation was already starting to coat the bottle thanks to the late summer heat. The boldly painted nails weren't a completely unusual sight, but it was still something I was getting used to. The subtle make up she wore and the occasional dress were also things that fit her perfectly, but weren't part of the girl I had known since we were kids.

Somewhere between me graduating from high school, and her own the following year, Blaine had grown up. The tomboy mentality was in one piece, though. She'd proved that to all of us when she led her own team to the State Championship her senior year. Of course we were there. Shane had stopped his wild adventures to come home and cheer on his adoptive little sister. Lucas, Zoey and I had all driven in the day off because of classes. Joseph and his new girlfriend still lived locally and had gotten there first to save us seats.

Seeing her from the stands had been a new experience that made me proud and disappointed at the same time. I had wanted to be down there with her. To take over for Greg and be the one making her plays happen. This was her time to shine. We'd had our shot and won. Now, we got to cheer her on.

It wasn't anything new for me. I was cheering her on from day one. Whatever she wanted to do, the challenges she took on, I was right there. My encouragement felt useless while I was away at school. Hundreds of miles between us and I wanted nothing more than to be by her side through everything. Thankfully, being in Wisconsin made it possible for us to see each other whenever we could.

When one of us was having a bad day, the other was in the car as soon as they were able to. She'd come up after class for long weekends, and I would make the trip to see her between practices and school. Had I gone to USC, we wouldn't have survived. Living in Madison had started more than one fight between us. Ending in an abrupt hang up and, usually, me showing up at her house.

After she graduated high school, she was still trying to decide between college and being free. The first year out of school, she jumped right into an entry level job at an office. Coffee runs and scheduling meetings didn't keep her busy enough. I watched her slowly going insane with the repetitive tasks. My girl needed something exciting. Eventually, she moved up to Madison and started taking courses at Madison Area Technical College.

It had started as generals. A degree to have, because she felt that was going to be required for anything meaningful. At one of my work events, she stormed over to me with a dangerous flare in her eyes and announced she wanted to be part of human resources. There was no room to say anything as she stalked back toward the women who must have inspired her choice.

I was reminded again why I fell for this crazy, stubborn woman. Her need to find a way to break ceilings while also keeping both feet on the ground was admirable. There was nothing I would ever change about her.

"How's Coach, and Luke?"

"Fine. Corey's got his work cut out for him." I glanced at her as she sat on the faux wicker loveseat and watched as Lombardi curled up at her feet. "You have to see Lucas in his coaches get up."

"Khaki shorts. Polo. Visor."

"Hat," she corrected. "The thinning hair is giving him a complex."

"Poor Zoe. She's got to be losing her mind with your brother."

"She knew what she was getting into with him. Plus, they did have a kid. I mean, you don't do that unless you love the person."

"Joey?"

"He loved her, too. They just have a different relationship than most. Like us." The last part was added as an afterthought. The tone was strange, too. Turning back to the grill, I returned my attention to the food and grabbed my beer.

"You really think we have an odd relationship?"

"Not odd. Different." Lombardi let out a bark as if he was taking her side. Nothing new there. I might have won the battle for which dog to get, but he became the biggest mama's boy before he was potty trained.

"But you do think we're abnormal."

"I don't," she growled, the agitation settling into her voice.

"You think others do though. Why is that?" I moved the burgers on to the plate and spun back around to face her. I was curious what she had to say, but already knew what to expect.

It was a conversation I had already had with not only her brother and my cousin, but Shane and Joseph as well. Apparently when you've dated for nearly seven years there were more grand gestures that were supposed to happen. Moving in together was one we had accomplished a while ago. Then there was the furbaby to prepare you for the human kind - Lombardi. The next gesture was one that I wasn't sure she wanted.

Both of our parent's relationships weren't anything we had wanted. Watching Lucas marry my cousin had started changing my mind. That didn't mean it had the same effect on her. The birth of our twin god daughters didn't seem to either. Yet, here she was. Her attitude pulled a one-eighty as she stared out to the park on the other side of the street. The same park that we played more pick up games than I could count.

I stepped into the kitchen and set the plate down on the counter. Snatching the red and white leash, I walked back to the balcony and waved it in front of the beast. Lombardi jumped up and bolted toward me with a little wag of his tail. I nodded my head to Blaine as I fixed the latch onto the matching collar.

"What about dinner?"

"It'll be here when we get back," I answered, offering her my hand as I stood. She grabbed my abandoned bottle of beer, entered the kitchen and set both of them on the counter. The door slid shut and I heard the lock as she flipped the latch. Her fingers intertwined with mine and we made our way to the front door and began the spontaneous adventure.

"Where are we going," she mumbled. The irritation from our discussion minutes ago was lingering just below the surface. There was nothing I could say that would make her believe me.

Everything I had told her was the truth. My cousin loved her brother, more than she hated him. Joseph and the twins' mom weren't in love with each other the way they should have been when they found out about their future surprise. They made it work though, and those beautiful little girls were spoiled beyond belief. Shane was the only exception to the rule. For now.

I knew when I was sixteen that my best friend's little sister was going to be a constant in my life. By the time I was seventeen, I knew she was always going to be part of my life. I would accept her as my friend, but I would hold on to the dream of something more some day. During my eighteenth and nineteenth year, I prayed every damn night that we would survive the distance.

Now, at twenty four, I was still trying to keep this relationship just as I always imagined it would be. There were still a few major steps that we needed to take. If that is what she needed to hear what I had to say, I'd make them happen. I had been holding off on popping the question and talking about babies to avoid scaring her off. Hell, we'd just moved in together for the first time ever. While we were in Madison, we had our own places. Which I thought was ridiculous.

"We could have moved anywhere when he came back to Illinois," I spoke softly as my finger tightened their hold on hers. "In the city. The suburbs. Anywhere. Why did we move back here?"

"Because you suggested it." I gave her a look as we neared the stop sign at the corner of our street. "I don't know. It made sense to come back here."

"We know the area."

"We know where to find the best burgers," she mocked referring to Dillon's.

"The best place for late night ice cream runs."

"The perfect spot to play catch."

We stopped in the middle of the field where we used to have our pick up games. The same park that our tiny balcony overlooked. She smiled at me before releasing my hand and taking the leash from me.

"Some decent schools," I spoke, but barely loud enough for her to hear. Any doubt that my words had made it to her vanished as her brow furrowed and she twisted to look at me.

"I suppose so," she mumbled back softly.

"In case we're planning to stick around." I shrugged as if I had meant anything truly by it.

"Finn?"

"You have this twisted thought in your head that because we don't have rugrats or said our vows that we aren't normal. And as far as I know, it's a new thought." It was her turn to shrug as she crouched down to baby the beast whining for her attention. "Two years."

"What?"

"Two years," I stated firmly as she stared at me. "Give me two years. If I don't find a good time to pop the question in that time frame, then we'll find some drive-thru chapel. We'll do a long road trip somewhere and find a two-for-one deal. A quick marriage someplace romantic and just stay there all week long as a honeymoon."

"Finn, I -"

"If that's what you want, Lainy, then I'm all in. We can run away and do whatever you want. So long as you agree to give me a little more time. There has been a lot going on these last few years, and, honestly, neither of us needed that pressure. When I ask you to be my wife, I don't want you to hesitate. I don't want to give you the chance to hide away in that head of yours as you weigh all the options. I don't want to be like Lucas staring dumbfounded as you turn me down in the middle of a swanky restaurant."

"Will you shut up," she snapped softly, fighting a smile as she looked up at me. "You really do like hearing yourself talk."

"You Lester's don't exactly leave much room for anyone else to get a word in."

"I agree with your two year plan." I sat down beside her and Lombardi pranced between us before flopping down on my lap. "But, if you were to ask me in a swanky restaurant, I'd say yes. You could ask me right now in a place from our childhood and I'd say the same thing. Weeks from now, or on that road trip. My answer won't change, Finn, because