“I just thought those exact words,” I say, turning to look at him.
“You should have come to me.”
“I know. I’m sorry. All I could think was that Cameron was going to lose everything he’d worked for because of his relationship with me.”
“Even so, relationships are a two-way street. You need to be able to listen to the other person. Their wants and their needs. It’s not just about you and what you think is best.” Dad gives me his stern dad look. “It’s work, princess. Every day, you have to work at it. It doesn’t matter how much you love each other if you don’t put in the work. This is what you get.” He points at Cameron and me.
“I know. I messed up. I’m sorry. To all of you, I’m sorry.” I make eye contact with each one of them.
Uncle Drew gives me a soft smile. “You almost lost me one of my best players. Let’s not do this again, yeah?” he asks.
“Deal.” I stand and give him a tight hug, then move to my dad. “I’m sorry.” He wraps me in his strong arms and presses his lips to the top of my head.
“Love you, princess,” he murmurs. “He’s waiting for you,” he says, only for me to hear. I pull back and meet his eyes. He gives me a subtle nod as he releases me.
I turn to look at Cameron. He smiles and opens his arms. I rush toward him and hug him as tightly as I can. I love this man. To be in his arms again, when I thought I never would be again, it’s soothing. Tilting my head back so I can see his face, I ask, “Can we go home?”
His eyes soften. “Yeah, baby, we can go home.” We say our goodbyes, and we’re quiet all the way home. He holds my hand firmly in his, never letting go.
“Your place or mine?” he asks as we walk up the sidewalk.
I turn to look at him. Exhaustion is written all over his face, and I’m sure he sees the same thing staring back at him. “Ours.” It’s what I had planned the afternoon that I heard my dad talking to Uncle Drew, and I let my eavesdropping prevent it from happening.
“Ours.” He nods, a smile tilting his lips as he leads me to our condo. Once inside, we kick off our shoes, strip down to nothing, and climb into bed. He sighs when his body wraps around mine. “Mine.”
I close my eyes and whisper, “Yours,” before sleep claims me.
Epilogue Paisley
Three years later
Paisley
“I can’t believe you’ve graduated,” I tell Parker. We’re sitting outside on the deck at my parents’ place, watching as all of our friends and family mill about at her graduation party.
“I can’t believe you’re married,” she fires back.
I look down at my left hand, where my engagement ring and diamond wedding band stare back at me. Cameron and I were married a year ago this month. We decided on a destination wedding with our closest friends and family. It was a gorgeous day and one I will never forget.
“You excited for college?” I ask her.
“Definitely. Freedom.” She grins.
“Just remember to call me anytime. No questions asked. I don’t care what time, night or day. You need me. You call me.”
“Thanks, Paisley.”
“Be prepared for Dad to call you every day in the beginning. Mom too, but she slacks off way before he does. Lucky for you, they still have Peyton at home to keep them occupied. She’s the one who’s going to struggle the most. When she leaves for college, they’re going to have an empty nest, and I already know that’s going to be hard for them.”
“Let’s not tell her that. Not yet.” Parker laughs.
“Good plan. You decided on a major yet?”
“Not yet. It’s a big decision.”
“It is. One I didn’t think through so well,” I say under my breath.
“What’s that?” she asks.
“Nothing.”
“Come on, Paisley. What’s up?”
I glance over at my middle sister. She’s now eighteen and all grown up. It’s hard to believe, and it makes me feel old. We’ve grown closer the last couple of years, and I hope that the same thing happens with Peyton. I may be a lot older than both of them, but they are still my sisters. “Cam’s been asking about starting a family.”
Her eyes light up. “You want that, right?”
I nod. “More than anything.”
“So, what’s the issue?”
“We both travel so much. How are we going to raise a baby when we’re both on the road?”
“Ah.” She nods.
“Yeah. I didn’t think about that when I chose my career. I was so dead set on staying a part of the sport that I loved that I didn’t look past the career and to the future and what my life might look like.”
“You’re married to a millionaire.”
“And?”
“And money isn’t an issue. You could quit.” She says the words so simply.
“I could, but I love my job and what I do.”
“Yeah, but what is it Dad’s always saying? Always speak from your heart?” she asks, and I nod. “What is your heart telling you? If I know anything, it’s that life likes to toss out curveballs. I know you’re Miss Independent, and you wanted a career where you didn’t have to depend on anyone else to support you. There are other jobs you can get as an athletic trainer. It doesn’t have to be with a professional baseball team.”
“I know, but then I’m giving up all that time with him.”
“But you’ll be with your babies,” she says softly.
She’s right. “When did you get so smart?”
“I learned it all from you,” she says.
“What’s going on over here?” Willow asks. She’s holding her hand over her baby bump.
“You mean your husband let you out of his sight?” I ask.
“Nope. My worrywart of a husband pleaded with me to stay put while he ran inside to the restroom, and here I am.” She grins. She’d been sitting on a lounge chair with her feet propped up. “I’m pregnant, not made of glass. Besides, I need in on the girl talk.”
“How are you feeling, Momma?” Parker asks, rubbing her baby bump.
“Like I’m ready to pop.”
“You’re glowing,” I tell my best friend.
“Yeah, well, you need to work on your glow. I want our kids to grow up together,” she tells me.
Parker’s eyes find mine, and she grins, shrugging.
“I’ll see what I can do,” I tell Willow.
“Uh-oh.” Parker laughs. “You’ve been spotted.”
We follow her gaze to see Travis Henderson, Willow’s husband, and my husband headed in our direction.
Epilogue Cameron
Cameron
I’ve been sitting here watching my wife and my sister-in-law for the past twenty minutes. The party is going strong, and no one seems to mind that I’m sitting here being antisocial. It’s not that I don’t want to socialize. It’s that I can’t take my eyes off my wife. We’ve been married for a year, and I’m still not used to calling her that.