Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 115833 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115833 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
I drew in a breath and faced the goal. I rose to my toes to shoot the ball and thanked my sweet Heavenly Father for allowing it to sink into the net. I expected cheers and applause afterward, but the crowd gasped instead, and a wave of murmurs erupted.
The speed of my heart picked up again. I twisted around to find Deke, but when I saw him, I gasped too.
He was on one knee, a velvety black box in his hand with an oval-shaped diamond ring nestled inside it. The diamond gleamed in the light, and I didn’t even want to think about how much he’d shoveled out for it.
“Deke.” My eyes stretched as I stood there like a gaping idiot.
He smiled up at me with a glint in his eyes. He’d gotten rid of the mic, so the only person who could hear him speaking was me. Reaching for my hand with his other, he gave it a squeeze.
“Davina, there aren’t many things I’ve been sure of in my life, but when I met you, I was positive you were the one for me. Whether I could have you or not, you were the one my heart yearned for. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to kiss you every single morning and night, to hold you when you’re down and lift you up when you feel weakest. I want to see your smile every single day and hear you laugh about my corny jokes and nicknames. You’ve always been the woman for me, and I love you so much, D. I’ve never felt a love like this, and I can’t let it go, which is why I have to ask you right now . . . Will you marry me?”
I squeezed his hand back and bobbed my head, a hot tear sliding down my cheek. “Yes,” I said in a half sob. “Yes, I’ll marry you, Declan Bishop.”
He cracked a smile, taking the ring out of the box and sliding it onto the finger I swore would never belong to anyone else again.
But like a hurricane, Deke barreled right in and swept me up. There was no way of missing him, no way to avoid him. He was right there, leaving me no choice but to fall for him more and more each day.
When he rose to a stand, he reeled me in by the waist and held me tight as I laced my arms around the back of his neck. And when we kissed, the crowd cheered.
I couldn’t believe this was happening—this raw, romantic moment that was certainly in Deke fashion. All this time we’d been hiding from the press and keeping our relationship out of the public eye because I was afraid they wouldn’t accept me. But there was something about hearing those cheers fill up the stadium. They were rooting for our happiness, rooting for us.
My heart filled like air in a balloon, swelling to the point I swore it would burst from how much love I felt, not only from him, but from his fans too.
When you first learn how to play basketball, you stumble a few times and miss a lot of the shots you take. You grow frustrated, but you keep dribbling that ball, keep shooting, keep moving your feet. Your chin stays up, and even when you feel like you’ll never be great—that you’ll never accomplish your goals—that’s when it all falls into place.
Our love was a lot like that. Bumpy at the start as we learned, stumbling through feelings and grief, but coming out the other side with our heads up and our dreams in our grasps.
We had a love like no other—a beautiful, broken love that healed us when we needed it most.
EPILOGUE
DAVINA
I carried a small bouquet of sunflowers as I walked through a field of soft grass. It was fairly hot for a June morning, but there was a nice breeze going, causing my pink sundress to blow in the wind.
I passed through rows and rows of flat marker headstones until I found the one I was looking for. It was next to a cluster of bushes, the stone a glossy black with white lettering.
I read the headstone, which was flush with grass, the flower container empty, proof that no one had been here in a while. That hurt my heart a little. The headstone shimmered in the sunlight like it was smiling at me.
LEWIS C. ROBERTS
1988–2021
LOVING SON, HUSBAND, AND FRIEND
I bent over, tucking the sunflowers into the container and adjusting them. A breeze sailed by as I cleared my throat.
“Hey, Lew. It’s been a while.” I huffed a laugh, studying his name. “I’m sorry I haven’t visited as much, but like I told Octavia, I don’t think you’re really here. Your soul isn’t, anyway. But just in case you are, I want you to know that I’m engaged now—wanted to tell you that. The wedding will be next summer.” I bit into my bottom lip, running the sole of my sandal over a patch of grass. My eyes prickled, but I blinked and drew in a breath.