Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 122219 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 611(@200wpm)___ 489(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122219 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 611(@200wpm)___ 489(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
“I love you, Nathan. I love everything about you. I love your heart and how gentle it is. I love how you are patient. I love how you laugh. I love how you push my buttons. I love how you listen. I love how you see all our guys on the team as individuals. I love that you take extra time to serve them. And I love how easy you make it to fall for you. I love you, Nathan. I love you so much that it scares me, but I don’t want to waste another day not loving you out loud.”
I narrowed my eyes, baffled by everything she was saying. Yet one comment stood out more than the others. “Who told you that?”
“Who told me what?”
“That you were hard to love.”
Her bottom lip trembled as she shook her head. Tears began to roll down her cheeks, and she didn’t try to stop them. As she let the tears out, she was letting me in. “It doesn’t matter. I just know it’s true.”
“Avery…” I stepped toward her, wanting nothing more than to wrap my arms around her and pull her in closer to me. I wanted to wipe away her tears and fill her with the comfort her soul needed and deserved. “It’s true. You are all those things you mentioned, except for that one. You are not hard to love.”
It was only six words, but I saw how they cracked her. She shut her eyes as her body began to shake from her emotions taking over.
I moved in closer and closer. So close that I was able to wipe away her tears and speak the words once more, hoping they’d land against her heartbeat. “You’re not hard to love. Trust me, I know who you are. I know your ins and outs. And you’re right. You’re grumpy, moody, and you do have walls built up. You also leave a shit ton of hair in bathroom drains,” I joked.
She snickered quietly as I kept going. “But you’re so much more than that. You’re an amazing coach. A great friend. You’re loyal. You’re consistent. You always show up whenever someone needs you. You’re humble, even when your gifts deserve more praise. You’re an amazing sister and daughter. You’re funny and clever and the smartest person I’ve ever met. The hardest-working one, too. You challenge people to think in a way they never have before. You are an amazing person, and I need you to understand one thing and one thing only.”
“What’s that?” she asked as her eyes opened.
“Loving you is easy.”
She bit her bottom lip and tugged on her sleeves. “Really?”
I moved in more, softly kissing away the tears falling down her cheeks. “Really.”
“You still love me? After making you wait all these months?”
“I loved you, I love you, and I will love you, Avery Kingsley. This love will never stop.”
“I’m still working with the therapist. I’m still working on me, and I’m trying so hard to be perfect for you. I want to be everything you deserve because you deserve so much, Nathan.”
“Avery…” I took her hands in mine and kissed each palm before holding them to my chest. “You don’t have to be perfect to be loved by me.”
Her eyes fluttered with surprise. “I don’t?”
“You don’t. All I’m waiting to hear from you is when it’s our time to try again. I’m here. I’ve been here this whole time. I’m waiting in the dugout. Just call me out, Coach, and I’m yours. Give me a sign, and it’s game on.”
The next thing I knew, her lips were pressing against mine. She kissed me as if she was apologizing for every hurt she’d ever caused, and I kissed her with all the forgiveness in the world. I didn’t need Avery to be perfect in order for me to love her. I needed her to be real. And that evening, as she stood in the stables—the same stables where we shared our first-ever kiss—I knew we were ready.
I knew we were finally getting a real shot at us. I also knew I’d spend the rest of my life stepping up to the plate to let her know that I’d always show up to bat for her, no matter if she had good days or bad. Because loving her was, and always would be, easy.
EPILOGUE
Nathan
Seven Months Later
Fourth of July
“You’re going down, Kingsley,” I said, rubbing my hands together as Avery finished putting on her uniform for the Fourth of July Pierce baseball game.
Everyone from our small town was invited to the family farm to celebrate the holiday, including Avery’s family and the Honey Creek Hornets. Evan and Easton were doing what they’d done best, grilling up some meat as Mom, Tatiana, and Matthew made sure everyone had a drink in their hands for the afternoon game.