Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 88143 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88143 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
“That better not be your vows,” I joke with him, and now we hear men’s voices also. “We have to get out there, or I think they are going to break down the door.”
“What do you mean she was crying? Why was she crying?” I hear my dad, and his voice goes higher and higher.
I unlock the door and open it, and there in the middle of our master bedroom is everyone who means something to us. My father has my mother in his arms as he tries to comfort her. Patrick doing the same to Jackie but now with Candace standing beside them. Matthew and Max stand behind Karrie and Allison. Vivienne and Zoe both sit on the bed with Vivienne’s arm around Zoe’s shoulders.
I stand there beside the man who answered a crazy random Twitter date request, the man who brings me coffee, the man who holds my door open for me, the man who sends me flowers just because, the man who owns not half my heart but the whole thing. The man I know I want to grow old with, I want to have babies with, and I want to bitch about. He puts his arm around my shoulder and pulls me to him, kissing my forehead. I wrap my arm around his waist. “I know this is crazy,” I start, and the tears and laughter come at the same time, “but we’re having a baby.”
Everyone gasps in shock. Zoe shoots to her feet and comes to me, hugging me. Everyone else comes to us all.
“Well, is she still going to wear the white dress?” Vivienne asks from the bed, taking a sip of my mimosa from before. “This is disgusting. It’s just orange juice.”
And just like that, the room burst into laughter, the only thing never changing is that Evan never leaves my side. Even when the hair and makeup people come, he doesn’t leave. The only time he does leave is when I have to get into my wedding dress.
Thirty minutes later, I’m walking down the aisle on the arm of my father toward the man who I know is going to do everything in his power to take care of me. “I never thought I would see the day that I would be walking you down the aisle,” my father whispers in my ear as we walk slowly smiling as we pass people he knows. “The first boy who said he liked you. Do you remember what you did to him?” I look over her and shake my head. “You kicked him in the balls.”
“Oh right,” I say, thinking back. “But in my defense, you actually told me to do that.”
“Yeah.” He laughs. “Don’t ever tell your mother that.”
We finally get down the aisle, and he stands his arm never letting me go. “Who gives this woman to be wed?”
“Her family does,” he says, and then he looks over at Evan. “Welcome to the family, son.” And then, just like that, he hands me over to the man who was always in my dreams.
Epilogue Two
Three Months Later
Matthew
“The plane will be landing in five minutes, Mr. Grant,” the flight attendant says before going to her seat, and I look out the window. Nothing but greenery, but what do you expect? It’s Arizona. The plane touches down smoothly, and I unbuckle my seat belt and get up, pulling down the cuffs of my sleeves. I put my aviator glasses on and grab the leather backpack that Karrie got me when they finally announced I was the general manager for the New York Stingers last year. I have a whole season under my belt, and as much as it pains me to say, we fell short. There is no way to sugarcoat shit because it is what it is. It just wasn’t our season. The pieces are definitely coming together, which is another reason I’m here in Arizona.
My latest trade. Some say it’s general manager suicide, but I see it the other way. When the plane to the door opens, the stairs fall out, and I walk out with the warm heat hitting my face. It’s already scorching, and it’s only eleven. I walk down the four steps to the waiting black SUV parked there. The driver steps out of the car. “Mr. Grant?” He nods his head. “Pleasure to meet you,” he says, opening the back door, and I get into the cool car. I take my phone out and send a text to Karrie, telling her I arrived. I’m not going to be here long, but by the time I get back home, it will be late.
I look out and see the palm trees as we drive down the highway. I check my email; with the season almost starting, it’s time to get back into the thick of it, and this year, I’m going for the cup.