This was the first time she was going to be with Brady since he had agreed that they were going to be together. Sure, they’d had the few days after that, but he’d had a couple weeks to change his mind. Not that she thought he had. He would have been better off denying the allegations and letting their history fade into the wind than acknowledging her. It was just this nagging feeling. Maybe it was a result of Heather’s condescension. Maybe it was more innate.
Either way it left her on edge. It didn’t help that Brady wasn’t picking them up. She had known from day one the demands of his career, but she still didn’t want to take a backseat to it.
Their plane circled high above the Washington, D.C., metropolis. Lights shone bright from the city in the evening darkness. Brady was down there somewhere. She bounced lightly in her seat as they made their descent. She had been anticipating this trip all week, and she couldn’t get out of her seat quickly enough once they landed at Reagan National Airport.
“Would you chill out?” Victoria complained. “We’re not getting off of this thing any faster, and Brady isn’t even waiting.”
“Ouch, Vickie,” Liz said. “No need to rub salt in the wound.”
“Okay, Lizzie,” Victoria jeered.
Liz stilled at that. She didn’t like that Victoria used Hayden’s nickname. She really should be more careful about calling her Vickie, but habits were hard to break.
She needed to get Hayden out of her head before she landed.
“Enough,” Daniel said, wrapping an arm around Victoria’s waist. “No catfights on the plane, Vickie.”
“You always side with Liz. Why do I keep you around?”
He raised his eyebrows and smirked.
“I can get that anywhere,” she snapped, but a smile played on her features.
“That’s not what I remember you saying.”
“Okay,” Liz said, shaking her head. “My turn to say enough. I don’t want you two to start a play-by-play on the airplane.”
Victoria leaned into Daniel and giggled. Liz was sure they were whispering about what they were going to do to each other later, but she didn’t care as long as she couldn’t hear it.
Liz slung her bag over her head, hung her messenger bag on her shoulder, and exited the airplane. She waited impatiently for Victoria and Daniel to follow her through the airport, past Security, and out toward baggage claim.
She scanned the signs in front of her for the driver that was promised to collect them. No luck. She kept walking, hoping to catch a glimpse, but to no avail.
When her eyes reached the end of the line, she gasped and dropped her bags. Brady. He was here. He had come to pick her up. A million emotions hit her all at once. Her heart ached as it pounded fiercely in her chest. She had missed him so much. The weeks had stretched interminably long.
She caught his eyes and her stomach flopped.
Without a thought for Victoria, Daniel, or her discarded bags, she dashed across the airport. She felt as if she were in a movie as she rushed toward the man she loved. When she reached him, she threw herself into his arms. Her body thudded against his chest and she pressed her face into his shoulder. His arms pulled her flush against him and he hoisted her up so that her feet tucked up behind her. He smelled unbelievably masculine and delicious. The strength in the embrace grounded her, and everything felt right in the world.
“Hey baby,” Brady whispered in her ear.
“You said you were sending a car.”
“I have a car,” he told her with a kiss on her temple.
He placed her lightly back on her feet. She could do nothing but stare up at him with a dopey grin.
“I got out early to come see your beautiful face,” he said. She reached on her tiptoes and kissed him softly on the mouth once. She heard a flash behind her and turned just in time to see a few people stashing their phones and cameras.
“Should I not have done this?” she asked, concerned.
“No, Liz. I like you exactly how you are.”
“What are people going to say?”
“Whatever they want,” he said, taking her hand. “Try not to worry about it. You’re with me now.”
Somehow that did make so much of it better. Brady wouldn’t have let her throw herself at him if he had been concerned about consequences. He wasn’t one to forget himself in these kinds of situations.
“Oh, I dropped my stuff,” Liz said, turning to see Victoria and Daniel walking toward them with her bags.
“I didn’t think you’d want to lose this,” Victoria said. She was shaking her head, but had a crooked smile on her face.
Liz reached out and took her bags. “Thanks. Sorry.”
“No, you’re not,” Victoria said. “So you must be Brady.” She eyed him up and down and then nudged Liz. “I see why you would say he’s good in bed. He’s really . . . tall.”
Liz covered her face with her hand and shook her head. “Wow. Worst introduction ever.” Brady was laughing softly. Liz had told him all about Victoria, but she didn’t think she could ever adequately prepare someone for her best friend. “Brady, this is my insane roommate, Victoria, and her boyfriend, Daniel.”
“Nice to meet you,” Brady said, extending his hand and shaking with each of them.
“Daniel, huh?” Daniel asked. “I’ve upgraded from Duke Fan for the visit?”
“She didn’t want to give you a reminder about how bad we beat you in basketball last week,” Brady answered. “It was really a way of saving you some embarrassment.”
“Geez, Liz, you’ve trained him already?” Daniel asked.
Liz couldn’t hide her amusement. “Didn’t have to. Brady played basketball at UNC.”
“Another one,” Daniel grumbled. “It’s going to be a long weekend.”
They all walked toward the baggage claim. Brady laced Liz’s fingers together with his as they walked, and she realized he had that same dopey grin on his face she’d felt on her own earlier.
She couldn’t believe how easily she had doubted on the plane. Now here she was in D.C., introducing Brady to her friends, holding his hand in public. She wouldn’t truly believe it if they hadn’t gone through hell and back to get to this point.
After collecting their luggage, they walked out of the airport and into the covered garage. The guys loaded the suitcases into the back of a shiny black Range Rover while Liz and Victoria got comfortable in the plush leather interior.