Her cheek rested against his, and she breathed him in. “Whatever happens with the job, we’ll make it work. Don’t give anything up for me. I promise you, I’m not going anywhere. I know I’ll struggle, but I’ll work through it.”
“No more pulling away? No more giving into fear, right? You have a problem, we talk it out.”
She nodded.
“Good. Because I want to give you everything you’ve never had. Love, trust, a home…”
Another sob rose up in her throat at his words.
“And a family.”
She smiled at him. “You already did. Your family accepted me, and I’m so grateful for that.”
He pressed his forehead to hers. “I don’t mean just my family. I mean our family. Yours and mine. I want kids I can teach to throw a baseball and girls who look just like you.”
She shook her head back and forth, unable to speak or form a coherent word.
“You don’t want kids?” He reared back in shock.
“I do. I just never let myself think about having them. I didn’t ever allow myself that dream.”
“Well, it’s not going to be a dream. It’s going to be our reality. I’m going to make sure of it.”
“You’re so good to me.” She looked into the face of the man she loved, unable to believe life had given them a second chance. Had given her a chance to get her head on straight and not lose the best thing that had ever happened to her.
“We’re good together. Don’t forget that.”
She grinned. “You can be sure I’ll remind you … if you ever forget.”
“Not likely. Got a question for you now.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“Marry me. Make this official.”
She blinked at him, stunned, surprised, and overwhelmed. “Are you sure you know what you’re getting into?”
“What kind of question is that? For one thing, we belong together. For another, don’t you think you’ll feel better knowing I want to make a lifetime commitment to you?”
She shook her head. “No. You can’t marry me because I have abandonment issues.”
He cupped her face in his hand, stroking her cheek with his thumb. “You’re right. But I can marry you because I have issues with being apart from you in any way. And because I know how I feel. It’s a plus that it’ll give you even more security. And that’s important to me. But binding you to me in every way is exactly what I want.”
She shrugged. What else could she say to that? “Yes.”
“Yes?”
“Yes.”
He grinned and kissed her hard. “Let’s go.”
“Where?”
“To buy a ring. My fiancée needs to have my ring on her finger.”
She smiled. “What kind of female would I be if I said no to that?”
She didn’t kid herself that things would be easy or that she wouldn’t backslide, but she had the world in her hands and this wonderful man in her life. She’d do everything she could to keep him there. Including fix herself.
* * *
Three Months Later
Alex drove toward Ian’s house to join his brother at the end of Riley’s baby shower. Ian had asked for moral support, and this way, Alex could pick up Madison, who’d gone to the party with some women from work. Alex drove north on I-95, catching sight of the damned billboard with his face plastered there in split screen. Exactly as the PR people had pitched the idea months ago.
He really hadn’t wanted to go along with the idea, but a myriad of circumstances had changed his mind. First was Jake, the boy he’d met in New York. They’d become email pals, and at some point, Ian’s words about Alex being able to make a difference for kids, and even injured athletes who could be taught to prepare for the future, had gotten to him. And when training camps began over the summer, Alex had begun meeting with the players, both in groups and individually, and he’d come to see the wisdom of the PR campaign. Finally, there was his new TV gig.
When Rachel had called him months ago on behalf of the owners of S&E Network, he hadn’t wanted to hear what she had to say. Once again, her persistence had paid off, and he’d been forced to listen. He learned that the setup had been all Allison and his ex-agent’s idea. The executives still wanted Alex. He wanted a new cohost. To his shock, they were agreeable.
The show would be Sundays only during football season, which meant his travel time was limited. He was able to keep his job with the Thunder and take on the new opportunity. That was when Madison had approached him again about doing the PR campaign. She believed the new job would be the perfect comeback tool and would bolster the efforts they were doing behind the scenes if coordinated with a public campaign. With Alex as the face of success.
Put like that, he hadn’t been able to refuse. If Madison could face her insecurities while he traveled to New York and worked with his female cohost and renewed fame, he could damn well face his own insecurities. Especially if it meant helping others.
Alex pulled his Porsche into the long driveway of his brother’s house. He met up with Ian at the front door.
“Eager to escape?” Alex asked, laughing.
“You don’t understand what all those drunk women in one room are like,” he muttered.
“But Riley can’t drink.”
“She insisted on mimosas for her friends. Tipsy females giving gifts like breast pumps, nipple cream, and a wiseass one gave her a voucher for a vasectomy. Said she’d be begging me to get one during delivery.”
“Ouch, man. That’s harsh.”
“You’re telling me. My brothers left after the first high-pitched screaming laugh.” He slapped Alex on the back. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Jesus. Can we stay out here?”
“No way. I’ve stayed out of their way for the most part, but Riley wants me there for cake and a toast. You can damn well earn your brother stripes and back me up.”
“You owe me,” Alex muttered, following Ian into the house.
An hour later, Alex was ready to escape the excited women, the tiny-people clothes—how did you hold something that small and not drop it, anyway?—and all those diapers, creams, and instruction books. He was glad he was engaged to be married and had time before he had to face all this … stuff.
He cornered a tipsy Madison in the hall near the kitchen. “Ready to go?” he asked hopefully.
“Another mimosa first.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the full bar with a professional mixer Ian had hired.