Page 87 of The Curveball
She kisses me. Hard. Deep. Her fingernails dig into the back of my neck. I’m breathless, a little stunned when she pulls back.
“I love you too,” she whispers against my mouth.
For once my tongue is tied. I manage to smile and choke out a “good”, but that’s it before I’m kissing her again. Claiming her is more like it. She’s been through pain, heartache, betrayal, and I promise myself, a silent vow to her, I’ll never be one who causes that sort of pain. Ever.
“I’m glad you told me,” I say, once we break away.
“I wanted you to know. My dad mentioned he was bringing Clay to the banquet.”
“That’s a big no.”
Wren nuzzles my neck. “He said he would politely uninvite him, but you never know. If there is a surprise, please promise me you won’t make it a thing, right?”
“What do you mean?”
“I wanted to give you a heads up in case I seem off. I don’t do well in the same room as him, but this is your night. I want to keep the past behind me, and you’re a little protective.”
“I’m a lot protective.”
She drapes her hands on the tops of my shoulders. “Promise?”
“Fine. I won’t say anything about that night, and I’ll be perfectly polite to your dad even though I’m having a lot of thoughts about his choices. I’m putting Clay on a do not let inside list.”
Wren pecks my lips. “Thank you.”
I kiss the center of her palm. “Thanks for trusting me, Birdie. Tell me something.” I wait until she looks at me. “You said you kept me at a distance because of this. Did you think I’d be like him?”
She closes her eyes, resting her head on my shoulder. “No. It was more because I felt something with you.”
“Oh, the day I called you sweetheart? I know how much you loved that.”
She laughs softly. “No, but you showed me right there how much you cared about your friend and the woman he loved. It showed compassion and gentleness. It unnerved me since most of the men in my life were the opposite. I’m fortunate to have my brothers and Alice and Cal, but it freaked me out to feel something so fast over a guy I never thought could be . . . amazing.”
I grin with a bit of slyness. “So, you liked me?”
“Don’t fish for compliments, Marks. But . . . yes. I know it wasn’t fair of me to hold my past against you for so long.”
“We live life by our experiences, Wren. Now I’m even more honored you gave me a chance.” I lean my cheek on the top of her head. “But you need to know, there’s no way I’ll dad our kids from the distance like yours did.”
“Oh,ourkids? Marks, again, if that was a proposal, it needs a heck-of-a-lot of work.”
“Woman! Stop being picky.”
She laughs and kisses me. This kiss is different. It’s deeper. The same as the night she waded through my gloom, she opened to me; she let me in. This kiss is a new chapter in our story, a bit of trust that I’ll never break.
CHAPTER27
WREN
This is incredible.The banquet hall is like a gilded palace tonight. Low lighting, and long tables with mountains of food and fine desserts. Servers in black ties bustle around keeping flutes of champagne and cider filled. There is a live jazz band in one corner, and a long plush carpet is rolled out in the front doors.
It’s as close to the red carpet as I’ll ever walk, and I couldn’t be prouder.
I sip on my champagne, smiling as Griffin and Parker shake hands with the crème de la crème of the sports world. Dallas Anderson shows them off, a proud grin on his face. I have to admit, the Vegas Kings world is different than others I’ve seen. They’re close, like a big family.
I wish Giana were here to see her boy. Griffin is covering his anxiety well, but before we arrived tonight his mom called. She wasn’t going to make it because of the knee pain. She could hardly stand.
Her tears were heartbreaking as she wished Griffin luck, and assured him she had an appointment to finally get a new medication to help with the pain. Thankfully cancer markers weren’t there at her scan, but the pain is worrisome, and still unmanaged.