Chapter Twenty-Eight

Addie had purposely left her phone off over the Thanksgiving holiday. Her parents had been so sweet and caring the first two days she’d been home and as wonderful as it was, she’d needed space. She’d worried herself sick over hurting their feelings but in the end, they’d understood and pushed her out the door.

She’d stayed in a hotel. A really freaking expensive hotel. And spent a few days lapping up the luxuries of room service and in-room massages. Nothing she did filled the hole in her heart, but it felt satisfying. Relaxing. Turning her phone off and just taking care of herself had infused her with the strength to come back. To come home.

She knew now, regardless of what happened, Nashville was her home. She didn’t need to feel guilt over living away from her parents. They knew she was there when they needed her. Addie was determined to start making choices that weren’t clouded by worry about what would please everyone without considering her own true happiness.

But no matter how much she built herself up and gave herself pep talks, she couldn’t deny that the lack of trust and Sawyer’s words had changed her. Those rose-colored glasses he’d teased her about were now a murky shade of gray and she wondered if she’d forever see things differently.

The holiday was over and she’d had enough pity-time, so as she got off the plane, she took a breath and switched her phone off airplane mode. Of course, she then shoved it in her pants pocket to avoid the buzzing and beeping of incoming texts and emails, so she couldn’t be too proud of herself.

As she made her way through the terminal, her duffel bag slung over her shoulder, she thought about how she and Isla had come full circle. Almost a year ago, Addie had made all of the arrangements for Isla to drop everything and get from Colorado to Nashville. When the grandfather she didn’t even know she had had died, her friend had gone into some sort of autopilot shock. She imagined she’d done much the same as Isla when she’d told her about breaking up with Sawyer. And now, it was Isla who’d arranged for her to get back and forth from Colorado without Addie having to lift a finger or complete a thought.

And she’ll be there for you for every one of the days that follow. The crowd in front of her slowed and though she didn’t usually mind this sort of waiting, Addison went up on tiptoes, trying to see what the holdup was. They were coming out into an open area, so it was silly to have the foot traffic bottleneck now.

She shifted her bag to her other shoulder, focused on her breathing. Once she got home, things would feel better. She’d cried so many tears over the weekend, it was a wonder she wasn’t dehydrated. She was thirsty, though. She was thinking about whether or not to stop in the airport and get a drink or wait until she got home when the crowd of people in front of her thinned, heading off in different directions.

Walking straight, her brain still cloudy, it took her a minute to see what had held people up. In front of her, a long sheet of white paper stretched out across a sea of people waiting for arrivals. It started at one side with an older man holding the edges and scrolled across at least twenty people to a young woman holding the other side. In between, people helped hold it straight.

Addison sucked in a breath so sharp, she nearly choked. Along the paper, in bright letters, the words read: I love you Addison Carlisle. Her hand flew to her mouth and, dehydrated or not, tears filled her eyes.

She felt him before she saw him and turned her neck to the right. He came toward her through the crowd like she was all he could see. Dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a pullover crewneck sweater, his hair a little longer than usual, no scruff on his face, he looked exactly like what he was: a sexy, confident, professional all-star athlete. He was the kind of guy who looked like he could break hearts. Yet hers skipped at the nearness of him.

As he got closer, it was easier to see that despite his straight posture and the way he held his head high, he was nervous. His hands fisted at his sides and she saw the tightness around his mouth. Her heartbeat tripled and she wondered if between the lack of water and the adrenaline, she could pass out.

The closer he got, the more people started to take pictures and call out comments. This was going to be all over social media. She heard the whisper of his name shuffling through the crowd. She winced, wanting to shield him from it. But he didn’t even flinch—it was like he didn’t see them or hear them. Or just didn’t care. Or cares about you more. She glanced back at the sign and then again at him. Everything else died away when he stopped directly in front of her. He gazed down at her, those dark eyes locking on hers.

“I’m your ride,” he whispered.

Addie blinked. “What?”

“Isla was going to pick you up but I highjacked her plans.”

She pulled in a shuddery breath, took a quick glance at the sign before looking back up at him. Addie missed the sight of him. The feel of his hair sliding through her fingers, his mouth on hers. The scent of his cologne and the warmth of his body snuggled up against her own. He’d said terrible things. But he’d said wonderful ones as well. She pursed her lips, trying to think through the haze of want.

“Addie, I’m so sorry. For what I said, how I acted. For letting you walk away. I should have chased after you. I should have done so many things differently.”

She nodded, unsure if she was ready to speak. He must have thought she wasn’t convinced.

He stepped a fraction closer. “Whatever it takes, I’m going to show you how sorry I am. How much you mean to me.”

And with those words and him standing there in a packed airport, he’d done exactly that.

She bit her lip then let out the breath she’d been holding. He’d taken a chance. She could too. She couldn’t not. Because she loved him. “What are you going to do, kidnap me?”

He reached out to stroke a lock of hair off of her face and she knew, regardless of the next moment, that he’d always be the one. She closed her eyes. When just a simple touch could shift your world back to center, it meant something. And it was worth the fight. It was worth more than 150 percent.

Opening her eyes, she waited.

One side of his mouth tipped up. “If necessary, I’ll do whatever I have to in order to convince you to give me another chance. I’ll go on the speaker system in the airport and announce it to everyone here. I’ll call every radio station in Nashville and beg them to play every love song they have and dedicate them to you. I’ll tell you, every single day for the rest of my life, if you’ll let me, that I love you and I was an idiot. If I have to kidnap you to get started on that plan, I will.”

He inched closer and Addison’s heartrate slowed closer to normal.

“I think the sign is pretty effective in terms of sharing your feelings,” she said.

“It tells everyone here I love you, Addison, but it only matters that you know.” He took the bag off of her shoulder, dropped it at their feet and crowded her, like he could cut out the audience. In a way, he did, because all she could see was him. “I wanted to show you that I’m not afraid of my feelings. I’m not afraid of what I want with you and I’ll do anything to protect what we have. Even tell my family that if they want to be any part of my life, our lives, it’ll be on my terms. I told my mom and brother the gravy train is dry. I told my Grams everything that’s been happening. I was thinking I’d see if I could work on a part-time basis for Kipp. Specials and that sort of thing. I want to play next year but I’m ready for it to be my last season. I want one more shot at the World Series.”

She sucked in a breath. “What?”

“My knee might be healing but something else is up. I don’t want to face the MRI alone and I’m hoping you’ll go with me. Once we see what’s what, I’ll talk to Isla and Cruz about announcing my retirement at the beginning of next season. But I wanted to talk to you first. I want to share all that I am and all that I have with you. You mean everything to me, Addison. I was so worried about where my life was going professionally and I’ve realized it just doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, regardless of what I do, I just need to know I’m coming home to you.”

One tear slipped over, and he caught it with the pad of his thumb. “Say something.”

She could survive without him. She loved her life. Having him in her life didn’t make it complete. It just made it better.

“If I go with you now, with everyone watching, making you look like the romantic hero in some sappy love story, you’re going to owe me.”

The smile on his face tugged directly on her heart strings. “I have to say, I never thought I’d look forward to being indebted to anyone. What did you have in mind?”

She slid her palms up his chest, laughing at the chatter that had turned to hooting and whistling and all sorts of suggestions for the two of them to engage in.

“I was thinking, I go with you now, I’ll even throw in the kiss they’re all chanting for but that means you’re my plus one to every event I have to attend from now on.”

“That seems almost fair but not quite even. I mean, you are an exceptional kisser but every event is a lot. You really like to socialize.”

“I do. But I’m flexible. Do you have a counter offer?”

His arms wound around her, yanking her close. “Yeah. That whole plus one thing? I want it in writing.”

She laughed, scrunched her brows. “Like a contract?”

He pressed a kiss to her forehead and slid down her body until he was on one knee. “Sort of. One that says I’ll be your plus one from this day forward for as long as we both shall live.”

When he pulled a small, light blue box out of his pocket, the crowd gasped right along with Addison. Sawyer gazed up at her and took her left hand as he flipped open the lid. A dazzling oval solitaire sat atop a thin, white gold band, shining at her like Sawyer’s smile.

“I love you, Addie. I don’t particularly care when or where, but I want to marry you. I want to spend my life making deals with you. Making you smile. Making you as happy as you make me. Will you be my wife?”

She could only nod as he slipped the ring on her finger. Tears burst free and then she was in his arms, her face nestled into the crook of his neck. People laughed and cheered but Addie just focused on him; on them.

When he pulled back, kissed the tears on her cheeks, she saw the brightness in his own eyes. “One more thing,” he whispered.

“Anything,” she said. Because that’s what she’d give to be with him. Always.

“You said it once that night but you haven’t said it since.”

She smiled and cupped his face in her hands. “I love you, Sawyer McBain. I don’t even remember what my life was like before you, and I had no idea how I was going to get over you when I didn’t want to.”

“I promise you’ll never have to.”

He didn’t make promises lightly. And he never made them in public. Until now. As he kissed her, twirled her in the center of the airport, she laughed through watery tears. This was, hands down, the best deal she’d ever made. And it was just the beginning.