28. Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Adam

Josh handled the news of me being married to Susie better than I thought he would. It was so good that I’m a bit concerned.

Maybe he’s in shock? I know he’s troubled about everything surrounding Brie, especially since he hasn’t heard from her.

I know he hoped he would hear from her after the team set the media straight about what was being reported during the news conference. Not one person saw Josh kissing anyone. Even though pictures say a thousand words, these words are just not fact.

The plane just landed, and if the look on his face tells me anything, it’s that Brie hasn’t left a message.

My phone vibrates, and a crooked grin lines my lips when I see some messages from Susie.

Susie: Hey, handsome. Susie: You were amazing out there today! Susie: It’s official; my family knows we’re married. grin emoji Susie: And that we’re most likely getting married again. crazy face emoji

I laugh out loud, and my grin widens, only to have it immediately fall when I read the following message.

Susie: My dad said to expect a call from him.

My stomach churns.

“Hey, are you alright?” Josh asks. “You like you’re going to be sick.”

I hand him my phone so he can read Susie’s messages.

“Look.” He shoves it back at me. “I know you’re married, but I don’t need to read her sappy love messages to you.”

I roll my eyes and push the phone back at him. “The last message. Just read the last message.”

A slow grin, the first I’ve seen since yesterday, crawls across Josh’s face. “Oh yeah. My dad is probably going to murder you for not letting him walk his baby down the aisle.”

“What?” Josh laughs at my expression. “Wait, no. We’re planning on having a wedding for our families. At least, I think that’s the plan. I need to talk to her to iron out a few details.”

“I’m gonna say by those lovey-dovey messages she sent you, there aren’t many details to iron out.” Josh looks like he just ate something sour. “And if that’s the case, maybe my dad won’t kill you. Can’t guarantee anything, though.”

When he hands back my phone, I’m pretty confident that his shoulders are shaking slightly.

Is he laughing at me? Yup. He’s laughing at me.

“I guess if someone married my daughter and didn’t ask me for permission, I might want to kill them too.” I shrug, my shoulders sagging.

“When you put it like that, you’re probably right.” I look over at him to see him openly laughing at me. “Look, Adam, if I know my sister, it was her idea to keep the marriage quiet. As long as you love her and are good to her. My father will love you and, at some point, forgive you.”

“Thanks, man,” I push out through a tight throat. “I appreciate that.”

He slaps my shoulder. We stand up, along with everyone else, as the team exits the plane.

“Hey,” Josh shouts, making every head spin in our direction, throwing his thumb over his shoulder. “Adam married my sister and didn’t tell anyone. Apparently, he’s now my brother-in-law.”

Heat slowly creeps up my face as every pair of eyes whip toward me and Josh. Their expressions range from humor and curiosity to outright confusion. Josh, who is wearing a mischievous grin, winks at me.

I narrow my eyes at him and grimace. “Well played. Well played.”

By the time I reach my car, I am grateful to be alone. Getting grilled by the entire team, a few of the coaches, and some others isn’t as awful as one would think it would be—it’s worse.

I throw my duffel bag in the back and slide into the front seat, blowing out a huge breath. I fire up the engine and start the drive home.

My phone vibrates, and I see Susie’s name.

“I could get used to you calling me handsome,” I say by way of a greeting.

“I’m fairly certain I won’t get tired of saying it.” A leisurely grin crawls across my face at her answer. “Are you home yet?”

“Almost; I’m just getting off the highway and heading into Pleasant Hollow.” I turn off the exit ramp and onto Main Street. “I’ll probably get to the house in about five minutes. Will you be there?”

“I think I’m gonna stay at my parents’ place tonight.” Disappointment floods me. “I was getting ready to head out when Brie called. We just got off the phone.”

“Did she watch the press conference?” I ask, trying to keep my tone neutral.

“No. She’s shutting everything and anything that has to do with Josh or the kiss out right now. In fact, when we were chatting, she kept changing the topic, even if I tried to bring him up.” She sighs. “Josh will have to be the one to talk to her. Hopefully, she’s open to listening.”

“The truth will come out one way or another,” I say. “If you weren’t talking about Josh, what were you talking about?”

“My new story—”

“You finished?” Excitement flows through me. “Can I read it?”

“So you’re one of those persistent people, huh?” She needles me.

“You don’t get to be a professional athlete if you aren’t…” I respond like everyone in the world knows this.

“Do you want to know what else we talked about?” She asks, cleverly shifting the conversation.

“Okay, I’ll bite.” I back off. Reminding myself of what she said about people reading her book. “What else did you and Brie talk about?”

“You.” My heart leaps in my chest, and that goofy grin is back on my face.

“Me?” I ask sheepishly.

“Yup. Turns out I can’t stop talking about you now that everyone knows we’re married.” She chuckles. Warmth wraps around me like a blanket sitting in front of a warm fire. “I’m disappointed I won’t see you tonight, though.”

“I’m disappointed too,” I mumble. “Guess I’ll have to wait till tomorrow to feel your lips against mine.”

“Adam,” she mutters softly. “That’s not fair.”

“Yeah, well so is making me wait another day before I can see you,” I grumble.

“Oh, look at you getting cranky.” She chuckles. “It’s adorbs.”

“Yeah, yeah,” I growl. “I should be finished with practice tomorrow around three. Will you be at one of your work locations?”

“No writing for me while my manuscript is with my editor.”

“Perfect. How do you feel about going on a date with me?” I ask, feeling suddenly shy. The fact that asking my wife out makes me nervous is an oxymoron. “We technically haven’t been on a real first date yet. What do you think?”

“Take our marriage public in Pleasant Hollow?” She asks excitedly. “Oh, I would love that!”

“Take our marriage public,” I repeat, smiling as I pull up to the garage at the house. I turn the engine off. “And have a conversation about us.”

“Oh, so not just a first date, but a first date that talks about the status of our relationship!” She razzes. “The romance author in me loves it. Where are we going?”

“Let me think about that and get back to you tomorrow, okay?” I slide out of the Jeep and pull my duffel bag from the backseat, slinging it over my shoulder.

“Sounds amazing. Are you home?” She asks softly.

“I’m home. Missing you,” I say. “Tomorrow, we need to talk about our sleeping arrangements.”

“I like that idea.” The smile I hear in her voice squeezes my heart.

“Good. Because I’m not sure I can live another day without waking up next to you.” I slip the key in the door and hit the light switch. I drop my duffel on the floor in the entryway and walk into the kitchen. On the counter, I see a pile of paper. When I get closer, I see it’s Susie’s finished book. I read the title page— Fate’s Quiet Promise, by Amelia Adams. Tears burn the back of my eyes, and my throat gets tight.

“Did you find it yet?” Susie’s voice breaks through the silence of the house, and I whip toward her, my eyes searching her face.

We’ll need to talk about this stealth-mode ninja stuff she’s got going on, but right now, all I can focus on is that she trusts me. She trusts me to see all of her before it’s been polished.

I cover the space between us in two steps, cup her face in my hands, and capture her lips with mine, pouring every ounce of emotion that’s been building up over the past few days into it.

“I love you,” I whisper. “Thank you for trusting me with the unedited version.”

“I love you, too.” Her thick voice sends tiny tingles down my spine. I feel her arms wrap around my waist, pulling me closer. “I hope you enjoy it.”

“I am positive I won’t enjoy it,” I tease, pressing my lips gently to hers. “I’m certain I will love every word of it.”

The laugh she lets out grabs my gut and fills me with affection. “Even better, I’m going to love letting Nicole and Olivia know I get to read it before they do.”

“How about for now, just tell me what you think?” She mutters, her head resting on my chest. “But only the good things, okay?”

“I can’t make any promises.” A grin splits my face, and I kiss the top of her head. “Speaking of Nicole and Olivia. My mom and Liv are dying to meet you. Especially since Steve and Nicole told them you passed the twin test.”

“That wasn’t a test,” she scoffs, lifting her sparkling green gaze to mine. “It seemed ridiculously obvious to me.”

I smirk and lean in to kiss her again.

“Yeah, well, you tell that to my mom and sister when you meet them.” I snicker. “I love you. I am so happy to be with you again, but I can’t wait one more second to dive immediately into this book.”

“Your enthusiasm for reading my book is almost as satisfying as kissing you.” My lips curve up at her words. “But I think kissing may be the winner.”

Her arms slip from my waist to my neck, and she pulls me in for another kiss. This time she takes the lead, and I swear she’s conveying every ounce of love she has for me.

When she pulls back, I’m breathless. “How did you do that?” I ask.

“Do what?” She kisses me softly.

“Tell me a million promises of our future in that kiss?”

“Did I do that?” She says shyly as her eyes get all shiny.

“Yes,” I whisper, leaning my head against hers. “I hope I can be the man who deserves it.”

“You already are.”

I squeeze my eyes shut, feeling the back of them burn just as my knees nearly buckle.

“And that’s why you’re a best-selling author.” The corner of my lips quirk. “You have an amazing way with words.”

“This is true.” She laughs, pulling her head back. I open my eyes to find her eyes roaming my face. I nearly melt at the gentle touch when she pushes my hair to the side. “But the man standing in front of me makes it even easier.”

A war wages inside of me. Keep kissing this woman or read her newest book.

As if reading my mind, she takes a step back from me. She tilts her head toward the manuscript. “Go ahead and read it.”

“Are you sure?” I ask, feeling like a fool. I have this beautiful woman in front of me, and I want to read a book.

“Yes.” She laughs. “Do you know how sexy it is to have a man not just love you but love your stories too?”

“You think I’m sexy, eh?” I go to pull her back into my arms, but she slides under them and, laughing, walks to her room.

She stops and opens the door but hesitates before walking in. Her eyes twinkle. “Enjoy reading our story."

We need to discuss this separate room situation. My wife needs to sleep next to me. The sound of the door closes just as her words register.

“Wait. What?”

Did she say ‘our story’ ? I glance over at Susie’s manuscript, and my throat gets tight.

My phone vibrates in my hand and I see a text from Susie.

Susie: I said our story.

Me: I love you, Suzanne Amelia Owens Daniels, AKA Amelia Adams.kiss emoji

Susie: I know. Susie: I think I love you more, though.

Me: Yeah, not possible. heart emoji Me: And this separate bedroom situation…

Her laughter rings out from behind her closed door.

Susie: We have a lot to talk about tomorrow. wink emoji

Oh yes, we do.

Susie: Now, start reading before I change my mind.

Chuckling, I grab a bottle of water from the fridge and head into the living room, making myself comfortable on the couch. Switching on the light, I flip over the first few pages until I land at the beginning of the book.

Chapter One - Chase.