“Ooh, look who knows what a hat trick is. But you shouldn’t be disappointed.”
“Why is that?”
“You’ll get a hat trick because I plan on scoring again when I get home. I didn’t want to show off during the first game, so I saved that for you later.” I pull her to me, kiss her as a hint of what’s to come, and then open the car door for her.
Epilogue
Kinley
“You know, you have a lot of clothe
s for a guy.” I start pushing his clothes further down the closet to make room for my items.
“I’m fashionable. Sue me.” He sets another box of my shoes down. “I think you could go ahead and open a shoe store.”
“Carson Lee, don’t mess with a girl’s shoes. That’s grounds for me to leave.” I put my hands on my hips, narrowing my eyes.
“Leave?” he smiles as he walks closer to me. “If you haven’t noticed, we spent the last four hours moving you in. Do you think I’m ready for you to leave?”
“Well, it depends if I can fit all my stuff in that closet,” I tease him.
Carson rolls his eyes. “I’ll have a bigger closet built if it’ll make you happy.”
I giggle because if I fussed more about it, then he would have it done. It isn’t that big of deal. It’s the fact that I took him up on his offer of moving in at all that’s still shocking to me. He had been on a week-long road trip when he made the suggestion. I assumed he was drinking with the team and was making a joke. It wasn’t until he came back when he said it again.
And again.
And again.
I think he asked me five times before I finally agreed. Even then I had some hesitations. What happens if we’re together all the time and he realizes I’m a little nutty? I don’t think I can take another fail in my life right now.
I’m exactly where I want to me at LSMP and Carson and I are doing great. If I move in, a lot will change. No matter how much time he spends on the road.
“I’m glad you’re here, sweetheart.” He wraps his strong arms around my waist. “Are you? It did take you forever to say you would move in.”
“Carson, what if I do something to screw this up? I’m not the world’s greatest housekeeper or anything like that. This might not be as great as you think. I mean, we could end up breaking up.” I tell him the fears that have been lurking in the back of my head.
“I’m as likely to screw up as you are, if not more. I have a housekeeper, so I don’t care if you’re messy. I think it will be as great as I think it will be.”
“You know how I am.” I push my hand through my messy hair. “I overthink everything, and I want to make sure this isn’t going to be a failure for either of us. I love you, Carson. I don’t want to mess that up.” I can hear the sadness in my voice.
“I love you too and that means I’m supposed to love your bad habits, always find you beautiful, and work through whatever issues come up, right? You’re the only person I’d do all that stuff for, so if you mess up, it’ll be okay. I’ll mess up too.”
“How about everytime you mess up, you have to buy me a new pair of shoes? That way you have a reminder. If I mess up, I’ll get you something that you like.” I love how he brings a smile to my face.
“I like you, that count? You mess up and I get you?”
“I’m non-refundable and you can’t return me.” I wink at him.
“I wouldn’t want to return you because then I might lose myself again.”
“I would never let that happen. We were meant to find each other.” I kiss his lips. It’s meant to be a soft, innocent kiss, but it never seems to be that way with Carson. I pull back before we forget that there’s still more boxes to unpack. “Even if you have a small closet,” I try to distract him.
“Better that it’s my closet that’s small and not me. Wouldn’t you agree?” he tosses me over his shoulder. I squeal with laughter as he throws me on the bed, helping me forget about anything else but him. My Carson Lee.