Wright with Benefits

Cézanne glanced at me. “So, Seattle?”

I nodded. “I think it’s going to be number one. You?”

“Tech.”

“Really? Top of the class and all those interviews, and you still want to stay here?” I asked as the whistle blew.

“If I can do some good in my community here in Lubbock, then I don’t need to go anywhere else,” she said as if it were obvious.

And maybe it was. I’d never thought of it that way.

We won the game thirteen to nothing.

Isaac had actually pulled Blaire back from forward after her fifth goal. Girls got two points for every goal. Julian scored the next three, and the ref called a mercy rule. I hadn’t even known there was a mercy rule. But I was glad for it. Not that I’d done much to help win. I wasn’t a soccer player, and I felt like I’d been run over by the end of it. We slapped hands with the other team, and then I ran to the sidelines to guzzle my water bottle.

Blaire invited everyone out for our typical pizza. I bowed out since I had to work and found Jennifer and Jordan waiting for me.

“You did great!” Jen said.

I laughed. “I was terrible.”

“Same thing,” she said. “You played the sports balls, and the team won. So, you won.”

“I love you.”

She made a cute face like she was going to rub her nose against mine. It was so adorable. “Love you, too. I’m going to get pizza.” She glanced at Jordan. “Can you get her home?”

“Already the plan,” he said easily.

“Thanks!”

“I’ll see you later.”

“Bye!” Jennifer said, waving at us and then running to catch up with Blaire.

“Shall we?” Jordan asked.

I nodded, stretching my arms overhead and yawning. “Why am I tired already?”

“Because just ran for an hour and you’ve been working overnights.”

“Right,” I said with a soft laugh. “Of course.”

We reached his truck, and Jordan came around to my side to let me in. But before he opened the door, he turned to face me. “Before we go, I wanted to give you something.”

“Oh?”

Then he produced a small box…a jewelry box. My mind stopped, and everything in the entire universe screeched to a halt. I mean, he’d said that he was willing to move with me, but that couldn’t be what that was, right? Right?

He laughed when he saw my face. “Breathe, Annie. I’m not proposing.” Then he considered it. “Not yet.”

I flushed all over at that comment. “Jordan…”

“Shh,” he said playfully and then handed me the box. “Just open it.”

My mouth opened and closed as the box settled in my hand. I swallowed, wondering what the hell he could be surprising me with. And why I hadn’t recoiled at the thought of him one day proposing?

I opened the box and gasped, my hand going to my mouth. Nestled in red velvet was a small claddagh ring.

“Jordan,” I breathed. “You didn’t!”

“I know it’s not the same as the one your parents gave you.” He plucked the ring from the box as I stood there, frozen, trying not to cry at the thoughtful gift. “But I wanted you to have something at least.”

“Thank you so much,” I whispered. “It’s perfect.”

He went to slide it onto my finger, but I stopped him.

“The claddagh is a traditional Irish ring with three parts. The hands represent friendship, the crown represents loyalty, and the heart is for love. If you’re single, you wear the ring with the heart facing out,” I told him, showing him that was the way he was about to put the ring on my finger. I turned the ring around. “If the heart is facing inward, it means that you’re taken and your heart is guarded.” I slipped the ring on and looked up at him tenderly. “Now, you’re guarding my heart.”

“Yes, I am,” he said and then kissed me.

28

Jordan

Annie had agreed to have dinner with my mom tonight. It was her first day off after her overnights, and she had said that she wouldn’t be fully adjusted but didn’t know when she’d have another day with end of term rapidly approaching. My mom was thrilled.

That left one thing I needed to do. I’d been putting it off for days, and I needed to get it over with. It wasn’t going to be pleasant, but it was necessary to at least lay the groundwork.

I shoved away from my desk and headed out of my office.

“Anything I can help you with today, Mr. Wright?” my assistant, Michael, asked.

He was a twenty-something who had been passed to me late last year. He handled my calendar and phone calls. I probably didn’t utilize him as well as I could have because I was a control freak.

“No, thank you, Michael. I’m going to go discuss something with Morgan.”

He checked my calendar. “You don’t have an appointment scheduled with Ms. Wright.”