Hard and Fast
A knife had been jabbed through her heart. She’d fallen in love with a man who saw her as a prize to get before his buddies. What kind of fool did that make her?
She spotted Brad and forced her anger to the surface to keep from crying. He walked toward her and she made tracks in the opposite direction. She needed air. She needed out of this airport and out of Brad’s life. But his long legs made her escape impossible. She’d barely cleared the crowd when he caught her hand.
She whirled around. “The game is over, Brad. I know about you and Casey making that bet to get in my pants. Congratulations. You won.” A single tear slid down her cheek and she swiped at it, frustrated she’d allowed him to see how he’d hurt her. “Go away.”
“Oh, baby.” He pulled her close despite her efforts to evade his hold. “I already told you I can’t do that.”
“I’m not some groupie you can play games with. Let go of me.”
“Betting the kid was stupid, Amanda, and it meant nothing.”
“Are you crazy? People are watching us.”
“Let them watch because I’m not going anywhere until I say what I have to say.” He pressed his cheek to hers, lips near her ear and held her close. “Reach in my right pocket.”
“Brad—”
“Please. Just do it. Hear me out. Then if you want me to go, I will. I’ll leave and never bother you again.”
Her heart thudded and the feel of his body pressed to hers lulled her under a spell. She hesitated, then reached into his pocket. Her fingers curled around a small velvet box.
A ring box.
She pulled it out and Brad leaned back enough to look at her. “Open it.”
She flipped the lid up and a giant diamond stared back at her. “What…what is this?”
“I love you, Amanda.” He reached inside the box for the ring. “You’re the one. I know we haven’t known each other long but it’s long enough for me to know I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Marry me. Elope with me tonight or wear that ring for two years. However long it takes for you to be as sure as I am.”
Her head spun with his words. Tears of happiness filled her eyes. Brad loved her. “I love you, too, Brad.”
He took her left hand in his. “Enough to wear my ring?”
“Yes,” she whispered, barely able to find her voice for the emotion welling up inside her.
Brad slid the ring on her finger and cheering filled the air. They faced the press, cameras flashing all around them. Brad glanced at her, mischief flashing in those deep-blue eyes a second before he reached down and picked her up.
Amanda gasped, her arms going around his neck. “What are you doing?”
“Taking you home with me. Where you belong.”
“You just made a lot of reporters very happy. We’re going to be all over the papers.”
He nuzzled her neck. “As long as I make this reporter happy, that’s all that matters.”
Epilogue
Six months later
THE EVENING before Amanda’s wedding, her parents hosted dinner. Brad’s mom attended, as did Kelli. After dessert, the women had gathered over last-minute wedding preparations and girl talk. The men did what they loved. They worshipped the Mustangs in the garage.
Ready to bring the night to a close, Amanda found her father standing in front of ’67 Mustang coupe. Brad was underneath, only his feet and legs showing. Her father smiled. “How’s the bride?”
She gave him a big hug. “Nervous, Daddy.” She winked to let her father know she was up to no good. “I’m really, really nervous.”
He lowered his voice to a loud whisper as if he was being discreet. “You’re not having cold feet, are you?”
“I guess I am,” she said, her voice full of exaggerated worry. “I think this was a mistake.”
Brad rolled out from underneath the car, his face pale. “What did you say?”
Amanda and her father started laughing. “I said, get your butt up here and kiss me goodbye. I’m going to Kelli’s for the night.”
He grabbed a towel and wiped his hands before pushing to his feet. He put his arms around her and kissed her forehead. “Don’t scare me like that. And I still don’t know why we can’t be together tonight.”
“Because we can’t,” she said, “and I’m not going to try to explain again because you don’t want to hear it, anyway. And I am nervous. Half the world is coming to our wedding.” Despite their desire to keep things small, the event had snowballed into a massive social gathering. Brad had re-signed with the Rays, so his team would be attending. On top of the Rays, many of her father’s team members were also coming.
The L.A. Woman editors had convinced Amanda and Brad to allow them to do a special feature on the wedding now that she was their employee. Reggie would be the photographer. She’d appreciated his work enough to ask him along for the ride. Apparently, that was how Jack had burned him. Jack had promised Reggie a future he hadn’t delivered.