Nick blew out a breath and turned again, but instead of continuing on toward the church he slowed in front of the high school’s baseball field.
Jenny braced a hand on the dash and sat up. “What are we doing now?”
He didn’t answer. “I’m just doing a favor for a friend.”
Eyes narrowed, Jenny stared around at the empty parking lot. “I don’t understand.”
“You will.” He nodded to the passenger door. “Out you go.”
“Nick, I swear to God if this is some kind of joke, it’s not funny. I’ve already had one near panic attack tonight. After last year—”
“It’s not a joke. Everything is fine. More than fine.” He laid his hand over his chest. “I swear on my badge. Now, stop stalling and get out there.”
Jenny pushed the door open and took a tentative step out of the cruiser. “Where exactly am I supposed to go?”
He nodded toward the field. “Follow the lights.”
She shut the door and turned toward where the lights were shining over the field. “Right.”
This was officially becoming one of the strangest nights of her existence, which only added to the jumbled mess that currently made up her life. Over the course of the last few days, she’d gone from organized to chaotic. And, during the course of it all, she’d swung from ecstatic to devastated.
She’d dared to dream of a future with Adam. A life full of love and growth with a man she’d known over half her life. The life she’d always yearned for. And, what had it gotten her? She shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket.
She’d been a fool, but the worst part wasn’t the embarrassment. The worst part was how much she loved him. So much it was hard to breathe without him.
She could’ve forgiven him not telling her about the job opportunity. And, maybe they would’ve moved away. For Adam, she was willing to start her career over from scratch.
The fence stood open before her. With a cautious step, she crossed onto the field and froze. Dressed in khakis and a long-sleeved dark blue shirt, Adam stood on the pitcher’s mound with his back to her.
Her breath caught in her throat. She hadn’t expected to see him and yet, this was the one place she always expected to see him. The pitcher’s mound was where he belonged. Unsure whether to take a step forward or turn around, she remained motionless with her eyes locked on his back. The field was quiet except for the low hum of the lights and the occasional slapping of moth wings against the glass.
When one of the moths darted past her face, she gasped.
Adam turned. “I’ve missed you.” His deep voice cut through the silence.
“Why did you have Nick bring me here?” To keep from running to him, Jenny crossed her arms over her chest. She’d missed him, too. “You could’ve come to my place or just called.”
He shrugged. “I could’ve.” He held out a hand. “Will you come stand beside me?”
She let her arms fall back to her sides, and with a steadying breath, moved to him. She hated the way they were tiptoeing around each other. It wasn’t like them.
“I’m not used to this vantage point.” She stared around the empty space, her eyes coming to rest on the dugout where they’d shared their first kiss.
A gentle breeze tugged at her loose hair and carried the scent of him with it. She turned her eyes back to his. The closer she got, the more her insides twisted. He was too close. She couldn’t think clearly. Before she could lose herself in him, she remembered what threatened to tear them apart, again.
“How was your meeting?” She would not fall apart. No matter what he was about to say, she would stay strong.
“Fine.”
His nonchalant tone and lack of explanation sparked her temper. “That’s all you’re going to say?”
The corner of his mouth twitched. “Yeah, it was fine. I told them thanks for the offer, but no thanks. That part of my life is over.”
Jenny’s mouth fell open. “Are you insane?”
He laughed deep and full, the sound echoing off the stands.
“Why would you turn them down? You could play again.” She grabbed his biceps, her fingers digging in. How could she make him see what was so obvious? “Adam, think about this, please. This is your chance to play.”
“So?”
“What do you mean ‘so’? Don’t be an idiot. You love baseball.”
He laughed again, making her blood boil. Had he lost his mind over the course of the last few days?
“Why won’t you be reasonable?” She shook him. “Take the offer.”
“No.”
“Ugh!” She released him. “Why in the world won’t you just go?”
“Because you’re here.” He lifted one shoulder and let it fall as if the answer was simple. “I’m not going to leave you again.”
Thrown for a loop, Jenny began to pace. “Adam, you don’t have to stay for me. I don’t want you to look back one day and feel like I held you back. I don’t want you to ever resent me.” She paused to take a breath and caught him smirking at her. “Or if you’d rather, I could go with you. I’m all grown up now. This time you don’t have to go to my dad and get his permission.”
She paused while the truth about what he’d done in the past sat suspended in the air between them. “My dad told me everything. I’m not mad at you.” They held gazes for a moment.
She started pacing again. “I’m sure Cincinnati is great. Like I said, if you want me to go, I’ll go.”
“No.” He shook his head.
She put her back to him, so he couldn’t see her heart tear open. So, that was it. He didn’t want her after all. As she cursed the tears filling her eyes, his hand gripped her upper arm and turned her around.
“Jenny, no. That’s not what I meant. I want you. Hell, I want you all the time. But, what’s more important is that I love you.” Using his thumbs, he rubbed away the tears rolling down her cheeks. “I love you more than you can possibly imagine and I said no, because it’s not that I don’t want you to go with me, it’s because I don’t want to go at all.”
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest. “Our friends and families are here. This is where we’re meant to be. It always has been.”
“But, what about baseball?” Her words came out muffled against his arm making her sound like a small child.
“Most guys don’t get to do what I did in a hundred lifetimes. I lived my dream. If I took the job in Cincinnati, it would never be like it was. I can’t get back what was.”
He pushed her out from his body to look at her. “You said it already. We can’t go back, but we can start something new. Well, that’s what I want. I want to put that part of my life behind me and start the next phase with you. It’s time to realize the other part of my dream. We’ve waited long enough.”
He released her and dropped to one knee.
Jenny couldn’t stop the tears which flowed freely down her cheeks.
“I’ve loved you half my life, and I don’t see that stopping anytime soon. I think it’s past time you married me.” He pulled a ring out of his pocket and held it out. “Come on, what do you say?”
She nodded. “Yes.” Her voice cracked as all the nerves and worry she’d held onto for so long washed away.
He slid the ring onto her finger and stood. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” She wiped her eyes and stepped back to take in the ring now sitting perfectly on her finger. “So, Sam, Nick, and two flat tires is all this took, huh?”
He held both his hands up in front of him. “The tires were Avery’s idea. She figured someone as self-sufficient as you would have no trouble changing just one, yourself.”
She laughed and then Adam let out a whistle. As she opened her mouth to ask him what he was doing,
the door opened to the field house. Her parents, Sam, Spencer, Ann, Jake, Nick and Avery rushed onto the field. Each cheering more loudly than the last.
Wrapped in the arms of all the people she loved most in the world, her dream was finally coming true.
Running Home (Warm Springs Trilogy Book 2) Page 24
