The only person’s reaction who mattered, however, remained expressionless.
He put aside the headset but stayed seated, his eyes still full of hurt that stabbed her clean through. “Since you don’t seem inclined to be married in the first place, Mel, I’m not sure that’s such a resounding endorsement.”
He hadn’t booted her off the plane though. And he was listening.
She blocked out all the eagerly listening ears around her and tried not to think about all the leaks to the press, possibly even a team reporter taking notes. “I spent a lifetime becoming the screwed up woman you see standing before you now. I wasn’t ready to undo it all in the course of a day. And literally, that’s as long as I’ve allowed myself to really think that a future between us might be true. That you and I could really… beat the odds. Become a winning team.” She swallowed hard and laid it all on the line. “I love you, Grady.”
One of the new rookies–-some immature kid – snorted.
Grady scowled and shot out of his seat, jostling the younger guy hard with his shoulder. “Sorry about that, kid. My footing was knocked off balance by your rudeness to my wife.”
His wife.
She’d never heard more beautiful words.
Grady plowed forward, bracing one hand at a time on the seats as he walked the aisle. Toward her. Like a reverse of a wedding march. “Let’s find somewhere more private.”
A whistle sailed up into the cabin.
The VIP lady stopped them both. “Mr. and Mrs. Hollis, I’m afraid you’ll both to have to sit down and buckle in for takeoff. I assume you’re both staying on the plane? Attending the press conference in Atlanta together?”
Melanie thought briefly of her car parked outside, and then forgot all about her past. She was looking at her future and she didn’t intend to let him get away for a second time.
Grady looked down at her. “Well, Mel? Are we?”
She nodded enthusiastically. “We most definitely are.”
“Good,” Ms. VIP said in a clipped tone, belied by a twinkle in her eyes. Or maybe she was just glad that her press event just got a whole lot easier. “I happen to have two seats alone on a row. If you’ll come this way.” She paused to point at the pet carrier next to Grady’s former seat. “And, maybe, bring the dog with you?”
And before she could say uber-efficient, Melanie found herself seated beside Grady in the very back, away from prying eyes for the most part. Major rules had been broken for her to be on this plane. Wives didn’t ride on the team plane—it was a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. But the Stars made an exception this once. For them. Maybe this team really did care about each other when it mattered most.
Melanie settled the sleeping puppy’s carrier on the floor between their feet and straightened.
“I meant what I said to you, Grady.” She was sure of this. Of them.
She’d just needed a little time to wrap her head around it.
“I know you do.” He stroked back her hair with a gentle reverent hand. “And I meant every word I said to you in the courthouse. I want to be your husband, to honor and cherish you. To love you for the rest of my life.”
She saw the truth in his eyes. Allowed herself to see. And was so grateful for this second chance. She placed her hands on his dear, handsome face and kissed him once, twice, saying between each kiss, “We’ll make this work. I know we can.”
He took her hand in his, his thumb working over where she’d put her rings back on. “We will. And we’re going to do this right, planning for our future even after my traveling days are over. I mean it when I say, you let me know if the life’s too much for you.”
“It won’t be.” She could handle this. She’d plowed through so many unhappy days in her life, she could definitely start thinking about fun times ahead. Smiling and laughing more. Living the rest of her life as happily as the last ten weeks.
“I know it will take time. Some adjustments. But we’ve got options. We have the house in Atlanta, but we’ll keep a home here too, in Orlando.”
“I’d like that.” Her heart was so full she thought it might burst. She tipped her forehead to his. Kissed his cheek. “You know, I’ve been considering what you said about my traveling with you. I like the sound of that.” The adventure. The sense that marriage didn’t have to be like her parents’. “I’m quite adaptable, thanks to all those temp jobs. Who knows? Maybe now that I’m finally getting a degree soon, this will be the perfect time for me to plan for my future career too.”
His smile stretched, brushing her lips. “I like the sound of that. I like the sound of you. In my life. In my heart.”
The engines roared and the plane began to taxi as she said, “You have quite a way with words for a ballplayer.”
“I might have a few years of experience charming the hometown press.” He stroked her hair. Straightened her wedding ring on her finger and then kissed the place where it rested. “But I save all my best material for the woman I love.”
“We’re going to have the best marriage.” She knew it deep in her soul. She didn’t know what she’d done right to deserve this man, but she wasn’t letting him go. And she was going to love him like nobody’s business. “And I’m going to be your full time pet sitter too.”
“Is that right?” He kissed her eyes that had started to tear up from sheer happiness. “Maybe we’d better say our vows again. Have a long version of the wedding ceremony so we can tell each other all the ways we’re going to be good to each other.”
“We could.” She loved that he offered. That he would do that for her. “But I don’t need any more formal vows. I believe you when you say you’re going to love me forever. I promise you, I’m going to love you right back.”
“Well, in that case,” he answered, sliding his arm around her shoulder and tucking her to his side, “we’ll just concentrate on living the dream.” He took out his phone to show her the photo of their Marriage Certificate that had caused a stir on social media. “Care to make it official for the fans, too?”
She fell in love with the challenge in his eyes, the devilry and daring that had swept her off her feet ten weeks ago.
“What do you have in mind?”
“A quick honeymoon selfie?” he asked, kissing her cheek and snapping a picture.
“Absolutely.” Her heart warmed to see the image on his phone. They both glowed. “What shall we say?” She pointed to the comment box next to the picture he planned to post.
He typed a few words and showed it to her. “How about this?”
My new MVP – meet the Mrs.
Laughing, she tapped the Send button for him. Then, setting his phone aside, she went about kissing him and keeping her spot on the roster… forever.
Epilogue
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Melanie swiped on shimmery pink lip gloss in the bathroom of the restaurant. She was out for a low key evening on the town with her husband and two of their friends. Grady and Melanie had been married for a month. And they were closer than ever.
“Are you getting excited for the big day?” Melanie asked Annamae Jessup, Boone Sullivan’s reality star fiancée.
Leaning against the sink, Annamae glanced at her ring before answering, a forced smile nudging at her lips. “Of course! It’s going to be quite an event. I’m so glad you and Grady can attend.”
Melanie nodded as she held the thick wooden door open for them both, hoping that Annamae and Boone could be even half as happy as she and Grady were. “We are too.”
And she meant it. Despite the presence of Annamae’s reality show crew, she and Boone were nice people. Normal people. No drama, no crazy partying nights. Melanie had been surprised to find there were couples with similar values and lifestyles to what she wanted. But then Grady had told her as much. She just hadn’t been ready to listen.
She and Annamae returned to the boys at the table, sounds of old Italian singers mingling with the din of the restaurant’s low conversations.
Grady’s eyes lit up at t
he sight of her.
“Aren’t they the two most beautiful ladies in Atlanta?” Grady whistled softly before planting a kiss on Melanie’s lips.
His kiss still sent shivers down her spine and made her knees go weak, giving her the perfect excuse to sink into her chair.
Boone helped Annamae into her seat. “And we are the lucky guys that locked them down.”
Melanie linked hands with her husband, so glad she’d taken the leap of faith to marry this man. It had been so simple to adjust into her life with Grady. Everything fit. She was moving forward with her degree, finding her passion in life. And Grady was there to support her, despite his hectic career.
Nothing about Melanie’s life had ever been conventional. And neither had been their courtship…and yet, she was able to live the life she had been so afraid to hope for.
Their eyes met as Boone and Annamae discussed the details of their upcoming wedding. Melanie’s thoughts wandered away from the present conversation to the man that was before her eyes. Her husband.
Her forever was with him. With this wonderful man who hadn’t given up on her no matter how hard she’d tried to lose him. And she was excited for what the next month, the next year, the next few decades would bring for them both.
Their marriage? This was the big-leagues. They were the all-stars, along with Polly and the children they would have over the years, a team for the rest of her days.
If you enjoyed How to Lose a Groom in 10 Days, you’ll love the next Runaway Bride stories!
The Runaway Bride Series
How to Lose a Groom in 10 Days
Book 1: The Wedding Audition
Buy Now!
Book 2: There Goes the Bride
Coming soon – May 2015
Book 3: Bride on the Run
Coming soon – June 2015
About the Authors
USA Today bestseller and RITA Award winner, Catherine Mann writes contemporary romance for Berkley, Harlequin, Sourcebooks and Tule. With over sixty books in released in more than twenty countries, she has also celebrated six RITA finals, an RT Reviewer’s Award finalist, three Maggie Award of Excellence finals and a Bookseller’s Best win. A former theater school director and university instructor, she holds a Master’s degree in Theater from UNC-Greensboro and a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts: Theater (with minors in both English and Education) from the College of Charleston. Catherine and her flyboy husband live on the Florida coast where they brought up their 4 children – and still have 5 four-legged, furry “children” (aka pets). Visit Catherine’s website at www.CatherineMann.com.
Joanne Rock writes romance of all shapes and sizes from sexy contemporary to medieval historical and an occasional Young Adult story. She’s penned over seventy books, appearing most often in the Harlequin Blaze series. Joanne taught English at the college level before becoming a full-time writer, and she returns to the classroom as often as possible to share her love of stories. A quiet and unassuming Virgo, Joanne married a fiery and boisterous Aries man in true opposites-attract fashion. Visit her website at www.JoanneRock.com.
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