On the DL

by Laramie Briscoe

  “Well, I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.” She does a little shimmy/twirl for me, holding down the sides of her dress.

  “You’ll be the most gorgeous woman there.”

  “Shouldn’t that be the bride?” She smiles widely as I take her into my arms, kissing her softly, gently, not wanting to ruin her makeup.

  “Doesn’t matter where we are, you’ll always be the most beautiful person in the room. I love you.” We don’t say it often, both of us seeming to be too scared maybe, but when we do say it, it means more than ever.

  “Love you too, Slade. Love you too.”

  “Savage!” I hear a small voice whisper-yell at me as Malone and I walk into the church where the wedding is taking place.

  Glancing to my left, I see Caleb’s sister, Kelsea, in a white dress. Taller than the last time I saw her, she’s obviously hit a growth spurt and looking much older than her almost twelve-years. “Kels, you look beautiful.” I lean down, kissing her on the cheek.

  “Thanks! You look so much different when you don’t have dirt all over ya.”

  I shake my head; she’s never been scared to say what comes to her mind. “Thanks, I think, where’s your brother?”

  “He’s in the sanctuary mingling with the guests. You know he doesn’t wait very well.”

  “So true.” I reach back, grabbing Malone’s hand. “Kels, meet my girlfriend, Malone.” I introduce the two and watch as Kelsea waves shyly.

  “I really like your hair.”

  Malone smiles and waves back. “I really like yours too. How long did you have to sit to get those flowers put in it?”

  Kelsea rolls her eyes. “Too long, but Caleb promised he’d take me to see Savage play next year if I was good.”

  “Well I’m glad I could be of service. See you around, kiddo.”

  “See ya. Hit one out of the park for me on your next at bat.”

  “Will do.”

  Pulling Malone behind me, we make our way into the sanctuary, where I immediately spot Caleb. In situations like this, I’m never sure of etiquette. I hate to take the attention off the people who deserve it the most, but I’m their friend most of all and don’t want them to think I’m above being at their important day. I raise my hand up in a wave before directing Malone to where I think we should sit. Just as we’re about to make it, I feel a hand on my shoulder.

  Turning, I smile at my friend.

  “Glad you could make it man, thanks for coming.” Caleb offers me his hand in a shake, before we hug.

  “Wouldn’t miss it for the world. We may not get to hang out as much as we should, but you’re one of my most valued friends and there’s no way I’d miss a woman puttin’ a ring on it.”

  He raises his ringless left hand. “Still got a few more minutes,” he says before he faces Malone. “Who might you be?”

  I put my arm around her shoulder, pulling her in close. “This is Malone.”

  His eyebrows go up to his hairline, and I get the feeling he’s having a hard time using his words. “The Malone?”

  “Yes.” I punch him in the shoulder. “Don’t you have something to do, like go get married?”

  He turns his full attention to Malone. “It’s a pleasure to see the two of you together and to finally meet you.”

  “I’m sure you thought I was a wicked witch.” She gives me a look. “Especially if you met him right after he left home.”

  “We all make mistakes, and trust me, I’m not the one to judge at all. I’m just glad to see the two of you here, at least looking happy.”

  “We are,” she answers, leaning her head against my shoulder.

  “Caleb! We’re getting ready to start,” his dad yells for him. Waving at Mason, we say our goodbyes and take our seats.

  “He seems like a nice guy,” Malone whispers as we get situated to watch the wedding.

  “He is,” I agree. “We both needed something in our lives, and I kinda think we both found it,” I speak quietly, kissing her on the temple.

  She grips my hand in hers. “Ya know what? Maybe you did.”

  Malone

  “Thank you,” I whisper to Slater as he hands me a tissue.

  Weddings always make me cry, and the way Caleb just looked at his bride as she came down the aisle was enough to melt even the coldest of hearts. I’m pretty sure I caught him wiping away tears as one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen walked down the aisle.

  “Are you okay?” His amusement is evident in his voice.

  “Weddings.” I wipe my nose delicately. “Always make me cry.”

  “They used to not.” He pulls me closer to his side, burying his hand under my hair to rub my neck.

  “Regret’s a shitty thing,” I whisper, holding his free hand with everything I have, entwining our fingers together tightly.

  “But it’s not the end of the world Mal.” He leans in, whispering as they say their vows to one another. “Life is what we make it, regret is how far we take it. We still have a whole life to live. So what if it takes us a few more years than we wanted it to? We can still have everything we’ve ever wanted.”

  “Can we?”

  “I promise you we can.” He captures my lips with his right as Caleb and his bride are pronounced man and wife.

  “Are they always this wild?”

  The reception is going full-blast and we’re having a good time drinking with Caleb’s group of family. The guy beside me, who I think was introduced to me as Caleb’s father, laughs loudly.

  “This is a bit tame. We’re a bunch of law enforcement officers who rarely get a chance to let loose. When we can, we do, and soon the kids are going home, so right about then is probably when you’ll see it get way out of control.”

  “Then I guess I better catch up.” I hold my glass of wine up and toast his beer glass before I take a large gulp.

  What feels like hours later, Slater and I are dancing with a large group of people when someone gets on the microphone, stopping the music.

  “I need all the unmarried ladies over here!”

  I’m being pushed in the direction of the flow of bodies, slightly shaking my head. “No, I’m good.”

  “No you’re not, c’mon.” a smaller hand grabs mine.

  Looking down, I see Kelsea pulling me over with her. Glancing back at Slater, he’s laughing, taking a drink off the bottle of beer he’s holding. “Kelsea, I don’t know if this is a good idea or not.”

  “This is a great idea,” she assures me. Exactly what I need, assurance from a pre-teen.

  Standing in this group of women, waiting for Ruby to throw her bouquet, I have a moment of clarity. There’s no maybe about it. This is where I’m meant to be, with Slater, doing life, no matter how hard or unsure of it I am. Why else would I have come back to Willow’s Gap at the same time he did, why else would we have been tested? For everything there is a reason and for every reason there is a season – I think I’ve heard that saying somewhere – and if I haven’t? Fuck it, I just made it up.

  There are shrieks and squeals around me, so I start to pay attention, and without even realizing it, I reach for the bouquet that’s been thrown toward me. Jumping up slightly, I grab it out of the air, holding it up like a trophy as everyone around me congratulates me for a job well done.

  Ruby walks over, smiling as she gives me a hug. “Congratulations, Malone! When it’s your turn be sure to invite me.”

  “My turn?

  “When you and Slater get married, be sure to invite us!”

  I’m dazed as I nod that I will. Later on as we drive to the hotel, me holding the bouquet and the garter he caught, I start to think that maybe there’s a bigger plan here for us.

  And as we head back to the hotel, before we drive to Birmingham in the morning, I admit to myself that being with him, doesn’t completely scare me to death.

  Twenty-Six

  Malone

  “This city is much bigger than I imagined.” I watch the flash of lights and the tall buildings as we d
rive by. Dusk is approaching, and the night is starting to look alive against the backdrop of a darkening sky.

  “Yeah.” Slater smiles over at me as he navigates the interstate system. “While Willow’s Gap will always be where I was born and raised, there’s something about this city that makes me feel at home. It’s big, but not too big, still has a hometown feel if you know where to look.”

  As he takes the exit and I see the part of town we’re in, I have to comment. “Something tells me I won’t be looking at a hometown feel when we get to your condo.”

  He laughs, throwing his head back, as he slows down and signals before turning into what looks like a shopping center. Before I can ask, he continues to the back, where there’s a parking garage, he flashes a card, and we’re allowed to enter.

  “I know what you’re thinking, but this building is split in two. The front houses retail, the back side and top houses apartments and condos. I own the top floor.”

  For a second I let what he’s said go through my head, and then it hits me. “Wait, what? You own the top floor?”

  “The penthouse,” he confirms as he parks his car in a designated parking spot, deeming it to be for his penthouse. “There are two other parking spots that come with this place, so if you decide you do want to visit, hang out, whatever, you’ll have a safe place to park,” he tells me as he puts the car in park and turns it off.

  “You’re really rich, aren’t you?”

  I don’t know why, but in Willow’s Gap it never occurred to me, even when we were spending time in his pool and he was showing me all his sponsor commitments. It never sunk in, just how much he’s changed, how much he’s worth.

  “There are a lot of people in the world with more money than me.” He blows off my question as he goes around to the back of the car and pulls out our suitcases.

  “You’re not answering.”

  He turns to face me. “Because I’m not comfortable with it. I make a lot of money doing something I love. I make even more money putting my name on certain products and making scheduled posts about them. Do I like the money? Yes, but it makes it hard for me to know who is here for me, and who is here for it. It’s become increasingly uncomfortable for me to talk about.”

  “You have to know that it doesn’t matter to me either way, but I want you to be comfortable to discuss anything at all with me.”

  “I’m working on it.” He cups my neck in his palm. “And it has nothing to do with what happened to us in the past. It’s just me and how I’ve become programmed. I promise, sweetness.”

  If anyone were to ask me if I believe him, the answer is yes, with everything that I have. But I still wish he’d trust me one hundred percent and totally let his walls down with me. If he had, I’d already know about the penthouse.

  Riding up in the elevator is nerve-racking; we had to have a code to be able to get to his floor. “You realize this is like billionaire book-boyfriend shit, right?” I’m amused as I watch us climb the floors.

  “I don’t even know what that means.” He shakes his head, a grin toying with the edges of his mouth.

  “Trust me when I say it’s hot as fuck.”

  He grabs my hand in his. “Then I think you’re absolutely going to love the view from the top.”

  “On top of you?” I tease, leaning in to kiss him lightly on the neck.

  “Me, the world, my kitchen counter. We can do it all, sweetness. We can do it all.”

  I don’t have a chance to answer before the elevator stops and opens.

  “Welcome home,” Slater whispers as he walks inside.

  “Are you shitting me? We walk right into your house from the elevator? This really is book boyfriend shit.”

  He laughs again. “Go ahead, check it out.”

  Slowly, I walk through the hallway into an open concept floorplan with a living room, kitchen, and dining room all together. Ceiling-to-floor windows allow for the most beautiful view of downtown Birmingham all lit up on this late summer night. I can see the ballpark, within walking distance, and other buildings. I don’t know what they are, but I have a feeling Slater will tell me eventually.

  “How do you handle the glass?” I turn around, asking him the one question that’s in the forefront of my mind. “Do you worry about people looking at you? People taking pictures?”

  “No.” He shakes his head as he comes over to wrap both his arms around me. “It’s mirrored. I can see out, but no one can see in, and I’ve got blinds that cover the whole thing.” He pulls his cell out of his pocket, pressing a button. The blinds come down, covering the gorgeous view.

  “There are three total bedrooms, an office, and a rooftop pool and outdoor area that’s completely mine,” he talks softly in my ear.

  “This may take some getting used to, Slater.”

  “It took me a while,” he admits. “To realize I didn’t have to be on a budget all the time, that I could buy a few things if I wanted to. Finally I realized I had to have a place that I could be safe in, after I came home three times to weird women who’d found my apartment and gotten in.”

  “Oh shit, Slater,” I giggle. “Seriously?”

  “Seriously. Then a friend on the team told me about this cook he uses to make sure he stays within his macros. It was something I struggled to do on my own, so I looked at it as an investment in myself. Eventually I got a housekeeper too, and then when I started investing, I got a business manager. It’s not like I meant to be one of those people that got a staff, but when you’re making close to ten million a year with your contract and endorsements, you need help. Usually the demands on my time are outrageous, but I’m thankful we’ve gotten this uninterrupted time to spend together, even if it is because I got hurt.”

  I’m taking it all in, not sure if I belong here, not sure if I really know this man anymore. He’s so different from the one I used to know, and the one I’ve been getting to know in Willow’s Gap. But I know his arms, I know how I feel with them wrapped around me. “I only have one more question.”

  “Mmmm, what’s that?”

  “Where’s the bedroom?”

  Savage

  My girl, she knows exactly what she wants, which is why I have no problem showing her to the one place I’ve wanted her to see. “Check this out.”

  Setting her down on the bed, I grab my phone out of my pocket, press a button, and let the blinds raise. We’re greeted with an unobstructed view of the city, including the ballpark.

  “And you thought I was lying when I told you this was book boyfriend shit. Slade, I hate to break this to you, but this is totally book boyfriend shit,” she laughs as she looks out. “Can people see in here?”

  “No,” I shake my head. “It’s mirrored glass, just like in the living room.”

  “So no one can watch me as I do this?”

  She stands up, beginning to strip off the dress she wears. And right there, with the city of Birmingham as the backdrop, she gives me the best strip show I’ve ever had. Which turns into the blowjob of my life, even better than the first one she gave me in the field house all those years ago. Later on when we’re catching our breath, I realize that she’s already imprinted herself onto my space, and if I have to come back without her at the beginning of the year, I don’t know how in the hell I’m going to make it.

  Operation Make Malone Fall In Love With The Life I Lead Now is in full effect.

  Twenty-Seven

  Savage

  “Are you nervous?” she asks quietly as we stand on the grass at Bandit Field.

  My eyes are following each of my teammates as they take their turns. I’ve never had a woman on the field with me before, and it hasn’t escaped my attention that members of the media have taken not only her picture but also our picture together. Since the scare at home, we’ve both kept a low profile, but I knew bringing her here would put her right in the spotlight. Turning to face her, I nod, but it’s almost imperceptible to anyone who’s looking. “As fuck.”

  The side of her mout
h lifts up in a grin. She reaches out, taking my hand in hers. “There’s no reason to be.”

  “No reason to be? Do you see all these standing people around waiting to report back on how I handle this? Not to mention this is going to the first time I’ve taken batting practice since my injury. It’s a nerve-wracking time.”

  “Look.” She rubs her fingers over mine to get my attention. “I believe in you, maybe I didn’t the way I should have all those years ago, but I do now. I know you’ve put the work in, I know you’ve done everything you were supposed to do, and you’ve got this, Savage.”

  It’s not often she calls me by that nickname, even though I call her by hers all the time. “You think so?”

  “I know so.” She stands up on her tiptoes, kissing me on the cheek. I swallow roughly against the tightness in my throat. Her complete faith in me is enough to bring me to my knees. “Go out there and show them what you can do.”

  “Savage! You’re up.” Coach Turner holds my bat out to me.

  I look at it, sitting between the two of us. This has been the thing I’ve been most scared to do. I’m terrified to plant my cleat in the dirt and hit for everything I’m worth. My hand literally shakes as I reach out and grab hold. There’s a hush over the crowd, even I can hear it. I’m trained to not notice what the people in the stands are doing, to not pay any attention to the other team, but this right here, I’m noticing everything.

  The sun is shining down, the heat causing me to sweat as I slowly approach the batter’s box. Stepping in, I dig my cleat into the dirt and take a deep breath, trying to calm my rapidly beating heart. I tap home plate twice, gripping the handle of the bat between my hands, thankful I’m wearing gloves to keep it from slipping.

  The first pitch comes across and I lay back on it.