“You want to marry me?” Her voice cracked.
“Don’t forget about the kids.” A boyish grin split his face.
She pulled out of his grasp. She turned her back on him, needing a moment. And looking at his boyish charm wasn’t helping the situation. He wanted to marry her? Love was one thing, but making a family was something totally different.
And what about the plea in his voice when he expressed how much he needed her in his life?
“Why do you want to marry me?”
“Do you really need an answer to that?” he asked.
“Yeah, I kind of do.”
“Okay. Because you are the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. I’ve loved you my entire adult life. Because you are brave, because you know how to knock me down a peg, because my life seems empty without you in it. Do you need me to go on? I want to be your safe haven. I just love you, simple as that. Isn’t that all that matters?”
She searched his face and found only truth. She could see the respect he had for her. He really loved her, and why would she want to leave that—turn her back on him? Did she really want to go back to Linden and run from love? No, she didn’t. She wanted this man who stood before her.
She jumped into his arms, wrapping her own around his neck, but not kissing him just yet. She gazed down at his face, thinking that it was the dearest face she’d ever seen.
“Do you love me, Anna?”
“Yes, I told you I did. I love you so much it scares me.”
“Then stay here with me. Live here. Start a family with me.”
“I’m terrified, Jake. I’m just finding my strength.”
He set her down on her feet and cupped her face. “I’m not asking you to give up anything. In fact, I refuse to let you. And if living here is the problem then I will go back to Linden with you.”
“You would do that for me? You would leave your home and your brother for me?”
“My home is anywhere you are, and as for Bradley, he’s a big boy, and I can come back and see him anytime. Don’t you get it—I just want you.”
“Oh God,” she whispered. “I don’t think I’ve ever had anyone say such things to me. I’m so lucky to have you back in my life. I can hardly breathe because of the love I feel for you. I need you too, Jake.”
“So, is that a yes?”
“That would be a yes, slugger. I want to stay here with you, marry you, and then we can talk about kids. I would like some time with just the two of us. We have a lot of wasted time to make up for.”
She could hear the sigh of relief in his voice. “Thank the Lord. All of that sounds good. Just so long as you want me.”
“I definitely want you.” She rose up onto her toes and kissed him with desperate passion. An eternity later, Anna pulled back, standing straight on her aching feet. But that didn’t matter…nothing mattered except her and Jake. They were finally going to get that second chance. All because of love—and surprisingly, forgiveness.
Epilogue
Two months later
“I can’t believe you brought me to a Yankees game.” Anna couldn’t wrap her mind around the fact that she was standing in Yankee Stadium, a place where traditions ran true. Like, at the real Yankee stadium. She had dreamed of coming here for years, but New York was an expensive place to visit, and she just couldn’t find the money to spend on such an elaborate trip.
“Just so you know, I brought you here because I owed you a third date. Don’t get any wild ideas that this will be a yearly trip…because no sirree, it won’t. One New York game is about all I can handle in one lifetime.”
“If you plan to marry me, Lawrence, then you have to marry my baseball team too. You don’t get me without them. So you might as well get your butt over here, sit down, and be prepared to watch the best team in baseball.”
Jake made a uuummhh noise that resembled a complaint, but Anna let it go. The guy was being a trooper since he refused to be a part of anything related to New York. He was just going to be stuck dealing with it. The Yankees were her team, and she put her foot down when it came to them.
They took their amazing seats, courtesy of some contacts Jake had. He took some major crap for asking for the tickets, but he did it for her. And that meant something to her. He did it to make her happy and make one of her dreams come true.
They were seated right next to the home dugout. In just minutes, she would see Derek Jeter take the field.
“I see you over there drooling. You just remember that you’re my woman, and Jeter can only look.”
Anna threw a handful of popcorn in Jake’s face. “Oh please, don’t tell me you’re jealous. I tell you what, if he asks me on three dates, I will go—but that’s it. How’s that sound?”
“Real funny, sweetness. You are my woman now. I’m sure number two over there can get any woman he wants.”
The crowd started to buzz, and the roll call was being yelled out by the Bleacher Creatures. When the fans got around to chanting Derek Jeter, Anna screamed at the top of her lungs. Jeter held up his glove to show acknowledgment. The atmosphere was jumping. She had always wondered how it would feel to see a game in New York. And so far it was better than she expected.
Three outs, and it was the home team’s turn at bat, which meant Jeter would be up first, since he was the team’s leadoff hitter. On cue, the recording of Jeter’s favorite Yankee announcer, now deceased, played over the loudspeaker, “Now batting for the Yankees, number two, Derek Jeter, number two.”
“Do you know that you look like some little giddy schoolgirl right now?” Jake asked, sounding way past annoyed. It was only the first inning, and she didn’t know if he was going to make it through the entire game without exploding.
“You embarrassed?”
“By you? Hell, no. I just find you damn cute and feel really sorry for Mr. Jeter.”
Curious, Anna asked, “Why’s that?”
“Because you’ll sit here the whole game idolizing his every move, drooling over him. But after nine innings, I will be the one taking you home. I will be the one curling up with you in bed tonight.” After giving her a southern boy wink, he said, “Maybe we can do a little more of what we tried last night?”
“You’re a bad, bad man, Jake Lawrence. But for you—and only you—I think that can be arranged.” It had taken two months, but Anna had finally got up the nerve to let Jake touch her in that very delicate part of her body with his mouth.
He rubbed the top of her arm. “Are you sure you’re still okay with it?”
In the past twelve hours he’d asked her three times if she was okay. It was sweet and touched her that he cared so much. “Yes, Jake, I’m perfectly fine. In fact, after I have my fun here, we can go back to the hotel, and you can make me forget all about Derek Jeter.”
“I’ve got something else to make you forget,” he said with a sexy grin plastered on his face.
“What are you up to?”
“This.” Jake dug into his jeans’ pocket and pulled out a small black box. “I know it’s correct protocol to get down on one knee, but it’s a tight fit in these seats.” He placed the box in her hand and waited for her to respond.
Her eyes kept darting back and forth between the box and Jake. “You bought me a ring?”
“That’s usually what men do when they want a woman to marry them.”
They had been so consumed with finishing up the remodel on her house and their nightly lovemaking that even though she’d already agreed to marry him, a ring hadn’t been thought of—at least not on her part. It looked like Jake had had this planned out for some time. And then she wondered if his bringing her there was so he could propose again, but this time with a ring.
She opened the tiny box and looked at the princess-cut diamond ring. “Oh, Jake, it’s beautiful.”
“So that’s a yes? You like it?”
They were simple words, but didn’t take away from the impact they had on her heart. This man wanted to marry her. Build a life with her. How ha
d she become so lucky to find Jake again, and have him still love her after all their years apart?
“Yes, of course I’ll marry you. And the ring is perfect. I’ll never take it off.”
The people around them clapped, and at any other time, she would have been embarrassed by the attention, but not now. Right now she was too happy to be concerned with such little things.
Anna spent the next three hours happy as could be. She was in the process of closing the arrangements on the house next to Garrett’s office and couldn’t have been more thrilled at the thought that in the next few months, she and Jake together would be remodeling the house to make it a better fit for a coffee shop downstairs and a small bookstore upstairs. Liza was planning to come for a long visit when the shop opened, and although she didn’t think Jake was looking forward to meeting Liza in person, Anna couldn’t wait to see them together. While Liza was cautious about Anna getting back together with Jake, she admitted it didn’t surprise her any.
Jake had talked her into not selling her childhood home just yet. He suggested that she give herself more time to make a decision since she was moving back to town. She knew for sure she didn’t want to live there. Her reasons were not because of her past, but because she wanted to find a place with Jake. A place that was perfect for them. So they’d decided to stay at the apartment until the remodel was finished and they had more time to find a place with Garrett’s help.
Em was over-the-top thrilled. Anna had waited until after the honeymoon before telling her best friend that she and Jake had made up. But then she remembered Em never knew about the argument the night before her wedding. Em didn’t care. She was just happy to hear Anna was staying. Anna couldn’t wait to tell Em about the ring Jake just placed on her finger. But she was glad for the time. She wanted to be able to savor the moment with Jake and all of the Yankee fans surrounding her.
The crowd cheered and was wound-up like a rubber band in the bottom of the ninth when Jeter walked to the plate. The score was tied at two.
“I love you, Jake—love like I never thought was possible for me. You make me so happy.”
“I hope me bringing you here proves how much I love you.”
“Shut up, slugger and kiss me.”
Tugging on the Atlanta Braves T-shirt he wore, she brushed her lips over his. She was so wrapped up in her man that she didn’t even notice when number two, on the first pitch, hit a walk-off homerun.
*THE END*
About the Author
Jennifer Simpkins has always been an avid reader, but it wasn’t until she became a stay-at-home mom did she start to read romance. Her passion of reading romance turned into another passion she had as a child—writing. One late night of writing about sexy heroes and strong-willed heroines turned into two nights, until seven months later she had written her first novel.
She lives in a small town with her supportive husband (whose dream is to be on the cover of one of her books), her daughter, and two dogs who can’t seem to get along. If she is not writing, you can find her reading, hanging out with her family, or cheering on the New York Yankees.
Secret Cravings Publishing
www.secretcravingspublishing.com
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