by Cassie Mae
“Hey,” I say, bending to catch his gaze. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” He forces a smile. “I’m in shock.”
“Well, snap out of it.” I swing myself closer to him. “You did this for me. That video you posted was what brought me my shot. I don’t know how to thank you enough, but believe me, I’m going to try.”
He scratches the back of his head, and I’m suddenly jealous of his hand. How I wish I could reach up and touch that feathery soft hair.
“It was the least I could do,” he says sullenly. “After everything…” His voice catches, and I quickly shake my head.
“Tanner. How many times do I have to tell you that this was not your fault?”
The corner of his mouth lifts. “Probably a hundred.”
I let out a huff and purse my lips. He’s going to beat himself up forever, and doesn’t he see everything he’s done for me? Not just the video or making a sponsorship possible, but everything before that… before I fell for him. He’s my friend, my confidant. He knows when I need that mental break and when I need a board under my feet. He knows my favorite color is red and that my favorite Star Wars movie is Episode V. He’s my comfort and my safe place in a world that rarely feels safe.
I reach for him, letting my fingers brush the skin along his forearm. “I’m ready.”
He lifts a brow. “For what?”
“I’m ready to hear it now.” I offer up a small smile. “I’m ready to hear that you love me. Because I love you.”
A soft gasp slips between his teeth, and I try to come closer, but I stumble into his arms. He catches me easily, and the feeling of his hands against my waist feels a lot like home. “I got hurt. We broke the rules together, but I would never in a million years say that what we did was bad. How could something this good come from something wrong?”
His lips are stuck in adorable shock. He lifts his brows, his head shaking the slightest bit. “You love me.”
“Yep.”
“You said it first.”
“I did.”
He narrows his eyes, and he studies my face. “You’re not concussed, are you?”
I laugh. “Not anymore.”
“Last time you said it, you were pretty out of it.”
I jerk back. “I’ve said it before?”
A smile curls his lips, and my heart sings that I’m getting my Tanner back. He’s peeking out from the fog he’s lived in the past two weeks. “In front of the paramedics. You really like my hair, too.”
I won’t even deny it. “Sure do.” My eyes drift to those soft strands before floating back down to meet his gorgeous greens. “I guess my big moment was spoiled by head trauma.”
He brushes his hand across my forehead, smoothing my flyaways. “Oh, it still feels pretty big.”
“Good.” I shift in his arms, my good leg growing weaker the longer I stand on it. “I love you, Tanner. And I’m ready to hear you say those three words back… I mean if you feel them. No pressure or anything.”
He laughs and dips low, tucking his arms under my butt and lifting me onto his hips. The papers crinkle against the small of my back. “Mad… I’ve loved a lot of girls. A lot. I mean, more than a person should at my age.”
“Get to the point, boyfriend.”
His breath warms the space between us, and he meets my eyes. “I have never loved anyone the way I love you.”
My lips purse together to keep from grinning too hard. I rest my forehead against his. “Damn it.”
“Excuse me?”
“Your delivery was so much better than mine.”
He laughs against me and closes the gap between our mouths. I melt into his embrace, laughing and loving this perfect moment in time… when all my dreams came true.
Six months later
“Pete totally lucked out getting married on Valentine’s Day.” Aislynn drops into an empty seat at the head table just as I pan around with my camera. Most of the couples who are assigned to sit there are out on the dance floor, including the newlyweds. I should probably focus on them, anyway.
Maddie scoffs and takes a sip from her champagne glass. “No way. He’s going to have to do double duty now. Anniversary and Valentine’s Day all bundled together.”
She flicks her dark curls over her bare shoulder, and suddenly my lens has found her again. Pete and Candace will never ask me to film an event for them again with all these shots on Maddie. Her best man dress is a soft shade of yellow that hangs on one shoulder and ends right above her knee. She hates the thing, but she’d do anything for Pete and Candace. She promised I could tear it off her later.
Aislynn shakes her head. “I think he’s off the hook for Valentine’s Day from here on out. It’s all gonna be anniversary celebrations.”
Maddie rolls her eyes to me, and since I’m a good boyfriend, I silently agree with her on this one, giving her a thumbs up.
The girls chat some more while I walk around the dance floor, zooming in on the bride and groom as they slow dance to a fast song. Candace looks like a Disney princess in her flowing gown and tiara, and Pete just has this look like he’s won the damn lottery.
After a few good shots, I signal to the photographer that I’m taking a quick break and head to the buffet to grab myself and the girls some cake.
When I get to the head table, Candace has plopped down next to Maddie, and uses a seating assignment card as a fan to cool down her red face.
“Done dancing for a bit?” I ask, sliding the slice I got for myself over to her. Candace grabs a fork and dives in while Mad pushes her piece between us to share.
“My partner was stolen.” She jabs her fork toward the dance floor, and I catch the very tall groom dancing with the very short maid of honor. Pete grins at his little sister, all dressed in yellow with pink flowers in her hair.
I pull my camera out quick to get the shot of the sweet sibling moment, but I stop when Demi hugs her brother tight, tears glistening in her eyes.
I put my arm over the back of Mad’s chair and lean into her ear. “Is she okay?” I ask, nodding toward the dance floor.
Mad gives her brother and sister a glance before turning into our bubble with a smile. “She’s just going to miss him, is all. But I’ve got a weekend planned for her. She’ll be all right.”
I plant a kiss on her forehead simply because I can’t resist. Mad’s big heart is just one of the many reasons I’m in love with her.
“Ugh,” Aislynn says, her eyes on her phone. “The apartment fell through.”
Maddie frowns. “Another one?”
“This makes number five.” She sighs and sets her phone face down on the tablecloth. “I’m never going to find a place.”
Candace stops mid-chew. “You’re moving?”
“Trying to.” She flips her pink hair over her shoulder. “The owners of my rental sold the house, so I’ve got to be out by the end of the month.”
“Why don’t you just take my place?” Candace offers, then swallows her mouthful of cake. “It’s completely furnished, and my parents’ rent it out for six-hundred.”
“A month.”
We all jerk back from Aislynn’s outburst. She even scares a girl walking past.
Candace nods around a laugh.
“That’s insane! Yes, yes. I’m in.”
“Great. I’ll get you the keys before I go on my… honeymooooooon!” She sings the last word, adding a dance to the end. Maddie holds back a laugh. Apparently, Candace and Pete waited until they tied the knot, so they’re a bit antsy to get the honeymoon started.
Maddie takes the last bite from the cake we shared, then meets my eyes. “Dance with me, boyfriend?”
“If I have the bride’s permission to take a break.”
Candace laughs around her fork and fixes me with a stern look. “You’ve got ten minutes.”
I take my girl’s hand and lead her out to the dance floor. Neither of us are big dancers, but we’re good at holding each other and moving from side to side.
“You’ve been looking awfully sexy tonight,” she says, resting her hand on my shoulder. “Going around with your camera, following the bride and groom…” She sighs, like I’m someone worth fawning over.
“You’re one to talk.” I nod to her dress, and she makes a face at it. We laugh as I attempt to spin her under my arm and pull her back in.
“When we get married, I’m totally wearing shorts.”
My feet stop immediately. “What?”
“You heard me.” She pushes up on her tiptoes and kisses my nose. “I said shorts.”
She knows dang well that’s not what stopped me in my tracks. The corner of my mouth lifts, and I pull her in close. “You want to marry me someday, huh?”
“Absolutely.” She throws a hand between the two of us. “What’d you think we were doing here?”
God, I love her. I love that we can say the things we mean when we mean them. I love that she puts it out there with no fear. I love that I can one hundred percent reciprocate.
“Well,” I say, pulling her in close, “when we get married, I’m wearing a Star Wars shirt.”
A wicked grin spreads across her face, and I fall even deeper than I was before. “You save the dirty talk for later, Tanner Dodge.”
******
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Acknowledgments
Thank you, YouTube, for giving me hours and hours of research material for this book. I have the coordination of a toddler, and if I was to try to give boarding some real live research, I’d be in a cast right now.
Thank you, Awesome Nerds, for being so patient with me as I pushed the release of this one back and back and back again. IT’S HERE! I DID IT!
Thank you, Theresa, for telling me to add the chapters I needed to, for yelling at me when I needed that, and for giving me the “don’t forget how awesome you are” plaque that I look at every time I sit to right.
Also, thank you for the HOT DAMN during that kissing scene ;)
Thank you, Lenore, for always being so great when I drop the ball. My butter fingers mess everything up, and you are always there for me. I love your freaking guts.
Thank you, empowered and kickbutt girls out there. Thank you for being nerdy, girly, boyish, and always yourselves no matter what the world says. Keep that up, and love exactly who you are, babes.
Thank you, Alexa, for playing my favorite book music while I spent hours in my office.
Thank you, Mom and Dad, for bringing me up to love myself for who I am.
Thank you, Jenny, for showing the right amount of excitement when I show you new covers.
Thank you, Becki, for the treats.
Thank you, Jon Jon, since I don’t want to leave anyone out.
Thank you, kiddos, for the guilt trips whenever I sat down to write. Without you, this book would’ve actually been done on time.
And thank you, Joshy, for the sexy sounds of blacksmithing just outside my office door. Super helpful. ;)
About Cassie Mae
Cassie Mae is the author of a dozen or so books. Some of which became popular for their quirky titles, characters, and stories. She likes writing about nerds, geeks, the awkward, the fluffy, the short, the shy, the loud, the fun.
Since publishing her bestselling debut, Reasons I Fell for the Funny Fat Friend, she’s published several titles with Penguin Random House and founded CookieLynn Publishing Services. She is represented by Sharon Pelletier at Dystel, Goderich, and Burret LLC. She has a favorite of all her book babies, but no, she won’t tell you what it is. (Mainly because it changes depending on the day.)
Along with writing, Cassie likes to binge watch Parks and Recreation and enjoys every Harry Potter weekend. She likes kissing her hubby, but only if his facial hair is trimmed. She also likes cheesecake to a very obsessive degree.
You can stalk, talk, or send pictures of Luke Bryan to her on her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/cassiemaeauthorpage
Browse Cassie Mae Books on her Website
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