The only one better? Her date with Sy.
He was having a career-best kind of game. With not one, but two sacks. Amy wished that she could say he played better knowing she was there, but he probably hadn’t even seen her text. She should have messaged him earlier in the week to confirm. But between squeezing in a doctor’s appointment and talking with a financial advisor about the bed and breakfast, she had been overwhelmed. Not to mention telling her mom about the cancer.
They almost didn’t come to the game at all. Her mom didn’t want to let Amy out of her sight, especially not on Christmas Eve, but Amy suspected Delia talked Mom into it. With all that, Amy hadn’t wanted to tell Sy definitely yes until they were actually here.
She made up for it by messaging him throughout the game, telling him how great his plays were and what the announcers were saying. She bet that on the field, he was too focused to hear anything they said. When a Miami player got up in Sy’s face and Sy didn’t fight back, she texted him that he had done a great job keeping his cool. And that she would have punched the guy in the nose.
“I hope he has a lot of storage on his phone,” Delia said, smirking. “It’s probably going to catch on fire in his locker from all your messages.”
“I can’t help it! Maybe it will be annoying, but I just want to show my support. He’s so amazing, isn’t he?” Delia looked sad for a moment and Amy touched her arm. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t—”
“No.” Delia shook her head. “You should. I’m not jealous because of Sy. I mean, I wish I had someone, but that’s it. I wanted to like him from a practical standpoint. He’s handsome, has a great job, could help me get exposure, and did I mention really hot?”
“Watch it,” Amy growled.
Delia laughed, and they linked arms for the last play of the half, when Sy made another huge sack. Amy found herself screaming and jumping up and down with Delia. She didn’t know if this was proper behavior for a VIP box, but she stopped caring. This was about Sy and his game. Even if nothing happened between them, Amy was here to be his support.
During the halftime show, Amy got another water and filled her plate again. Everything she started with had gone cold, and one of the servers had taken it away. Her stomach had finally unknotted itself enough that she could eat. The Rebels had a commanding lead, so she could breathe.
She had stuffed a mozzarella stick in her mouth when her phone buzzed in her bra. When she pulled it out, Amy almost choked. It was a message from Sy. Her hands were shaking as she wiped them on a napkin and opened her phone.
The picture caught her eye first. It was Sy, beaming with the biggest smile she’d ever seen on him, his hair damp and sweat running down his face. He’d never looked so good. His message made her heart slam to a stop.
Sy: Did you know that you’re not only my number one fan, but the only person in my life who has made it to a game? Not even my parents have come. I’m going to find you after. Don’t leave. It might be late. But if you leave, I’m following you. So, don’t.
Amy tilted the phone to show Delia and her sister squeezed her hand. Amy texted Sy back.
Amy: I’m here.
Then, after a pause, she swallowed her fear and send another message.
Amy: If you want me, I always will be.
Shoving the phone back in her bra, Amy tried to breathe through her nervous energy. She’d put herself out there. Maybe it was too much, but maybe, just maybe, it was exactly the right thing.
Chapter 17
SEVENTEEN
“I don’t want to hold up love,” Delia said. “But we need to go. It’s almost midnight. Mom is going to kill us if we aren’t home for Christmas morning or if we sleep until eleven because we drove until four. Can’t you talk to Sy tomorrow? Or the next day?”
Amy held her ground. They were standing in a hallway somewhere in the bowels of the stadium building. Sy had sent another employee in a badge to bring them down after the game. The staff member had quickly disappeared, leaving them waiting a few doors down from the press room.
“I’m not leaving. You can go if you need to.”
“Yeah, right. I’m not leaving you here, Ames. Then Mom would just murder me. No way. Can you message him again? I really can’t drive all night this tired.” She yawned again.
Suddenly, a door opened twenty feet away, filling the hallway with noise and the bodies of various reporters and other people with press passes. Amy stood on tiptoes, trying to pick Sy out of the crowd.
Delia grabbed her arm. “Oh my gosh. That’s the host on one of my favorite network shows. Is it okay if I go meet him? I don’t know that I’ll have this chance again.”
“Yeah, yeah. Of course. I’ll be here. Or somewhere. I’ve got my phone. Go!” Amy didn’t even notice Delia leave, because after almost everyone had exited the room, Sy came striding out and her heart nearly ricocheted out of her chest.
Amy knew she was smiling too big. She tried telling herself to hold it together. Instead, when that same bright grin took over his ruggedly handsome face, Amy found herself squealing and running towards him. As though they had coordinated this a hundred times, Sy held out his arms and Amy leaped into them.
Only, they hadn’t coordinated this. Sy stumbled back from the force of her, knocking into a wall. Amy held onto him, giggling and pressing her face into his warm neck. His arms around her waist held her up.
“Whoops! Hold on there, Short Stuff.”
“I’m not letting go,” Amy said. “Believe me. I’m not letting go.”
Sy pulled back and stared into her eyes. “You mean that?”
Amy grew suddenly serious, feeling self-conscious. But she wouldn’t back down from being brave. “I do. But there’s something I need to talk to you about first.”
Sy shook his head, the warmth in his eyes turned from a honey color to caramel. “Nope. Save it. Whatever it is—”
“No, Sy, you don’t understand.”
Still managing to hold her up with just one hand, Sy pressed a finger to her lips, gently, his gaze darkening as his eyes followed his finger.
“Listen to me, Ames. Whatever it is, I want you to tell me. I want you to tell me everything. Big, small. Important, silly. Everything. But not one thing you could tell me, now or later is going to change this: I want to be with you. Only you. For life.”
Amy’s eyes began to fill with tears, even as she smiled against his finger. He dropped it, looking hungrily at her lips before his gaze snapped up to hers, with a fierce intensity that filled her whole body with a tingling warmth.
“But there’s something you should know. Something important.”
Again, Sy shook his head, but Amy removed his finger from her lips and then pressed her hand over his mouth. “No. My turn. I have to say this. I didn’t want to do it right here after a big game. But I have to.” Amy sighed, gathering up her courage. “It’s back. My cancer.”
His jaw clenched, and his eyes went dark. “Amy—”
“Wait. Let me finish. I just need you to know what you’re getting into with me.”
Sy tugged her hand from his mouth and placed it on the back of his neck. His eyes held a fiercely protective gaze that she knew. It made her feel like everything was going to be okay.
“Then we’ll fight it together. You and me. I’ll be there.”
“You always were,” she said. “I just don’t want you to feel stuck with me. Like, you can’t say no because of this.”
“Amy.” The gentleness in the way he said he name made her sigh. “I know we’re in a hallway and it’s almost midnight and you have to drive home tonight. I know I don’t have a ring and there’s no preacher. But I want to make this vow to you right now. Whatever happens, I promise that I am going to love you. For better, for worse, for big or for small. With or without you telling me whatever it is. There are no deal breakers for me, Ames. I want you. If you’ll really have me, I’m yours. What do you say, Short Stuff?”
Words escaped her, and Amy could only nod. She cl
utched Sy’s neck tightly, letting her fingers rise up into his thick, dark hair.
“I know we’ve only had one date and I basically just recited my wedding vows, but is it too much if kiss you?” Sy asked.
“It would be too much if you didn’t.”
And with her words, Sy brushed his lips over hers. Amy closed her eyes as he moved his mouth more firmly against hers, every movement repeating the promises he had just made out loud. As other people walked by in the hall and a few shouts and cheers went up, Amy could only pull him closer, letting her mouth fuse with his.
“I love you, Ames,” he whispered against her mouth. “For better, for worse. Forever. I’m here with you.”
Sighing, Amy rested her cheek against his. “I know you are, Sy. You always were, and I know you will be. I love you too.” Pausing, reveling in the moment, she smiled, feeling his cheek lift in response. “One request?”
“Anything.”
“Maybe we could have at least one more date before you actually propose?”
Chuckling, Sy pulled back just enough to meet her gaze. “I’ll take it under consideration.”
Before Amy could respond, Sy’s mouth descended on hers again, kissing her until they were both breathless and laughing, completely uncaring for those few moments of anyone or anything else in the world.
Epilogue
Amy stared out into the rain through her bathroom window, trying to hold back her tears. “Look on the bright side. Don’t cry over spilled milk—or rain,” she muttered. The clichés didn’t actually mean anything, but she had found that just the act of finding one to fit a situation calmed her.
Why did it have to rain today? Of all the days in her life, why this one?
Delia swept into the bathroom, where Amy sat in front of her vanity in just a white lacy bra and panties. Delia frowned. “You aren’t ready? And are you crying? No. Nope. Not happening. Turn around. I’ll finish your makeup and then Mom and I will help you into your dress.”
Amy gestured to the window. “But, the weather!”
Delia rolled her eyes, even as she gestured for Amy to spin around in the chair. She held up eyeliner before Amy could even think about arguing. “Forget the weather. Weddings are magical. Even if we’re getting married in the front hall.”
“We don’t all fit in the front hall!”
“It’s a small wedding. And I’ve got Elton and Easton moving furniture. Trust me, if the rain doesn’t let up, I’ve got a plan. Nothing will derail your big day.”
Amy believed her. Delia was a force of nature. Maybe she wouldn’t get the wedding they’d planned, but she would have her groom. Amy’s heart fluttered at the thought of Sy, getting ready in one of the upstairs rooms. Probably the one he’d stayed in just a few weeks ago.
“Stop smiling. I’ll end up getting mascara all over your face.”
“It’s my wedding day. I can’t cry; I can’t smile. What can I do?”
“Done. Now you can smile or cry. I used waterproof mascara. Now, we’ve got ten minutes to get you in your dress. Mom’s waiting.”
Amy stood, looking at her makeup. She’d been a little afraid that Delia might go overboard. But the look was much more natural than what Delia wore most days.
“Thank you,” Amy said. “For everything.”
Delia wrapped an arm around her. “If anyone deserves this, it’s you. Now let’s get you hitched!”
Amy’s mother must have also worn waterproof mascara, because her makeup stayed in place even after she cried through helping Amy into her wedding dress. Amy managed to keep it together, but only because she could hardly wait to see Sy. To say her vows. And to take their tiny honeymoon before he went back to work and she went in for her next round of treatment.
It wasn’t ideal. Actually, the idea of getting married less than a month after your first date was completely ridiculous to most people. But Amy had known Sy for years. He wasn’t a stranger. She’d loved him for years, even if it had at first been a childish love, then an admiring love from a distance, and now a new, but no less true, love.
Considering her circumstances and his unique work situation, now was the perfect time. Amy hadn’t lost a lot of weight or her hair—yet. She wanted to walk down the aisle feeling good. She wanted a honeymoon where she and Sy could explore each other’s bodies for the first time while she still had her breasts. The double mastectomy would be after her first round of treatment. She still hadn’t decided about the reconstruction, but she had time later. The time left of her feeling good enough to get married and have a honeymoon was almost over.
Her mother kissed Amy’s hair. “You look so beautiful, Amy.”
She stood before the mirror, flanked by her mother on one side and Delia on the other. Wrapping an arm around each of their waists, she squeezed them. “Thank you,” she said. “I couldn’t have done it without you. And I’m not just saying that.”
“I know,” Delia said, and Amy had to laugh.
Suddenly their mother gasped. Amy followed her gaze to the window where sunlight streamed through the backyard, lighting up the tiny droplets of rain that covered everything. It looked like the backyard had been decked out with tiny diamonds.
Amy covered her mouth. “The sun!”
“You know what they say about Texas weather,” Delia said.
“You just wait five minutes,” Amy said.
“Mom, let’s get out there and have the men set things up. We may only have five minutes before it’s back. You want to risk it, right? The perfect backyard wedding?”
Amy nodded. “Yes. Do it.”
A moment later, Amy was alone, left with the excitement and nerves surging through her. She wanted to get out there and say yes now. Sun, rain—it didn’t really matter.
There was a knock at the door. “Short Stuff?”
Amy’s face broke into a grin at the sound of Sy’s voice. She walked to the door but didn’t open it. Instead, she pressed her palms to it, then rested her cheek against it. “You know I’m not letting you in. I want you to see me for the first time as I come down the aisle.”
“I know. But I had to hear your voice. I love you, Ames.”
“I love you too, Sy.”
She could imagine his handsome face smiling on the other side of the wood separating them. “Um, your sister also told me to tell you we’re starting in two minutes. Is she ever going to stop being so bossy?”
“Nope.”
He chuckled. “Okay, then. See you in a few. I can’t wait, love.”
“Me neither.”
Amy heard his footsteps move away, then heels clicked across the wood floors. They still needed to be refinished, but Amy wouldn’t have to worry about that any more. She had sold the bed and breakfast, something she had agonized over for years, but now felt like the easiest and best decision. After the sale went through, her time would be split between San Antonio and Houston for treatments. When Sy’s season was done, he’d move here to a loft he’d managed to rent for them near the medical center.
The door swung open and Delia stood grinning. “It’s time.”
They made their way out the side door of the house near the garage. Amy would walk through the back gate, following Delia and Jessica, her bridesmaids. Easton was going to escort her and then stand as one of Sy’s few groomsmen. Other than her mother, Sy’s parents had flown in, and several of Sy’s teammates, whom Amy was just getting to know. It was tiny and perfect. Jessica gave her a huge hug and Amy even got a baby kick for luck.
Music filtered out through speakers Easton had installed outside. He had also helped plant some climbing vines. They didn’t cover the pergola yet, but Delia had hung flowers there this morning. With the sun still lighting up all the water droplets, it truly was enchanted.
Easton held out his arm. Amy linked hers through his as Delia and Jessica smiled, then disappeared through the gate. “You look beautiful,” Easton said. “I never would have expected this when Sy showed up before Christmas.”
�
��You and me both.” Amy grinned. “But it feels so perfect, doesn’t it?”
“It does.” Easton’s smile looked a little sad and Amy squeezed his arm. He was such a good guy. Well, aside from a few things, like the underground fights Amy had talked to him about more than once. She hoped he’d find the right girl soon.
The music changed. “I think that’s our cue,” Easton said.
Together, they stepped through the gate and began the walk through the grass to the pergola, where Sy stood, a huge smile on his face and tears in his eyes.
There were details Amy only half-registered but didn’t care about. Like the fact that the train of her dress was going to be wet from dragging in the grass. Or how magical everything looked and the smiles on the faces of the guests.
She only saw Sy. His ruggedly handsome face that she knew first as a boy, then on screen as she watched him play, and now as the person in the world who meant the most to her.
Amy said her vows and exchanged the rings, all while feeling like she was in a dream. She could only see Sy and hear his words. It was like they were the only people in the world, even in the middle of this small group of their loved ones.
Even when they were announced as man and wife, it wasn’t until Sy pressed his lips to hers in a passionate kiss that the world seemed to come back into focus. Sound rushed into her ears, and Amy could hear the clapping and cheers.
They were suddenly drowned out by a loud thunderclap. The rain, which he held up just long enough for the ceremony, suddenly descended on them with a vengeance.
The cheers turned to screams as the guests ran for the house.
Sy and Amy didn’t move, not at first, but they smiled against each other’s lips. Because it didn’t matter if her dress had grass stains or if she started treatment next week or if they were totally soaked.
As Sy pulled back to gaze at her lovingly with his honey eyes, Amy knew she had everything she needed. For as long as they both shall live.
Her Second Chance Dream Groom Page 14
