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I step around Mrs. Burch, not bothering to say anything else.

I can’t. My brain is moving too fast to even know what to say.

It’s too focused on whether or not the old woman is right or not.

Somewhere in the background I think I still hear her yelling at me as I weave my way around a few more people to the large, propped-open double doors.

My heart is slamming against my chest, trying to break free. If it’s the hope that kills you, then I have every chance of perishing in the next thirty seconds, but the potential payout will be worth it.

And it is.

The second I walk through the doors, I see her.

And my heart stops.

Standing by the wrought iron railing that leads to a massive winding staircase down to the first floor, in a green satin gown with a slit in the side from floor to hip, is the most stunning woman I have ever seen.

Her chestnut hair is pinned back off her face, that one errant strand fighting its way out of the hold.

I can’t breathe.

“Sawyer,” I manage, stopping just shy of where she’s standing.

“Anton.”

“I…you…what…” I stumble, not sure how to form a coherent thought. There is so much I want to say. Need to say. Knowing where to start is impossible .

“A deal is a deal.”

A deal is a deal. Right…okay.

I nod, swallowing hard. I don’t know how to take that. Because if she’s only here because she’s upholding part of a deal…then…

No, we’re not playing that game. We’ve played enough games. I’m done with games.

It’s time to do what I should have done before.

“Except, it’s not,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper. “Because the guy who made that deal is a world class jack-hole. Who was only interested in one thing.”

“If I recall?—”

“Not that one thing ,” I cut her off. “But all I cared about was winning that damn bet. I wasn’t focused on anything else.

When you asked for the letter of recommendation in return, I laughed.

Maybe not out loud, but in my head. Because what was typing up a few sentences of ‘Sawyer is a hard worker and really deserves the job’ going to cost me other than two minutes of my time? It was selfish of me.”

The corner of Sawyer’s mouth tips upward in the slightest pull of a smile. My pulse skips, and for a second, I think about stepping closer, but stop myself.

“And then, I made it worse. You trusted me. With everything. Absolutely everything. And I betrayed you.” My voice wavers, emotion taking over.

I pause, trying to collect myself as tears prick the corner of my eyes, but it takes more effort than I expect.

Sawyer stares back at me, her own eyes glassy, making it even harder.

“I told you that you could trust me. That I would keep your secrets and be a safe space for you. And then I turned around and was the exact opposite. I put trees before you. And trees do not come before you. So, as the guy who didn’t keep his end of the deal, at least not really, I don’t know that it’s fair to say a deal’s a deal. ”

Sawyer nods, but stays silent. The music changes behind us, the muffled voice of the DJ saying something indistinguishable as the crowd cheers. None of what is going on in there matters to me though. The only thing I care about is out here.

My stomach clenches, waiting on a response. One that with each passing second, I am starting to dread more and more.

“I agree, you were a jerk,” she finally says. “But you still wrote the letter.”

“I meant every word. Every…single…word.”

Fuck, I hope she knows that. That she read it—really, truly read it—and knows that it’s more than just a recommendation. That it’s my whole heart.

“Every single word, huh?”

“Yes, every single word.”

Sawyer smiles—her real, full smile. The one that lights up her face like the sky on the Fourth of July, making me feel like I won the lottery. Stepping in closer to me, she bites down on her lip and looks up at me, pursing her lips.

“Even the one in there that begins with an F?”

F…what begins with an… ohhhhhh…

“Especially that one,” I say, everything coming alive inside me.

I take another step into her, closing the gap as much as possible, so we’re all but touching now.

“Sawyer, I can’t apologize enough for what I did.

Because there isn’t a way to express how shitty I feel about it.

There is zero justification for it, so please don’t think that I’m trying to make excuses here, but you’re the first woman I’ve ever known that makes me think that I could do this.

That I could have what my parents have. You make me want that.

Make me feel things I didn’t realize were possible, and fuck, that scares me just about as much as armadillos do. ”

Sawyer scrunches her nose. “Did you just compare me to an armadillo? ”

I take a risk, sliding my arm around her, resting my hand on the small of her back and drawing her into me. Sawyer’s breath hitches as our bodies meet, the warmth of her surrounding me like a hug.

“You know what I mean, pretty girl.”

Wrapping her arms around my waist, she sighs. “I do. And I get it. I’d tell you that my feelings for you scare me as much as a certain something, but you helped me conquer that fear.”

I waggle my eyebrows, a thrill racing through me at that memory. At the anticipation of getting to go there again.

“I love you, Sawyer. And I want a future with you. One with you and me, doing nerdy ag stuff, in the field, in the lab, talking about soil and crops, arguing over whether pecans are a nut or a drupe. I want our days to be spent with you trying to boss me around, and getting annoyed as I pick on my brothers. I want to cheer you on as you sing karaoke. And after every family event, when we’ve spoiled all my siblings’ children rotten and gotten them all hopped-up on sugar and caffeine and sent them home with their parents, I want to bring you back to our nice, quiet, childless house, and make you scream until you fall asleep from too many orgasms.”

Sawyer shudders in my arms, her body rippling against me as she exhales, the errant strand of hair breaking free. I tuck it back into place and pull her in tighter, flexing my hand against her back.

“That is, if you’ll have me.”

“You had me at nerdy ag stuff. But I guess we can do the orgasm thing too,” she jokes. “If you insist.”

“I do.”

“Also, I love you too, Anton. That’s something I never thought I’d say to anyone, ever. But you proved me wrong. You’ve done that with a couple of things this summer.”

I lean in, capturing her lips in mine, letting her sweet taste take over.

It doesn’t take long before I lose myself, my body remembering exactly what it’s been missing since she left.

Exactly what it’s found in her. The future that we are going to have together.

Billy Crystal was right—when you find the person that you want to spend the rest of your life with, you want the rest of your life to start right away.

“Won’t be the last time, baby,” I tell her, my mouth hovering just above hers as I pull back.

“Don’t get too used to it,” she sasses.

That’s my girl…

“There are so many things I want to do to you right now…” I kiss her again, this time quicker, but just as hard.

“We still have lots of talking to do.” The no-nonsense look in her eyes tells me I’m not completely off the hook yet.

Something that is more than fair. I will spend the rest of my life groveling if I have to.

The important thing is she’s here. And that she’s mine again.

“But right now, I do believe there is a bet to win.”

Looping my arm through hers, I start to lead her into the ballroom, ready to show her off to the world.

“Pretty sure I already won.”