Page 16

Avalon

Three Months Later

Nerves tumbled around in my stomach as Parrish drove his new Expedition SUV, which he’d purchased with his signing bonus, toward his former high school in his home town.

The parking lot was empty, except for two pickup trucks, one shiny and new while the other was older and covered in mud.

Four people stood near the fronts of the vehicles.

Parrish gripped my hand. “That’s them, along with my old coach.”

“Are you ready for this?”

“Yeah.” He nodded as he said it. “Ready for a long time.”

Still, his hand trembled, and I felt the emotions he tamped down while he tried to hold himself together for this reunion with his siblings.

It was something I’d never get, but as I’d talked to Parrish, and Nash, about the shitty things my sister and brother had done to me over the years, I felt less like I’d ever want to see them again.

We were too different, and for my peace, I’d have to love them from far away.

Parrish and I could give all our love to his brother and sisters, instead.

“I’m glad you had a break in training this week, so we could come here right on the twins’ birthday,” I said as he pulled up in front of the trucks.

The girls both wore long skirts with white blouses, their hair, the same light brown as Parrish’s, hanging in long waves to their waists.

His brother had dark brown hair, freckles, and a slighter build than my man, but otherwise, he looked like a younger version of my boyfriend.

“Yeah,” Parrish agreed. “That was really lucky.” He took a deep breath then released it. “Let’s go get our family.”

He hopped out of the SUV, and I followed, hanging slightly back. I watched as he strode confidently to his siblings and pulled them all into a hug for the first time in years.

“I knew you’d come back for us,” the younger of the two girls, Sutton, said into his shoulder.

Her older sister, Winslow, openly cried while their brother, Thatcher, blinked his glassy eyes, but didn’t let the tears fall.

Moisture burned my own eyes as I watched the reunion.

After the long group hug, they parted, and Parrish reached to shake his former coach’s hand.

“The pros, huh?” the man said, looking like a proud parent. And I supposed if anyone besides Parrish had a hand in getting him to where he was, it was this man who’d fought so hard for him.

“Yeah. Thanks to you. I never would have made it if you hadn’t seen the spark in me way back when.”

His old coach waved that away, though we all knew it was true. “Just send me tickets to a game sometime, but right now, you best get on your way before anyone notices these three aren’t where they said they’d be.”

“Consider it done.” Parrish reached his hand for mine. “This is my girlfriend, Avalon. Future fiancée.” He grinned at me then glanced to his sisters. “Girls, get in the SUV. Thatcher and I will get the bags.” He looked over at his old coach. “What about the truck?”

Coach indicated to the lot’s security cameras.

“Those damn cameras just haven’t been working, but tomorrow morning, I’ll happen to see this truck here and call the cops.

” He raised a brow. “The keys are in it, and they all wrote letters to explain why they’re leaving.

Since they’re old enough to do what they want, there’s nothing illegal.

I still think you should get out of town before your dad and his cronies try to stop you, though. ”

“We’re on our way.”

“What do you need me to do?” I asked.

Parrish hooked his arm around my neck, pulled me to him quickly, and pressed a kiss to my temple. “Just hop in and wait with my sisters.” He started to pull away then paused. “Hey.”

“What?”

“I love you. Thank you for coming with me.”

I stared after him as he sprinted over to the older of the two trucks and grabbed a couple duffel bags.

Shaking my head, I did what he’d asked. After retaking my seat, I turned to look back at the girls in the second row.

Winslow twisted her fingers in her lap while she looked around nervously.

She jumped when the bags dropped into the back.

Sutton was grinning and practically vibrating.

“I’m Avalon,” I said, though Parrish had introduced us outside. “You’re Winslow and Sutton, right?” I looked at each girl as I said their names.

“That’s us!” Sutton said. The door next to her opened, and her twin climbed past her, carrying a small wiggly dog. He went to the bench seat in the third row while Parrish said goodbye to his old coach and hugged him.

“You got everything?” I asked Thatcher, who was getting his pet settled on his lap. So…we were getting a dog, too? Okay. This family was getting more complete by the moment.

His grin and excitement matched his twin’s. “Yeah. We didn’t bring much. Just what we could fit in a couple bags. And Speck.”

He pet the dog as he said Speck, so I figured that must be the pup’s name.

“No problem,” I said. “We’ll go shopping once we get to Charleston.”

“I want a haircut when we get there,” Winslow suddenly put in. “Super short. A pixie cut. That’s what they call it, right?”

“Right.” I looked at her gorgeous hair but figured those tresses had stories I didn’t want to know. “We’ll make it happen. Whatever we need to do to get you settled, going to college, whatever.”

“So you and Parrish are going to get married?” Thatcher said right as his brother got behind the wheel and started the car.

“That’s what he says,” I told him as Parrish called, “Yes.”

“He hasn’t asked me yet,” I continued. “So we’ll see.”

“But you live together?” Winslow asked, her eyes lighting with interest and her fear seeming to fade a little as the vehicle started moving.

“Yes. We have a house together.” A mini-mansion of a house that was way bigger than I thought we needed, but with five adults—and a dog, apparently—it would be nice to have space. Parrish could afford it, and when I’d graduated, I’d gotten my small trust, so I could help.

“And we’re living there, too?”

“Yes,” I told her. “It’s a big place. You’ll each have your own rooms, and there’s a nice family room, a gym and a pool.”

“No way. Wow,” Thatcher breathed.

“I don’t suppose you have a book I can read?” Sutton asked suddenly. “Fiction, hopefully.”

“Actually…” I reached down to my feet to grab the three canvas bags stashed there.

I handed one to each of Parrish’s siblings.

“We brought you each your own tablet and earbuds. The tablets are charged and loaded up with music, a couple movies and a bunch of books. Parrish said you’d know how to use them because of school. ”

All of them nodded and very politely thanked us before digging into their bags like it was Christmas.

I’d also packed them with snacks for the trip, though we’d definitely get more during the fourteen-plus hour drive home.

Thankfully, Parrish had rooms reserved for us about seven hours from here—at the same hotel where he and I had spent last night.

He smiled over at me once his brother and sisters were settled and engrossed in their media. “You are marrying me.”

“Think so, do you?”

“Yes, Avie, I do. I was thinking… The beginning of September, before preseason begins.”

“Parrish, that’s less than three months away.”

“We can make it small. These three, Nash and Porter and some of our other friends. We’ll hire a planner, have it at the house. Our yard is plenty big for one of those event tents.”

“You’ve thought through everything,” I said quietly.

“More than you know.”

“What do you mean?” I asked suspiciously.

“You’ll see,” he promised.

“But—”

The GPS interrupted me, telling Parrish to turn onto the highway.

Admittedly, I breathed a sigh of relief once we were on the interstate, and then Parrish did one of the things he did best—he distracted me by turning the conversation to something else.

It wasn’t until hours later when his siblings were settled in their room adjoining ours, and we were alone, that the subject was revisited.

“Do you think they got enough to eat? Maybe, we should take them for dessert or something,” I said as I closed the curtains of our third-floor hotel room.

Parrish didn’t say anything. When I turned to see if he’d dropped off to sleep in the chair where he’d been sitting, I gasped. He was right behind me, on one knee.

“It’s not the most romantic of places, but I’ve been carrying this around for weeks, waiting for the right time. And, baby girl, I can’t have you doubting me or wondering if we’ll get married. Not anymore. I need you to know—”

“I knew,” I interrupted. “I mean… I was waiting. But I knew you’d ask sometime.”

“Well, I’m asking now. Avalon Warner…will you marry me? Be my wife?” He held up a sparkling ring, a large diamond surrounded by several smaller diamonds.

I nodded. It had been him for me since the day he’d rescued me from my crazy roommate’s eviction. Honestly, it had been him for me since our third email. We just hadn’t known it.

“Yeah. Yes. Yes, Parrish. I want to marry you more than anything.”

He stood and slipped the ring onto my finger, then in total Parrish fashion, turned me over his shoulder and carried me to bed.

“Let’s celebrate,” he said, coming down over me.

And we did.