Page 24

Grant

14 months later

The flashbulbs are blinding as I step out of the black SUV and onto the red carpet. I’ve only ever seen things like this on TV, but being inside it is something like being inside a tornado. People are shouting and pushing for a better view. And a woman in black is herding a slew of teenage boys along the carpet toward the theater entrance.

I say a little prayer of thanks that Zoe’s publicist agreed to forgo the limo in favor of a vehicle I can actually get in and out of.

After buttoning the coat of my tux, I turn back to help Zoe out. Her purple high heel appears first, followed by the smooth skin of her leg all the way to her knee. When the rest of her—draped in sparkling silver—exits, the cameras go wild. Not to mention the reporters.

“Zoe!”

“Over here!”

“Miss Peebles.”

That name makes me a little nervous today, but I don’t let my smile falter. Tonight is about Zoe and about this magical film. I haven’t seen it yet, of course. But I was on set enough to know that the movie is something special, that they’ve done justice to the story of Cortez, Texas—the ones who died and the ones who lived.

“Look this way,” the guy up front demands.

Like a pro, Zoe slips her arm around my waist and turns us toward him.

“Look at each other.”

That’s no hardship on my part. Zoe practically glows, her smile flashing in the lights, her eyes sparkling as bright as the silver crystals on her gown.

“Hey,” she says, her words only loud enough for the two of us. “You look good tonight.”

“Incredibly handsome?” I give her a wink.

Her squeeze around my back tells me she remembers too. “Always.”

“You look good too. Then again, you always look gorgeous in Teeners colors.”

Her eyebrows dance as she licks her lips. “You noticed.”

“I always notice you.”

“Zoe, over here! Zoe, what are your thoughts about the awards-season buzz for your role? There’s talk of an Oscar nomination.”

She turns in a fluid motion, nodding toward the reporter extending her recorder. “It’s always an honor to be mentioned in such conversations. But being part of this production—surrounded by so many incredible actors and artists—has been the highlight for me.”

Always a pro. Always diplomatic. So smart.

I love this woman.

“And how was it sharing the experience with your boyfriend?”

Zoe beams, and I cringe.

I hate that word. I have since the beginning. I have since the moment I picked her up in my living room, pressed her against my wall, and knocked that old family photo to the ground.

The photo’s been fixed, of course. Zoe couldn’t stand to see it propped on the floor, so she snuck it out one evening and returned it to me for Christmas last year. New frame, perfectly mounted, without saying a word.

Chicken on a biscuit, I love this woman.

“It was amazing. I love spending time with him, and to have his insights on set—he brought so much knowledge and a real joy for the game.”

I squeeze her tight because she’s the one with the joy, and I’ll follow her anywhere to bask in it.

“How about you, Red? Did you catch the acting bug? Any plans to leave the NFL for Hollywood?”

“I’m going to leave acting to the pros. I’ve got other things to worry about.”

Another reporter calls out, “Good luck in the playoffs.”

I grin at him. We’ve already clinched our division, even though we still have a few more games in the regular season. We’ve had a good run—and I hate to admit it’s mostly because I’ve kept my promise to Zoe. I don’t think about her while I’m on the field. I don’t have to. Because the minute the game clock winds down, I know she’s there for me. Win or lose, she wraps me up in her arms and the rest of the world falls away.

Not that she’s made it to every game in the last year. Shooting took a couple months in Texas, but most of that was during the off-season. And I racked up more than a few frequent flyer points traveling back and forth between optional team practices in the spring.

It would have been worth it, even without the points.

“Any truth to the rumors of wedding bells?”

I nearly swallow my tongue, praying the outline of the velvet box in my jacket pocket isn’t visible. Thank goodness for Zoe’s publicist, who waves off the question and scoots us down the carpet before I have to admit that I’ve been planning this night for months.

I had thought about Christmas. Or maybe New Year’s Eve.

But we’ll be at home for those. And my sister and Kenna are staying with me while Eden transitions out of the Navy.

And a proposal calls for a bit of privacy. What better location than a movie premiere surrounded by reporters?

“Zoe! Zoe! What do you have to say about Battlefield North ? Critics have panned it, and the opening weekend box office receipts were well below expectations.”

She takes a deep breath and squares her shoulders. “I’m here because of the amazing courage and strength of the people of Cortez, Texas. And I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to be part of sharing their story with the world.”

“Do you have anything to say to your former leading man Joe Kellyn? Rumor has it, he’s dating one of his costars.”

Her back tenses, and I squeeze her bare shoulder. Then suddenly she laughs. “I guess, I’d like to tell him ‘thank you.’ Without him . . .” Her gaze jumps to me, her eyes brimming with love and joy and hope for a lifetime we’ll have to share. “Well, just, thanks, Joe.”

With that, we’re whisked inside, the theater lobby dim and decorated with Texas tumbleweeds and yellow field goals. The movie is everything I could have hoped for, everything I’m honored to put my name on. As the ending credits roll, I give a little sniff.

Zoe leans into me, pressing her lips to my cheek. “Are you crying?”

“No.” But I am. Just a little bit. The appropriate amount. Because this is a moving story, and I am so stinking proud of the woman sitting by my side.

“You were amazing.”

Her perfect white teeth bite the corner of her lip. “Thank you.”

“It’s true.”

“No. Thank you. None of this. None of it would have been possible without . . . You gave me what I always wanted. And yet, it wouldn’t have meant anything without y-you.”

“Now who’s crying?” I say, brushing a loose curl behind her ear.

She shakes her head and rolls her watery eyes. The theater is beginning to wake up, lights slowly rising, excited voices filling the silence as the credits roll to an end.

This is far from private. But it’s the moment. I’m certain of that.

“Zo?”

“Yeah?”

“The truth is that I’ve been in love with you since the very beginning, maybe since that day you swindled Chester into letting you into my neighborhood.”

“There was absolutely no swindling involved. Like I said, he’s a fan.”

“Hey,” I hold up one hand, while my other reaches into my jacket pocket. “I’m not complaining. I say we invite him to the wedding.”

She shoves my shoulder. “Don’t be ridic—”

When I pop open the top of the velvet black ring box, her voice disappears, and her eyes go wide as she takes in the four-carat diamond sparkling in even the low light.

“What do you say? You want to spend the rest of your life with me?”

“Grant. Red. Ding. Ton.” Color flushes her cheeks, and she slaps her hands to cover them. “What are you doing?”

“I’m going to be thinking about you every second of every day either way. Might as well make it easy on me.”

A mischievous smile slowly replaces the shock on her features. “Only if we adopt Rico.”

“That can be arranged,” I whisper, slipping the ring on her finger and pressing my lips to hers.

Best deal ever.