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I don’t tell Harper where I was over the weekend.

In part it’s because I’ve hardly seen her the last couple weeks, but it’s also not something she needs to know. Eventually we’ll discuss putting the Randall’s house up on the market. It’s just sitting there for now. It’s paid off, so it’s not like it’s a financial burden, but at some point I need to let it go. The money will go into Harper’s account that she’ll be able to access once she turns eighteen, but with or without it, she’ll be financially set for the rest of her life thanks to some of the financial things I worked out with my father over the weekend.

I haven’t spent a lot of time concentrating on houses and assets and finances, though.

I’ve been putting every ounce of my energy into my secret project. Maybe some part of me deep down is doing it to avoid dealing with my suspension and the games I’m currently missing, but a bigger part of me feels like this is what will bring Victoria back to me. It will make her see how much I see her.

It will make her see that I’m not the toxic ex who doesn’t care about her feelings or her wants or her needs.

It will make her see that we can use paparazzi to our advantage.

It’ll make her see that this is the life for her and I am the man for her.

It has to. I’m banking on it working out.

If it doesn’t…

Well, I don’t know. I haven’t allowed myself to think it might not work. She’s close to coming back to me. She still cares about me. The feelings are still there. She’s just scared, and so I’m exercising a patience I didn’t know I had.

The other reason I didn’t tell Harper where I was is because I don’t want to tell her about what I’ve been working on. I want her to be as surprised as Victoria when she finds out.

I pour all my energy into finalizing everything, and now we’re here.

I missed the third game of the season, but it barely registered that I wasn’t at the game yesterday as I spent the day working on the finishing touches.

I look around and feel pretty fucking great about the entire thing. It’s even better than I imagined.

I head outside and find the stage, and I climb up onto it.

Months of hard work have led up to this moment.

Now I just have to get her here.

The paparazzi is set to arrive at ten, and the ribbon cutting ceremony will begin at ten-fifteen.

I need her here for the ribbon, and I have Ellie on get her here duty.

I need Harper here, too, and Trudy has agreed to excuse both Harper and Bella from school and get them here.

I’m ready.

I glance nervously at my watch as I sit on the stage overlooking the parking lot.

Nine thirty-six.

It’s do or die. Now or never.

I turn on the music so it pours over the parking lot.

This is it, and nerves flit up my spine as the first car pulls into the lot. A man steps out with a camera slung around his neck, and another car pulls in.

And then another and another.

Tristan’s been here all morning, and he walks out and sits beside me on the stage. “You ready for this?”

I nod, and the lot continues to fill with cars.

I spot Evan, and then Cory arrives. Jaxon and Mandy get out of Jaxon’s car and walk hand-in-hand toward the rows and rows of chairs set up for the big event. Somehow he kept this secret from his wife so I could keep it from mine.

Austin and Deon. Josh, Cason, and Damon.

Jack Dalton. Ben Olson.

Coach Thompson, Calvin Bennett, and Steve Shanahan.

I think my entire fucking team showed up with their families and friends.

I can’t believe this is really happening, and the fact that I managed to keep it a secret from Victoria is…well, it’s one for the books.

My parents pull in, here to show their support, and my chest warms with that sense of family I’ve missed my entire life.

I spot Trudy as she pulls up, and Harper and Bella race out of the car toward Evan. Harper sees me on stage and looks confused for a beat, and I grin and wave at her as she narrows her eyes at me. I shrug, and then her eyes move up to the sign just above my left shoulder.

Her brows dip together, and then she starts to cry.

I wave her over, and she runs up on stage. I grab her into my arms but I don’t say anything just yet. I want her to get the full idea the same time Victoria does.

She takes the seat beside me, a million questions falling from her lips.

“I’ll answer everything in just a minute,” I promise.

She looks positively giddy.

It’s ten-twelve when Luke’s car pulls in, and Ellie, Tessa, and Leah all get out. My heart pounds as I wait for the final person to exit, and there she is.

My Victoria.

She’s stunning as always, and I watch as she looks at the crowd. Ellie told her there was some huge team publicity event they needed to attend, which seems to be true as they greet my teammates. But it isn’t long before Victoria’s eyes move toward the stage and then to the spot just over my left shoulder, too.

I watch as her mouth falls open and her eyes widen in shock before they move down to me. I offer her a smile before I stand to deliver the speech I worked hard to prepare over the last few weeks as we put the final details on this place.

My stomach twists and nerves shoot up my spine as I walk to the podium with the microphone. Tristan cuts the music so I can talk, and the crowd starts to quiet and take their seats.

Ellie ushers Victoria to the front row, and I draw in a shaky, trembling breath.

I didn’t bring a paper up with me to read the speech.

I memorized it, and I’m speaking from the heart.

“I’m Travis Woods, and I have a reading disorder. I wasn’t diagnosed until earlier this year when a reading specialist was able to identify it. I was born to play football. All my life, I’ve been passed along because I was good at football. Maybe my coaches pressured my teachers so we could get the W, or maybe my teachers just thought I wasn’t very smart because I’d been hit too many times in the head. Whatever the case, one woman took a special interest in my situation and helped me. She gave me tools to memorize a brand-new playbook. She gave me tips to help me learn to even sort of like reading. She gave me so much more than that, and today I want to give her something in return.”

I look down in the crowd and spot my wife. Tears stream down her face.

“Victoria, can you please join me up here?”

Ellie hands her a tissue then gives her a little push toward the stage, and she walks up the side stairs toward me until she stands beside me at the podium. I turn around toward Harper.

“Come here,” I say softly, and she pushes to a stand and walks to my other side.

“These are the two most important people in my life. Victoria Hartley, my wife, the love of my life, and the best reading specialist I’ve ever known, and Harper, my incredibly intelligent and creative daughter.” I look at each of them as I say their names. “And today is opening day for their brand-new bookstore, Harts & Harps Book Nook.” I sweep an arm behind me. “This is so much more than a bookstore, though. It’s a place where adventure awaits in every nook and every corner. It’s a place where you can leave your worries behind as you get lost in another world for a few hours. It’s a place where you can fall in love with books and reading. It’s a place where friends can gather for book clubs on the sleek couches, or where families can read together in the children’s section. It’s a place where you can gather with others for lunch in the café or where you can steal an hour to yourself with a cup of coffee and a good book. And it’s a place with a special tutoring center where the best reading specialist I know can help others learn to love reading the same way she does.”

I look over at Victoria, and tears are streaming down her face.

“And now I’d like to have Victoria cut the ribbon for the official grand opening of her new bookstore, Harts and Harps Book Nook.”

The crowd cheers loudly while Tristan walks over with a giant pair of scissors. He stops behind us, and Victoria looks at me.

“You did this for me?” she asks softly, just out of range of the microphone.

My eyes search hers for a beat. “For us.”

“Are you serious?” she whispers.

“I wanted to show you there’s a positive side to this life. We can make good things happen, too, and I understand if you don’t want to be with me but I still felt like there’s a lot left betwe—”

“Oh shut up,” she says, cutting me off, and she practically leaps at me as her mouth crashes to mine and her legs wrap around my waist in front of the entire crowd—and paparazzi—gathered to celebrate this grand opening.

The crowd goes wild.

Only a few in the group gathered know this was my attempt to save our marriage. This was my attempt to show her that this is the life for her.

Still, the support I feel from everyone here cheering us on makes me feel like together, we can do anything.

I kiss her back for a few beats before we break apart and I lower her down to the ground. She wipes her cheeks and smiles sheepishly at the crowd, and I give her one more soft kiss for good measure.

She takes the scissors from Tristan and snaps the ribbon in two, and it’s official. Harts & Harps Book Nook, my secret project for the last six weeks, is officially open for business.