Blitzed(50)



I look at her while Whitney takes a seat on the other side of her . . . our daughter. I exchange looks with her over top of Laurie's head, and she smiles. This has been a great day.

“What's it like being a pro football player?"

"There are a lot of good things, and a lot of bad things," I say. "On the good side, I make a lot of money, and I love playing football. It helps a lot with my inner demons."

"You have demons inside you?" Laurie asks, her voice dropping in fright.

I shake my head, remembering the she has spent most of her life in a Catholic country. "What I mean is, when I was younger, I had a lot of bad things happen to me. I could have become a very bad person if I let those things take control of my life. But football was one of those things that let me control the feelings that came from what happened to me."

"What else?" Laurie asks innocently, and I look over her head at Whitney, whose eyes are dark and full of meaning.

"A very special person," I say softly before looking down at Laurie and smiling. "But yeah, football helps too."



After I drop Laurie and Whitney at their home, I drive back to my house, troubled. Today was such a perfect day, and I'm worried. If the team trades me soon, I'm going to have to leave Silver Lake Falls, at least for the season, and I'm just starting to re-establish my relationship with Whitney, and I’m making the beginnings of a relationship with Laurie. How could I ask them to uproot and move to some other part of the country when they're just getting settled in again?

Maybe after some time has passed, I think. I mean, first of all, while we've got injuries, you never know who might become available after the last round of cuts to the fifty-three-man roster. Maybe a good right tackle or wideout could fall through the waiver wire, and then the Hawks could sign them without having to trade me.

I decide to hold my tongue on the potential trade until I know more about it. There's no reason to stress out Whitney or Laurie—not right now. Instead, I check out my suit, already looking forward to tomorrow. After all, it's not every day that two friends get married, and if what Whitney told me is true, then we can go public then too.

I'm just wiping down my shoes, putting a fresh coat of Kiwi wax on them, when my phone rings. Picking it up, I see it's Whitney. "Hey, it's good to hear from you. Is everything okay? Did you leave something in the car?"

"Not at all, and everything was nearly perfect today," Whitney says, her voice warm and loving. "Laurie's taking a bath right now before dinner, and I just wanted you to know she hasn't stopped talking about you since getting out of the car. She thinks you're the best. And so do I."

"Thanks, I happen to know that you're the most beautiful, special woman in the world, and Laurie's the best kid. I'm not joking when I say I love her already."

"I know you're not," Whitney replies. "There was only one thing that would have made this day better."

"What's that?" I ask, shifting around as I hear the desire in her voice. Even over the phone line, her voice sends shivers down my spine and tingles through my body.

"If I could have gotten a kiss before you drove off," Whitney says, "and maybe a little more?"

"Tomorrow you’ll have all you want,” I reassure her. "I love you, Whitney."

"I love you too, Troy. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."





Chapter 19





Whitney





The church is crowded, but thankfully, someone made the decision before everyone even started showing up to turn on the air conditioning. It's a hot late summer day, easily ninety-five or so, and the idea of trying to sit through a wedding without air conditioning makes my legs quiver at just the thought.

Or maybe my legs are quivering because of Troy. We are standing on opposite sides of the altar, him as one of Pete's groomsmen while I get to be a bridesmaid. He's absolutely ravishing in his black suit and silver tie, and more than once during the ceremony so far, I've lost track of what's going on as I just stare at him. Troy's noticed and returned my look with the burning intensity of his own passion. I can't wait until the reception, when we get to make it public.

We aren't serving as best man or maid of honor, mainly because he’s too busy with the Hawks and I, well, I’m a bit of a surprise to a lot of people. Some of the people in the church didn't know that I was back in town, and even fewer knew that I had a daughter, even though I've never hidden the fact. Laurie is sitting with Mom in the third row on the bride's side, shifting around a little bit as the adults go through their boring ceremony, and she has to wear the Easter dress that she hates, the one with the lace and frills on her socks. Mom's discovered that she's a natural as a grandmother, even if she is the same age as some of the other moms in town. I think she's enjoying the experience again, now that time and financial security are on her side.

Dani is resplendent in her white, sleek bridal gown, all silk and satin. She'd decided against a veil, finding the idea a little silly, but the gown itself hugs her body well, and her hair is pinned back with pearl and diamond studded combs. She's been smiling and crying most of the ceremony, but they've been just a trickle, adding two little gleaming trails that glisten in the sunlight coming through the stained glass windows that light up her face.

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