She tipped her head back and laughed. “I’m glad you at least had someone trying to help while I was gone. I was worried about you kids.”
“So you are staying this time though, right?” I was glad that Danny wasn’t afraid to ask the hard questions.
Faith smiled as she hugged Danny, and then her eyes met mine. “Yep, I’m here to stay. Hillsdale is my home.”
My breath caught in my throat and I closed the distance between us. I pulled her into my arms. “I have desperately missed you,” I whispered to her as I felt the warmth of her against my chest. I leaned back so I could see her eyes.
“I missed you too.” She put a hand on my cheek.
I brushed my thumb down her jaw; she leaned into the touch. “Thanks for coming back.”
“Thanks for giving me a place to come back to,” she whispered, bringing her face closer to mine.
I nodded at the sign that she’d been holding. “I like the sign.”
“Me too.” She chuckled. “Jessica made it.”
My eyes widened. “For you or her?” So help me if I needed to talk to that woman again…
“Me.” Faith smiled.
“Huh?” My forehead creased. “I don’t think I will ever understand women.”
Faith giggled.
“I love you,” she whispered.
“I love you.” I rested my forehead against hers. I felt like I could take my first breath of air in a week. I could survive without Faith, but I felt like I was on life support, barely existing. I looked at her blue eyes and felt like all my broken pieces fit together into something whole. I kissed her and hoped she felt every ounce of my love for her in that kiss.
Forget the town, forget the game, I had Faith and Danny.
Brandy, the cheer coach, ran over and cleared her throat. “Excuse me, you two.”
I sighed and leaned away from Faith, but I refused to drop her hand until I had to. Brandy handed Faith a megaphone. Faith triedto push it back at her, but Brandy shook her head and handed it back.
Faith sighed and grabbed the megaphone. I dropped her hand and quirked an eyebrow.
She focused on the crowd still lined up as the walls of the tunnel. “I have an announcement. Turns out we have received a very generous donation from Alexander Luxe.” Faith looked around the crowd. “We’re going to save the school!”
The tunnel collapsed, everyone cheering, hugging, and crying. She did it! I shook my head. Of course she had. I closed the distance between Faith and me and I gently took the megaphone from her hand. She handed it over with a puzzled expression.
“Let’s be clear,” I said into the megaphone. The crowd quieted and looked my way. “There is noweabout it. Faith and her dad saved our town. Let’s hear it for our own Ms. Faith.” The crowd cheered, and Faith blushed.
I set down the megaphone, lifted Faith in my arms, and kissed her soundly.
At that, my basketball team whooped and cheered, slapping me on the back.
“Wait,” Danny protested. “Where did you get that coat?” He had his arms folded in front of him as he stared down Faith’s dad.
Alexander chuckled and smiled. It was a wide-open kind smile, like Faith’s. “I had it made.” He shrugged. “Thought if I was sponsoring the school, I needed to show up in full support.”
Danny frowned. “I think since I help with the water bottles, I should get one too.”
“I think you’re right. I’ll see that it’s taken care of.”
Danny nodded. I extended my hand toward Alexander. “Hello, Sir, I’m Adam. Thanks so much for being willing to help our town.” My eyes went to Faith. “But even more so, thank you for Faith.”
The buzzer sounded again.
