“But—”
He put a finger to my lips. “No buts. Youneedto be a vet. I saw you in there. How happy you looked? That’s your jam, just like football is mine.”
“But you’re my jam.”
“Yeah.” He nodded, looking so helpless, like his heart was breaking. “You’re mine too.”
“Blue,” I said in a hush, my fingers trailing over the crinkles by his eyes. “What are we gonna do?”
“Long distance?” he pleaded.
But with the NFL’s schedule, he’d be here, there, and everywhere. I had no idea how we’d ever see each other, especially once vet school started. It was rigorous and there was no way I’d be flying all over to watch him play. “I can’t.” I shook my head. “I can’t do that for four and a half more years.”
His nose brushed mine. “Brooklyn says I have to let you go,” he said in a hush. “Maybe we aren’t meant to be.”
I huffed. “Forget Brooklyn. She doesn’t get a say.”
He sniffed. “I’m so relieved to hear you say that. But I don’t know what to do. I can’t give you up. I already tried and it just about ripped my heart out. Life was nothing but a suckfest.”
“Same.” My fingers scratched his scalp over his ears, as I stayed my nose to his. My heart was settling, calming. Being in his arms always did that. “Something will work out. It has to. We belong together.”
“You really think so?” His voice was soft and hopeful.
I laid a hand on his heart. “What did you feel right here the first time you saw me when you woke up in the hospital?”
“That I knew you. That we had a connection. And you were everything I would ever need to be happy in this life.”
My thumb tugged on his bottom lip. “You don’t get two love-at-first-sights unless it’s meant to be. Right?”
“Right.” He forced a smile. “So we’re going to ride this wave and see where it takes us? Where God, or whoever’s running this show, wants us to end up?”
“It’s God, babe. I promise. And don’t worry. My momma will make sure He figures it out.”
His arms wound tight around my back. “Do you think she minds that we’re sitting on top of her grave?”
“I think this is exactly where she’d want us to be. Figuring this out together.” I pressed a soft kiss to his lips. “Yeah. We’re riding this wave to the very end. All to pieces.”
He let out a haggard exhale. “All to pieces.”
CHAPTER 30
anna
Shane
Be realistic. You're young. You both have your whole lives ahead of you. Don't you think it would be better to end things now, before it gets too complicated? You’re not really cut out for the fame spotlight. You hate being the center of attention, Anna. It’s not a good match.
CHAPTER 31
anna
January brought winter semester and a victory at the National Championships for Knoxville. But along with the wind and freezing temps came more uncertainty. Not less. We were running out of time.
The day after Valentine’s Day, I stood at Granny and Gramps’s house, at the head of the dining room table, in front of my entire family. Miss Lisa, my other grandma, was there, holding baby Sophie Clementine in her arms. Even Ford had driven up for this. Along with Blue, Brook, Tally, and Madden. Dr. Atkins and his cute wife were there too. And Huckleberry. I reached down and scrubbed him on the head.
“We’re ready, whenever you are,” Silas said.
My hands were shaking so badly I could barely scroll to the email I’d received the day before. I don’t know why I was so nervous. If I didn’t get into vet school this year it wasn’t the end of the world. Sometimes it took a few tries. And maybe it would be for the best. Then Blue could go ahead and be settled about doing the NFL Draft. He’d confirmed his status but he was still sitting on a proverbial fence. I knew he was waiting to see what I was doing. Maybe a rejection was the answer we needed. I could always do vet school down the road. Way down the road. Whenever Blue retired from football.
