I lifted my hands. “No need to apologize. Let’s just be excited for the girls today.”
But Alyssa’s dad wasn’t ready to let it go. “Any idea what will happen to Amber? I heard you were about to be Interim D.A. Thought you might know.”
Christy glanced over at me, curiosity in her expression. I hadn’t told her about the interim job. But yeah, Jedd’s wife, Denise, wanted to start snowbirding. Now.
“I’m not sure yet. With everything though, possibly some jail time. It’ll all depend on the evidence.” I couldn’t tell him more than that.
He seemed placated and gave me a nod.
Alyssa’s mom had questions. Questions about Savannah. I could see it in her eyes. But I didn’t want to go there today. I was not drudging it up. Not when I’d just let my love for Christy shove it all off that proverbial cliff.
So I put a hand on Christy’s shoulder and tipped my head toward the exit. “I’ll show you where I parked.” I needed out. And maybe a kiss before we had to face the mass of people and intensity of a tournament game.
She hopped up. “Thanks for finding the balls. Can’t wait to watch Alyssa play tonight.” Then she followed me down the bleachers. As soon as we were outside, her hand was in mine.
“I’ll walk you to the car,” I said. She, unfortunately, still needed to get those balloons.
I led her as we wove through traffic. This lot was starting to fill.
Thankfully, even though I was parked on the first row, I was down by the tennis courts, as far from the school as possible. Once we were around the back of Tessie, I leanedagainst the trunk and scrubbed a hand over my face and into my hair.
“Hey.” Christy stepped closer, clinging to my waist. “You okay?”
I squeezed my eyes shut for a second. “Can I just kiss you? Is that all right?” I hated the agony in my voice. Vulnerability was not my friend. “I mean, I know we’re in public but…”
She pushed up, tilted her head, and pressed a soft kiss to my mouth. And another. And another. My knees rattled and I let out a ragged breath. I’d missed this so much. She didn’t stop, gratefully. My hands slid down her back, resting on her hips as I traced her pouty bottom lip with my tongue. Her fingers swirled at the base of my neck. She pulled back, hovering, teasing me. I smashed my mouth onto hers, letting out an embarrassing moan. And she let me kiss her for a few more seconds.
“Hey.” She giggled against my lips. “Not the place.”
I grunted. And, even though I didn’t want to, I made myself stop.
She stretched and smiled so wide. “This is going down on my calendar as one of the greatest days of all time. Today is the day Holden Dupree ate his words. ‘We’re not a thing, okay?’” She made her voice super deep on that last line, mimicking me from the day we rode horseback together.
I laughed and shook my head. I’d eat a lot more than my words if that’s what it took for her to be mine. “Yeah. Well. It’s going on my calendar too,” I said. “I told Christy Thornbury I love her and she didn’t shut me down. It’s a day of freaking miracles.”
Now she laughed. But then she tipped her head back, thrust her fists to the sky, and let out a “wahoo!”
I grinned.
It was a dream. The best kind. I’d made a lot of mistakes in my life. But this woman right here? She was the one thing Iwas going to get right. No matter how many times I stumbled, I would get back up and follow wherever she led me. Happily.
But as sometimes happens, the dream quickly shifted to a nightmare.
Because standing there, hunkered down against Tessie’s trunk, arms around the love of my life, an engine revved, loud and menacing. Like a bull scuffing the ground with his hoof, threatening to attack, it revved even louder. Our eyes shot to the left, just in time to see Amber’s SUV coming straight for us.
A woman screamed like a crazed banshee. I wasn’t sure if it was Amber, Christy, or a bystander. And I didn’t take the time to figure it out. Without thinking, I shoved Christy out of the way.
And then I dove for it.
The next thing I knew, I bounced off the chain link fence of the tennis courts and fell onto the concrete sidewalk with a thunk. Staring up at the sky, the clouds spun for a second just as the cacophony of screeching metal sliced through the air, ending with a deafening crash.
It took a few seconds to realize it was over.
Christy! I pushed myself up. Amber’s horn blared, her airbag was deployed, and her head hung over it like she was sleeping face down into a pillow. Shouts came from every direction.
“Call 911!” someone yelled.
“Oh my gosh, did you see that?”
