Page 98 of Wildflowers and Wide Receivers

“Yes. I also have categories for John and Ashley. She likes to look at those.”

“You never cease to surprise me.”

Picking up her spoon she takes a bit of the soup. I do the same and can’t help but wonder what’s going through her head.

Setting the spoon down, she takes a sip of her wine and then turns to face me.

“I know I shouldn't be nervous to have you over tonight, but I am. And after seeing that, I somehow am even more.”

“Soph, I don’t want you to be nervous. It’s all going to work out as it should.”

“You don’t understand . . .” She hesitates.

“But I do.”

“I’ve thought about what I want to say to you. In fact, I’ve rehearsed it. I just don’t want to forget anything or get it wrong.”

“Sophie, you haven’t done anything wrong.” I turn so I’m facing her too and our knees are touching.

“We’ll have to agree to disagree on this one,” she says, looking down at her lap.

“Listen, was I hurt at first? Yes. But once I took the time to think about it, I understand why you didn’t tell me. But I need you to know I will never be someone who holds you back from following your dreams. And I know that if it were just me in this scenario, things might look a little different, but that’s not how it is.”

“Jonah—” she says, wanting to tell me what it is she’s rehearsed, but I need to talk first. I have to.

“Please, just let me get this out.”

“Okay,” she says, reaching over and placing her hand on mine. I flip mine so our fingers can lace together. I love holding her hand. I want to grow old holding this hand.

“While I never want to stifle you from your dreams, I also feel strongly that you deserve a man who will fight for you. Because you’re worth it. You’re more than worth it. So this is me asking you to stay. Here. In Tampa. With me. Give us a shot. I know this probably feels sudden and wild to throw out there, considering we haven’t been together that long, but, Sophie, I’m in love with you. I didn’t need six days to tell you.”

“Six days?” she says, looking at me confused.

“And I can’t promise I’ll always be in Tampa, but I know right now I am, and I want you with us. Down the road, if you want to move back to Minneapolis, we’ll go. I promise. We will follow you to the edge of the world if that’s what you want. I can’t see myself having more than five or so years left anyway. So for now, I’m asking you, please . . . please stay.”

“You love me?”

I lift our hands and kiss the back of hers.

“Of course I do.”

Chapter 40

Sophie

He loves me.

I should have known this already. In fact, if I’m honest with myself, I knew he did. Since the night I met him, he hasn't been able to hide his emotions, but hearing him say it is entirely different.

His lips brush against the back of my hand, and if I wasn’t already sitting, I’d swoon, and he’d have to catch me.

“I’ve never been one to believe in love at first sight, but if that’s not what happened to us, then I don’t know what to call it. From the very first moment I saw you step out onto the back patio at Reid’s that night so long ago, you were it. I wasn’t interested or looking for anyone either. All I’d wanted for my life up until then was football—that was my singular focus—but then there you were, and my world tilted, shifted, whatever you want to call it, and I was certain the trajectory of my life was changing. And when I walked out of your place that following morning, I knew deep down in my gut I was right. I was a different man, and I was completely yours.”

“How did you know?” I ask him, inching my way closer to him on my chair and loving hearing about how he fell in love with me.

“Call it a gut feeling, call it cheesy, whatever, but for the first time in my life the word soulmate struck me.”

Soulmate.