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“Your proud family is at the back by the window!”
I couldn’t help but smile, as pleasure filled me. My parents and coaches had taught me to be humble, so I didn’t want to acknowledge much more than the hard work I put in most of my life, but it was difficult not to feel elated by all the support that filled the bar. I was about to start my professional career and soon my dad would be calling my games on national television, and even better, my “Uncle” Chase, the legend “Ace” Forrester, would officially be my coach with the Yanks. I’d revered these two men my entire life and they had both put everything they had into shaping me into the athlete I had become. Gratitude welled within me, and a lump started to form in my throat. It was all overwhelming. Part of me was sad that I’d just played my last game for Clemson, but the future was bright.
I was conscious of Christy clinging to my hand and arm as we walked through the crowd, stopping to acknowledge the well-wishers as I made my way through the restaurant.
I glanced up and my heart stopped.
My eyes locked with a pair of bright green ones that were welling up with tears. Remi stood fifteen feet in front of me, her hand covering her mouth as she held back sob. I knew it because that’s what she always did when she tried not to cry.
My breath caught and my heart shattered as I moved forward as if in a trance. Disengaging from Christy and leaving her to watch; I gathered Remi up into a hard embrace. I lifted her to me, and her arms returned my tight hug around my neck and shoulders. For a minute I just held her close, my eyes closed, I inhaled the scent of her familiar perfume; a gift from me on her sixteenth birthday. I inhaled a shaky breath not caring who was watching or even hearing the cheers, claps, or comments around us. It felt like a million years since I’d held her.
It was just us, and the year and a half since the last time I’d seen her melted away. “You came back.” It was a simple statement, but so full of meaning.
I could feel a sob break from her little body as her arms tightened even more around my shoulders and she turned her face into my throat. “Of course, I did. You didn’t think I’d miss your last game, did you?”
My arms still held her tight, one hand fisted in the back of her Clemson Tiger T-shirt and the other cupping the back of her head, burying in the dark silk of her hair. I couldn’t see her back, but I knew it was one of my old jerseys. It would have Jeffers and my number on it.
I set her down onto her feet and kissed her on her temple, before cupping both sides of her beautiful face with my hands and brushing away her tears with my thumbs. She offered a tremulous smile that turned into a soft laugh through her tears. My eyes drank her in. “I wish I would have known you were coming.”
“I wanted to surprise you. I’m so proud of you. You did it!” She laughed through her tears.
“How long are you here?” My heart constricted at the thought of her leaving again, but I knew it was coming. It was summer, so I hoped she had some time off. Maybe we could go to Wyoming and spend a week on the Ranch with Uncle Ben and Aunt Marin. “Can you stay until I go to Kansas City? I have a couple of weeks off first.”
“I’ll talk to you about it later if that’s okay. Without the crowd?”
Her eyes shot in one direction and her head cocked in the other, bringing me fully aware of the hundred or so pairs of eyes trained on us. I nodded in understanding.
“And who is this?” Christy’s hand wrapped around my bicep from behind and Remi stepped back, her eyes wide. Suddenly my heart dropped as my gaze locked with hers.
Bliss, who was standing next to Remi and who had also risen from her seat, spoke out. “She’s his damsel.Remi. Maybe you’ve heard of her?”
I almost laughed out loud. Bliss was almost as protective of Remi as I was, and she sensed a threat in Christy.
Christy was taken aback, and her expression turned slightly sour. “His damsel? What is that supposed to mean? Is it 1400 or something?”
Remi’s face was flushing with heat as she looked completely horrified. “It’s just something we used to say when we were kids.Littlekids. We’re just friends, I promise.”
My eyes shot back to Remi’s. “Best friends.” I couldn’t resist the clarification.
“Are we?” she asked quietly.
“Always and forever,” I answered, and Remi’s pleased smile was enough to light up the world.
“Okay,” she nodded. “Agreed.”
My dad cleared his throat. “Sit down kids! Let’s order and we can all catch up with Remi and congratulate our MVP.”
“Dad,” I shook my head in admonishment. “You know the rules.”
“Well, I’ll make an exception just this once.”
Bliss pulled out the empty chair between her and Remi. “Here you go, Dylan. Sorry, we didn’t plan for a plus one,” she said pointedly, though there was one extra chair at the other end of the table.
“Bliss!” Remi gasped. “We can move that empty chair.”
“Yes, we can. Mace, do you mind?” Chase commanded his middle child, who immediately stood and went to do his bidding.
As we all took our seats. Those of us who didn’t have drinks, ordered, my mom shot me a pointed look. Christy knew both couples; my parents, Teagan and Chase, and the younger kids… the only one of our family that she didn’t know was Remi.
