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I give her phone a light push away from blocking my path and continue walking. Shawnie tucks her phone back in her jacket and falls back in line with me.
I hear her huff to the right side of me. “Fine, be like that, but just so you know, I think you just wasted your money on a peacoat when you should have blown your entire budget on lingerie,” she says. “The assless kind.”
I can’t help it as a chuckle bubbles out of me.
“I’m going to take that to mean that you think I should go through with it.”
“Hell yes, you should, and if he has any friends needing a green card, you’re welcome to send them my way.”
“You’re in love with the accountant. Don’t play tough with me,” I tell her.
“Yeah yeah… I think I’m going to marry the Poindexter. Will you plan my wedding?”
I shake my head. Shawnie is just as talented of a wedding planner as anyone I’ve ever met. She could go out on her own if she wanted, but she’d rather work with me.
“Plan it yourself,” I tease, though I would love to help her.
“Fine…” she says, linking her arm with mine and pulling me close so there’s no gap between us as we walk. “Will you be my maid of honor?” she asks.
“Yes,” I’m almost too scared to say it out loud but I need to come to terms with the fact that saying yes to Ryker is my only option. I’m out of time, and so is he. “…will you be mine?”
She squeals with excitement and squeezes my arm with hers until I swear it cuts off the circulation.
“Yes! Come on, let’s look at wedding dresses for you before I have to set up for the gender reveal party for the Carter family,” she says, tugging me against my will to the other end of the mall.
There’s no point in struggling… resistance with Shawnie is futile.
Ryker
She agreed to Valentine's Day and coming to the game. I know she needs the money and the contract to secure her brother's lease.
She asked for more time, but she and I both know that we’re each other's last hope. She’s supposed to have the down payment to the center in a matter of days, or she'll lose Jerrin’s spot.
As the team captain, I’m always here early, but today, I needed to make sure to get here even earlier in order to set everything in motion.
I know our cameraman and announcer usually get here before the team to make sure mics are cued up and everything is ready to roll.
“Doug,” I say, walking up to the sound podium where our announcer sits for the game.
“Haynes, how’s it going? You ready for the game tonight?”
“Feels like a winning night. The team’s ready,” I assure him. “Hey listen, I need a little favor tonight.”
“Sure, whatcha got?” he asks, spinning his rolling chair to face me with his list of roster players that he was memorizing before I walked up.
“It’s Valentine’s Day. I need a little help.”
I set out a piece of paper with Juliet’s name and some information he’ll need not to get taken off guard.
He looks down at the sheet of paper and his eyebrow lifts for a second. “No problem. I’ll take care of it.”
“Thanks. See you later,” I say and turn out of his bird's-eye view of the rink below.
I head back downstairs in search of one more missing component.
“Kenny!” I call out down the hall at our mascot that just got into the stadium for today's game. “You got a minute?”
Chapter Seven
