The first day of the tournament came and went in a haze of activity. Not only did the hotel and casino pull it off while Wes was busy playing the round of his life, but Wes made it into the top twenty-five with a score of four under. And it didn’t end there. The days to follow were even better.

There was no way in hell Wes could have predicted he’d make it past the first round with such a high placement on the leaderboard. He was even more surprised to make the cut after the second day, beating half the pros. And now he was halfway through the final round of the tournament in the top ten, with a legitimate chance of finishing high enough to get an exemption into the next tournament.

It was mind-blowing.

He scanned the bleachers. He’d been so focused today that this was the first moment he’d had a chance to look for Kaylee. Not that he had any hope of seeing her. She’d been busy with the kids all weekend, and the buzz of having a local boy near the top in the final round drew even larger crowds.

Wes should have been nervous. He had been at the beginning of the tournament, but taking over the running of the golf course changed him. He had other dreams to focus on besides golf championships.

Dreams like running a children’s golf program. Like being with Kaylee.

Life was good with or without being at the top of his favorite sport, but he wasn’t complaining, because this was incredible.

He putted in another birdie on the second-to-last hole and picked up his ball, glancing once more at the bleachers. Still no sign of Kaylee.

Thank fuck the event had gone well so far. They’d experienced one minor incident, with the club running out of pool and beach towels, but Levi had rented a massive truck and sent Jaeg to two different Costcos for backups. Turned out, after people had been on the course all day, their next move was to hit the pool. Late night gambling followed. There were two situations Wes heard about where spectators got into brawls. Adam took care of it, though, by reaching out to his connections at Blue Casino for extra off-duty guard help.

They’d hired additional security, but apparently some golf fans could be assholes when they drank and became hyped from the competition. Not that Wes could blame them. He was the most competitive of his brothers. Which was why it was such a surprise to find that when he focused his competitive streak on something else—like, say, a sassy brunette—it left him room to just play the game.

Amazing. He should have brought Kaylee to all of his golf events in college.

But he hadn’t. He’d been a selfish dick. He thought he had the girl, and all he’d needed was to get on the pro tour. God, he’d been an idiot.

Wes followed his caddy and the crowd to the last hole. No time like the present to stay on course—the course being to make Kaylee as happy as possible. He only wished he could let her know she was the most important thing to him. Because she was, he’d realized.

After Kaylee told him about the miscarriage and why she’d left him, he’d decided they’d not been given a fair chance with all that had happened. Yes, he’d made mistakes, but his heart had always been with her. Now he just needed to convince her they were right for each other.

It wasn’t until Wes was about to make his last putt that he finally caught a glimpse of Kaylee. She was smiling behind the eighteenth green with her arms wrapped around the shoulders of two kids. She stole his breath. And a good thing too. He was so focused on how amazing she was, he’d subconsciously lined up his putt, and then calmly rolled the ball into the hole for yet another birdie.

Wes ran a hand down his face, smiling. The tournament was over, and he’d made it into the top ten. Which meant he automatically qualified for the next tournament.

Holy fuck.

---

Wes handed in his scorecard and headed straight for Kaylee. And got tackled by an excited Bella.

“You did it, Wes! You did it!”

“You’re going to be out there too someday, Bella.”

“With hard work, right? Just like you tell me.”

“That’s exactly right.” He set her down and shook her parents’ hands. They were equally excited, and appeared genuinely grateful for the work Wes had put into helping their daughter learn the game.

Maybe her parents weren’t so bad after all, and he was glad to know it. Wes watched Bella walk away holding hands with her father, her mother smiling beside them.

He searched for Kaylee, but she seemed to have wandered off in the excitement. She was still working and in charge of at least a couple of kids. She must have taken them back to Club Kids. His shoulders slumped. He wanted to celebrate with her, but he understood she had a job to do.

The next blow to his body came from Hunt, who nearly knocked him over. “Fuck you. I can’t believe it,” Hunt said excitedly. “You asshole. You never told us there was a chance you’d do well.”

“I didn’t know either.” Wes chuckled. “It’s as much a shock to me as it is to you.”

Soon he ran into all of his brothers as well as Jaeg, Cali, and a few other friends, who all congratulated him. His family couldn’t talk long, as they were on duty until the last tournament guest left the grounds, but it meant a lot to Wes to have them close during the tournament of his life.

He checked in with his second-in-command of the golf program, as well as the head groundskeeper. All was going well, and sales of clubs were at an all-time high, something they hadn’t anticipated. Wes had figured they’d sell a boatload of T-shirts, but not clubs.

It wasn’t until dusk that he finally spotted Kaylee walking toward him from the direction of the resort. She was kid-less, which meant she was off work.

He jogged toward her and picked her up, taking her mouth with his.

He swung her around, and she tilted her head back laughing. “Put me down before you make me barf!”

Wes gently set her on the ground, not caring what a sap he looked like. “Can you believe it?”

She grinned from ear to ear. “Yes. I knew you could do it.”

Wes wasn’t the kind of guy to get choked up. Pretty much never did unless one of his stupid brothers turned on the waterworks, which was almost never. But he had to fight back the heat burning behind his eyes.

He buried his head near her neck and breathed in her scent. “Thank you for always believing in me. Even when I was an oblivious ass.”

“You were twenty-two. Most twenty-two-year-olds are oblivious asses. I forgave you a long time ago. Just needed you to forgive me for how I handled things.”

He straightened and held her close. “Nothing to forgive.” He’d said it before, but he’d say it again. “I’m always here for you. From here on out, okay?”

She studied his eyes, and for the first time, he thought he might be getting through to her. That she might be looking at him in a different light. One that could mean a future for them.

“Wes Cade?”

Wes looked over his shoulder at a man walking toward them.

He’d run into his buddy Tom, who’d hooked them up with the Tahoe Invitational, but Wes hadn’t met any of the lead organizers. He’d been too busy playing. And the way this guy was dressed in a navy blazer with a red patch appeared official.

“I’m Wes.” He shook the guy’s hand and introduced Kaylee.

“Great playing out there,” the tour official said. “Didn’t know our host was so good at the game.” He leaned closer as though imparting a secret. “Most people who take the sponsor’s exemption aren’t.”

Wes chuckled. “To be honest, I had a few good days. That was all.”

“Really good days, from what I’ve seen.” He turned to Kaylee. “Nice to meet you, ma’am. Wes, be sure to get in touch after the tournament. We loved your course. I want to talk about future opportunities if you’re interested.”

“Absolutely. Thank you, sir.”

Kaylee was silent as the man walked away, but as soon as he was out of earshot, she squeezed him around the waist. “Holy shit, Wes! This is your chance.”

He nodded. Everything he’d ever wanted was coming together. But he was also trying to figure out how he’d keep all the balls in the air—this next tournament, working at the club, and Kaylee. As soon as he’d made her a priority, things had started to come together. But how the hell was he going to accept all the good being thrown at him and not drop something?