Sadie did a final touchup on her makeup, dusting her cheeks with translucent powder and then freshening her red lipstick. She’d dressed fashionably casual in a pair of expensive skinny jeans, a white lace off-the-shoulder peasant top, and black heels. Her hair was swept up in a loose bun, with curly tendrils everywhere. A gold choker and oversized hoops completed the sexy look. She smiled at her reflection.
“Ready, baby?” Carson called from the other side of the door.
“Ready,” she answered, opening the door.
Carson pretended to get weak-kneed as soon as he saw her, stumbling back a couple of feet. “Maybe we should stay in tonight. Not sure I’m ready to share you with the world after all.” He crept close and nibbled on her collarbone, raising goose flesh all over her body.
“Carson…” She ran her long fingernails up his arms and he shivered.
“You’re beautiful, Sadie.”
She didn’t know what to do, because Carson wasn’t just saying it to be nice. Love shined in his blue eyes—the consuming kind of love women spent a lifetime searching for. And all of it was for her.
He looked handsome in stonewashed denim, a short-sleeved ribbed T-shirt, and Lucchese cowboy boots. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Then Carson produced a delicate, black velvet box. She covered her mouth with both hands, her heart beating erratically.
“It’s okay, baby. Listen to me. I’m not going to ask anything of you right now.” He opened the box, revealing a perfectly cut, oval-shaped blue diamond set in yellow gold with five rubies. “I’ve never seen a more perfect stone, Sadie. I struggled with it, trust me. My feelings, what I needed to do to keep you. To love you.”
Tears stung her eyes, but Sadie refused to cry. She loved Carson.
“If we never get any further than this, I want you to have this ring, to wear it, to remember this moment by. To know how much I love you. That I’m ready to drop to my knees and beg you to marry me. I won’t yet—not until you’re ready. But I can’t keep my feelings a secret any longer. You complete me, Sadie. You drive me crazy. And I’ll be damned if I’ll ever let you go again.”
He had the courage to tell her everything she was already thinking. That she’d fantasized about being Sadie Savage forever. That she wanted a big family—five or six kids—maybe their own football team. That she never really hated Fairhope the way people thought she did, it was just that it was unbearable to live there without him. Yes—the town had turned on her, and that had scared her away more than anything. But today, she had the courage to reclaim her life. To hold her head high, step out in public as Carson Savage’s girlfriend—to love him openly and honestly.
“Will you wear the ring, Sadie?”
Blinking back more tears, Sadie held her left hand out for Carson.
“What finger?” his voice cracked.
“My ring finger,” she whispered.
“Does that mean…”
“Ask me tomorrow,” she said, captivated by the way his hand trembled when he slid the ring on her finger.
Carson stepped back and eyed the ring on her hand.
“Thank you,” she said, admiring the stones. “I love you so much.” She flung herself at him, and he caught her in his arms—capturing her mouth with his, kissing her so passionately she nearly fell down. But Carson held her up, giving her strength and hope that she’d finally found true happiness.
He broke the kiss, resting his forehead against hers. “This isn’t over, Kitty Kat.”
“I know.” And she did. Carson never did anything half-assed. And he never relented, not until he got what he wanted. Another reason she wanted this man. He’d never given up on her. Ever.
“We’re going to be late.”
They arrived at Chasers ten minutes later. The two-story brick building was located in the downtown historic district. It had been converted into a sports bar in the 1980s—the most popular place in town. The inside was exclusively dedicated to Alabama sports teams, with framed jerseys, team photos, and even a high school wall of fame.
As soon as Sadie stepped inside, she couldn’t miss a signed Carson Savage Warriors jersey hanging over the hostess station. The couldn’t-be-older-than-sixteen employee squealed. “Oh. My. God.”
Sadie struggled to hold back her laughter. The girl was obviously a huge fan and couldn’t believe Carson had just walked in.
Composing herself enough to speak again, the teenager grabbed two menus from the table behind her. “Good evening, Mr. Savage. Are you here for dinner?”
Carson looked at the nametag on the girl’s uniform. “We have a reservation in the bar, Elise. Thank you.”
Obviously disappointed, she put the menus back on the table and turned back to Carson. “I’m not allowed in the bar. But if you walk through the double doors over there,” she pointed, “one of the cocktail waitresses will seat you.”
“Only if you let me take a selfie with you first,” Carson said, holding up his cell.
“Really?” Elise asked excitedly.
“Do you follow me on Twitter? Facebook?”
“Of course.”
“After I take the pic, give me five minutes and then check for a new post. Okay?”
She nearly ran around the podium and stood next to Carson, making the peace sign before Carson snapped a couple pics.
Once he finished, he placed his hand at the small of Sadie’s back and gently guided her through the doors that opened into the busy bar. Big screens were everywhere, the NFL Network and ESPN blaring through the sound system. It didn’t take long for someone to point their direction and say, “It’s Carson Savage and Sadie Reynolds!”
The room grew eerily silent for a moment, and Sadie melted into Carson’s protective body.
Carson must have sensed her discomfort, because he leaned close and whispered, “I have you, baby.”
She nodded, the anxiety disappearing.
A man dressed in a gray suit approached. “Welcome back to Chasers, Carson,” the bar manager said. “Several guests are waiting for you and Ms. Reynolds at your reserved tables in the back.”
Without delay, the manager escorted them through the cluster of high-top tables filled with patrons, past the pool tables, and into the far corner of the room. Sadie relaxed more as soon as she spied Barbi and Erika and several Warriors sitting together.
“You invited Ty?”
“Of course,” Carson said. “We’re celebrating, right?”
“And Solomon?”
“He’s a friend, too.”
“And what about the rookie?” she asked.
“Donovan is turning out to be a great addition to the team.”
“I’ll look forward to spending some time with him.”
Carson gazed at his new friend. “Not too much time.”
Sadie laughed.
Barbi jumped up from her chair and gave Sadie a long hug. “I’m so happy to see you, girlie!”
Sadie returned the hug with equal affection. “Did you ever think I’d come home? It’s surreal.”
“Are you happy?” Barbi whispered.
“Yes.” Sadie said as she pulled back a few inches to look at her best friend. “Take a trip to the ladies’ room with me?”
“Try to stop me.”
Once they were inside, Barbi checked underneath the stall doors to make sure they were alone before she spoke again. “You have a lot of explaining to do.”
“I know. I’m so sorry I haven’t called lately. Between Carson and my work…”
“How in God’s name did he convince you to come back to Fairhope?”
“Stick and carrot.”
“What?”
“He dangled something too tempting to resist in my face.”
Barbi gave her a toothy smile. “Like what?”
“Two things. A second chance with him and a professional goldmine. “
“Aww.” Barbi embraced her again. “You’re not so tough, are you?”
Sadie lowered her head, staring at the ring Carson had just given her. “Does this answer your question?” She held her hand up.
“What the hell?” Barbi grabbed her wrist and squealed like the young hostess up front. “Are you engaged?”
“Almost.”
“Wait. How does a girl get almost engaged?”
Sadie gave her the condensed version, how Carson didn’t want to force her into making a hasty decision, but how he couldn’t keep his feelings a secret anymore.
“I think I hate you, Sadie Reynolds. The diamond is flawless, girl. If you don’t accept his marriage proposal, you better hand him over to me.”
“You like Carson like that?”
“Um, yeah. I’d fuck him.”
Sadie snorted uncontrollably. “You’re endearingly offensive, you know. Thank you for letting me know you’d sleep with my boyfriend.”
“You better get used to that kind of thing, Sadie. Seriously. He’s young, talented, and rich. Every single girl between the ages of sixteen and sixty wants to fuck your boyfriend.”
Not in the mood to think about that, she changed the topic. “I told him to ask me tomorrow.”
Barbi’s expression sobered. “And when he does?”
“I’ll say yes.”
The restroom door opened and Erika walked in. “Thanks for leaving me alone out there with all that testosterone.”
“Oh, Erika.” Sadie gave her a hug. “I’m sorry—there’s so much to catch up on.”
“Does this have anything to do with the grin plastered on Carson’s face?”
“Everything to do with it,” Barbi answered.
“Then I have all the time in the world,” Erika offered, sitting down on the padded bench in front of the mirrored vanity.