His shoulders slumped. “I have to say, I imagined this going differently. I really thought I would get accepted.”
“It’s okay. You can always apply for a school back home.”
He shook his head. “No, I don’t want to go back to Kansas City. I still want to stay here. I’ll just have to figure out another plan. I can try online programs, put it on hold or something, but I’m not leaving Waterfront.”
Hope built in Em’s chest. “You aren’t?”
He leaned forward and looked her in the eye. “I’m serious when I say that I want another chance with you Em. What we have is special, and I’m not going to let silly rules or rejection letters get in the way of that.”
He wanted her—not because it was convenient or easy, but because of who she was. He’d hurt her, but she was willing to give him another chance because she wanted him too.
“Good answer,” she said with a small smile. “Because you got into the program.”
His brows lowered.
Em turned the letter around. “This is an acceptance letter.”
He snatched the paper out of her hands. His lips spread into a wide grin as he scanned the page. “But you said…”
“I wanted to know how serious you were about staying here. I needed to know it was more than a whim.”
Grant stood up and walked over to where Em sat. He grabbed her hand and gently pulled her up so that they were both standing. His hand reached out, and his fingers ran over her cheek. “You’re more than a whim. You are the most amazing woman I’ve ever met, and somewhere along the way, I fell in love with you.”
Grant loved her?
Her heart felt like it would burst with his words.
She wrapped her arms around the back of Grant’s neck and lifted up on her toes so that her face was even with his. Dizzy with the desire to be near him, she pulled him closer so that their lips were almost touching.
He smiled, causing small crinkles in the corners of his eyes. “Does this mean you feel the same way?”
Yes. She absolutely felt the same way.
Even though she hadn’t named the feelings she had for him before this moment, she now knew that she felt the same. It was why it hurt so much when he’d said they couldn’t be together. She loved Grant. The thought rendered her speechless for the second time that night. Thankfully, she didn’t need words to tell him how she felt.
Em closed the small distance between their lips and kissed him with the unspoken words from the last few weeks. She hoped that he could feel the emotions in what she couldn’t say aloud. She was foolish to push him away for so long. She loved him. She never wanted him to go.
By the way he moved his lips against hers, he could hear her loud and clear. She tightened her grip on him as his hands slid down her arms and around her waist.
They were finally on the same page about what they wanted, and that was each other. Now that they finally realized this, nothing was going to stand in their way—not even a silly rule.
Emmeline
Em’s lips still tingled as the announcer called the players out to the field one-by-one for that night’s game.
She wasn’t sure how long she and Grant had been kissing before Miriam had come out onto the field and told them they needed to break it up and clean up the evidence of their date before the civic center started allowing fans to enter the arena.
Even the embarrassment of having Miriam walk in on them making out wasn’t enough to make her want to stop. Their time on the field hadn’t felt like nearly enough.
It would never be enough.
Now that she’d officially thrown herself into a relationship with Grant, she didn’t want to spend a minute apart. There was too much lost time to make up for, and if Em had her way, much of that time would be spent kissing.
For now, she’d have to settle for fangirling over him from the sidelines.
“On defense, number seventy-seven, Vinny Nelson.”
Assuming the announcer ever called him out. Em clapped her hands for Vinny as he made his way out to midfield.
“Team captain and keeper, number one, Finn O’Brien!”
Em cheered but kept her eyes on her hands as her brother ran out. Even though he’d helped Grant with the secret date, she was afraid that he would take one look at her and know just how that date was spent. He might be okay with Grant and Em dating, but that might be too much too fast.
“Number seven, Grant Vaughn.”
Em’s heart raced as Grant came into view. When his eyes met hers, her cheeks flamed.
Miriam jabbed her in the ribs with her elbow. “Are you still going to pretend like you don’t have a crush on him?”
“I don’t.”
Miriam laughed. “You don’t have to lie about it.”
“I’m not lying,” she said, her eyes still fixed on Grant. He looked so handsome standing out there. She wanted to jump over the boards and rush to him. She smiled wide at Miriam. “It’s not a crush. It’s much more than that.”
Want more sports romance?
If you’re looking for more sports romance, make sure to check out Courtside Crush. It’s been called “Romeo and Juliet…in basketball shorts” and is the first in a YA sports romance series.
Looking for more sweet adult romance?
If you’re looking for more sweet adult romance, make sure to check out The Bridesmaid & The Reality Show. It’s the first book in the Wedding Game series and is filled with drama and romance!
Acknowledgments
God first, always.
Then my husband.
Then my kids.
J & A, I don’t know what I’d do without you guys. Thanks for putitng up with me.
Elle, once again, you’re a saint!
And so are you, Angela!
