Page 106 of Forever Player

“I’m starving for you too, but I didn’t have time to eat lunch and I am famished,” I declare. I wanted to have lunch when I got back from the arena, but then I was dealing with the car delivery and having it before Willow came home.

We make our way back to the apartment. Willow is smiling wide. Her mood is light and I don’t often see her like this.

When we walk through the door, I say, “Now go relax and I’ll make dinner.” Willow is tired after working a whole day. She feeds Maylee in the middle of the night and she is exhausted.

“No way, just because you’re doing a little better doesn’t mean you should spend a lot of time on your feet,” Willow scolds. My bad for trying to one-up a physical therapist.

“You’ve been making dinner all week. You’re exhausted,” I point out, as if she didn’t know.

“I’m taking care of you, Brett. It’s what I want to do,” she says with so much love dripping from her gaze.

I want to tell her I love her.

“I am really in like with you,” I say instead.

She places her hand on my chest, just over my heart. Can she feel how strong my feelings are for her?

“I’m really in like with you too,” she answers. “And we need to take care of each other.”

Her words make me concede. “Since you’re making dinner, I’m giving Maylee her bath.”

“Is everything a negotiation?” she jokes.

“That depends, what’s on the table?” I ask.

“You have a one-track mind,” she teases.

“I won’t argue that,” I snort.

After dinner I give Maylee her bath, feed her a bottle, and put her to sleep.

When I walk out to the family room to turn off the lights, Willow is asleep on the couch, curled in a ball. She is probably going to be pissed at me for lifting her because of my ankle, but I do it anyway because I want her in bed with me. She finally agreed to move her clothes in here and now this is our bedroom. I don’t want to sleep in bed without her.

“I’m sorry,” she mutters from sleep.

I don’t answer because I think she may be sleep talking. I place her under the covers in our bed.

“I love you,” she murmurs, and I freeze.

She’s talking to me, right? No, she’s sleeping, but who would she love? She must love me.

I want to whisper I love her back but I hold off because when I do tell her for the first time, I want her to be awake.

CHAPTERTWENTY-EIGHT

Willow

It’s a warm spring day, the sun is shining, and life is good as I drive down Fifth with Maylee in her car seat making gaga noises. We are going to meet Maddie and Ms. Noble for Maddie’s wedding dress fitting. There is parking not far from the boutique, and I scramble to get Maylee and her diaper bag out of the car since we are running late, as usual. It’s amazing how easily Maylee and I have fallen into a routine here in New York City. My baby loves her day care and I’m enjoying being back at work. I’ve even had time to start working out again in the gym, which has helped ease my anxiety as well.

I am pushing the stroller down the street, inhaling the warm, fresh spring air, as we make it to the front door of the boutique. Ms. Noble is waiting for us with Asher by her side.

“Hi.” I lean in to give her a hug and she holds me tight, squeezing for an extra second. I realized a while ago the Nobles are all really good huggers.

“Hi,” she says back.

Asher runs up to the stroller and makes silly faces at Maylee and she grabs on to his cheeks and pulls, which causes him to giggle. He and Maddie spend a lot of time with us in the evenings during the week when the guys are on the road for games. Ellie and Syd also join us for at least one meal a week and so, even though I miss Brett when he is gone, we are never alone.

“She’s in the changing room getting suited up,” Ms. Noble explains with excitement.

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