Page 57 of Second Down Scrooge

And then he strides toward me, closing the gap between us.

I feel his arms as they come around me, telling me this is real—I’m not hallucinating.

He’s really here. He’s really, actually here.

He came for me.

I wrap one of my arms around his neck, the other protectively still on the stroller handle, and I stare up into his eyes.

At the exact same time, we both ask, “What are you doing here?” And then we both start to laugh.

“I booked a flight because I had to see you, but it was canceled,” I say at the same time he says, “I had to get here to spend Christmas with my girls.”

I cling to his neck as his lips crash down to mine, and we kiss right there at the gate at the airport, both of us feeling the beautiful wonder of being together again.

I pull back. “I had to tell you in person that I believe you, Austin. Whatever happens, if you say you didn’t do it, I don’t doubt that for a second. I want you to know that you come first for Mia and me, and I never should’ve gone to Chicago without you when all I want is to spend her first Christmas together as a family.”

“That’s why I’m here,” he says, and he leans down to kiss me again in between sentences. “I had to be with you. Coach had us practice yesterday, and we have tomorrow off, and even if we didn’t, I would’ve skipped practice and paid the fine to get here to you.”

My jaw slackens at that. “You would’ve paid the fine?”

He nods. “Oh, and one more thing. I was cleared.” His lips tip up.

“What?” I breathe.

“I was cleared. Turns out my sample was switched with someone else’s. I retested, and then the lab admitted the mistake. My retest came back negative. But I have to tell you, Kaplan, it means everything to me that you believed in me before you knew. I wanted to call you and tell you, but I just knew if I did, I’d blow the surprise that I was planning to come here.”

“That’swhy you haven’t called me?” I ask stupidly.

He laughs. “The first night when you called, I was at a bar, and it was too loud to answer. I thought about calling you back once I was home, but I didn’t want to wake you.” He kisses me again. “Thank you, Kelly,” he says, his voice low and raspy.

“For what?”

“For believing me. For believinginme. For waiting for me.”

Tears pinch behind my eyes. “Thank you, Austin.”

“For what?”

“For showing me how we come first to you.”

We share another kiss that starts to turn heated, and I pull back when my phone starts to ring. It’s my dad.

I pick up. “Dad?”

“I’m about ten minutes away,” he says.

“Okay, I still need to grab my suitcase. I’ll text you once I have it.”

“Sounds good. Sorry about the cancellation.”

“Thanks, Dad. I’ll see you soon.” I end the call before I ruin the surprise, and we turn to head toward baggage claim with Austin pushing the stroller.

I keep glancing over at him in a bit of shock.

He’s here. He’s really here.

It feels like it’s shaping up to be the merriest Christmas I’ve ever had.

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