Page 143 of Putting Out
Epilogue
Eleven months later…
Reilly saton the couch in their living room in Savannah and smiled as Luke sat down beside her. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close and she wondered how they looked. Probably like lovesick dorks. But there was nothing to be done about that since they pretty muchwerelovesick dorks.
There was a bustle of people around them as a crew worked large television cameras, moving them into different angles. The girl from makeup came in and patted Luke’s nose again with powder, making him flinch.
Steve Mercuro smiled as he took his seat making sure his clip-on microphone was in place.
“And three, two, …”
Another young man with a clipboard in his hand held up a single finger and Reilly knew they were on.
“Hello, everyone. I’m Steve Mercuro and I’m sitting here with Luke Nolan and Reilly Carr in their first interview since Reilly’s recent announcement regarding this year’s American tournament. So, Reilly, talk to us. It’s been almost a year since you played the American, almost a year since you watched your brother get attacked in front of your eyes, only to discover the man who orchestrated all of this was someone who you thought was protecting you. You overcame the odds of making the cut, making the top fifteen, then of course, the kidnapping.”
She tried not to wince at the dramatic description. This was for TV, after all, and drama was the theme for the day.
“Sounds remarkable when you say it, Steve. But we’ve all just moved past it.”
“Talk to me first about what the experience of playing in the American meant to you.”
“At first it was frightening. Almost overwhelming. Then it came to mean everything and then by the last day, it became just another golf tournament.”
“Why is that?”
Reilly nudged Luke with her shoulder. “Because I found out that there was more to life than playing golf, more to me than being a golf player. I got engaged that day, almost died that day. It helps you put things in perspective.”
“I can imagine. Well, it certainly came as no surprise you would unfortunately not be playing in this year’s tournament.”
Reilly could feel the one cameraman panning down her to her belly and she had to will herself not to try and suck it in. Not that it would have helped. Poor Pierce, all his hard work lost to nature. The bulge was big and round and as Luke liked to claim when he saw her naked… all boy.
She, however, was still holding out hope for a girl.
“No, Steve. I won’t be playing this year. I can’t get the club around the darn thing,” she joked. “We’re going to have to be represented by my husband.”
“Luke,” Steve said, turning his focus. “You decided to go back on a limited tour schedule, which has proved successful for you. One win at Pebble Beach and another big win at the Players Championship. Why the change of heart?”
“Are you kidding? I had to get back into competitive shape so I could beat my wife. Once I knew I could take her on, I figured the rest of the field would be a snap.”
It was an old joke he’d repeated often, but the truth was, Reilly was happy to see him back doing what he loved for the reason he loved it. At first she worried about what the two of them competing against each other in some events might mean. But they had so much fun smack-talking each other, it never became an issue. Four events: He’d won two, she’d finished in the top ten in the other two.
They had good times, some great parties after, and one memorable night when they snuck back onto the course to do it in a bunker surrounding the 18thgreen. Reilly was pretty sure they had made a baby that night.
“You recently became an aunt, next is motherhood and after that….”
Steve let the question hang, but Reilly wasn’t sure what the answer was. And that was okay, too. There might have been a time when the prospect of not playing professional golf would have meant the end of her existence.
But her existence was so much more now.
“After that, I imagine I’m going to have this kid to take care of.”
Luke smiled into the camera. “I’m eighty-five percent sure it’s going to be a boy.”
“See, and I’m leaning the other way. But either way…”
She turned and smiled at Luke and he nodded, finishing her thought.
“Either way,” she said. “ Boy or girl, we’re leaving room in the closet for a Royal Blue jacket.”
* * *
