Page 27 of Playing for Keeps
“Thanks, Paisley,” Wyatt says, taking the bottle.
She sets the bucket beside us and grins. “What are we celebrating?”
“Ivy’s going to help me buy a place in Hope Creek and sell my apartment in Phoenix,” Wyatt says. “Seemed like a good enough reason.”
“Absolutely,” she agrees. “Congrats, Ivy.”
I smile. “Thanks, Paisley. Technically, we should wait until I actuallysellthe place, but I’m not turning down champagne.”
Paisley laughs. “Let me know if you want another bottle,” she says with a wink before disappearing into the crowd.
I watch as Wyatt peels back the foil and loosens the cage, his thumb steady over the cork. Tilting the bottle, he slowly twists it until the cork pops off with a loud bang, flying across the room. I laugh, and a few heads turn. He quickly pours the bubbling champagne into our flutes and hands me one.
“To new beginnings,” Wyatt says as he sits beside me and taps his glass against mine.
I smile. “To new beginnings,” I echo, still amazed he’s trusting me with this opportunity. I can’t wait to tell my parents. They were the ones who encouraged me to start my own business and helped support me financially. If things go well with Wyatt, I’ll be able to pay them back much sooner than I ever thought possible.
We spend the next hour deep in conversation about properties. When Wyatt mentions his budget for a place in Hope Creek, I nearly choke on my champagne.
He quickly takes the glass from my hand and pats my back. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” I manage hoarsely. “Just went down the wrong way.”
“Want some water?”
I shake my head, finally catching my breath. “I’m good.”
He hands me back my glass with a small smile. “I’ve got a few ideas for the Saturday we’re in Phoenix. Not sure what kind of stuff you’re into, though, so if you'd prefer something else…”
He trails off, and I swear he sounds a little nervous. “I’m easy. What were you thinking?”
“There’s a butterfly conservatory in Scottsdale. Thousands of butterflies flying freely. I’ve never been, but I’ve heard good things.”
My eyes light up. “That sounds amazing.”
“Yeah?” he asks, grinning.
I nod eagerly. “Can we go?”
“Absolutely.”
“There’s one more place I’d love to see,” I add, sipping my drink. “But I don’t know if it’s possible.”
“Where?” he asks.
“The Cardinals stadium.”
He raises an eyebrow. “I thought you didn’t like football?”
I shrug. “Everything you said last weekend made me want to know more. You clearly love it, and I guess I want to see why.”
A slow smile spreads across his face. “The stadium? That I can definitely do. We’ll hit the butterfly place first, then head over. I can’t wait to show you around.”
“Do you think we can go on the field?” I ask.
He chuckles. “I’ll see what I can do.”
We spend the rest of the night talking about the charity dinner, and Wyatt fills me in on what to expect. From the sound of it, there’ll be cameras everywhere, and the thought makes my stomach twist with nerves.
