I chuckle and kick a few pebbles that are laying in the dry, aged dirt. “Yea, your granddaughter definitely knows what buttons to push.”
“But she also knows how to make you a better man. Never forget that. He takes a few steps towards me.
“I won't sir.”
“Here. I want you to take this. Give it to her when the time’s right.” In his hand sits a small, worn, dark grey velvet box in perfect condition. I open it to find a grey, oval cut diamond surrounded by a halo of perfectly vibrant, clear cut stones, set on a single thin gold band; the center stone is an easy three carrots.
“Sir,” My eyes dart from the ring to him and back again.
“Take it. I ain’t got no use for it now. It was Gram’s ring and I know it would mean the world to my little peanut if you gave it to her. I gave that ring to the love of my life almost fifty years ago. It’s weathered numerous struggles, the highest highs and the deepest lows. It belongs to you now.”
I’m at a loss for words. I stare at the ring, taking everything in. There was no denying that one day I would be looking at rings for her, but now, seeing this, I know no other ring could even remotely compare to this ring in both beauty and uniqueness. “Thank you sir.”
“You’re lucky you got a second chance son. I’m proud you finally wised up. You’ve come a long way from the boy I saw depressed in that apartment.”
The apartment. I had completely forgotten about that place. We had been gone for months and I hadn’t bothered to clean up before I left.
No doubt there were beer bottles everywhere, a pizza box left on the counter, dishes in the sink and dirty clothes on the floor.
I didn’t want to bring Presley home to that. Would she even go back there? Where would she stay?
“I promise sir, one day I’ll give her this ring and I’ll promise to love and cherish her the way I saw you cherish Gram. You both were the only healthy role models I had growing up. Thank you for showing me how a man is supposed to love and treat his wife.”
His hand grips at my shoulder and neck, giving it a tight squeeze before patting the side of my face. “I’d say welcome to the family, but you’ve already been a part of this mess for longer than I can remember.”
We laugh and head out of the garage, ring buried deep in my pocket, and my desire to be close to Presley stronger than ever.
* * *
Presley and I pull up in front of the ranch after today’s pitching practice and I eagerly run around the truck to get her door before she has a chance to open it. To say I live and breathe for her is an understatement. Tina comes out the front door and ushers us around back. The pathway is lit with a mixture of iron lanterns and mason jars filled with candles. The pasture gate has been opened and under the tall oak tree sits a long family style table that looks to be crafted out of pieces of reclaimed barn wood with matching benches on either side. The table is perfectly set, candles, eucalyptus, and wildflowers in different sized glass bottles make up the centerpieces, while linen tea towels and white dishes with gold silverware and clear milk glass drinkware mark each place setting. Presley gasps at the sight, squeezing my hand, wrapping her free arm tightly around mine and leaning into me. Touch is important between the two of us, possibly because we both went without for so long.
“Momma,” she gasps.
“That’s not all of it.”
Tina leads us over to a few small fire pits over by the wood pile. Every pit surrounded by five iron chairs each with a blanket draped over the back. Chopping blocks strategically placed in between with flowers set on them and a fully stocked bar and bartender close by. This feels more like an intimate wedding reception versus the simple going away dinner both our mothers talked about. The ring in my pocket burns hot as embers just thinking about the day I’ll see Presley walk down the aisle to me.
If this dinner is any indication to what our mothers are capable of pulling off in just two short days, I know Presley will be able to have the wedding she’s always dreamed of.
“Momma. This is absolutely beautiful, but you didn’t need to go through all this trouble.”
Tina rolls her eyes as if Presley had any control over her or my mother. “Honey it was no trouble at all. We just wanted to celebrate all the good that happened here.”
“Thank you Tina. This is amazing. Absolutely stunning.”
I kiss Presley’s head and speak into it, “Just like you,” and kiss her once more.
“Mrs. D, would you mind if I stole Presley away for a bit?”
“Not at all. Guests should be arriving in thirty minutes or so.”
“That’s perfect. I’ll make sure we’re back by then.”
Presley cocks her head and eyes me questioningly, “Where are we going?”
I smirk back, “You’ll just have to wait and see.” I lead her back to the truck and drive the short distance to the mountain stream that has become so important in our relationship. I park and once again help her out, pulling down the tailgate for us to sit on, our feet swinging off the back. “Presley, what’s gonna happen with us when we get back?”
She looks shocked at the worry in my voice. “I’m still gonna be there. I told you I’m not leaving, Robert.”
“I know that. You’re still under contract—”
She firmly grabs my arm and shifts her body so that she’s facing me. “Stop.” She almost looks hurt by my accusation. “Contract or not Robert, I’m here for you.” She looks back to the stream. A slight breeze moves her hair in front of her face, and I tuck it behind her ear as she lets out a deep sigh, “But yes. I am still bound to you by a contract, and for me, that in itself makes it incredibly hard to have a real relationship with you.”
My eyes focused intensely on the stream in front of me. We kiss, we sleep together, I’ve made love to her more times than I can count, I have a ring burning a hole in my pocket this very minute, and she looks torn between what she wants and what’s expected of her.
“Robert my goal has always been getting you signed with the Rangers, and we’re a month, maybe two months away from that. I don’t want to see you as a job. And I know you don’t want to be seen as one either. I know it sucks to hear, but without this contract, I don’t know if we would have ever ended up back here. Back to this place. Back together.” There’s no denying the fact that she’s right. “Let’s just get through the next two months and then we’ll see where we go from there, okay?”
I bring her knuckles to my lips and kiss each one. “Okay.”
We watch the stream rush buy, neither one of us saying a thing, just existing for a few minutes.
“Pres, where are you gonna stay when we get back?”
“Where do you want me to stay?” She eyes me cheekily and I throw my arms around her, pulling her down in the bed of the truck, my body angled over hers. Her laughter is my comfort. My sign that I’m doing things right.
“I want you to stay with me. Right here. Right next to me. I’m afraid to do this without you Presley. Things got really dark for me. I don’t want to go back to that apartment alone.”
Her fingers trace up my jawline and around my ear, down my neck and back through my hair. “Robert. It’s just a place. Four walls and a roof. It holds no power over you.” Her voice is tender but scared, she probably never had any intention of going back there ever again. “I ruined my life there. I ruined your life there and I spent so much time hating the world there. Everything about it reminds me of how much I hurt you. I don’t want to go back alone. What if I slip? What if I backslide? What if everything I’ve gained vanishes just by stepping foot in there?”
She embraces my fears and places a hand over my heart. “Then we won't go back. I’ll make a few calls and get it all taken care of.”
My lips sip hers, our tongues languidly sliding against one another before finally coming to a rest. “You’re too good for me, Presley Donovan.”
“I know,” she exclaims while I pull her up and off the truck bed.
“Come on,
princess. We’ve got to get back.”
Chapter Twenty-seven
Presley and I pull up the drive moments behind Trey and Liv. I kiss Presley once more before helping her out of the truck, Liv’s beaming smile only seems to grow the closer we get to them, while Trey looks nervous and asks to speak to me. Without any hesitation Pres pats my chest and takes Liv’s hand. “We’ll see you boys in the back.”
They turn the corner and I quickly shift my attention to Trey. “What’s up? Everything alright?”
“Everything’s fine. Or at least it will be. Soon. I want to propose to Liv tonight, but I know this is y’alls' celebration so I just wanted to make sure that was fine with you first.”
I pull him in for a bro hug. “Absolutely! Congrats man! That’s awesome.”
“I just wanted those closest to us to be around for it and since you two are leaving tomorrow, well—”
“I get it. Don’t worry about it. When are you thinking of doing it?”
“After dinner.”
“You have the ring?”
He raises his brow and pats his jacket pocket, “I really hope she likes it.” He pulls out the unmistakable turquoise blue box and opens to reveal an enormous emerald cut, perfect clarity, white gold engagement ring with small stones adorning the band. “What do you think?”
“I think it’s perfect for her.”
“Good.” He breathes a sigh of relief, offering a small chuckle, “I had a fake one made just so she wouldn’t notice it missing every time she went in there.”
I chuckle. Liv always was the high maintenance one, but I’m truly happy for the both of them.
* * *
Liv and I stroll arm in arm to the back yard. I wave to Momma and we head straight for the bar “Hey, I wanted to talk to you about my contract with Robert and the extension I was offered.”
Liv takes a sip of her cab, closing her eyes as the rich taste dances across her taste buds. “Yeah? Don’t worry. You’re still getting paid for all this. I wasn’t listening when you tried to back out on our little deal.”
I roll my eyes. “No, it’s not that. It’s just, I need to renegotiate my payout.”
“Okay?” she says hesitantly.
“Five million? Liv, that’s ridiculous. It’s too much.”
“Oh please. You know damn well he’s worth the money.”
“Liv, I know you designed the offer to be attractive to get me to sign on, but now—I can’t accept it. It’s hard enough wanting to actually be in a relationship with him again and feeling contractually obligated to get him to where he needs to be. I’m grateful for everything you have done, really, but I want more with him. He’s not a job Liv. I love him but I feel like I’m being torn between him and my business if I keep him as a client.”
She pushes her bottom lip out; cocks her head and gives me the most pathetic looking puppy dog eyes I have ever seen before, pulling me in to a back-cracking hug. “I’m so happy for you two Presley. This is all I ever wanted.”
I return her hug. “So my going rate is twenty thousand a month. We’ve spent roughly a month and a half together—”
“Just call it two months.”
“Fine, we’ve spent two months together here and I think he’ll be ready to go in another month, two months max.”
“So twenty thousand and four months. Eighty thousand? Are you sure Pres? Money’s not an issue.”
“I’m sure Liv. And I personally cannot accept the additional year extensions, but I’ve got someone I’ve personally trained that is more than capable of taking the team over. I can’t guarantee exclusivity, but I promise the Rangers will take priority.”
“What are you talking about? Why can’t you do it?”
“I’m giving up baseball.”
“I’m sorry! You’re what?” she shrieks out. I quickly look around to see if Robert heard anything, fortunately he and Trey are still in the front.
“Will you be quiet!”
“Sorry,” she whisper screams, “But you’re amazing at it. Have you talked to Robert about this? Who’s going to replace you?”
“I guess I finally found someone I loved more than the sport.” Robert and Trey turn the corner and head over to us. “I’m telling Robert tonight and Coach is ready to fill my position. I’ve already talked to him and he signed his noncompete today.”
“Wow. This is just a lot to take in right now. And you’re sure about this?”
“I am.”
“So what are you going to do?”
I look to find Robert. He and Trey are talking to Daddy and seem to be laughing about something.
“I’ll still control football, hockey, basketball and soccer and I’ve already signed deals with the major teams in Texas; hopefully that will keep my traveling down.
“You’ve really planned this out haven’t you?”
“I have and I hope you’re not mad at me. I understand if you guys are hesitant about Coach taking over the baseball division, but this is what I need to do.”
“Oh sweetie! I could never be mad at you. And Coach is an amazing choice. I mean he’s not you—” she smirks, “but it’s still gonna be amazing. I’m so happy for you Presley. I could cry, but I don’t want to mess up my makeup.”
I smile and feel a hand placed high on my back. “So Presley, how’s my star pitcher coming along?”
“Pretty good sir. I should have him ready to commit in two months.”
“That’s what I like to hear.”
“I was just going over some changes to my contract with Liv. She can fill you in later, but right now, I have a certain player that needs my attention. Liv, we’ll catch up more after dinner.”
I make my way into Robert’s waiting arms and are soon called to dinner. The meal was wonderful, and it was heartwarming to see everyone come out to support Robert this way. We had an amazing support system. Halfway through dinner I decided to thank a couple of people, as well as make my business announcement.
“If I can have everyone’s attention please.” Forks and knives come to a stop as I stand up and address the table. “First I want to thank everyone for coming out tonight. The support you’ve shown Robert over these last few weeks has been incredibly heartfelt, and I know that he appreciates each one of you, so thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Without you, my job becomes slightly harder.
“Second, I want to thank sweet Olivia for her sneaky, twisted, and underhanded manipulation. If not for her, tonight would have never happened.”
I smile at her and she blows me a kiss, “You know you love me.”
“I do. And just so everyone knows, don’t ever make her mad, she can be a little scary. Good luck Trey.”
“Thanks. I’m gonna need it.” Everyone laughs and Liv playfully hits his chest.
“Mom. Diane. The food tonight is absolutely delicious, and the backyard looks like a dream. Thank you for all you have done for us tonight, but also for everything you did as we were growing up.”
They both nod their appreciation and blow kisses to both Robert and me.
“And now I’d like to make an announcement. The Donovan West Agency is expanding!” Robert immediately turns in shock, eyes wide with bewilderment. I take his hand to keep him next to me. “After much time and consideration, I have decided to step down from our baseball division and have asked Coach to take over my role as acting agent.”
I motion for Coach to stand and everyone claps.
“And Robert. I am so proud of the man and the player you are becoming. I look forward to a future with you and can’t wait to see where this road takes us together.” I raise my glass and the others follow suit. “To Robert.”
He stands and kisses my cheek, “To Presley.”
Liv springs up and raises her glass high in the air, “To baseball!”
Cheers are shared all around and eventually everyone goes back to eating and talking amongst themselves. I notice Trey stands up and instinctively Robert grabs my hand under the table.
“If I can have everyone’s attention please. Liv, sweetie, could you please stand up?”
I let out a small gasp and look to Robert who gives a slight nod and tries to hide his ear to ear smile behind a fist. Liv stands and she begins looking around.
“Olivia, if you told me back in high school that one day I would be in this position I would have said you were insane. But here we are. You drive me crazy at times. You are strong willed, loud, opinionated, and usually it’s your way or the highway, but you have more love in your tiny finger than anyone I have ever met. You are fiercely loyal, dedicated and compassionate, and I am over the moon in love with you. So, Olivia—” He drops down to one knee and pulls out the signature Tiffany blue box that I know Liv has been waiting for. “Will you marry me?”
“Yes! Oh my God yes!” She jumps up and down, her body noticeably trembling as Trey slides her engagement ring on and she holds it up for all to see.
Dessert is bought out shortly afterwards and the rest of the night is spent with people congratulating Liv, Trey, and Coach and saying goodbye to Robert; I’m able to sneak away for a little bit, finding a quiet place to process everything.
“You know she would be proud of you,” Gramp’s baritone voice cuts through the autumn night air.
“I know. I just miss her.”
“I know.”
A throat clears behind us and I turn to see Robert.
“I’ll give you two a minute.” Gramps disappears and my heart physically aches for him as I watch him walk away. A single tear away rolls down my cheek before I wipe it away.
Roberts sturdy arms pull me close to his chest, kissing the crown of my head as I breathe him in.
“You okay?”
“Yea.”
“You sure?”
I nod my head, swallowing the tightness in my throat. “I miss Gram. I’m happy for Liv. It’s just—”
“It’s not how you thought things would go.”
“No.” I chuckle. “That seems to be a common theme for us. I mean I never expected to be here with you again either. Our lives didn’t exactly turn out the way we envisioned they would when we were in high school.”
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