The entire family was gathered around this large wooden table, and I felt honored to be included in the celebration of Walter’s life and survival. My throat grew thick with emotion, and I forced the lump in my throat away. After a lifetime of not having anyone I could really count on, knowing that I had this entire family on my side was like a weight had been not only lifted off my shoulders, but then crushed, never to rest there again.
“Dad, we’re glad you’re home,” Lawson said, his arm draped over the back of Piper’s chair.
The room grew still as Walter looked around at each of us, his eyes lingering on each of our faces for a few moments. When our gazes met, I squared my shoulders and hoped that he approved of the man he saw looking back at him. I wanted to live up to his expectations of me, because unlike before, I knew that those high standards were not because he wanted me to fail, but because he wanted me to succeed.
Coach’s eyes were wet when he grabbed the linen napkin from the table and swiped it across his face. “Me too. Glad to be home with all of you.” He cleared the emotion from his throat. “Now, let’s eat. I’ve had nothing but hospital crap for two weeks. Been craving some of your mama’s cookin’.”
“Dad,” Piper started, “you can’t eat any of Mom’s food anymore.”
Coach’s face reddened as he looked at his daughter-in-law. “The hell I can’t. I’m a grown man. I can eat whatever I want.”
“Yeah, Dad, that’s how you ended up in the hospital the first time. You know how embarrassed I was when I had to tell everyone you were my father? My nurses gave me shit for not taking better care of you for days,” Hampton said as he shoved one of Mom’s biscuits in his mouth.
“Dude. You’re a human garbage disposal. Pretty sure you’re next up on the heart attack list.” Lawson leaned forward and smacked the biscuit out of Hampton’s hand.
I chuckled as Hampton picked it up and launched it in his brother’s direction, impressed when Lawson easily dodged it.
“Jesus Christ, boys!” Coach roared. “Bunch of barnyard animals, Peg. What’s wrong with these kids?”
“Walt, honey. The doctor said you needed to keep your stress levels to a minimum for the next few weeks. Don’t think shouting at the kids is doing much for your health.” Georgia’s mother frowned, her hand on his forearm, and looked between her sons. “You two, cut it out. You’re both grown men.”
Piper snorted. “Only technically.”
“This is exactly what my entire childhood was like. Except Jack was here throwing food too,” Georgia leaned over and whispered in my ear.
I smiled at her, a pang of jealousy coursing through me. I was glad that she had this as a child, that she still had a family as amazing as the Reeds. But it made me wonder if Jamie and I had grown up with parents like this, would we have turned out differently?
“Peg, what the hell is this?” Coach’s voice interrupted my thoughts as he held a bowl of something out toward his wife.
“Quinoa!” She beamed. “It’s a good source of fiber.”
Coach’s brows bunched. “Looks like a bowl full of fish eggs. Who eats this crap?”
“You do now,” Peg said dryly as she took the bowl from his hands and ladled a spoonful onto his plate. “Here’s a baked chicken breast with lemon and garlic. Fresh steamed broccoli and green beans.”
She put small portions of each dish on his plate, all the while Coach stared at her wide eyed. He looked around the room at each of us, his eyes finally landing on Hampton. “You talked her into this nonsense, didn’t you?”
Hampton laughed and shook his head. “You know Mama doesn’t get talked into anything. She had a lot of free time while you were in the hospital; she spent it looking up heart healthy diets.”
“Where’s the salt? The gravy? The damn mashed potatoes?”
I couldn’t blame the guy; it was a hard adjustment to go from eating all your favorite comfort foods to the types of food that were actually good for you.
“Peg, please, at least tell me there’s dessert,” he pleaded, looking at his wife with the saddest eyes I’d ever seen.
“Of course. Sugar-free jello for you. Pound cake for the kids.”
Lawson let out a whoop that earned a glare from his father, and try as I might, I couldn’t stop the chuckle from slipping through my lips.
Coach Reed’s glare landed on me. “You think this is funny, do you?”
I pressed my lips together and shook my head. God, I hoped I hadn’t stepped over a line. But being with the family and witnessing all their teasing, I couldn’t help but join in.
“You laugh all you want right now. I’m gonna put your ass through the ringer at practice.” His glare turned into a smirk and he winked. “Lucky for your ass, I won’t be back for a few more weeks. But don’t think I’m going to forget this.”
I let out a sigh of relief, and as I shoveled a forkful of green beans into my mouth said, “I ain’t scared of your threats, old man.”
Hampton let out another whoop, and the table erupted into chatter all around me. I continued to eat, the food amazing even if it wasn’t smothered in gravy, and looked around.
I wasn’t sure what I’d done to deserve a seat at this table, but whatever it was, I was grateful for it.
27
Georgia
“Where are we going?” I asked for the tenth time as I adjusted the air vents in the truck.
Quinn had woken me up early this morning, and although it was at an ungodly hour, I’d immediately forgiven him when he’d told me that he had a surprise for me.
“You’ll see when we get there.” He’d practically been bouncing on the balls of his feet while he waited for me to get ready, and his exuberance for whatever it was that he had planned hadn’t waned. His knee bounced with excited energy the entire drive, and he’d chatted incessantly about nothing at all.
It was quite literally the cutest thing I’d ever seen, and it had me so curious that I hadn’t been able to stop digging for clues. “Okay, well, does it involve food? I’m starving.”
He glared at me across the cab of the truck. “You’re going to ruin it. Stop asking questions.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and huffed, “Fine. Will you at least tell me how much longer until we get there?”
His glare turned into a smile. “Almost there now.”
“So, what exactly is this surprise for?” It wasn’t my birthday, or any day that I knew of that warranted such an elaborate production. Not that I would ever say no to a surprise.
“We’re here,” he announced as he turned the truck into the empty parking lot of the Atlanta Botanical Gardens.
I frowned. “I don’t think they’re open.”
He pulled right up to the front and put the truck in Park, turning the engine off and stepping out without acknowledging the fact that there didn’t seem to be anyone here.
“They’re open,” he said as he helped me out of the passenger side. “At least they are for us.”
I narrowed my eyes and tilted my head to the side. “What do you mean, they are for us?”
He grinned and linked his fingers through mine, practically pulling me to the admission gate. An older woman with gray hair and a wide smile greeted us. “You must be Miss Georgia.”
I took her outstretched hand in mine and nodded. “I am.”
“We are so happy to be hosting you and your beau today.”
I giggled and looked at Quinn, who was beaming just as widely as the lady before me.
“Well, I’m happy to be here. Even though I have no idea what’s going on.”
My stomach fluttered nervously as the sweet old lady led us into the gardens. “Mr. Miller has arranged for a private tour of the gardens. Followed by a five-course brunch and finally––”
“Uh, we’ll leave that last part as a surprise, if you don’t mind, Barbara.” Quinn winked, and I swear the lady blushed. Not that I could blame her; Quinn did look exceptionally handsome today.
He’d insisted
that I wear a light and summery sundress with comfortable sandals while he was wearing a white linen shirt that was deliciously rolled up at the forearms, his skin golden from recent practices in the sun, and a pair of khaki shorts.
“Yes.” Barbara nodded, her eyes twinkling. “Surprises are good. Well,”—she clapped her hands together—“this is a self-guided tour, so I’ll let you two be on your way. See you soon. Enjoy.”
Warmth rushed through me, and I couldn’t wipe the excited grin from my face as we began to stroll through the gardens. Quinn’s hand was firmly in mine, and I squeezed his fingers in anticipation of what he had planned. “Did I tell you that I’ve never been here before?”
He looked surprised. “You love flowers and landscape, and you’ve never been to the botanical gardens?”
“I’ve been meaning to come,” I said as I stopped to admire the large fountain surrounded by blooming flowers. “Work and life have gotten in the way.”
Quinn brushed the hair from my shoulders and pressed a kiss to my skin, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind. “Life’s gotten in the way of a lot of things for me too. But all those blunders and missteps have led me here. I’m starting to think I should be thankful for everything I’ve once been angry about. Because there’s nowhere I’d rather be than right here. With you.”
My chest squeezed, warmth blooming inside me as though my heart was one of the beautiful flowers I was admiring. “You never did tell me why we’re doing this today.”
He spun me in his arms until I was facing him and pressed his lips to mine. It was soft and sweet and way too brief, but then again, none of his kisses ever lasted long enough for me. I could have spent the entire day wrapped in his arms, tasting him, and never tired of it.
“I thought it was time I take you on a real date. I wanted to show you how amazing you are and how lucky I feel to have you.”
I wondered if he could feel the way my heart was pounding in my chest, threatening to burst from the unbelievable surge of love that was flowing through my veins.
“Who knew you were such a romantic?” I grinned.
Quinn stepped back and gave me a half shrug as he draped his arm around my shoulders. I reached up and laced my fingers through his, and together we continued to wander the gardens. “I can’t take all the credit. Griff actually suggested it. Well, not the gardens; that was all my idea.” The corner of his mouth tipped up. “I know how much you love landscaping. But he’s a huge fan of renting out places just for him and Brooke.”
I looked around at the beautiful flowers, acres and acres of them blooming everywhere, and listened as the birds chirped happily, the only other sound that of the water flowing through the fountain and our shoes crunching on the gravel beneath our feet.
It was peaceful. It was serene. It was damn near heavenly. And it was all those things because I was here with Quinn. “I’m a pretty big fan of this too.”
“Well, I hope you’re a big fan of brunch too.”
On cue, my stomach rumbled, and he chuckled. “I’ll take that as a sign we should head over to the restaurant.”
I frowned. “Are we leaving already?”
“Nope. The chef’s got a special menu prepared just for us here on the grounds.” With the excitement back, Quinn practically danced as he led me along the gravel path to the on-site restaurant.
The last few weeks had been so heavy for both of us. Between the arrest that was still hanging over Quinn’s head, his sister, and my father’s heart attack, we’d barely had the chance to do anything that was just for us. We’d spent every free moment together, but there was just something so magical about being here, it was like we were the only two people in the world. I could have easily lived in this bubble where he and I were the center of the universe for the rest of my life and not felt like I was missing out on anything.
A man in a white chef’s coat stepped out to greet us and then led us to a table on the patio, a large greenery display in the middle.
There were paper menus on the two place settings, and after helping me get settled into my chair, Quinn took the seat next to mine.
“Good morning,” the chef said. “Miss Reed, it is a pleasure to meet you. Mr. Miller here told me that you’re a landscape architect, so I’ve focused today’s menu around edible flowers. I hope that you’ll enjoy.” He bowed slightly at the waist and then excused himself with the promise of returning with our first course and a cocktail.
I picked up the menu and scanned the list, excitement building as I read every delicious course. “How long have you been planning this?”
Quinn laughed. “Not long, actually. But when you’re a famous football player, nearly disgraced or not, you’re extended plenty of opportunities.”
“You are not nearly disgraced,” I told him, resting my hand on his leg.
His bare fingertips glided along my shoulders, my skin breaking into goose bumps. “We’ll see about that.”
The chef returned with a waitress and a tray of drinks and our appetizer. “I’m sure you’ve had the chance to go over the menu, but I thought I’d take a moment to discuss it with you.”
He placed the cocktails in front of us and a plate with the most beautiful food I’d ever seen in the center of the table. “We’ll start you with a rose and tarragon gin lemonade to go along with your avocado toast topped with spring flowers and a soft-boiled egg. For the soup and salad course, I have a honeysuckle vodka lemonade to sip while you enjoy a fresh spring salad and potato leek soup with chive blossoms. The main course will be a green pasta with pesto, grilled salmon topped with edible flowers. And finally, for dessert, crystalized squash blossoms on top of mini cheesecakes with a red clover lemonade to finish it off with.”
My mouth hung open as the chef encouraged us to enjoy before excusing himself to ready the next course.
“Quinn, this is amazing,” I breathed. “That plate is almost too pretty to eat.”
I picked up the lemonade, the scent of the beautiful rose petals garnishing the top filling my nose as I took a sip. “Mmmm…” I let my lids flutter shut. “God, this is good.”
His voice was husky as he leaned in, his lips by my ear, and said, “You keep making those noises, and we’re going to end up giving the chef in there a show.”
Desire shot through me as his breath danced across the sensitive skin of my neck. “I don’t know that I’d object to that right now.”
He chuckled and leaned back in his seat, and for the next hour, we were presented course after course of food that was not only delicious but absolutely stunning. I couldn’t help but take a picture of each dish and drink and was gleefully looking forward to showing them all to Piper.
When our brunch was over, I was slightly buzzed and completely satisfied, unable to wipe the grin off my face as the chef thanked us for our time and sent us on our way.
“I don’t want this day to end,” I sighed dreamily as Quinn and I walked through the gardens, me curled around his arm, his strong bicep flexed beneath my bicep.
“Lucky for you, it’s not over yet.” He kissed the top of my head and then said, “Close your eyes.”
“Quinn Miller, another surprise. You are getting so damn lucky tonight,” I said as I did what he asked.
“Totally not why I did all this, but I am not going to turn down that offer.” He continued to guide me, and I didn’t know if it was the cocktails or the intoxicating scents of the flowers around us, but I felt like I was floating through the different areas of the large gardens.
“Okay,” he said as we came to a stop. “You ready?”
I wasn’t sure what else he could possibly do to top the amazing morning we’d already had, but whatever it was, I was one hundred percent ready. With a slow nod and nervous excitement ricocheting around in my belly, I opened my eyes.
“Ta-da!” Quinn said, his voice sing-songy as he thrust his hand toward a patch of dirt.
I looked from the dirt back to him and then all around. We were standing in a corn
er of the gardens by a large section that was roped off but empty of any greenery or flowers. “Uh, thanks?”
His head fell forward, brown hair falling across his brow as laughter tumbled from his mouth. “Go look over there at that sign.”
On a wooden pole at the corner was a plaque that read “Georgia Rose Garden”.
I glanced back over my shoulder, my brows drawn together. “What’s this?”
“It’s your garden,” he said simply, his hands in the pockets of his khaki shorts.
My stomach dipped. My garden? “What are you talking about?”
With measured steps, he made his way over to me. “Well, the plaque is only temporary. I thought the official plaque could say something like ‘The Georgia Rose Garden spans half an acre of the approximately thirty-acre Atlanta Botanical Gardens. Expertly designed by the beautiful landscape architect Georgia Rose Reed, it’s a place where the designer hopes that you’ll find peace, love, and your own happily ever after.’ But, of course, we can tweak that some if you don’t like it. After all, it’s your garden.”
My mouth fell open as my pulse skyrocketed. “Did you say designed by me?” I looked between the large expanse of what I now saw as potential and the incredible man who had given it to me.
He nodded, a triumphant grin spread across the most beautiful face I’d ever seen. My legs moved before my mind even had a chance to register what they were doing, and I launched myself into his arms. “Oh my god, I love it. I love it so much.” I peppered his face with kisses as I wrapped myself around him. “I love you, Quinn.”
Large arms that had been my source of strength when I’d almost lost my father gripped my ass, holding me up as I crashed my mouth to his.
I’d known for a while that I was in love with Quinn. Maybe today would have been the day when I told him, or maybe not. But after all of this, there was no way that I was holding back any longer. Not because he’d probably spent an ungodly amount of money on setting this all up, but because he’d known me well enough to know that the gift of a patch of dirt was something that I would cherish forever. That he appreciated the quirks and flaws that went into making me, me. So, to hell if it was too soon to be in love with him. And to hell if it was too soon to tell him how I felt. After today, he deserved to know that he was quite literally the man of my dreams.
The Hardest Play Page 19