The trip to the post gym was a quick one. Once inside, Conrad went straight for the weights throwing the round wheels on the straight bar and started pumping trying to forget Addie and the hurt look on her face as she stood at the end of his bed.
Marry me.
It’s what he’d wanted to say to her while she stood there in the kitchen unmoving. But he had to give her time. After the free weights for a while, he went to do a legs set, then finally to run the track. He guzzled the Gatorade that Nathan bought him and started running. After about mile four, Nathan fell out and stretched as Conrad continued to run.
Run to forget.
Run to hope that she’ll come back to him.
Run so that 747 he was flying wouldn’t crash if Addie didn’t get over what didn’t happen.
How did it all come to this? How did these situations find him just when things with Addie were on the straight and narrow? The day he wanted to ask Addie to marry him, Nathan called in the ‘anything you want for your birthday’ marker.
Nathan wanted to go the strip club with Conrad and the other guys that they’d worked with. And hell, after a three week field problem, they all really needed to go out. The only difference was, the other guys that had wives or girlfriends went home to them. He got called out to help the girl that literally fell out of his bed in front of his girlfriend. But the gratitude he got for it was for Addie to find him sprawled out in his bed naked with her, even though she was clothed and said she was only cold.
Finally realizing that he was toast, Conrad ran to where Nathan was sitting in the bleachers waiting for him. He stretched out, drank the rest of the Gatorade and decided it was time to go home. The ride back was a little longer as the afternoon weekend traffic was heavier, but they’d pulled into the apartment complex and Nathan said he was planning to visit the pool. Conrad said he’d go with.
Pulling into a spot, Nathan and Conrad got out of the car and stopped when they saw Addie sitting on the bottom of the stairs leading up to their apartment. Nathan was the first to say anything as Addie stood and looked at Conrad, his clothes sweat soaked.
“Hey Addie.” Nathan said. He walked up to her and kissed her cheek. “Go easy, he just ran his legs into muscle failure.”
Addie gave a halfhearted smile and rubbed his hand with hers as he passed her to go upstairs. It was like a stare off for a few minutes. Addie looking remorseful. Conrad looking…expectant maybe.
“I think your coffee mug is broken.” Conrad said. “I threw it at the wall when you left.”
“I can get a new one.” She answered shrugging her shoulders.
“So ah…what’s up?” He asked shifting on his feet.
Addie held the box out to him in the palm of her hand. “Here.”
Conrad’s heart sank. He almost fell to his knees. His mouth fell open, not knowing what to say.
Shaking her head, Addie explained. “It’s not what you think.” She tried to smile as tears filled her eyes. “I want you to put it on me.”
Conrad huffed out a breath in relief. “Fucking hell Addie. Don’t do that to me.”
Conrad took the few steps to her and took the box in his hand. “You want dinner and all that other shit that you girls seem to like?”
She shook her head. “All I need is you.”
Conrad opened the box and pulled out the engagement ring and saw that his band was missing.
“Where’s the…my…”
“Your band? I took it up the street to a jeweler while you were out.”
“Why?” He looked confused.
“I got it engraved.”
Conrad smiled and took Addie’s left hand, sliding the ring onto her finger to the first knuckle.
“Are you sure Addie? There is no going back.” He said seriously.
She nodded. “Absolutely.”
He slid the ring on her finger and looked at it for a moment before he grabbed her and kissed her passionately.
Epilogue
“I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride.” The officiate announced.
Cheers from family and friends went up, laughing and cheering as Conrad and Addie kissed. When they pulled apart, Conrad smiled brightly into Addie’s hazel eyes. “Love you Mrs. Renner.”
“Love you too Mr. Renner.” She scrunched her nose and smiled. “Thank you for wearing your dress uniform.”
“May I present to you…Sergeant First Class and Mrs. Conrad Renner.”
Again more cheering went out from the small group. Addie and Conrad made it down the aisle waving to their friends and family. At the end of the aisle, on the South Plaza of Heinz Stadium Conrad kissed Addie again.
“Congratulations man!” Nathan, his best man came up to congratulate them.
“Thanks dude.” Conrad took Nathan into a man hug, shaking hands and slapping backs.
“Let me get some of this man love.” Cal said as he handed his baby girl to Tracy, then man hugged Conrad and Nathan.
More hugs and congratulations came from Talia and her husband and Addie and Conrad’s families. The wedding was small. Everyone joked that it was Conrad that wanted to get married quickly, not Addie. It was a miracle he didn’t just drag her off to Vegas. But their love for all things Steelers football had Conrad calling his dad and getting the stadium in only six months.
Conrad wore his dress uniform with his pants bloused in his shiny jump boots and his burgundy beret as Addie’s request. He was a Sky Soldier for life and she wanted to make that a prevalent part of their lives. Her simple cap sleeved, lace dress had a foot long train was paired with heels that were dyed to match Conrad’s Infantry Blue cord that he wore on his uniform to show her support to his service. With his new promotion to Sergeant First Class, Conrad was running around trying to get his new stripes sewn on his uniform in time for the wedding.
It was when the newly married couple had a few minutes to themselves as the photographer was changing his SD card that Conrad asked Addie what she had engraved on his ring. This whole time, she’d hidden it from him, wanting it to be a surprise.
“Take it off and look at it.” Addie smiled.
Conrad slid the ring off of his ring finger and brought it closer to read it.
Addie’s Jumper.
He grinned like a Cheshire cat and leaned in for a kiss.
That moment, Conrad holding his ring, the smile on his face as he looked at his wife, that was the picture that Addie and Conrad framed and put in their bedroom.
He was her jumper….she was his anchor line.
Anchor Line Page 40