Carl set his now-empty food container in the trash and went to the tiny couch in the room. He came back with a small onesie with the Clearwater Raptor logo on it. “He brought this by. I can’t wait for Tilly to wear it.”
What a thoughtful gift. Heath could’ve given Tilly something from his own team, but instead, he chose something that meant more to her family. Curiosity burned as she wondered what was in the envelope.
Little Tilly wiggled and let out a squeak. Good grief, even that was adorable. Her eyelids lifted, and she blinked up at Raven.
“Hi there, pumpkin. It’s your auntie. You’ve got the prettiest eyes.” Raven crooned at the baby for several more minutes, not caring at all if she sounded silly. Tilly listened for a bit until the need for milk overrode everything else. A desperate cry ensued, and Raven stood to hand the baby to her mama—the only one with the means to grant that request.
Rosie tried to get the baby situated. “You should go read that letter, Raven. I’m not sure what time his flight is.” She gave her sister a knowing look.
Raven blinked at the envelope in her hands until Tilly’s cries brought her attention back to the others in the room. “I’ll give you guys some privacy. I’ll be back in a while.” She forced what she hoped was a normal smile before leaving.
She found a seat in the waiting room near the large wall of windows. The envelope felt heavy in her hands as she untucked the flap and withdrew a piece of paper with Heath’s handwriting on it. With a deep breath, she began to read.
Raven,
I can’t tell you how badly I wanted to talk to you before I left. I’m not sure if we’re missing each other, or if you’re avoiding me. Either way, this isn’t how I wanted to leave you again.
My job is in Cleveland, and your place is here. I don’t know what the answer is, sweetheart, but I’m not ready to give up on us yet.
I love you.
Always,
Heath
Raven read the letter twice, her eyes brimming with tears. She blinked past them, sending several cascading down her cheeks. Heath would be in San Antonio by now. She withdrew her phone, noting the missed call and text. She’d chosen to mute it before church and then forgot. Ironic considering yesterday she’d avoided him, not knowing what to say or do, and today she’d accomplished the same by accident.
With a sniff, she brushed the moisture off her cheeks and hit his number. It rang four times before voicemail kicked in. Raven listened to Heath’s deep voice for a few moments before hanging up. He was probably on the plane now, unable to use his cell phone.
She was too late.
Did he think she’d dismissed his letter because she hadn’t contacted him? That bothered her as much as anything else. But then, what would she have said if she had called him? That she loved him too? Raven groaned and rested her head in her hands. “What am I supposed to do, God? It’d be so much easier if You’d give me a clear sign.”
She sighed. There was no divine intervention. No answer written in sparkling lights.
Heath was on a plane somewhere between Texas and Ohio, but it felt like he might as well have been on his way to the moon.
~*~
What a ridiculously long flight. It didn’t help that Heath had left his heart back in Clearwater. With each passing minute on the plane, he wondered if Raven had gotten his note and whether he’d hear from her. He wished he had more notice before going back to Cleveland. Even another week would’ve given him time to figure out his next move.
It was after eight in the evening when the plane landed. Heath immediately turned his phone back on. Relief flooded his system when he saw that he’d missed a call from Raven. He sent her a text.
“I just landed. Will call you back as soon as I can.”
It took forever for the plane to taxi to the gate where everyone disembarked. Heath wheeled his suitcase up the ramp and into the cooler air of the airport. He decided to take a taxi to his apartment where his own car waited for him.
Once he got through the gate congestion, he found a spot near the exit and sat on a bench and dialed Raven’s number. She answered on the second ring. “Hey. You get there okay?”
“I did.” Hearing her voice made Heath relax more than he’d been able to all day. He leaned against the back of the bench. “It was a long flight. How are Rosie and Tilly doing?”
“They’re doing well. The doctors think they’ll be able to go home on Tuesday if everything continues like it has.”
“That’s great news.” He paused and wiped a sweaty palm against his pants. “Did you get my note?”
“Yes. I’m sorry I missed your call and text earlier. I’d silenced my phone for church and forgot to turn it back on. I never forget.” She was rambling, and he could picture her cheeks getting red and her hands waving in gestures. The thought made him smile as she continued. “I didn’t realize you were leaving so soon today. It was stupid… I should have called you back yesterday. I guess I needed time to think.” Her voice sounded sad.
“It’ll be okay, Raven. I’m going to get back to Clearwater as soon as I can. There’s a lot we need to talk about, and time isn’t our friend here.” He wished he could see her face right now. He closed his eyes and pictured that pretty smile of hers and those eyes that always held him captive. Were they even remotely on the same page? “I’ll send you my address here and let you know as soon as I do when I’ll be flying back.” Even as he said the words, he knew his coach wouldn’t be thrilled with him leaving any time soon. “We’ll figure this out.” There was silence on the other end. “Raven?”
“I’m still here.” Another stretch of silence. “We tried this once, Heath, and it didn’t work. What makes us think this will be any different?”
“Because I refuse to give up on us this time.”
Chapter Nineteen
Raven flopped onto Mandy’s couch and reached for the laundry basket on the floor by her feet. It was filled with a sea of blue, white, and green little boy clothes. She folded a cute shirt with a shark on it and put it on the coffee table.
“You don’t have to do that.” Mandy tossed her an amused look. “I think I can fold my own laundry.”
“Well, seeing as I showed up unannounced, it’s the least I can do.” Raven folded a pair of socks together, marveling at how tiny they were. Yet these clothes looked large compared to Tilly’s newborn things. She watched Mandy for a minute as she stacked blocks and then waited for Barry to knock them down.
As soon as he did, Barry erupted in giggles. He was sitting in front of the pile of blocks, clapping his hands, as he waited for Mandy to create another tower. “This is one of our favorite games.” She reached out and lovingly brushed hair out of her son’s eyes. “But trust me, if you want to grace me with adult conversation and fold my laundry, I’m not going to tell you no.” She watched Raven for a moment. “So what brings you to my neck of the woods on a Thursday afternoon?”
“I called into work sick. Needing a mental health day counts, right?”
“Seeing as I could count on a finger the number of times you’ve taken one, I’d definitely agree with that. Does the catalyst for such a monumental occasion happen to be playing football in Ohio?”
Raven flinched. “Maybe.” She folded a few more articles of clothing before leaning into the corner of the couch. “Heath and I talk on the phone every evening, but it’s not the same. There’s a lot we’re not saying, and I feel like the pressure’s building, waiting to explode.” She shrugged. “My parents think I should go to Ohio. After he left the first time, I feel like he should be the one to make the grand gesture. Is that silly?”
“What kind of gesture are you wanting?”
Raven’s face warmed. “I guess I spent months after he left the first time hoping he’d decide he couldn’t live without me and that being together was worth more than anything else.” She made a face. “Yeah, that sounds dumb now.”
“Not dumb, Raven. Just not realistic now. Playing football is Heath’s job.
He’s probably got a contract with the team. How long has he lived in Cleveland? He has an apartment there. A life.” When Raven’s face fell, Mandy held up a hand. “I’m not saying he doesn’t want you two to be together, or that he’s not considering your relationship a priority. But let’s face it. Choices were made, lives were lived, and that doesn’t go away like this.” Mandy snapped her fingers.
Barry studied his own hand, opening and closing it as though he were trying to mimic his mom. Both women smiled at his antics.
Raven gave up on folding clothes. Instead, she sank to the floor with her back against the couch and welcomed a cuddle from her favorite baby boy. “Part of me wants to throw everything to the wind and go to Cleveland. But Rosie just had the baby, and I had enough of my parents trying to push me to go after Heath that first year he left. Not to mention you, and Chrissy, and my job. I can’t leave it all behind. Besides, what if he’s decided the life he built there is better than anything we could have together?”
“I seriously doubt that’s the case.” Mandy looked thoughtful. “Okay, how about this? Take all of those complications out of the equation. If it was only you and Heath, what would you do?”
Raven thought for several heartbeats. “I’d go to Cleveland. But it’s not that easy. My job—”
“What you do is in high demand, Raven. You could find a job anywhere as a physical therapy assistant.” She crossed her arms. “And we’ve talked about how the pay at CRC is way below the national average for what you do. You could probably get a better-paying job up there.” She raised an eyebrow in challenge. “What other excuses do you have?”
There was a whole string of reasons why these weren’t excuses, but the more Raven thought about it, the sillier they became. “My parents have been on my case about Heath all week. If I go, they’ll never let me live it down.”
Mandy laughed at that one. “So they’ve been wrong about a lot of stuff most of your life. They were bound to get something right eventually. Don’t let that stop you from finding love and happiness and all that. Give them a check mark in the win column and move on.”
“Hey, I thought I was the painfully blunt side of this friendship.” Raven tried to force a serious glare, but it was clear from Mandy’s amused smile it wasn’t convincing.
“Sometimes the tables need to be turned, my friend.” She picked Barry up and patted his back for a few moments before the little guy was on the move again. He inched his way forward on his belly to reach a toy that went straight into his mouth. “Now, where were we? Oh, that’s right. We took care of your job and your parents. As for Rosie and her family, me, and Chrissy, I think we’ll survive. We’ve got social media and phone calls. Unless you’re planning on being a recluse, you’re bound to get down here for a visit now and again. And I’ve always wanted to go on a vacation to Lake Erie.”
The possibility of leaving Clearwater and everyone in it brought tears to Raven’s eyes. But at the same time, she could hear a conversation she had with Heath a few weeks ago echo in her mind. “You could’ve come home any time, Heath.” Wasn’t that the same for her as well? Just because she left didn’t mean she was never coming back again.
The thought fueled the speck of hope in her heart, and a slow smile transformed her face. “I guess I’m going to Cleveland.” She got to her feet and walked to the big picture window and back again. “I need to reserve a plane ticket. Oh, and convince Fay to give me tomorrow off, too. Can I book a flight on such short notice?” She stopped her pacing. “What do I say to Heath?”
Mandy stood then, a big grin on her face. “I think you know the answer to that. As for the rest, why don’t you call Fay, and I’ll bring up some websites so we can go shopping for a ticket?”
“Yeah. Okay.” Raven’s hands shook as she took her phone out. She walked back to the picture window again and found the CRC phone number in her list of contacts. As the phone rang, she smiled at the image of herself reflected in the glass pane. A grand gesture was exactly what they needed, and no one said it was Heath who had to make it.
~*~
Heath walked out of the fancy office building and into the chilly air Friday afternoon. He was happier than he’d been in a long time. No, not happy. Free. He spun his keyring around a finger as he trekked across the parking lot to his car. There was a lot of work to do to put his plan into motion, but today he’d taken the first major step.
He sang out loud to whatever song came on the radio and drove across town to his little apartment. After parking in his usual spot, he took the stairs two at a time, coming to a halt when he saw Raven sitting on the step in front of his door. She jumped to her feet the moment she heard him approach.
“Hi, Heath.” She looked uncertain as she shuffled her feet. Her cheeks and nose were red thanks to the chilly air.
Heath looked up at the clouds building with rain in the forecast. “How long have you been waiting here? You’ve got to be freezing.” He moved forward then stopped. “Is everything okay?” Her nervous expression was making him anxious as well.
Raven shrugged. “I wanted to surprise you. Then I took a taxi here and realized maybe I didn’t think things through.” She laughed. “The longer I waited, the more I wondered whether I should’ve called first. Maybe you’d rather I didn’t—”
He wasn’t about to let her finish that statement. He covered the distance between them in three long strides and enveloped her in his arms. The contented sigh she released as he covered her lips with his own confirmed everything he’d set in motion today. He kissed one of her cheeks, the chill of her skin reminding him that she needed to get inside. “Here, let me open the door…”
Raven shook her head. “Wait. There’s something I need to say. If I don’t say it now…”
Well, that guaranteed his undivided attention. He studied her face as she took a step backward. “We can talk inside.”
She ignored him and took a deep breath. “Look, I know this is presumptuous, but I spent most of last night browsing different employment sites. I think I could get a job here as a physical therapist assistant pretty easily. I haven’t talked to Fay about it yet, but I’m certain she’d give me a letter of recommendation.”
Heath blinked at her, trying to process the words she was throwing at him. “Wait. What are you talking about?”
Raven ran her hands through her hair, gathering it all together and twisting it at the base of her neck. “This long-distance stuff isn’t working, Heath. And I refuse to spend the next years of my life wondering what would’ve happened if…” Her voice caught. “I can relocate here. It might take a couple of weeks to get everything figured out.” She stopped, her eyes searching his. “If that’s what you want, too.”
He reached for her hand. “What about your family and Clearwater? That’s your home.”
“I can always go back and visit. But my home is with you.”
Heath’s heart expanded and tripped over itself as he absorbed the sincerity in her eyes. “You are my home, too, sweetheart.” He tugged on her hand, bringing her back into his arms where he kissed her until they were both breathless. He rested a hand on each of her cheeks and smiled. “Now will you come inside where it’s warmer?”
She nodded. He unlocked the door and led her inside. Raven stopped, taking in the room full of boxes. “Did you just move in? I was thinking you’d had this apartment for a while.”
Heath put an arm around her shoulders and placed a kiss to her temple. “No. I’m moving out.”
“What? I don’t understand.”
“I got back from signing the paperwork. I took early retirement, Raven, so I could come back to you in Clearwater.”
Raven’s jaw dropped. She turned to look at him, her eyes filled with tears. “Are you serious?”
Heath laughed. “Yes, sweetheart, I’m dead serious.” He brushed some hair off her forehead. “I spoke with the team’s physical therapist here, and after working on the field, we agreed that I would never be back to my full strength again.
I’ve felt that would be the case for a long while, but I needed the doctor to confirm. Besides, I guess my heart wasn’t in playing football anymore. Not when it meant I have to be away from you.”
“But what will you do in Clearwater?”
“I own several businesses in town. I’m sure I can find something to keep myself busy.” He winked. “Wait here for a minute.” He retrieved a small box from his side table and slipped it into a pocket before returning. “This isn’t exactly how I planned it, but I can’t think of better timing.” With that, he withdrew the box and opened it, revealing the engagement ring he’d put on her finger once before.
Heath took her left hand in his. “My sweet Raven. I promise I will not leave your side until my last breath. All I want is to spend the rest of our lives showing you how much I love you.” He watched as Raven covered her mouth with her free hand and a tear escaped the corner of her eye. “Will you marry me?”
“Yes.”
Her breathless answer was all he needed. Heath slid the ring on her finger, happy to see it still fit. She stepped into his embrace, fitting perfectly into his arms.
“I love you, Heath.”
“I love you, too.”
Chapter Twenty
December 31st
Raven buried her nose in a lavender bouquet and breathed in deep. She only lifted her head when Rosie laughed.
“You aren’t getting cold feet, are you?” She shifted two-month-old Tilly to her shoulder.
“No.” She shot her sister a look of warning which was promptly ignored. “But I am worried about tripping over my shoes, running over the flower girl, or something else just as mortifying.” When she’d chosen fresh lavender for her wedding bouquet, she’d had no idea how much she’d need its calming effects.
“You have nothing to worry about,” Mandy assured her as she buzzed around Raven’s head with a can of hairspray and a brush. “You look gorgeous, and even if you do trip and fall, I’m sure Heath won’t mind catching you and carrying you to the altar.” She winked.
Marrying Raven (Brides of Clearwater Book 2) Page 15