by Ryan, Kaylee
The smile drops from his face, and I know he’s pissed. I can see it in the tic of his jaw and the look in his eyes. “Let’s get something straight right now. Reese is my best friend. She has been since I was eight years old. Yes, she was engaged before, and it never happened. That’s all that you need to know. I love this team, the Defenders is my home, but I promise you that I will not stand for you or anyone portraying her in a bad light. I suggest you take this as your one and only warning.” He then looks up at the camera. “To anyone else out there who thinks they can run me and my fiancée through the mud to sell papers, I advise you to think again. I know you’re aware of my new contract with the Defenders, and I’m prepared to spend it all to defend her honor.” He gives the camera a hard look, then moves to bestow the same look on the reporter before he runs to the sidelines just below where we are sitting and jumps the wall.
I stand still, frozen, waiting to see what happens next. All attention is suddenly on him as he stands before me. His hand lifts to my face, and he smiles down at me. It’s the smile I get from him every day. The one that says he loves me, and he always will. “Hey, beautiful,” he says softly.
“Coop, I’m so sorry, I—” I start, and he cuts me off with his index finger to my lips.
“No, baby. I’m sorry. My job brought this on you, and I promise you I will fight any story. Hell, I’ll give it all up if I have to. I won’t let them talk to you or treat you like that.”
“Nothing they say can hurt me. The only thing that can hurt me is losing you.”
His eyes soften. “That’s never going to happen, Mrs. Reeves.”
“Future,” I remind him, smiling.
“I love you,” he says, shaking his head.
“I love you too.”
He leans in and kisses me, and the crowd goes crazy. We pull away from the kiss and look around to see that we are now on the jumbotron. Cooper raises my engagement ring to his lips and places a kiss there before releasing me and jumping back over the wall.
My mom loops her arm through mine as I stand here and watch him jog off to the locker room with the rest of his team. I don’t want to turn around to face the crowd, but I know that I have to.
“Ready?” I turn and lean out a little to look at our parents.
“Uh, Reese.” Trevor smiles. “I think you should turn around.”
“Why? Are they all staring at me?”
“Just do it, sweetheart,” my dad says.
Mom and Ann grin and nod, as Mom drops her arm from mine. Taking a deep breath, I turn, and tears prick my eyes. There is a line formed, but not to exit the stadium. No, it’s formed, waiting for me.
“He’s my favorite,” a teenage boy says, who is first in line. He takes the hat off his head and hands it to me with a Sharpie. “Will you sign this?”
I nod, unable to speak from the knot in my throat. I sign Future Mrs. Reeves with Cooper’s number and hand it back to him. The next person steps up, and I repeat this same step over and over again. It’s surreal, and these are his fans. I can’t turn them away. They’re showing their support for him and for me. I was scared of being judged by his fans, by the media, but here on his home turf, this is their way of telling me they don’t care about my past, only our future. They support their favorite player and, by association, me.
I stand here with our parents at my side and sign every item placed in front of me. There are maybe ten people left in line when Cooper appears. He shakes hands, and signs items sent his way, and when he makes it to me, he pulls me into his side.
“Looks like you have some fans.”
“They’re your fans.” I smile up at him.
“You better get busy so we can go home.” He nods, and to my surprise, the ten or so people are still there. I figured once they got his signature, they would leave, but they stayed. I take the seat cushion and sign what I’ve been signing all day.
“That’s fucking awesome.” Cooper grins when he sees it.
I laugh, not looking at him, and sign the next item given to me. Once they are all gone, I turn to look at our parents and Cooper, who are watching me. All five of them are smiling. “What?”
“It’s a good thing you aren’t the one with the professional career. You’d never be able to leave the house.” Ann chuckles.
“Why?”
“Because you can’t tell them no. I don’t know of anyone, even me, who would have stood there that long to sign autographs,” Cooper explains.
“But they’re your fans, and they support us. I thought that was the least I could do.”
“The media is going to love her,” Trevor comments.
“America’s power couple. I can see it now,” my dad replies dramatically.
“Come on, you goofs. I’m starving.”
“Let’s go home.” Cooper takes my hand in his and leads us up the steps and out of the stadium. The six of us head back to our place. The guys throw some steaks on the grill, while Mom, Ann, and I make some sides. It’s the perfect ending to a day I thought was going to end in disaster.
Chapter 23
Cooper
It’s the week before Thanksgiving, and the Defenders have a bye this week. You know who else has a bye? The Louisiana Badgers. That means that Nixon and Tessa are free. Reese and I are free. Our parents made themselves free when I called them last week.
I don’t want to wait until February to marry Reese. I need her to be my wife now. As in this week. She already has a dress; it’s at her parents’ place. Her mom is bringing it with her. She sent me a picture of it in her luggage. Tessa, Mom, and Eve have helped me so much with this little plan of mine. I owe them. Mom and Eve assured me they knew what Reese wanted me to wear and after rattling off my measurements, they’re taking care of it. That was last week, and I’m not worried. I know they will come through for me. For us.
Our parents, as well as Tessa and Nixon, are already on a flight to Fiji. They’re taking care of everything; the hard part is getting my gorgeous fiancée there without her knowing what’s going on. I have a plan for that as well. I’ll just have to see if I can pull it off.
Speaking of my fiancée, she’s currently still sleeping peacefully. We don’t have to rush; our flight doesn’t leave until later this afternoon. I thought that was best in case I need to do some convincing. Careful so as to not wake her, I push her hair out of her eyes. Leaning in, I kiss her forehead and pull her a little closer. I can never seem to get her close enough.
“Morning,” she says, slowly blinking her eyes open.
“Morning, beautiful.”
“What’s got you so chipper?” she asks over a yawn.
“Bye week.”
She smiles. It lights up her face and warms my heart.
“You still have practice and stuff, though, right?”
“We do, but Coach is giving us a couple of days off to rejuvenate before we get back to it. We don’t play again until next weekend.”
“I’m so excited to get some time with you.”
“Yeah?”
“You searching for compliments, Reeves?” she teases.
“Nope. But I do have an idea.”
“Oh, yeah? What’s that?” she asks, snuggling up to me.
“I was thinking, we should go check out the resort where we’re going to get married. Make sure the pictures do it justice. I don’t want to get there, and the place be a shitshow.” I know it’s not, and so does she, but this is the best I could come up with.
“The pictures are nice, and the reviews are great. I think we’re okay.”
“Just humor me then. I still want to go. We can’t stay long since I have to get back for practice, but it would be nice to go away with you for a couple of days. We’ve never done that. Just the two of us.”
“That does sound nice. I wonder if we can even get a flight, and it would cost a fortune.”
“We can afford it,” I assure her. “Let me look.” I grab my phone from the nightstand and pretend to search for flights while
she uses the restroom. I pull up my ticket confirmation email and scroll to where she can’t see the date it was sent, and I’m ready. “Done,” I say when she steps out of the bathroom.
“What do you mean, done?” she asks.
“I mean there were two first-class seats this afternoon. We have to be at the airport by noon. Our flight leaves at one thirty.”
“You booked it?”
“Yep.” It’s always better to ask for forgiveness instead of permission; at least, it is in this case.
“Coop, this is crazy. We can’t just fly to Fiji.”
“Sure we can. You better grab a shower and pack a bag. We’re only going to be there for three days, so pack light.” Not that she’s going to need much. Everything she needs for the wedding is there, and I don’t plan on getting dressed any time after we say I do. At least not until we have to go home.
“You’re serious?”
“Yes. I’m going to grab a quick shower and make us some breakfast.”
“You need to pack.”
“I know, but I’ll just toss some shorts and whatnot into a bag. I’m a guy. I’m easy. Besides, I don’t plan on us needing much clothing, if any.” I wink at her.
“Where are we going to stay?” she counters. “We can’t just fly to Fiji without a reservation.”
“It’s an all-inclusive thing. I booked it with one of those online deals that give you the flight, the room, and the car at one price.”
“We’re really doing this?”
“We are, so get that fine ass of yours in gear.” I climb out of bed and drop a kiss to her lips on my way to the shower. “Don’t come in here. Give me five minutes. If we shower together, we’re never going to make our flight.” Damn tempting woman.
“I’ll start packing,” she says excitedly.
I’m grateful my back is to her so she doesn’t see my smile. Convincing her that this was a good idea was a hell of a lot easier than I thought it would be. My plan is coming together and tomorrow evening, as the sun sets—just as she planned it—we’ll vow to love each other for eternity in front of those who are closest to us.
I can’t fucking wait.
* * *
“I tried to call my mom and yours to let them know we were going out of town, but I got their voice mail,” Reese says from her spot next to me. We just made it through security and are sitting at the gate, waiting to board our flight.
“Did you leave them a message?”
“Yeah, that’s just odd that neither of them answered,” she says, staring down at her phone.
“It is in the middle of the day, and they are working,” I remind her.
“I know, but usually they always take my calls.”
“Spoiled,” I tease her.
“Hush.” She laughs, leaning her shoulder into mine.
“We can call them when we land. I’m sure they’re both going to want to hear all about the resort.” It’s not a lie. We can call them when we land. She just doesn’t know they’re going to be in Fiji when she calls them. This plan is coming together so smoothly. I keep waiting for some kind of hiccup, but so far, everything is falling right into place.
“True. I’m really excited to see it. This was a great idea. Frivolous, but a great idea all the same.”
“This is our wedding we’re talking about. I want this day to be everything you ever dreamed it would be. It’s worth the trip to make sure that happens.”
“We’re getting married.” Her smile lights up my life.
“Damn right we are. It can’t happen soon enough,” I say, kissing the corner of her mouth.
“How pissed do you think our families would be if we got married while we were there?” she asks.
I turn in my chair to look at her. “What are you saying?”
She shrugs. “Just a thought. I mean, it’s where we want to get married, and we’re going to be there. It’s what we both want. We’re only waiting because of your schedule. I didn’t know you would get time off during your bye week, or I would have scheduled it for this week anyway.”
I’m flabbergasted by what she’s saying and fucking thrilled at the same time. This little surprise I have planned is going to be well received. That just lifted a huge weight off my shoulders.
“I mean if you don’t want to—” she starts, but my kiss stops her from saying anything else.
“There is nothing I want more in this life than for you to be my wife.”
“Don’t say no,” she says, with a hint of pleading in her voice. “Just keep an open mind when we get there. See how we’re both feeling about it then.”
“You really want to do this? Get married without our families?”
She shrugs. “It’s not ideal, but the truth is, I want to be Mrs. Reeves. Maybe we can have another small ceremony or something after the season is over. Hell, we could even come back here. You could marry me twice.” She grins.
“Baby, I would marry you every single fucking day.” I press my lips to hers.
When she pulls away, she whispers once more, “Just think about it.”
I nod. I was stoked about this trip before, and now even more so. There was some worry she wasn’t going to be ready, but she’s eased my fears.
I’m excited for when we land, and she sees our parents, Tessa, and Nixon. She’s going to go crazy, and I can’t fucking wait.
We board our flight, and I fight the battle of my surprise getting the best of me. I want to tell her now what’s about to happen. I manage to keep my shit in check and not spoil it for her, but the suspense is killing me. I can’t wait to see the smile that lights up her face when she realizes what I’ve done.
Even more than that. Tomorrow at this time, she’s going to be Mrs. Cooper Reeves. It’s been a long time coming. A year ago, this felt so out of reach for us, but now, here we are, and I’m never letting her go.
Never.
Chapter 24
Reese
Sixteen hours later, we’ve reached our final destination. That was a long-ass flight, but the view before me as we ride to the resort is breathtaking. Instantly, I know it feels right. This is where we are meant to vow to love one another until death do us part. I just hope I convince Cooper to do it this trip instead of waiting. I’m tired of waiting. I’m ready to move forward to start our life, and what better time than now?
Sure, I wish our families could be here, but it is what it is. The marriage is about us. Me and Cooper and the love we share. They’ll understand. They all know the battle it’s been for us to get here. They know what’s in our hearts, and I’m certain they will be thrilled for us.
“So, have you thought anymore about getting married?”
“Every fucking day.”
“How about today? Or we could do tomorrow?” I offer sweetly.
“You really want to marry me. Here and now?”
“Yes.” I don’t hesitate with my answer. This is what I want. Here. Now. Forever. I want to be his.
“Your destination,” the driver says, interrupting us.
“Thank you.” Cooper reaches up to pay him, including a hefty tip, and we climb out of the car.
“Wow.” I look around, and my eyes land on the sign. “Coop! This is it. This is the place I wanted to get married.” It’s fate, it has to be.
“Is it?” he asks.
“Yes. See, it’s official. It has to happen. This is not a coincidence.”
He pulls our bags from the trunk and wheels them behind him. I follow, soaking in the beauty that surrounds us. Cooper checks us in, and I follow him to the elevator.
“I got us the largest suite they have. Might as well see what it’s all about,” he says, smiling.
“I love you.”
His brown eyes sparkle. “I love you more.”
The elevator dings and we walk down the hall to our room. “Babe, the key is in my back pocket,” he tells me.
I fish it out and open the door, holding it for him. “Go on in,” he says, propping it open with hi
s foot.
I turn around and am greeted with a chorus of “Surprise.” I stop in my tracks as I take in Nixon and Tessa first. Her smile is wide as she winks at me. Then it’s Trevor and Ann. She’s wiping tears from her eyes while Trevor is smiling widely. Finally, I come to rest on my parents. My mom is crying and my dad, well, he’s smiling just as wide, if not bigger than Trevor.
“What? I don’t understand,” I say, my eyes scanning back over the six of them. I turn to look at Cooper and find him on one knee.
“I love you.” His voice is strong. Confident. “I can’t wait any longer. I took a risk changing things on you, but I promise we’ve done everything that we can to make this day exactly as you planned. Reese.” He swallows hard. “Will you marry me, baby? Here. Now, in Fiji?”
Tears coat my cheeks as I struggle to take in a breath. That’s what he does to me. My fiancé. He takes my breath away. Never in a million years was I expecting this. We’re getting married. Here. Now. “Yes!” I say excitedly. I’ve kept him waiting long enough. I don’t want to wait until the season is over. I thought we had to. This is perfect. I’m ready to be his wife. I’m ready for him to be my husband. I’m ready to start the next phase of our lives together.
He stands and pulls me into a kiss, and our family swarms us. Breaking apart, we accept hugs and handshakes before settling in the sitting area.
“I have to know. How did you pull this off?” I ask all of them.
“It’s all that man of yours,” Tessa explains. “He called us last week and put the plan in motion.”
“You have a bye week too?” I ask Nixon, which is obvious, or he wouldn’t be here.
“Yep.”
“Why didn’t I realize that sooner? I could have planned this week.”
“You did,” Cooper tells me. “I called the resort, and they assured me everything you had planned for our February date would be possible this week as well.”
“I brought your dress,” Mom adds.
“And I have Cooper covered,” Ann tells me.