by Kim Koby
“I’m happy that you’re happy. I am. My biggest concern is that the level of stress he’s been through…Yeah, well, you know. All I ask is that you be careful with your heart. Don’t move too fast.”
“Point taken. For now, I’m choosing to look at the good stuff.”
“Fair enough. Hey, did you hear we just got a football team? They moved the Syracuse Sidewinders to the area. They renamed the team, and man, they’re pushing merchandise everywhere. It’s like the biggest thing to happen here. Soon you’ll be hearing about the Long Valley Vipers. Nice colors, though. In other news, my brother is looking to move back from Colorado in a couple of months. He’s thinking of changing jobs. Mom and Dad are fine. Nothing exciting going on. Just work, like usual. Not like I have much of a social life since you went back to Texas. I miss having you here. Ace has filled in the gaps. The guys at the firehouse can be fun. I go out with his buddies, but it’s not like there’s anything going on. We’re just friends.”
“Ace is a good guy. A bit of a playboy, but nice. Glad the firehouse guys are helping you pass the time. You should move to Texas. As for now, I’ve got a San Antonio Rebel to tend to,” she squealed. “I can’t believe we’re back together. I’m so unbelievably thrilled. I never would have pictured this in a million years.”
“It is nice to hear you energized. It’s been a while. See, I’m happy for you. Okay, I’m going to eat before my pizza gets cold. Call me later and let me know how things are going.”
“I will.”
Chapter 12
Jett’s gaze settled on the large Christmas tree that sat in the middle of town square. Normally, during this time of year he’d be sharing in laughter and love with friends and family. Instead, he was mourning the loss of his brother.
Every year in the past, he’d hired a decorator to adorn his home with wreaths, candles, and an enormous tree. There wasn’t a trace of Christmas décor to be found in his house this year. It had completely skipped his mind. And quite honestly, celebrating was the last thing on he wanted to do.
As a child, Christmas was his favorite time of year. There were presents galore, trays of goodies like cookies and petit cakes, and all his cousins would come to visit. It might not have been a snowy Christmas in Texas, but it was a season filled with love.
In a moment, everything changed. He’d never see the season the same way again.
Christmas would always be the time when he lost his brother.
Jett’s thoughts drifted to his teammates. He wondered how Sy, DJ, Emmitt, and Austin were making out. They’d intended on tackling important issues and righting wrongs during the week. Each had their own challenge to face. As painful as Jett’s week was, he knew that the time had come to finally say goodbye to Will. He knew Will wouldn’t have wanted to spend his life attached to machines.
Jett snapped back to reality. He’d drifted off into a daze.
While in town, he wanted to grab a couple of things. He’d get a gift for his mother, some Danish or baked good, and maybe a bottle of scotch for the old man, and he needed to figure out something for Brandy.
He dazed out again, this time reflecting on Terry Jones. He’d always gone above and beyond helping others. Jett had a few of his own events, raising money here and there, but it was never at the level of Terry’s work. While he had teamed up with a medical supply company and hosted a Leukemia event, it was a drop in the bucket next to the ongoing work that Terry did. Terry did it from his heart, whereas Jett did it out of a sense of obligation.
Christmas was the perfect opportunity to reach out.
He’d send a big fat donation to the local food bank, then consider options for the future. He needed to concentrate on making a bigger difference. He’d been blessed in his career and hadn’t done nearly enough. His lack of passion toward any one charity over another bothered him. What happened to his compassion? He went through the motions during most of the events he attended, but there had to be more.
He’d pretty much been going through the motions in every aspect of his life. Will’s tragic accident touched so many pieces of him. It was time to start living again. In fact, he was determined to taste a bit of Christmas and holiday cheers before he returned to work. Time was running short, but he’d fit it in.
He finally turned away from the massive tree that was fashioned in red and gold ribbons.
He had no idea what he’d get Brandy, but it should be something special. The fact that they’d decided to move forward together as a couple was huge, but he didn’t want to over gift. If he gave her a ring, she might take it the wrong way. A bracelet or pendant might be a smarter choice if he went the jewelry route. He didn’t want things to move too quickly.
Jett wandered through a jewelry store. After speaking with a salesperson, he decided on pink diamond earrings. They were elegant, personal, but didn’t scream marriage. He wanted to avoid any chance she might think otherwise.
He’d make a call and arrange for a romantic dinner with all the bells and whistles while he had time to focus on her. With the rest of the season coming up, then hopefully the playoffs, he wanted things to be special since their time would be limited in the next few weeks.
She’d brought joy back into his life during a very dark moment.
Jett wanted to stop and check in on his folks. He dropped by and spent some time with them. It was hard, as they were all adjusting to their new reality. After spending time with his mom and dad, he finally headed home.
There were some timing issues he wanted to work out. He’d be playing ball again shortly. It was unheard of to get the week off, but it all worked out in their favor. The following day, there was a late day practice. Sunday, he had a full day of practice.
This next game was crucial. They needed to pull off a couple more wins—two to be precise. As for Monday’s game, they were gunning to beat the Miami Surf. If they could lock that one up, it put them that much closer to the goal. With two more wins, they’d make it to the playoffs. And after recently losing Terry Jones, it was on everybody’s mind. They needed to bring it home, make an impact, and win it not only for the team but to honor Terry’s memory.
Jett made his way to the kitchen and rummaged through the fridge. He pulled out a couple of big, fat ribeyes for lunch. He’d grill them up and then focus on making another batch of barbecue sauce. He wanted to try another combination by tweaking and shifting the measurements of a couple of ingredients. He was so close to finding perfection, but he hadn’t found it yet.
He grabbed a couple of eggs from the refrigerator. Steak and eggs sounded like a good plan. Though, he’d never quite gotten the hang of cooking other things. The grill was his happy place, while the stove tolerated his efforts time to time.
Once he got the steaks started, he headed back inside and grabbed a frying pan. He heated up the pan, while he cracked the eggs into a bowl. Shell crumbled into the egg. Too much shell. He grumbled under his breath and tried to dig out the pieces. They slipped this way and that way, in evasive moves that would make some of his teammates jealous.
Stupid shells wouldn’t give it up. Annoyed, he tossed the entire bowl of eggs down the drain and ran the garbage disposal. Who needed eggs anyway when there was meat? Stupid eggs. Stupid eggs and shells. Like a fox unable to reach grapes, he walked away, deciding he didn’t want eggs after all.
Maybe another time.
He made a call to Brandy. He hoped her schedule was flexible enough to fit in a nice dinner. He’d arranged for a pontoon boat to be dressed up in Christmas décor, and had a private meal planned for the two of them.
Something a little different. Memorable, but not too over the top.
After dinner, he’d take her for a few drinks and meet up with some friends. He wanted to introduce her back into his world slowly, and hometown friends were a good first step before she met his teammates.
Brandy’s shift ended at seven, so they arranged for an eight o’clock dinner. It’s not that he was nervous, but yeah, maybe he was jus
t a tad. He hadn’t been on an official date in ages. With Brandy, it was comfortable, but it still put him squarely back in the playing field.
He dressed in his favorite cowboy boots, dark jeans, and a white button-down. With a final glance in the mirror, he headed out to pick up his date. He felt like a kid all over again. It amused him more than anything. How many times had he shown up on her doorstep all those years ago? Here he was, doing it again.
Jett jumped into his truck and flipped the radio to a light classic rock station. She probably didn’t want to listen to sports talk.
He pulled up to her place and got out of the truck. His heart sped up as he walked up the pathway to the door. He was excited to see her, more so than he’d expected. He rang the bell and waited.
When Brandy opened the door, Jett let out a long, soft whistle. “You look amazing.”
Brandy flushed and answered with a smile. “You think?”
“I don’t think it, I know it,” he said with a wink.
She greeted him in a body-hugging maroon dress that enhanced all her curves.
Jett reached over and took her hand and gave it a tender kiss. She took his breath away.
Her hair hung loosely around her shoulders. The satin heels she’d chosen matched her dress. She was the kind of girl he could fall for over and over again—naturally gorgeous. She didn’t need to be bathed in makeup to look good. She knew how to highlight her features without looking overdone.
Jett walked her to his truck and opened the door, offering her a hand as she climbed inside.
The attraction was magnetic. He couldn’t look away from her. Maybe it was fate that they’d reconnected all these years later.
They drove toward their dinner destination, making small talk and playing a game of remember when.
“Where are you going? Isn’t town that way?” she asked, pointing the other direction.
“I have plans,” he answered. “Don’t worry.”
They pulled up to a lake and parked. A boat lit up in tiny white lights awaited them.
Brandy gasped. “That’s beautiful.”
The pontoon was tied to the small dock, wrapped in twinkle lights, and garnished with greenery and red bows that gave it a Christmas feel. There was a table that had been set with a white linen tablecloth, fine china, and silver. An ice bucket housed a bottle of champagne. Two thin flutes were next to crystal goblets for another beverage of choosing. He knew hers would be diet pop, so he made sure to supply that as well as the champagne. He went with spring water to displace any bloating the liquor caused. Normally, he’d go straight meat on-season, which he was relentlessly teased about, but he gave in and added shrimp, lobster, and a cheese sauce to the filet, along with freshly steamed asparagus.
In fact, he rarely drank in-season, but this was a special occasion. He’d have one glass of champagne, then switch to water.
Jett lifted a silver domed cover from Brandy’s plate. Beneath it was a meal fit for a queen. The scent of the perfectly prepared food wafted up, succulent and mouth-watering.
“Wow, you really thought this through,” she whispered. “This is amazing. Everything looks delicious. I can’t believe you did all of this for me.”
“I’m happy to have you back in my life and wanted to show you how much. I won’t have a lot of free time during the next couple of weeks, so I wanted tonight to be special.”
“I’m impressed. I have no idea how you pulled this off, but I love it. It smells so good. I can’t wait to dig in. Thank you.”
They shared stories and talked about everything under the sun while enjoying their dinner. Once they’d finished, Jett slipped a small box out of his pocket. He’d palmed it as they left the truck.
With the square velvet box in hand, he slid it across the table. He beamed with pride. “I got you something.”
Brandy’s hand shot up over her mouth. She jumped up from her seat and squealed. “For real? Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! I can’t believe this. Yes, I’ll marry you! I’ll marry you. Oh, Jett…This is so exciting!”
“Whoa, girl! Slow down. Brandy, it’s not…” He sighed. He should have gone with a bracelet. The box would have been long and slender instead of small and square—and easily mistaken.
She snapped out of the moment, realizing what he’d said. “What? What did you say?”
He nudged the box closer. “It’s not what you think. Open it.”
She flushed with embarrassment. Her cheeks grew redder by the moment. “Oh…”
“Sweetie, I’m happy to be see you again, but years have passed between us. I can’t jump into marriage so soon. We’ve only just found each other again. Let’s take it one day at a time. Okay?”
She tried to recover. “Right. Absolutely. Sure, I knew that. I guess I saw it and…Wow, that’s embarrassing. I didn’t mean to go overboard.”
He nudged her to open the box. “Look inside.”
She popped the velvet box open and saw the pink diamond earrings. She gasped. “These must have cost a fortune. They’re beautiful.”
“Do you like them?”
“They’re gorgeous! I love them, and I love you. I can’t believe you got these for me. I didn’t know we were exchanging gifts,” she said, empty-handed.
“No. It’s not like that. I wanted you to know how much I appreciate you being there for me. Getting back together with you was an unexpected treat. Honestly though, I need to focus on the game for a little while longer. The season is almost over. I’ll have more time come late February, early March. I wanted tonight to be a preview of our future. It will be wonderful, but you need to be patient with me.”
She nodded, trying to assure him she’d be okay. “I can be patient. As long as I know you’re mine.”
He stood and reached for her hand. Brandy joined him and fell into his embrace.
Jett stared into her eyes. “How did I get so lucky? Twice in a lifetime. Unbelievable.”
She pressed her hand to his chest. “You’re mine all over again, like a dream come true.”
He traced her lips with his finger before leaning in for a tender kiss. The slow swaying of the boat lulled them. He pulled back to look at her, then wrapped his arms around her again. She was everything he didn’t realize he needed.
He couldn’t wait to share the news with his friends.
“I made arrangements to meet up with a small group of friends. I hope that’s okay. I’m looking forward to showing you off.”
Her cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink. “I’d love to keep you to myself, but I’d go anywhere with you.”
When they finished, he put in a quick call to the pontoon’s owner letting them know they were leaving. The meal had been cooked to perfection. The stars sparkled, and the evening temperature was ideal. Normally it was a little cooler, but they’d been going through a mild stretch.
Chapter 13
Jett escorted Brandy back to the truck and helped lift her in. The chance to slip his hands around her waist was worth it. She was soft and feminine, and he loved her new curves.
They drove toward town and wound up at a tavern called Shadow Rider. It was a popular hangout. It combined rowdy crowds, mechanical bulls, good music, and good times.
He opened the large red door. Music spilled out, filling the quiet night air around them.
One of his buddies caught his eye and flagged them down. Jett nodded to let him know he’d seen them, then went to the bar to get their drinks. He grabbed a sweet tea for himself, and Brandy chose to join him with a non-alcoholic drink.
With drinks in hand, Brandy and Jett joined the others. “Gang, this is Brandy.”
“Hey, Brandy,” the group called out.
Mark, another friend, squinted, as if concentrating. “That name sounds familiar.”
“Yep, probably. She’s my old high school sweetheart. We ran into each other, and well, the rest is history.”
Mark clapped his hands. “Get out. I knew I’d heard you mention that name before. How cool.”
She tried too hard. Her stilted laughter didn’t fall natural. Her shared stories fell flat. She started to feel smaller and more insignificant. Couldn’t Jett see the way she was squirming? She was ready to leave, but he seemed content to stay.
Torn, she held off asking to go. She didn’t want to be the wet blanket of the group.
She sat tightly against him, ready to crawl onto his lap if he’d let her. He brushed her off gently, and then slid his chair over a bit—allowing him breathing room.
She didn’t mean to crowd him, but her clingy nature slowly seeped out. She reeled it in the best she was able, but it wasn’t good enough. Finally, she pressed her lips to his ear and whispered, “I’m ready to leave when you are.”
Confusion fell over his face. “We just got here. I don’t want to be rude.”
Brandy laid her head on his shoulder. “I’m not having fun. I’d rather spend time alone with you. Is it wrong that I selfishly want you to myself for a little while?”
He sighed. “I don’t get a lot of free time and everybody came together for me. I’m not cutting out early.”
She caved. She wanted his friends to like her, but she felt like an outsider looking in. Her shoulders stiffened. It wasn’t his fault that she had a long list of insecurities that left her feeling judged—even if people weren’t judging. “Yep, that’s fine.”