Chapter 12 #3
“That was amazing,” Gillian said in awe. “I mean, it’s obvious Annie’s competitive, but she didn’t even hesitate to stop and help that other kid.”
“Told you, she’s gonna make a difference in this world,” Walker said with pride.
By now, there was an entire group of adults around little Annie. They’d moved off to the side of the field a bit so the next heat could start.
“Come on,” Walker said as the others started down the bleachers. “Let’s go congratulate her.”
Gillian followed Walker and his friends to the field, and she couldn’t believe how excited she was to meet a twelve-year-old girl.
It had been a long time since she’d been as impressed with someone as she was with Annie.
She had a feeling Walker was right. This girl was definitely something special.
And no matter what she decided to do with her life, she was going to make a difference in a big way.
They joined the group of men and women surrounding Annie.
“Pretty damn impressive, Fletch,” Walker told one of the men, slapping him on the back.
“Thanks. We think so too,” Annie’s dad said. He had his arm around a woman, and they both looked proud enough to burst.
Gillian waited patiently as Annie’s fans congratulated her before she and Walker got to the front of the line.
“Hey, Annie. Pretty impressive out there!” Walker told her.
“Thanks, Trigger,” Annie chirped happily.
If she was upset she didn’t win the heat and wasn’t going to the finals, she sure didn’t show it in any way.
“Did you see Rob? That was the first time he finished the obstacle course! He was really nervous before he started, but I told him I’d help him if he needed it. But he didn’t really need me. He just needed a little hand up on the ropes.”
“I saw,” Walker said.
“And it’s like Dad always says…by lifting someone else up, you’re lifting yourself even higher. I pretended I was in the Army and we were on a mission. No one gets left behind.”
“That’s very true. Are you upset that you don’t get to compete in the finals?” Walker asked.
Annie scoffed. “Naw. There’s always the next time. Besides, it was better to see Rob’s smile when he crossed the finish line.”
“Annie, this is my friend, Gillian. She came today just to see you race.”
“Hi!” Annie said. “You’re really pretty. Are you Trigger’s girlfriend? He needs one. He doesn’t smile enough.”
Gillian did her best not to laugh, but couldn’t help it. “I am, and I’m doing my best to make him not be so serious all the time.”
“Good.” Then Annie turned to her dad. “Dad, did you film that so I can send it to Frankie?”
“Of course, squirt.”
“Have you sent it yet?”
“No, jeez. It’s only been two seconds since you finished.”
“I know, but he’s been as excited as I have for the race.”
“Frankie’s her boyfriend.” Walker leaned in to explain. “He’s her age and lives in California. He’s deaf, and Annie learned sign language just so she can talk to him. They met several years ago and both decided then and there they were going to get married someday.”
“Sounds kinda familiar,” Gillian said with a smile.
“It was good to meet you,” Annie said to Gillian distractedly.
It was obvious she wanted to get on the phone with her friend Frankie and show him her race.
“If you need a flower girl for your wedding to Trigger, I’m available. I’ve already had a lot of practice and stuff, so you wouldn’t have to teach me how to do it,” Annie said matter-of-factly.
Gillian almost choked. “Um…I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Annie Elizabeth!” her mom scolded.
“What?” Annie asked, walking over to her parents.
“Just because someone’s dating it doesn’t mean they’re going to get married.”
“But you dated Dad and then got married,” Annie said reasonably. “And I’m dating Frankie and I’m going to marry him. And Mary dated Truck and they got married.”
Fletch’s wife rolled her eyes and shook her head. “You’re going to have to take my word for it. A man and woman can date and not get married.”
“Then what’s the point?” Annie grumbled, then was caught up in a hug by Lefty and obviously forgot to be upset at her mom’s words.
Gillian hadn’t been around Walker when he was with his friends, and was pleasantly surprised when he pulled her back against his chest and put his arm diagonally across her body.
He leaned down and spoke directly into her ear, so only she could hear him.
“No offense to Annie, but I’ve heard stories about her mom and dad’s wedding.
Suffice to say, it involves armed robbers and prosthetic limbs being used as weapons. It’s probably safer for us to elope.”
Gillian’s heart was racing. She liked thinking about running off into the sunset with Walker, but she kept her tone light when she twisted her head around to look up at him.
“With my parents hating the cold and yours hating the heat, yeah, it’s probably better if we just informed them after the fact. ”
The smile on Walker’s face was something Gillian wanted to preserve for all time.
She heard a click, and she turned around to see Annie’s mom smiling down at her phone. “Perfect.” Then looking at Walker, she said, “I’ll text it to you, Trigger.”
“Thanks, Emily,” Walker told her, then turned Gillian so she was next to him and started walking off the field. “We’re headed out,” he informed Doc nonchalantly.
“You’re not going to stay for the finals?” he asked.
Walker shrugged. “Now that Annie’s out…no. I’ll see you Monday morning at PT.”
With a smirk, Doc simply nodded.
“That was kind of rude,” Gillian informed Walker as they headed off the field toward the parking lot.
“Did you want to stay?” he asked, but didn’t slow down.
“What if I said yes?” Gillian asked, curious.
Walker stopped and looked down at her. “Then we’ll go back.”
“Just like that?” she asked.
“Just like that,” Walker said without a trace of annoyance.
“What do you want to do?”
“I want to take you back to my apartment and hang out. Talk about the upcoming week, what you have planned. I want to kiss you, but only when we’re upright and both fully dressed.
I want to know more about the event we’re going to next weekend at the zoo, and I want to spend every minute of our time together before I have to take you back to Georgetown.
I love my friends, but I see them all the time.
I already know them. I’m being selfish, but I want to spend time with you, not them.
But if you want to stay and watch more heats, I’m okay with that because I’ll still be by your side. ”
Walker didn’t look away from her as he spoke, and Gillian couldn’t help but fall for him even more.
“I don’t care if you leave beard shavings in the sink,” she informed him.
“You can be as neat as you want and it won’t faze me.
I’ll probably worry that you’re doing too much for me, that you aren’t doing what you want, so you’re going to have to make sure not to go overboard and spoil me too much, okay? ”
“Nope. Now, do you want to stay or go back to my apartment?”
“Your apartment,” Gillian said immediately. It wasn’t a hard decision.
Walker started walking again, taking her with him.
All the way to his apartment, Gillian tried to think what she’d done to be lucky enough to have this man by her side.
She couldn’t come up with a single thing by the time they’d arrived, so she decided to just go with it.
If Walker wasn’t freaking out by how well they fit, why should she?