July 4th #4
“It sounds like you two had quite the afternoon,” he says. “Ainsley, I know you were trained to handle these situations, but I’m sure it was scary. And, Damon, I’m glad you were there.”
“Thank you,” she says. “The guy was holding my arm, so I couldn’t reach my walkie. I’m glad Damon was there too.”
“Hmm,” Tripp says. “I suggested upgrading that technology, but everyone said they were used to the walkie-talkies. I’m going to reconsider that with this sort of situation in mind. Come up with a new plan. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine now. Thank you.”
“Good to hear. You excited for the fireworks tonight?” he asks, changing the subject.
“Yeah, I’m sure they will be spectacular.”
“That’s the plan. I just arrived and wondered if you two would like to join me and a few special guests out on the yacht to watch the festivities.”
“Oh, that would be really nice,” she says.
“Remember the dinner we had on it? Tonight will be a redo of that.”
“We’ll be there,” she says with a grin. “What time are you departing?”
“In an hour. That work?”
“Yes, it will. I can’t wait. That was one of the best dinners of my life!”
She hangs up and smiles at me. “You’re going to love this.”
I lean over and kiss her. “I think the only thing I love now is you.”
Our kisses turn passionate, but she says, “I can’t go with wet, scraggly hair and no makeup.”
“You’d better get up then,” I tell her, giving her thigh a couple of little taps.
She hops out of bed just as her phone rings again. She picks it up, glances at it, and tosses it in my direction.
“It’s Sammy. You talk to him. I have to get ready.”
“Hey, Sammy,” I say when I answer. “It’s Damon. Ainsley’s here, but she’s got to get ready for an event tonight.”
Sammy goes, “Well, I’m glad you answered because I have news! Put her on speaker.”
I do, then say, “Okay, she can hear you now.”
“Ahhhhhhhh!! Guess what. And this is B-I-G!”
“What?” Ainsley and I ask simultaneously.
“Roman and I are taking a trip! Together! To the Ozarks. To visit you! Do you know what a big deal this is? A family event is what broke us up last time. And now, he’s agreed to come there to meet you, which is almost the same. It’s such a big turn of events.”
“But last time we talked, you said you thought he was going to propose. Why is this bigger than that?” Ainsley asks.
“He’s going to propose?” I say, confused. I hadn’t heard about this.
“It’s a new development,” Sammy says. “And, yes, we have actually talked marriage. Did I tell you why? I can’t remember.
But he’s going to move to Manhattan for his job.
It will make it easier for him to travel his territory.
When he’s in town, he doesn’t bother with a hotel, just stays with me.
Add that to the fact that he’s ready to meet my friends, and it just confirms everything.
And I’m ecstatic. Blissful. And all the other dreamily-in-love words. ”
“When are you coming?” Ainsley yells out.
“Every time I’m with him. Multiple times, if you want to know the truth,” Sammy says. “That’s the other word we could use to describe the relationship. It’s orgasmic.”
I chuckle while Ainsley goes, “That’s not what I meant.”
“Fine,” he says in a mopey tone. “Remember how I have a break between summer classes? I thought Roman and I could get up early on Friday the twenty-fourth and drive down. We’d leave that Monday morning.”
“That sounds great, but I have to dry my hair. I’m shutting the door. Bye, Sammy!”
“Well, I never,” Sammy says to me. “She’s impossible.”
“I haven’t experienced that yet,” I say in her defense.
“She’s not really impossible,” he says. “I’m just excited. So, you’re down there now. That means you get some weekends off. You should come too. I’d love to meet you. I’d love for you to meet Roman. We would have so much fun.”
Although I don’t know what I’m getting myself into, the thought of coming back in a few weeks does sound very appealing. Mostly because of the girl in the bathroom, frantically getting ready.
“I’ll be here,” I tell him and end the call.
Then I get myself up, get dressed, go into one of the other bathrooms, wet my hair down, comb it back, and throw on some deodorant.
Done.
I’m sitting on the couch in the living room, reading on my phone, when she comes out, looking gorgeous in a long, flowing orange sundress.
The color takes me back to the first night of the family reunion earlier this summer.
To the flirty sundress she had on—the one with little flowers all over it. I thought of her as my Garden of Eden.
And I still do.
Tonight’s dress also features a floral print, but the flowers are large, and the dress falls almost to the floor. She looks elegant. And I love that the heels on her feet bring her lips up closer to mine.
I whistle at her, causing her to blush. And I love it.
“You are a vision,” I tell her. “You look like an angel.”
“That was exactly the look I was going for,” she teases, then lowers her voice. “Although I don’t think they typically wear orange.”
What’s meant to be.
Ainsley
Dinner on the yacht is the same menu as when we were here for the family reunion and equally fantastic.
The special guests that Tripp invited are a group of his biggest investors.
He gives them an update on the Fort Worth renovations, and then makes an announcement.
That with the upcoming renovations of Kansas City’s iconic football stadium, he sees a big opportunity.
That he’s already purchased a beautiful plot of land on which to build a brand-new hotel that would serve fans for both the football and baseball stadiums as well as the concerts and events hosted in the area.
Everyone is surprised by this since his thing is taking historic hotels and bringing them back to greatness. But they love the idea.
When a single firework is launched into the sky to indicate the forthcoming show, we all move out to the sundeck.
Damon sits in a chaise, then spreads his legs to allow me to sit with my back against his chest.
He whispers in my ear, “You know how on your birthday, you’re supposed to reflect on your year.
I don’t really do that, but I guess there’s been something about the fireworks since we started coming down here that makes me think.
About where we’ve been. What’s transpired over the year.
And I look ahead to the future. What the year will hold.
I talk a lot about the power of our mindset, but I also know that the divine is mixed in there. What’s meant to be. What’s not.
“How we’ve grown, changed, and matured has been a big focus for me.
Watching fireworks with you, twice during our time here this summer and again tonight, has me thinking a lot more about me, personally.
And about us.” He slides his hands down the sides of my arms. “All the things that I picture for us. For our life together. It sucks, being apart, but I know it will be okay because I can imagine our future.”
“And what do you see in that future?” I ask him.
“It’s mostly snippets of life. Moments. You cheering me on at games this fall. You in my bed. You graduating and moving to Lincoln to be with me. A bunch more winning. A national championship or two.
“Talk to me about kids,” he says, changing the subject. “I don’t want to wait for them. Do you?”
I can’t do anything but nod my head.
Because I’m afraid if I speak, the truth will tumble out of my mouth.
“Good,” he says, putting his lips on my shoulder.
“Chase and I were talking the other day about our future kids. How not only do we want them to grow up together and be close like we were, but also how we might achieve that when we end up on separate teams, in separate cities. So, we’re thinking of doing something with our NIL money. ”
“That stands for Name, Image, and Likeness, right?”
“That’s right. And the community where Mom and Van built their new house has acreages available.
Dad and Jennifer just bought a plot there.
She wants to have a place where all her stuff is together.
” He chuckles. “In other words, she needs a bunch of garages to house her car collection and a big closet for all her clothes.”
“It’s cool how she’s able to balance living where she does, having what I’d call a normal life, but then you see her on a red carpet, and she looks so glamorous.”
“She’s just thrilled that the tabloids seem to avoid the Midwest. Anyway, Chase and I want to buy land there too.
That way, no matter where we play football, we’ll have a home base to live in the offseason.
I already told you that I want you to design my house, but in this case, it wouldn’t be just my house.
It would be our house. You’d be designing our future.
Like, would you be cool with that, living there? ”
“I haven’t seen the house or the land yet, but I’m assuming my uncle wouldn’t move there if it wasn’t really lovely. And he always says that real estate can be a good investment.”
“So, you’re cool with me spending our money on that?”
“Damon, it’s your money.”
“True, but as soon as you agree to marry me, it will be our money. For our life. Our future. Our children’s future.”
Tears fill my eyes. “I think it’s a great idea, Damon.”