Off Season (Off #6) by Sawyer Bennett Page B

discussed
(letting me pay for it, of course—no arguments)? That’s
only three months away. We can handle that, right?
    Hate that this is
so short, baby, but I’m exhausted. We played like shit tonight,
so you didn’t miss much. Talk tomorrow like we planned.
    Love,
    Zane
     
    Yup… I
decided to match her “L” word for “L” word in
the signature. We may not have declared our love for each other, but
I was pretty sure it was there. I mean, I know damn well that I love
her. It’s something that didn’t become clear all at once,
but rather as every day passes and Cady becomes more a part of my
life, the burning desire and care for her just grows exponentially.
It’s just more of a deep understanding within me that I love
this girl and even though every day without her is painful, I know
that deep down, we are going to figure a way to make this work.
    I just haven’t
figured out the details yet.

Chapter 13
     
    Cady
    December 24, 2014
     
    I’ve done some
crazy things in my life, but none crazier than this.
    It was crazy when I
switched all of my da’s underwear for ones that were two sizes
smaller than what he normally wore, and even crazier when I serenaded
Jimmy O’Shea in front of the entire school, and the craziest of
all was when I had a one-night stand with a gorgeous hockey player.
    But yup… this
takes the cake.
    Our plane landed at
JFK right on schedule, and I followed behind Mam and Da as we made
our way down to baggage claim. I stood by the carousel and watched
the luggage go round and round. I thought to myself how similar this
was to my life. I was going in circles and while sometimes, that
produces a delicious spinning sensation, the truth was that Zane was
standing to the side… and I kept passing him by.
    Maybe because it was
Christmas, and this was a magical time. Maybe it was because every
day that passed, I missed Zane more and more, even as I found myself
falling deeper in love with my man across the ocean. Maybe it was
just time for me to make a bold move with my life.
    “I’m
going to Phoenix,” I blurted out to my parents, and both sets
of eyebrows rose up at me in surprise. “I need to be with Zane
for Christmas.”
    My parents didn’t
try to talk me out of it. They could tell I was determined, and while
I wasn’t sure they really understood how close Zane and I were,
they above all else wanted me to be happy. Renner giggled and hugged
me hard, and Cillian kissed me on my cheek and wished me luck.
    He whispered in my
ear, “You’re doing the right thing. You belong here…
permanently in the States with your man.”
    I pulled back in
surprise and looked at his eyes, which were leveled shrewdly at me. I
hadn’t told anyone about my decision to stay… to move to
Phoenix. Oh, I knew I’d have to go back and get things handled
back home before I could make the move, but on the flight over here,
I thought about all the potential ways our relationship could be
ruined, and really pondered the only way it could be saved. And that
would be for me to move.
    Yet, I hadn’t
said that… only that I was going to Phoenix for Christmas.
    Cillian leaned in
and chucked me under the chin. “I know you, Cady. You’re
staying. Let me just say, love, the happiness on your face speaks
volumes.”
    So yes, I grabbed my
bag, went back into the main check-in lobby of the airport, and maxed
out my credit card buying a ticket to Phoenix. I went back through
airport security and patiently waited for my 4:35 PM flight.
    I only sent one text
to Zane, to tell him that I landed safely in New York and that I
would talk to him tonight. Little did he know that said “talk”
would be a little more up close and personal than he had envisioned.
    The cab pulls into
Zane’s neighborhood, and my skin hums with excitement. It’s
early evening, and it’s getting dark. The houses are lit up
with Christmas lights, and I see sparkling trees in many of the front
windows. The air is a little chilly, but I know