much says it all.”
“What do you mean?” I asked as I pulled my gaze from Carter and stared at my friend.
“He’s clearly capable of keeping his head in the game while you’re on his mind.”
I smiled at her. “Good point.”
We made our way to the locker room, along with dozens of other reporters. I was a bundle of nerves as I flashed my press pass and entered the room, my eyes immediately landing on Carter. He’d stripped off his jersey and shoulder pads and was chatting with the player next to him as I swooped in, trying to grab him before anyone else did. He was the hero of the hour, after all.
Stepping around a cameraman, he met me halfway across the room.
“Hey,” he said, a brilliant smile on his devastatingly handsome face. “You came.”
“Of course.”
“But you didn’t call me.”
My eyes narrowed. “Was I supposed to?”
Carter laughed. Shaking his head, he said, “You didn’t read my letter, did you?”
I hadn’t been able to bring myself to, though I desperately wanted to read it now.
I said, “I needed to see you first. Regardless of what you wrote, I wanted to see you once more before I read it.”
He raked a hand through his damp hair, then said, “Let me knock out some of these interviews and then we can talk.”
Reporters were clamoring around us, vying for his attention. I didn’t want to do my own interview in this mayhem, so I said, “Meet you at T. Cook’s?”
He gave me a pointed look, and I knew exactly what he wanted to say, but couldn’t in front of all of these people. “Okay. See you later.”
I dragged Taylor away from the half-naked football players and out into the corridor.
She said, “I’m seriously considering changing my specialty. I should be a sports reporter. Did you see the talent in there?”
“You’re not talking about the way they play, are you?”
“No, girlfriend, I am not.”
I laughed. “Might want wipe the drool from your mouth.”
She fanned herself with a hand. “I’m buying season tickets.”
“Yeah. Me too.”
* * * * *
I dropped Taylor at her condo and drove to the Royal Palms. I valet parked and wandered over to Carter’s suite, a strange mixture of wanting to rush and wanting to meander eating at me. My stomach was in knots, but my heart beat wildly. I had no idea what the turnout of our meeting would be, though I certainly hoped we were finally on the same page.
He didn’t answer when I knocked on his door, so I assumed he was on his way to the resort. I imagine it’d taken a bit of time to answer all the questions posed to him, so I settled into a comfortable chair at the black, wrought-iron table on his patio. The porch light was on, emitting a soft golden glow. It was then I decided to read his letter.
My Dearest Cherish,
The day I walked into the newsroom our senior year, you were wearing a pale pink sweater and jeans. Sparkly clips pulled the hair away from your face, and you were beautiful.
For the Homecoming dance, I’d wanted to ask you to go with me, but I’d been elected Homecoming King and had to take the Queen. You didn’t show up for the dance.
When we were at Kenny Donaldson’s Christmas party, you had on a red dress and a diamond necklace your mom had given you as a stocking stuffer. You had no idea you were standing so close to the mistletoe, and I wanted to kiss you. I would have had a good excuse, but you moved away too quickly, foiling my chance.
The Valentine’s issue of our paper contained song dedications, and I had anonymously dedicated one to you. You thought the dedication had come from Mike Linley, and so you said yes when he asked you to prom. I had wanted to ask you myself, but I always thought I overwhelmed you with my size.
For the Spring Fling celebration, I tried to tell you I’d been nuts about you since the day I’d walked into the newsroom, but you were the belle of that ball when our classmates nominated you Garden Pixie, or some such thing.
“Fairy,” I
Kody Brown, Meri Brown, Janelle Brown, Christine Brown, Robyn Brown
Jrgen Osterhammel Patrick Camiller