She’d put the ring in the small drawer in the vanity table her mother had insisted on buying her when she turned fifteen. She’d never used it when she was a teenager—makeup hadn’t really been her thing—but when she’d pulled the ring off, it was the only place she’d thought safe enough for it. The only place she didn’t have to worry about it getting lost.
She crossed to the table on legs that wobbled—partly from atrophy after spending the better part of a week in bed, and partly from nerves as she tried and tried and tried to believe. In Heath. In herself. And in the love she’d had for him for so many years of her life.
She held her breath as she opened the drawer. And there it was. Heath’s ring. Her ring. She picked it up with trembling fingers, turned it around until she could read the inscription written on the inside. And when she did … when she did, tears started rolling down her cheeks for the second time that morning.
We are the same stardust.
She read it again, remembering the day back in high school when she had told Heath about her favorite quote—the one from astrophysicist Lawrence Krauss that says every atom in their bodies was from a star exploding. And that very likely, the stardust that made your left hand was different than that which made your right hand.
The fact that he remembered after all these years, and that he understood how nervous she was about not being enough for him. About not being the kind of woman he’d want to spend the rest of his life with…
She took a minute to absorb the words and the love she felt rolling off of them in waves.
She was the only one he wanted.
Not anyone else.
She dived for her phone.
Her mother answered on the second ring. “I said I would bring the chocolate when I came home.”
“I’m not calling about the chocolate.” She dashed an impatient hand across her wet cheek, but the tears wouldn’t stop falling. “I want you to call Gregor back.”
“Gregor?” Her mother’s voice rose a couple of octaves. “Why?”
“Because the wedding is back on. And trust me, we’re going to need all the help we can get.
* * *
Chapter 28
* * *
Heath really hated wearing a tie, and he hated wearing a suit more, but he thought both were appropriate considering that he was about to meet with the Wranglers’ team owner, general manager, and Coach Golden. He wasn’t particularly excited about the meeting, but it was something to do today. Something to keep his mind off the fact that today was the day he wasn’t marrying Lyric Wright. Today wasn’t the day he was pledging his love to the woman who had drop-kicked his heart to hell and back.
Screw her.
Despite everything, it felt mean-spirited thinking that about her. So he thought it again.
Screw her.
Screw marriage.
Screw happiness.
Screw everything.
He should go out tonight and celebrate his narrow escape. Too bad he couldn’t work up any excitement for it. Then again, how could Lyric have stomped all over his heart and then jilted him on national TV?
He picked up the four-month-old Sports Illustrated from the coffee table in the waiting room outside of the Wranglers main office and pretended to read the article about golf. He liked golf, occasionally played it even, but he still wasn’t sure it belonged in Sports Illustrated. In his mind, any activity you could drink beer while doing didn’t qualify as a real sport. Maybe if they had contact golf where the player had to putt before getting tackled—now that would be a real sport. There’d be no pansy-ass beer drinking then.
He tossed the magazine on the table and tried to look at ease. He was nervous, and if he was being honest, a little heartsick. Lyric didn’t want him. He still wanted her. And there was nothing he could do about either situation. God knew, he’d been trying to come up with something ever since he’d walked out of her house in San Angelo all those days ago.
“Hey, man, what’re you doing here?” It was Jacob Bennet, the head groundskeeper.
“I’m the new OC.” Heath thought everyone would have known that by now. The SportsCenter interview had super high ratings, along with the marriage-proposal crash-and-burn footage that TMZ had somehow gotten their hands on.
“I know, but why are you here?” Jacob, who was normally all smiles with everyone, glared at Heath like he was singlehandedly responsible for something terrible, like the mistreatment of puppies.