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He rolls his eyes, exasperated. “Ancient. Like, nineteen.”
I bite back a laugh. “Brutal.”
He blows out a breath. “That Brian guy said there’s a reward.”
“There is.” I lean in closer, my voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “A big one.”
“Good. We kinda need new uniforms,” he says, full of hope.
A voice shouts in the background, “And bats!”
I raise an eyebrow, half-expecting his entire little league team to spill out from wherever they’re hiding. I imagine half the dugout crammed out of sight behind the screen.
He brightens, his face lighting up with possibilities. “Yeah, and bats.” He gives a casual shrug, testing the waters. “Maybe he could throw in a few gloves, too. And I promise I’ll take good care of the watch ‘til he picks it up.”
I can’t stop the grin pulling at my lips, my heart softening as I watch him, this little negotiator, completely clueless that Brian would probably hand him the keys to his dream sports car in exchange for that watch.
He hesitates, then asks, “Where does he live? I’m not allowed to ride my bike past Elmwood.”
“Tell you what, Max. Make a list of everything your teamneeds, and I’ll make surethat Brian guydelivers—and picks up the watch.”
A burst of excited cheers erupts from behind the screen, and I laugh so hard my body shakes, the weight on my chest lifting just a little.
It’s been a while since I’ve felt this—something light, something good. It’s like a shot of hope straight into my veins.
This whole situation is practically begging to be a story.
A Sydney Sun story.
When the call ends, I feel...different. A little less worn down, a little more determined, and yeah, maybe a little terrified. But I know what I have to do.
I need to reach out to him. Tell him about his watch.
And that from here on out, in my mind, Mr. Brian Gabriel Bishop will forever be known asthat Brian guy.
The guy who will always hold my heart.
Even if he never knows.
CHAPTER 35
Jules
After a deep breath and a shot of tequila, I fire off the first shot across the bow.
@SydneySun:It’s your lucky day.
Then I send him all the images of the watch. His reply comes in almost instantly.
@MountainBoyNYC:That’s… incredible. Looks like you’re my guardian angel. How soon can I get it back?
I stare at the screen, and missing him hits me from out of nowhere like a thunderbolt—fast, hard, and impossible to ignore. It’s almost laughable that after everything—his insane proposal, the whirlwind wedding—this is what we’ve become.
Two strangers on Instagram, slipping into each other’s DMs over a watch.
@SydneySun:As soon as you’d like. Just send over where you’d like it delivered.
Simple. Keep it professional. He doesn’t even realize it’s me.
