Page 142 of Bad Run

To my surprise, Lance, in full uniform and looking every bit like my dirty knight in shining white and blue baseball armor, stands across the way, leaning against the wall, waiting for me.

He pushes off with his foot and opens his arms wide in invitation. Tears sting my nose as I walk into his warm embrace, burying my face into his thick chest as the emotions I have been holding back reach their breaking point, and a sob escapes me.

“Shh, I’ve got you, baby,” Lance repeats as he scoops me up and carries me away.

I’m oblivious to my surroundings as I let all the anger, disappointment, and heartache pour out of my eyes. Through it all, he holds me, uttering words of support and comfort.

When I’m finally all cried out, I find myself on the floor, sitting across Lance’s lap in the corner of an empty conference room. The same one where he proposed.

“Did you hear all that?” I sniffle, sitting back to look into his blue eyes that bring me solace.

“I’ve heard enough.” He sighs, pushing my hair off my face.

“Do you mind if I go home?”

“No. Not at all.”

I place my head on his shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m the one who should be sorry.”

“Sorry for what?” I rear back to read his face.

“Causing you and your father to get into it. For putting you in a position where you had to quit. For convincing you to go along with my stupid plan and marry me.”

“Do you regret it?” I ask, almost choking on the words. I don’t regret marrying Lance. It was impulsive, and the best thing I ever did.

“Marrying you?” he asks.

I nod.

“Fuck no. I’d marry you a million times over if I could. I … Fuck. I didn’t want to do this here, but I can’t let you leave without knowing.” His body shakes beneath me as he gathers his thoughts.

I turn and straddle his lap, cupping his scruffy cheeks in my palms. The blue in his eyes darkens as I kiss his nose and smile.

“I love you, Lance.”

“Dammit, woman. You stole my line.”

“I did.” I throw my head back and laugh.

He shakes his head. “Not cool. You can’t go around stealing people’s thunder. Especially when they are trying to say they love you.”

“Go on then, tell me you love me.”

“Witch,” he hisses with a smirk. “I love you, Gwen. So damn much. Fell for you the moment I laid my eyes on you.”

“You know it took me longer, right?”

“How much longer?”

I shrug. “Like, an hour.”

A wide, devilish grin parts his lips. “Too fucking long.”

Lance crashes his mouth to mine in a hard kiss. Our lips part, and our tongues twirl together. I tilt my head, and Lance deepens our kiss. My arms circle his shoulders as he palms my ass in his hands.

It doesn’t matter that I’m jobless and have possibly ruined my relationship with my father, because being right here, in my husband’s arms, is exactly where I’m supposed to be.