Page 92 of Draft Pick
“No one has ever done anything like this for me,” I admit, unable to hold back my tears. “You planned all this by yourself?”
“I did.” He smiles, reaching for my hand and pulling me to him. When his hands grip my face, my nerves instantly settle just like they always have when we’re together. Crew grounds me. “I meant it when I said I’m going to take care of you,Juniper. Every day, whether you can do it yourself or not. You shouldn’t have to.”
I bring my lips to his, desperate to show him how grateful I am. My kiss doesn’t linger, and only because we’re not finished yet. Our lips separate, but our foreheads fall together as we breathe each other in. There are no perfect words or guided steps, just humility—an unspoken equality.
“There’s so much I want to say,” I exhale, dragging him to sit on the blanket. This relaxed side of Crew is my favorite version of him. He’s in no rush, with nowhere to be, attention fully focused on me. “We haven’t had much time together since everything happened. Which I’m okay with, but still.”
“Since the night at your house?”
“Yeah. And the weekend at yours.” I blush. “My house was the night you first fucked me.”
He lifts my chin slowly, urging my eyes to lock with his. “No. I didn’t just fuck you. I made love to you. There’s a difference.”
“What are you saying? Don’t scare me like that, Crew.”
“I’m saying that I love you. I love you, Doc.”
I reach for his hand, doing everything in my power to showhimhow muchhemeans to me. “I’m not gonna lie, I was afraid to love you, only for you to decide being with me was too much.”
He shakes his head, voice just above a whisper. “It’s not the same with you. At first, before you, I felt like I was drowning in the busyness of my own life. Searching for ways to help my daughter, being a present father, managing this injury, and running a restaurant the way I always dreamed of. It became impossible for me to mentally separate everything. And I guess I just let all of my fear reflect on my potential future. But I’m positive you came storming into my life on a mission to prove me wrong, and I’ve never been more grateful to be put in my place.”
“It was so hard to forget about you, Crew. Even after the dates I went on, none of them measured up. It literally felt likeyou were haunting me half the time, but oddly, I didn’t hate it.” I laugh. “I think that’s when I knew I loved you, too. When wanting you and keeping you felt like the best option. Theonlyoption.”
“There is no other option, Doc. Only us.”
I blink, my lips lifting. “Us and the queen of Emerald City.”
“Yes. My girl, too. But my love for you is different.”
I know what he means, but I’m curious. “How so?”
“For starters, it’s the farthest thing from fatherly. But more than that, with you, I know we have the power to be an unstoppable team. Addie loves you, yes. That’s a given. But she also respects you, and earning the respect of children, as you must know, is difficult in and of itself. I’ve seen over the past few months her idolize you in a way I’m proud of. I’m proud to have you around. I’m proud of your example for her. I’m proud of the unshakeable love you’ve shown her. One of the reasons I was so against there ever being an us, despite our chemistry, was because I didn’t want to do wrong by Addie. Last year, Hilary and I were desperate to help her succeed and feel confident in her skin with her ADHD diagnosis. You made that happen. You did. You showed grace, understanding, and patience. I’ll never be able to repay you for that.”
“And you never have to, Crew. Just let me in, even more than you already have. Let me love you both. Because I do. I love you and Addie with everything inside of me. I can be an important person in Addie’s life and still be her doctor. It happens all the time. And as for our schedules, exactly like you said, we work together as a team. If you have therapy or need to be at the restaurant, guess what? You’ve got me. And when you’re finally ready to retire, I’ll be there, too, cheering you on wherever your next steps take you.”
“I don’t deserve you. You’re too good for me.”
“You’re very wrong about that, handsome. I think it’s time you start believing you can have good things. Including love while also being a great dad, ball player, and boss.”
Crew kisses me softly before reaching to adjust the record player, and “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac sings out, the entire stadium coming to life with an old classic. “Okay. I’ll believe it if you do something for me.”
“Just name it, and it’s yours.”
“Dance with me.”
Crew stands to his feet, ushering me to stand with him. I smile at him with more love in my heart than I can physically muster. “I’ll never stop dancing with you, Crew.”
It’s possible this love story is even better than my dreams could create, better than the ones Addie conjures in her imagination. All surrounded by real-life stories of people with imperfections and doubts but ultimately deserving of love in its purest form.
And I found it with Crew.
My dearest friend turned person I seek the moment I feel lonely or sad. The days I don’t feel like myself, and one look at him reminds me of my worth.
That’s cherishing and protecting, and I’ll never take it for granted.
The music plays softly, shuffling between songs that remind me so much of home. I wrap my arms around Crew’s neck, my head falling to rest on his shoulder absentmindedly. But I know there’s no mistake.
This man steadies me with a calm hand.
