Sabrina asked the doctor, “Is it still safe for me to fly today?”

  “Pressurized cabins can increase your blood pressure and heart rate, as can the stress often associated with flying,” the doctor said.

  “I’ve arranged to have my company’s private jet take us,” Dylan said. “Hopefully that will help?”

  “You did?” Sabrina looked surprised.

  “Yeah.” Dylan squeezed her hand before turning toward the doctor. “You mentioned the effect it could have on Sabrina’s blood pressure and heart rate…?”

  “Did you purchase the blood pressure monitor I suggested, Sabrina?” the doctor asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Good, take it with you. Take your blood pressure once you land, just to be on the safe side, and if there are any problems, get to an ER as soon as possible. Otherwise, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

  “That’s great, thank you, Doctor.” Sabrina swung her legs over the side of the bed.

  “I’d like you to call my office to schedule a follow-up in a couple weeks.”

  “I will,” Sabrina said.

  The doctor shook Sabrina’s hand before telling Dylan, “It really was a pleasure to meet you.” He cleared his throat. “My ten-year-old grandson is a huge football fan. Could I trouble you for an autograph?”

  Dylan laughed as he reached for the doctor’s pen. “Doc, you’ve just made my day. Now’s the time to ask for just about anything.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  It was Sabrina’s turn to take the stage and accept her award. Her stomach was tied up in knots—not because she was apprehensive about speaking to a large crowd, but because she was nervous about how her speech would be received by the person who mattered most: Dylan. She’d agonized over every word, writing and rewriting her speech after she found out he would be there to hear it. It was her chance to tell him, publicly, how much he meant to her.

  She took the podium after a glowing introduction and glanced over the large crowd. Hundreds of women were in attendance, many with their significant others, so they would surely understand why she’d opted to skip her typical speech about drive, self-discipline, and focus. They knew how hard she’d had to work to succeed in a male-dominated industry. What they didn’t know was how much she had almost sacrificed to get where she was, and that was the message she wanted to impart.

  “Thank you,” she said, smiling when the applause died down. Her eyes met Dylan’s, and she felt as if she was about to speak directly to him, saying things she should have said years ago. “I often hear people talk about the woman behind the man. Tonight I’d like to talk about the man behind this woman and how he made this journey possible for me.”

  Sabrina felt Dylan’s eyes on her, but she forced her gaze to sweep the crowd. “He’s been my friend for the past eight years. He’s been my cheerleader when I felt down, the first person to pop a champagne cork when I had cause to celebrate, and the one who always had my back, no questions asked.” She felt herself tearing up when she thought of all the incredible moments they’d shared, but she forced herself to continue. “I don’t have to tell you that men like that give women like us the strength to do what we do. Without him, my life would undoubtedly be all about my work, but he’s taught me there has to be more to life than that.”

  As much as she wanted to keep the focus on Dylan, she couldn’t leave the stage without thanking the other people in her life who supported her. “Nights like this remind me to be grateful… for my incredible team, who make it fun to go into work every day; for my family, who believed that I could not only take over this business but take it to the next level; my clients, who put their faith and trust in me; but most importantly, for the man who made me believe that I am capable of more than I ever gave myself credit for.” Like being a mom!

  Her eyes landed on Dylan. “He convinced me I’m strong enough to fight back when someone knocks me down. When life throws me a curveball, he taught me how to catch it. Though football is really his thing.” She smiled as the crowd chuckled, and a few people, including those seated at their table, glanced at Dylan.

  “My point is, we all need someone to believe in us. No matter how successful we are, we need people who make the journey worthwhile, people who will love us and support us and keep the faith when we lose hope. Because, ladies, I’m here to tell you, you will lose hope. The road to success is filled with potholes. Some will leave you immobile, and some will merely feel like a bump in the road, but it’s the people in your life who will remind you that life goes on even when you don’t close the big deal or sign the high-profile client. The sun will still rise and set tomorrow. There will always be another big deal, another big client.”

  It was time to wrap it up, but Sabrina was nervous about what Dylan would say when she got back to their table. Would he be annoyed that she’d said to a roomful of people what she should have been able to say to him in private?

  “Dylan, I want to thank you for always being by my side when I needed you most, even before I realized how very much I needed you.” She raised the crystal award she’d been given. “Every success I have is yours to share, because without your love and support, I wouldn’t have the foundation to succeed. I love you… more than you know.”

  ***

  Dylan was speechless, but a quick glance at his watch told him he didn’t have a moment to spare. He hadn’t expected Sabrina’s speech to last quite as long as it had. Not that he was complaining. He could have listened to her all night.

  He stood when Sabrina reached their table and handed her the wrap she’d draped over the back of her chair. “Do you mind if we step outside for a minute? I need a breath of fresh air.”

  She looked uncertain. “Um, sure.”

  He knew she expected him to say something about her speech, but he was at a loss for words. He’d never expected her to thank or even acknowledge him, much less pour out her heart on a stage, in a ballroom filled to capacity with her peers. It was the most romantic thing she’d ever done for him, and he only hoped his grand gesture could measure up. As he guided her onto the elevator, she glanced at him over her shoulder.

  “I’m sorry if that made you uncomfortable,” she said. “That wasn’t my intent. I just wanted you to know—”

  “It didn’t make me uncomfortable.” He was being abrupt, but he didn’t want to break down and spoil the surprise he had waiting for her on the roof of the exclusive downtown hotel. “It was… nice.” God, that sounded lame. “Really nice.” As if that made it better.

  Her spine stiffened. She pulled the cashmere wrap tighter around her shoulders, concealing her cocktail-length strapless dress. “I’m glad you thought so.”

  When the elevator stopped at the top floor, he said, “We’ll have to take the stairs from here.” One look at her four-inch heels told him that may not be the best idea. “Do you think you can manage in those things?”

  Lifting her chin, she said, “I could walk miles in these. Let’s go.”

  She walked ahead of him toward the exit sign at the end of the hall. The curve of her neck disappeared below the soft fabric wrapped around her, and his only thought was if the night ended the way he hoped it would, they could use the suite he’d reserved for the night to make up for all the time they’d lost.

  When she made it to the top of the stairs, Sabrina stopped in her tracks, her gasp carried away by the soft breeze. The compact area was decorated in white, with outdoor furniture where hotel patrons could enjoy drinks, and he’d asked them to finish the area with lit trees and a truckload of white roses.

  “Oh my God, this is incredible.” She faced him. “Did you do all this?”

  He smiled at her enthusiasm. “I arranged it, but the hotel staff set it up.”

  “It’s so beautiful.” She walked to the edge of the enclosed space and looked out over the bright lights of the city before glancing at the stars.

  Dylan took advantage of her preoccupation with the stars to check the time. Ten minutes to show time. “Baby, come here for a minute.” He led her to the two-seater sofa across from two chairs. “Sit down.”

  She followed him onto the sofa and held his hand as they sat next to each other.

  “Those things you said about me tonight…” He cleared his throat when his eyes met hers. “They blew me away.”

  “I meant every word.” Her eyes filled with tears. “I don’t know why it took me so long to realize it, D. You’ve been by my side the whole time. You were my very first client, and you’ve been there to celebrate every client I’ve signed since.”

  He kissed her hand, trying to collect himself.

  “It’s true what they say, you know, what you do isn’t who you are. I thought it was, but you helped me to realize there’s so much more to me than that. Now I’m starting to see myself as someone’s mom.” She giggled. “It’s a whole new chapter, one I wouldn’t have been brave enough to embark on without you, and I have a feeling it’ll be the most exciting so far.”

  He reached down next to him for the gold gift bag he’d left there earlier. “I have something for you, to celebrate your accomplishment tonight.”

  “Oh, you didn’t have to do that.” She smiled as she reached for the bag. “Just having you here meant so much to me.”

  He watched her open the box, revealing the bottle of Dalmore 62 she’d teased him about the first night they met.

  “Oh my God,” she said with a slight gasp. “You’re crazy! This must have cost a fortune.”

  He put the bottle back in the box and set it on the table beside them. “I know you can’t drink it now.” He inched closer until his knees touched hers. “This gift is symbolic. Sure, I’d like us to share it someday, but I want you to know that anything you ask for, I’ll make it my mission to get it for you. That’s how much I love you. I’m not happy unless you’re happy.”

  “I don’t need a ridiculously expensive bottle of scotch to be happy.” She kissed him softly, her eyes holding his captive. “All I need is you. You make me happy.” She gasped when she heard fireworks going off behind them. “Oh my God, what—”

  “Come here.” He led her to the railing where they could best see the show he’d arranged for her. He stood behind her and circled her with his arms while she leaned her head against his chest.

  “This is incredible, but how…?”

  “I remember you telling me how much you used to love fireworks when you were a kid.”

  She laughed. “I still do. I can’t believe you did all this for me.”

  “My goal is to light up your world every day,” he whispered. “To make you laugh, to make you smile, to make you forget your problems for a while.”

  “You do that. You’ve always done that.”

  They watched the sky explode in a myriad of colors that rivaled any Fourth of July display Dylan had ever seen. Then finally… it was the moment of truth.

  Sabrina’s gaze drifted to the sky before she said, “I guess the show’s over. Thank you for that. It was amazing.”

  “It’s not over just yet.” He kissed her cheek. “There’s more.”

  She looked up to see a message in the sky. Marry me, Sabrina? She turned in his arms as though she was almost afraid to believe it was real. “How did you do this?”

  Dylan laughed, whispering, “Lasers, from the ground.”

  He smiled before easing down on one knee. Bowing his head, he kissed her hand and took a moment to collect himself. “I’ve rehearsed this moment in my head a hundred times since the day I met you. The first time I saw you, I told Brett, ‘I’m going to marry that girl someday.’” He looked up to see tears streaking her face as her free hand covered her mouth. “There were moments when I feared that day would never come. I thought we’d never see eye-to-eye or want the same things out of life. But I couldn’t let you go. When I tried, I felt like I was losing the best part of myself, and I wanted it back. I wanted you back.”

  She pinched her trembling lips together, nodding.

  “When I found out you were having my baby, I’d never been happier. I’ve never wanted anything more.”

  “I know,” she whispered.

  “And then finding out you didn’t want it…” He blinked back tears. “I was so scared. I couldn’t lose you, but I couldn’t lose our baby either. I didn’t know what to do.”

  “I’m sorry,” she mouthed.

  “You’ve given me a gift.” He pressed his lips to the subtle swell of her stomach. “Not just these babies you’re carrying, though nothing has ever thrilled me more. You’ve given me hope that I can have the kind of life I’ve always wanted with you. When I heard you say those things about me tonight, I fell in love with you all over again, and I prayed it meant we were finally on the same page about the future.”

  “We are.”

  He extracted the velvet box from his pocket and opened it with one hand to produce the emerald-cut pink diamond. He smiled at her surprise over the unique ring. “You’re like no one else I’ve known, so I couldn’t very well give you a ring I’d seen a hundred times before. It had to be one of a kind, just like you.”

  Dylan extracted the ring and set the box on the ground. “I figure there are about three and a half billion women in the world. And I’ve met my fair share.” He laughed when she frowned. “But not a single one of them has ever made me feel the way you do. Please, make me the happiest man in the world, baby. Be my wife?”

  “Yes!” She giggled before slapping a hand over her mouth. “Yes! Yes! Yes!” She jumped up and down, nearly giving him a heart attack.

  “Easy now.” He gripped her around the waist after slipping the ring on her finger. “You’re carrying precious cargo now.”

  As his hand glided over her stomach and their eyes locked, she whispered, “How could I forget?”

  About the Author

  Want to be the first to learn about Cheryl’s new releases, get exclusive free stories, and the chance to win cool prizes?

  Sign up for her newsletter! http://cheryldouglasbooks.com/new-releases/

  To learn more about Cheryl visit www.cheryldouglasbooks.com

  To comment on this book or ask the author a question you can email her at:

  info@cheryldouglasbooks.com

  You can also visit Cheryl on Facebook or Twitter:

  www.facebook.com/cheryldouglasbooks

  Twitter: CherylDouglasNN

  Please consider leaving a review for this book or other books in the series.

  Thank You

  Other Books by Cheryl Douglas

  Now Available

  Nashville Nights

  Shameless

  Fearless

  Ruthless

  Reckless

  Relentless

  Heartless

  Hopeless

  Careless

  Nashville Nights Next Generation

  High Stakes

  Trade Off

  Holiday Homecoming

  Game On

  Burn Out

  Fast Track

  Time Out

  Face Value

  Blown Away

  Breathless

  Imagine

  Starting Over (Single Title)

  Music City Moguls

  Stone Cold

  Envious

  Forbidden

  Haunted

  Jaded

  Hero Worship (Coming Soon)

  Texas Titans

  Strike Out

  End Zone

  First Down

  Cheap Shot

  Fast Break (Holiday Novella)

  Wild Card

  Free Agent

  Going For It (Coming Soon)

  Possession (Coming Soon)

  Going For It

  Book Seven in the Texas Titans Series

  When his professional boxing career ended Blaise Thomas knew he had to re-group and build a new life for himself. Buying a gym where he could train amateur fighters seemed like a perfect fit for him, but when a sexy sports agent walked in looking for a personal trainer, his plans changed.

  Kiara Wagner loves her job as a sports agent, but she’s been burned by professional athletes one too many times. Now she’s just looking for a nice guy who’s ready to settle down. She knows Blaise doesn’t fit the bill, but that doesn’t dull her attraction to the former athlete. She falls for him. Hard.

  But when Blaise’s past comes back to haunt them, will Kiara run for cover or tough it out with her prized fighter?

 

 

  Cheryl Douglas, Free Agent (Texas Titans #6)

 

 

  Thank you for reading books on GrayCity.Net
Share this book with friends