Wright with Benefits (Wright Series #8) - K.A. Linde Page 0,62

coming here?”

“Yes!” Hollin said. “Well, Campbell will be here for the friends-and-family thing. Not the whole band. He said he could do a few acoustic songs.” He waved his hands, as if there were no difference. “But he said he’d try to convince the entire band to show up for the grand opening!”

“That would be incredible for the winery,” I said. “You’d sell out.”

Hollin laughed. “I know. I figured it’s the best I can do for it, considering the Wrights fronted the money.”

Julian kicked him in the shin. “Shut up. You’re doing all the heavy lifting.”

“So, just to confirm,” Blaire said, clearing her throat as she got to her feet, “Campbell is coming here for your party? And that’s when again?”

“Two weeks!” Julian said.

“Oh, hey,” Hollin said as if it’d just hit him. “Didn’t you two graduate together?”

Blaire clenched her jaw and shrugged. “Yeah. But he was, like, cool.”

“Says the Instagram Influencer,” I said with a laugh.

But I could see her discomfort from a mile off. Of course, the boys were oblivious.

“Yeah, you’re the coolest person I know,” Cézanne said.

Blaire forced a laugh. “I managed to be cool after high school, but back then, I was a huge nerd. My mom was a psychiatrist, and it was just…” She trailed off and made a face. “Campbell Abbey didn’t even know my name.”

I highly doubted that.

“Okay, let’s play!” Isaac said.

We all stood from where we’d been stretching, huddled together for one of Isaac’s pep talks, and then broke and ran into position.

Cézanne glanced at me. “So, Seattle?”

I nodded. “I think it’s going to be number one. You?”

“Tech.”

“Really? Top of the class and all those interviews, and you still want to stay here?” I asked as the whistle blew.

“If I can do some good in my community here in Lubbock, then I don’t need to go anywhere else,” she said as if it were obvious.

And maybe it was. I’d never thought of it that way.

We won the game thirteen to nothing.

Isaac had actually pulled Blaire back from forward after her fifth goal. Girls got two points for every goal. Julian scored the next three, and the ref called a mercy rule. I hadn’t even known there was a mercy rule. But I was glad for it. Not that I’d done much to help win. I wasn’t a soccer player, and I felt like I’d been run over by the end of it. We slapped hands with the other team, and then I ran to the sidelines to guzzle my water bottle.

Blaire invited everyone out for our typical pizza. I bowed out since I had to work and found Jennifer and Jordan waiting for me.

“You did great!” Jen said.

I laughed. “I was terrible.”

“Same thing,” she said. “You played the sports balls, and the team won. So, you won.”

“I love you.”

She made a cute face like she was going to rub her nose against mine. It was so adorable. “Love you, too. I’m going to get pizza.” She glanced at Jordan. “Can you get her home?”

“Already the plan,” he said easily.

“Thanks!”

“I’ll see you later.”

“Bye!” Jennifer said, waving at us and then running to catch up with Blaire.

“Shall we?” Jordan asked.

I nodded, stretching my arms overhead and yawning. “Why am I tired already?”

“Because just ran for an hour and you’ve been working overnights.”

“Right,” I said with a soft laugh. “Of course.”

We reached his truck, and Jordan came around to my side to let me in. But before he opened the door, he turned to face me. “Before we go, I wanted to give you something.”

“Oh?”

Then he produced a small box…a jewelry box. My mind stopped, and everything in the entire universe screeched to a halt. I mean, he’d said that he was willing to move with me, but that couldn’t be what that was, right? Right?

He laughed when he saw my face. “Breathe, Annie. I’m not proposing.” Then he considered it. “Not yet.”

I flushed all over at that comment. “Jordan…”

“Shh,” he said playfully and then handed me the box. “Just open it.”

My mouth opened and closed as the box settled in my hand. I swallowed, wondering what the hell he could be surprising me with. And why I hadn’t recoiled at the thought of him one day proposing?

I opened the box and gasped, my hand going to my mouth. Nestled in red velvet was a small claddagh ring.

“Jordan,” I breathed. “You didn’t!”

“I know it’s not the same as the one your parents gave you.” He plucked the ring from the box as I stood there,