“Will you be my girlfriend?” He didn’t wait for her to answer, but rather put his hands on her shoulders, his expression intense and filled with a love that surprised her. “I know it won’t be easy … but I’ll try my best to make it normal. As normal as we can be.”
“Normal?” She laughed, and the sound held the slightest cry in it. “Brandon, you could never be normal.” She hugged him and when she pulled back she felt the depth in her own eyes. “Which is why I have to tell you … yes. Yes, I’ll be your girlfriend.”
“Really?” His question came loud and with a fresh burst of life.
“Really!” She laughed again. “I wanted you to ask.”
He picked her up and swung her in a full circle, and when he set her back down again he leaned against the railing and shouted. “Hey, New York! I’m in love with Bailey Flanigan!”
“You’re crazy.” She beamed at him — glowing from the inside out. The necklace. The question. And now this … Brandon wanted the whole world to know how he felt. That he was in love with her.
She still felt breathless, her heart still pounding as he returned to her and took her gently in his arms again. They hugged for a long time, until Bailey was glad when he eased back a little. If they were going to do this … be in a serious relationship … they would have to take every step carefully … make every decision slowly.
He kept his arms around her waist, and now he looked into her eyes. “Girlfriend?”
“Yes …” She laughed, but not enough to pull her from the bond between them.
“I have an idea.”
“You’re good at that.” At this point she was willing to go with just about any idea he had. She put her arms loosely around his neck and tilted her head, curious … waiting.
“So … you know our love story?”
“The one we are going to film someday …” She loved the feeling of being in his arms.
“Yes … that one.” He looked like he was struggling to concentrate, as caught up in the closeness between them as she was. “Anyway … I think maybe we should practice … you know, just in case they call us in for a cold read or something.”
“Right …” She had a feeling she knew where he was headed with this, and she was glad. “Cold reads can be tricky.”
“Exactly.” He moved closer, brushing his cheek against hers, capturing her, mesmerizing her. He looked straight at her and suddenly there were no words needed. He brought his hands slowly to her face and he kissed her … tenderly and with great restraint, in a way that showed her how much he wanted her, but even more how much he cared.
The kiss didn’t last long, and Brandon didn’t try to kiss her a second time — even though Bailey sort of hoped he would. Instead he stepped back, trembling. “I promise you, Bailey … I’ll respect you. We’ll do this God’s way.”
She wasn’t sure what to say, or how to respond. This was what her parents had prayed for her since she was born — that the guys in her life might cherish her. And now Brandon was promising just that. She hugged him again. “That means so much.”
Bailey held tight to the way it felt to be kissed by Brandon Paul on the rooftop of her apartment building amidst the prettiest secret garden in all of New York. After they’d said goodbye, and after he left the building to what was no doubt a flurry of photographs and shouts from paparazzi, she knew one thing with absolute certainty.
She was totally and completely in love with Brandon Paul.
Twenty-Eight
THE MIRACLE CONTINUED TO PLAY OUT, AND CODY COULD DO nothing but stand by and humbly credit God for every great thing happening to the Lyle High football team. The changes happening to the small town. After the Arlington win, the Buckaroos played road games against Lawrence Central, Warren Central, and Cathedral and pulled out wins at each.
Tonight they were back at home against John Marshall High — their last Friday night game of the season. A win tonight and Lyle would go from a winless two years to an undefeated run heading into play-offs. Cody was alone in the locker room again, this time at his desk in the office, going over plays. But he couldn’t keep himself from thinking back over the last three