Meant For Her

  She realized that she should have told Evan to come. Hell, she should have at least asked him. She’d avoided discussing the event with him altogether, afraid that he’d be upset by the nature of the benefit or compelled to come just because she’d chosen to honor his mother. As she was prone to do with people she cared about, she tried too hard to solve his problems…to comfort and protect him. In the process, she was inadvertently stifling his ability to heal himself.

  He would appreciate this, she knew. She should have given him more credit, allowed him to have a choice in whether or not to participate. Instead, she’d made the decision for him. As a result, the only person upset right now was her.

  When the time came for the last pieces of the night to be auctioned off, she forced herself to look forward and not at the photographs as Dee set them up. It was bittersweet to see the gifts she’d crafted specifically for Evan set up at auction. Considering he no longer wanted them, though, she felt this was the best purpose for them.

  “Our final collection of the night is a trio of images inspired by Atlanta’s third baseman, Evan Dorsey. As you all know, the proceeds from tonight’s benefit will be donated to breast cancer research in memory of Mr. Dorsey’s mother, Adelaide.”

  The auctioneer paused and opened an envelope that Dee had passed him after setting the photographs up for display. He stared at the slip of paper for a moment, then looked at Dee, who nodded.

  “Um,” the auctioneer stumbled, blinking in apparent surprise. “It appears these photographs are no longer open for bidding.”

  Sierra glanced over with wide eyes as the audience moaned in disappointment. She looked over the auctioneer’s shoulder at Dee, who wiped a tear from her cheek.

  “It appears we received a donation from a silent bidder specific to these photographs in the sum of one hundred thousand dollars.”

  The gasps of astonishment from the audience barely registered with Sierra. Her hand moved to the necklace she wore at her throat…the necklace Evan had given her. There was no question in her mind that he’d made the donation.

  Cheers and applause filled the tent. The DJ took Dee’s cue to resume the music. Everyone rose so the chairs could be cleared to free up the dance floor. Dee rushed over to Sierra and drew her into a hug.

  “Oh, goodness,” she said with a sniffle. “I didn’t expect to cry. Just look at me…I’m a mess.”

  Since Sierra had tears running down her cheeks, too, she couldn’t say anything. Her mothers and Lane also hurried up to congratulate her.

  “I’m so proud of you, honey,” Deanne said.

  “We all are,” Regina added. “You’ve done an amazing thing here.”

  When her mothers rushed off to help Dee, Lane gave her a separate hug. “Evan donated the money, didn’t he?”

  “I think so,” Sierra said.

  “Well, that’s something.”

  “Yes, it is.”

  Lane helped her down the stairs and walked beside her so they could personally thank everyone for attending and donating. It took more than an hour to get to everyone. By then, the dance floor was thriving and the champagne was getting low.

  So was Sierra’s energy. Lane eventually deposited her in a chair near the back of the tent and took to the floor with an attractive man in his late twenties. Sierra sipped more water and tried not to indulge in self-pity over the fact that she couldn’t dance.

  “Hello, Sierra.”

  Slowly, she turned and looked over her shoulder. Her eyes took in the shiny dress shoes, the tuxedo and bow tie, the gorgeous blue eyes.

  Evan had come.

  “I’m sorry I’m late,” he said when she didn’t reply. “It didn’t feel like it took as long to get here when you drove. Plus, it was hard to talk Cole into letting me borrow this getup and his car.”

  She still didn’t reply. She couldn’t believe he was standing there. Emotion ran through her like a current.

  He approached the table and took the seat next to her. There wasn’t anyone else nearby, since the corner was dark and nowhere near the dance floor. When he reached for her hand, she didn’t resist him. His gaze met hers.

  “Almost a year ago,” he said, “I was the one sitting alone in the back in the dark while everyone else danced. I was the one who suffered while they celebrated, the one experiencing pain that I was certain would never fade. You saw that from across a crowded room. And that very day, you helped me start to heal.”

  Tears clogged her throat, trailed down her cheeks.

  “I never dreamed that a year later, you’d be the one sitting in this spot, hurting and alone, all because of me.”

  She opened her mouth to object, but he shook his head.

  “It’s true. I may not have hurt you physically, but there is more than one way to cause pain. And I’m so sorry, Sierra. I’m sorry for hurting you.”

  She had to look away. He was bringing forth all of the feelings she’d been pushing aside over the past couple weeks since their fight. A sob built in her throat, but she fought it back.

  “You’re my light,” he said, reaching over and turning her so she faced him again. His thumb brushed at the wetness on her cheeks. “I was afraid, fearing a day I might live to see that light go out. Because of that fear, I almost extinguished it myself.”

  Her breath shuddered as she battled her emotions. She would have killed for a tissue, but settled for the cocktail napkin under her water glass to blot her eyes.

  “Last year, after you left me on the terrace at the reception,” he said, “I went looking for you. I wanted to thank you, maybe ask you to dance. But you were gone. Would you dance with me now, Sierra?”

  She bit her lip. Her gaze went to her crutches.

  “I’ll do all the work, I promise,” he said.

  She nodded. Before she could start to rise, he moved to squat in front of her. She watched in stunned silence as he removed her single shoe. He rose and gently scooped her up, taking care not to touch the center of her back. The action caught her by such surprise that she laughed.

  His eyes deepened in color in response. “I’ve missed your laugh,” he said.

  He carried her to the outskirts of the dance floor. Since the DJ had chosen a slow song, the floor was less crowded. He carefully lowered her, making sure her left foot rested on top of his shoe. He encouraged her to encircle his neck with her arms so she could keep the weight off her injured foot. His movements were smooth and slow as he danced with her. He leaned down and breathed in her scent.

  “I’ve been unforgivably selfish,” he said near her ear. “I should have been there for you after the attack. I should have spent every possible moment with you helping you recover. And most importantly, I should have let you know how much I love you.”

  Oh, Lord. She was never going to stop crying. She felt like a fountain of tears.

  He shifted back to look into her eyes. “I’ve constantly asked you to tell me of your love for me without even once offering you the same. You’ve shown me how much you love me, even without giving me the words. But I haven’t done the same, and I even mocked you for it. I’ll never forgive myself for that. I will, however, do whatever it takes to earn your forgiveness.”

  She wanted to reply, but couldn’t get any words past the enormous lump in her throat. Instead, she tightened her hold around his neck.

  “I have a confession to make,” he said as he looked down at her. “I’ve been conspiring with your parents over the past couple of days. While you’ve been here preparing for the benefit, I’ve been moving all of our things into a new temporary home.”

  Her eyes widened.

  “Your aunt has a place we can use while the renovations are being completed at the apartments. I want to take care of you while you’re recovering. I want to be with you. I’ve missed you. I don’t want to spend any more time apart than we have to.”

  Joy unfurled in her chest. A slow smiled bloomed.

  “Will you tell me again, Evan?” she asked.

  ??
?I love you, Sierra.”

  He leaned down to kiss her. Even though the kiss was sweet and tasteful, she felt it all the way to her toes. When she met his eyes, she saw his love for her swirling in them.

  “I love you, too, Evan,” she said. “And I do forgive you.”

  Shaking his head, he gave her another kiss. “You could have held out for all kinds of gifts and favors as I groveled, you know.”

  “I could have,” she agreed, smiling widely. “But I’m too nice for that.”

  Chapter 56

  Evan made arrangements for Sierra to travel with him throughout the post-season. She scheduled her shoots for the home stands and took a lot of pictures during the away games to sell as stock images. Much as Lane had figured, the benefit resulted in a flood of new business. Fortunately, most of the new clients were flexible with the scheduling and could wait until November for her to begin working with them.

  The bump in her business led her to officially turn down Bastian’s offer to partner with him. She still wanted to work with Z Studios as often as she could, but she knew she couldn’t give his business the attention it deserved. She encouraged him to consider grooming Camille for a future partnership, though. Since Camille had shown remarkable dedication and an increasing talent over the past month, he said he’d think about it.

  Although they traveled quite a bit over the next few weeks, Sierra’s injuries continued to heal. By the last week of October and the start of the World Series, she was able to walk without crutches and sit in the stands, screaming like a rabid fan just like the rest of her family.

  The team was on fire. Despite the grim predictions about their chances due to the late-September upheaval, the players rose to the occasion.

  They took the Series in five games.

  It was a good thing, too. Everly went into labor two days before her due date…just an hour after the win. Well, Sierra later found out that the labor had started that morning, but Everly didn’t want to say anything to Cole since he was the starting pitcher. As a result of the delay, Grace Victoria Parker was born seven minutes after her frazzled father reached the delivery room.

  The happy family returned home on Halloween. Sierra wanted to get some photographs of Grace and her parents in these first early days to add to the pregnancy portfolio, so Cole and Everly invited her over. Evan obediently carried in the mountain of gifts she’d been collecting, only complaining once.

  “Seriously, why does a baby need a tutu?”

  Okay, twice.

  Grinning, she used a hand to lower the frilly pink tutu currently blocking half of his vision as they waited for someone to answer the door.

  “That’s a prop for the shoot,” she said. “But I might leave it for when she’s big enough. Little girls love tutus.”

  He gave a long-suffering sigh, but didn’t argue. Cole answered the door a minute later.

  “Hey, guys,” he said, accepting Sierra’s hug. “Come on in.”

  He looked happy, Sierra thought. Thrilled, really. Exhausted, but thrilled. She imagined life couldn’t get much better than this.

  World Series champion. Husband. Father.

  Awesome.

  “I’m so happy for you,” she said with another hug. “Where’s Everly?”

  “She’s nursing Grace.”

  Her eyes widened. “Up in the nursery?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I’ve got to get a picture,” she declared, pulling her camera out of her bag and moving quickly in the direction of the stairs.

  Behind her, she heard Evan explain, “She loves pictures.”

  It made her laugh. She could only imagine the look Cole exchanged with him when he saw how excited she was to photograph Everly nursing.

  Guys definitely wouldn’t understand.

  She got some beautiful images over the next couple of hours. Everly would be a weepy mess when she received the album Sierra created for them. Hell, Cole might be, too, she thought. The way he’d looked at Grace when he was unguarded…yeah, he’d shed a tear or two.

  “They already seem like a real family,” Evan said after they’d had lunch with them and headed home.

  “I agree. Cole seems to think selling the Maserati was a reasonable tradeoff for becoming a father,” she said, rubbing the dashboard.

  “Sure didn’t let go of it cheap,” he said dryly, but he grinned and hit the gas.

  She couldn’t help but laugh. His smiles and good humor were coming more easily these days. The appointments with the grief counselor had helped.

  It took her a while to realize they weren’t driving to the rental house. “Where are we going?”

  “Home,” he said.

  “But…”

  She trailed off when the apartment buildings came into sight. She stared at them, waiting for her surprise to ease.

  For weeks, she’d feared coming here. She’d feared that she wouldn’t ever want to go back to the apartment she’d loved so much for so long. She’d feared that all of the good memories would be overshadowed by one dark one.

  When a smile pulled at her lips, she knew she’d been afraid for nothing.

  He didn’t say a word as they parked. She stayed seated so he could open her door and help her out. It was a habit they’d gotten into while she was healing, and neither of them seemed inclined to change things now. She took his hand and didn’t let it go as they crossed the parking lot into the entrance courtyard.

  Evan’s bike was already there, she realized, as was her car. Considering they’d only been gone from their rental for a matter of hours, she couldn’t imagine the money and manpower this quick move had entailed. Their rental home was just a few miles down the road, but this was still impressive.

  Oliver stood behind the desk. He smiled when he saw them.

  “Welcome home, Ms. Sierra. Mr. Evan.”

  “Hi, Oliver,” she said, giving him a tight hug. “I’ve sure missed you.”

  “We’ve all missed you, too. There’s going to be a big welcome home party tonight. Costumes optional, candy not optional.”

  She laughed. “That sounds wonderful. I can’t wait.”

  Evan led her to the elevator. She realized the code had changed when he entered it. Before she could dwell on why it needed to be changed, he leaned down and kissed her. He touched her jaw to encourage her to part her lips, then he swept in with his tongue, thoroughly distracting her. She barely registered when the elevator came to a stop.

  She was aware, however, of the three dogs tumbling into the elevator once the doors opened. Miller and Beck moved just as quickly as ever now that they’d both fully healed.

  “What are you guys doing…?”

  She looked up and trailed off.

  The walls were gone. No longer was she peering down a long hallway leading to two separate apartments, but she stood in an expansive, single apartment. Rich hardwood floors stretched in front of her. Floor-to-ceiling windows punctuated three of the walls. Two sets of double French doors led out to the two balconies. The single kitchen was twice the size of the one in her old apartment, beckoning her with gleaming commercial-grade appliances and gorgeous granite and tile work.

  She loved everything about it.

  “Come on,” he said. “You have to see the rest.”

  Not speaking, she walked with an open mouth, taking in the large family room as they moved through it. She didn’t recognize most of the furniture. When she saw the photographs of Miller and Beck on the wall, she nearly burst into tears.

  “We’ve got three bedrooms plus a studio for you and workout room for me,” he said as they walked, opening doors so she could look in. “Three baths. Hardwoods throughout. Zoe helped with furnishing everything. She said you’d love it.”

  She did. So much so that she was speechless. He’d known she wouldn’t want to come back to the same place she’d been attacked, so he’d changed it for her.

  For both of them.

  “Caroline sold this place to me outright,” he added as they walke
d to the master bedroom. “I figured it made more sense than renting. I’ve also bought the Tybee Island rental from your parents.”

  “You did?” she whispered.

  “Yeah. I know you’re going to be commuting there a lot for your business now, so it made sense to have both places. Plus, I’ve found that it has a special meaning to me.”

  Her heart couldn’t seem to stop aching. He’d really done it. He’d put down roots for her.

  “I figured you’d enjoy doing the design work with Zoe on that property,” he said, “so she’s expecting a call.”

  Sierra just smiled and gave a watery laugh. She’d be on the phone with her dear friend first thing tomorrow.

  When they reached the master bedroom, she gasped over how gorgeous it was. Zoe had done a magnificent job of blending beauty with functionality. It was feminine, but not so much that Evan would feel uncomfortable. The photo she’d taken of the stadium once again hung over the bed.

  The bed itself was covered with a blue-gray duvet. In the center of it sat a distinctive box bearing the Dee’s Designs logo.

  She watched as Evan walked to the bed and picked it up. Her heart flew up into her throat when he moved back in front of her.

  “Back in July,” he said, “I asked you to think of me whenever you wore the jewelry set I bought you. Since then, I’ve seen you wear nothing else.”

  “I don’t want to,” she said in a voice made husky with emotion.

  He smiled. “What if we added to the set?”

  He opened the box, revealing a ring nestled among the velvet. Instead of a one-carat green tourmaline in the center like her necklace, the stone was a diamond. Set into the band around the diamond were a number of small green tourmalines. The platinum setting swirled in the same pear-shaped infinity knot as the pendant on her necklace.

  She’d never seen it in the jewelry case at Dee’s and knew he’d had it made for her. Her hand went to her chest as he removed the ring and held it up. Sunlight gleamed on the stones.