The Girl With Diamonds (Midtown Brotherhood Book 2) (20 page)

“I thought you wanted more than this station.”

“I do, but somebody once told me there is more to a job than a fancy title. I should get to enjoy going to work every day.”

Cressida hopped up and down, clapping her hands. “I’m pretty sure that means she’s staying in Midtown.” Then she jumped on Magnolia’s back, pushing her forward until she bumped into Austin. Luckily, he caught them both. “Time’s up,” Cressida said, laughing and catching her balance. “Back to work.”

Magnolia gave Austin one last quick kiss before allowing Cressida to pull her away. She sat down on the couch with Samuel, Drew by his side. It would be a double interview. Sam reached out and took her hand, and she gripped it tight. “Nervous?” she asked.

He shook his head. “No. You?”

“Why would I be nervous?”

Drew leaned across Sam’s lap, his smile playful as he pointed behind her. “Because Austin can’t take his eyes off you.”

Magnolia looked over her shoulder. Austin stood beneath the lights, the shadow no match for the bright radiance of sheer joy on his face.

She smiled back, and this time Sam gripped her hand tighter. She belonged here. Not necessarily in New York, but with these friends. She belonged with Austin, who looked at her like that. That special smile that belonged just to her. Like his world depended on her next breath. She had all she ever really wanted. The perfect job, and the perfect revenge no longer felt necessary. In fact, it didn’t matter at all.

Nothing mattered more than this moment, with these people, and being able to share it with the man she loved.

Chapter Twenty-Five

AUSTIN’S REDEMPTION

The cool breeze of a spring that lingered too long brushed across Austin’s face. Magnolia opened the window in his bedroom again. She’d done it every morning since the temperature broke above sixty in the city. Austin opened one eye. The room was still quiet, but he knew she was there. He waited to hear the buzz of her hair dryer or the familiar clink of her Keurig in the kitchen.

He depended on those sounds. It was what made him want to get out of bed every morning. He had a game tonight, but his life didn’t revolve around that anymore. There was so much other stuff that filled those empty hours now. Things he didn’t want to miss. The water in the bathroom burst on, and he smiled.

Magnolia always had to brush her teeth first thing in the morning. It was one of the many things he loved about her, and he loved a lot of things about his girlfriend. Austin rolled over on his back until he could see his room. So different now than the place he’d woken up to back in the fall.

Now there were two blankets on his bed. He’d bought an extra one after Magnolia stole his five nights in a row and he woke up cold. Pictures lined his wall, and those jerseys he’d given Magnolia for Christmas had been framed because she wanted to keep them forever. He had new furniture that wasn’t broken, and most importantly, a new reason to spend more time at home.

A small hand clamped over his eyes and everything went black. “Good morning.”

He pulled it down. Magnolia sat across his stomach, a big smile on her face. He instantly returned it. “It is a good morning.”

She reached and pulled both of his hands above his head and wrapped a piece of cloth around his wrists.

“I’m sorry,” he said, laughing as he glanced up. “Are you trying to tie me up?”

Her smile grew and he easily pulled one of his hands back down.

She made a small pout. “Trying being the operative word. Now stay still.”

He let her move his hand back up. “You’re really bad at this.”

She kissed the side of his cheek softly. “I never claimed to be good. Could you please just play along?”

Austin snorted and scooted up in the bed so she could easily tie the pillow case around his hands. It was a far cry from needled leather straps. “What is this about?”

Once she had him semi-confined in place, Magnolia stood up and he gulped. She had on his jersey and that was it. Absolutely, without a doubt, just the jersey.

“I have plans for you, Austin Blakely. But first, I want to show you this.”

She grabbed something from the nightstand. “Check this out.” She held up a copy of
The Whisperer
. He instantly cringed. She held it closer to him. “No, read it. Trust me. It’s the headline we’ve been waiting on.”

Austin leaned up to look at the top. The headline simply read:

Whisperer Executive Claims No Knowledge of So-Called Wigged Thief and Disgruntled MSG Accomplice.

Austin couldn’t help but shake his head. “Wow. Ferra Decantur never ceases to amaze me.”

Magnolia turned the magazine around to read it again. “Yeah. I still can’t believe it, though. I mean, Stella and Evan? I trusted them.”

“People surprise you.”

She nodded, still so deep in thought. Even after the interview with Sam turned out to be an amazing success, Magnolia hurt. She didn’t show it much, but Stella’s betrayal still stung. Good thing he knew about distractions.

“Magnolia.” She looked up and he smiled. “I’m still tied up here.”

“Oh, yes.” She threw the magazine down. “Speaking of surprises.”

She grinned so wide he thought her cheeks might explode. “I got a job!” She started dancing, and suddenly stopped. “A real job. Like, a really good job.” She started dancing again.

Austin immediately sat up, pulling his restrained hands down with no effort. “Hey,” she said, pouting at her foiled attempt.

He ignored her. This was important. “What kind of job? Where?”

She crawled back on the bed. “That’s the best part. Anywhere.”

Austin rubbed his hair. “What do you mean, anywhere?”

“Oliver Stanton, that executive from L.A., called me. He saw the interview I did with Sam, and loved it. He wants me to do a monthly series of exclusive interviews with athletes. I’ll fly out to a different location for one weekend every month to do the interview, and then I’ll be back here or wherever we end up.”

He couldn’t deny it. He loved when she used the term ‘we’ when referring to their future. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks.” She beamed, her chin tilting up with pride. “It’s nothing permanent, but it’s a great step up.”

“It’s amazing. I’m so proud of you. When do you start?”

“Not until the end of the summer. I promised Mrs. Stamcose I would help train her new crop of interns before I jumped ship.”

“Good. Good.” He nodded. “That works great with the plans I made for vacation after the playoffs.”

Now she turned, curious. She scooted up the bed toward him. “Really?”

He brought his fingers up and played with the edge of her hair that draped across her shoulder. “Yeah. First we need to go to Atlanta, though.”

She eyed him suspiciously. “Why Atlanta?”

He gave her a slight shrug, attempting to keep himself calm. “Your father has this insane notion that I need to ask him for his blessing before I ask you to marry me.”

Magnolia’s mouth fell open, but he didn’t miss a beat. “Then I have to take you to St. Paul to meet my parents, because my mom said if she doesn’t get to meet you before I pop the question she will disown me, and then we’re going to…what? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Magnolia’s face was white. “You just said…”

Austin smiled. “Oh. That.”

“Oh. That.” She gaped at him. “That’s what you’re going with right now?”

“Well, I was going to wait, but you know how terribly impatient I am when it comes to you. I was never going to be able to make until I got you to Paris.”

Magnolia took in a sharp breath. “Paris?”

“Shit. Did I say Paris? I meant Paris, Rome, and Athens.”

Her eyes rounded. “Austin!”

“What? I couldn’t make up my mind, so I figured, why the hell not? You only get engaged once, right?”

Magnolia covered her face with her hands as if about to have a panic attack. Then she slowly pulled them down. “You. You and your little games are going to be the death of me.”

He grinned wickedly at her. “That isn’t a yes. I’m going to need a firm confirmation on this one.”

She blew out a breath. “You haven’t even—”

He cupped both hands around her cheeks. “Will you marry me?”

She closed her eyes. “This doesn’t count. You don’t have a ring.”

He raised a brow. “Who said I don’t have a ring?”

Her eyes popped open. He glanced at the jewelry box on the dresser again.

She suddenly pushed his hands away. “You’re joking.”

“Joke about a diamond? Oh, heavens, no. One never jokes about diamonds. What would Grammy Cross think of me?” He leaned back on the pillows and nodded toward the jewelry box. “Go look.”

She studied him, and when he didn’t blink, she slowly eased off the bed and toward the dresser. She peeked under the lid of the jewelry box. Laying on top of the drink menu, the one where she’d written those fateful words that frightened him so much, was a ring. A diamond ring.

“Holy shit.”

“That isn’t a yes. I will only accept an affirmative yes, Miss Cross.”

Magnolia whirled around, but he was already off the bed and on one knee. “I love you too. I meant that very much when I told you, and I mean it even more now. Will you marry me, Magnolia?”

Tears. She cupped her hand over her mouth.

He waited. Impatiently, and on the verge on of a panic attack, but he waited. One single tear leaked down her cheek, and it was all he could take. He stood to reach for her.

“Yes,” she blurted out, flinging herself at him. “Yes. Yes. So much yes.”

He scooped her up, kissing her soft, pink lips. Thank God he didn’t wait. This was too perfect.

She suddenly pulled back with a gasp. “We can’t tell my dad you didn’t wait.”

Austin laughed. “Actually, I sort of asked him last night.”

“What? How?”

He pulled her hips back close to him, unwilling to let her go. “Your parents and your sisters flew up last night. They wanted to come to my playoff game.”

“My father flew to Manhattan to watch you play hockey?” She sounded impressed, but she looked absolutely thrilled. “He must really like you.”

“You know, I think he did like me right up until I showed him that ring and he realized I was stealing his last little girl from him.”

“The ring.” She gasped like she’d forgotten about it. She ran to get it, opening the box and carefully taking it out.

Austin gently pulled her hand around. “Let me?”

He took the diamond and eased it on her finger. Flawless. “No offense, but out of all the diamonds you wear, I think this one is going to be my favorite.”

Magnolia bit her lip, pushing her glasses up her nose to look closer, not at the sparkling ring on her finger, but at him.

“Mine too.”

BEFORE YOU GO…

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Acknowledgments

As always, a true and heartfelt thank you to my family. Each and every one of you have played a crucial role in inspiring me and helping to make this dream I’ve had a reality. Thank you for your encouragement, your kind words, and most importantly, your time. A special thanks to John, Delilah, and Gracie who deal with my craziness on a daily basis with smiles and the best hugs ever.

Thank you to my wonderful editor, Lori Whitwam, for helping to make my stories better, and taking the time to teach me how to do it for myself in the future. A big thank you to the entire Limitless Publishing team, including my fellow authors. It takes a village to make one book happen, and I am so happy that I’ve gotten to enjoy this ride with each and every one of you.

Thank you to every person who takes the time to read my work. Sharing something you’ve created with the world can be a scary thing, but each of you make it worth it every day.