Page 109 of The Way We Collide

It was so easy, so fundamental, like breathing or walking or catching a perfectly thrown spiral when I’m wide open in the end zone and ready to score.

Complete satisfaction.

The final bridesmaids photo is taken with all the girls surrounding Rachel under the arch near the open back doors. The pale moon is just visible in the light blue sky. Garrett lifts Gigi out of Liv’s arms, and I watch as Dylan runs to Raven to take Haddy.

My sister hasn’t stopped holding Haddy since we got here, and I know she’s trying to get in all her auntie time before weleave for Atlanta in the morning. Dylan loves her family so hard. I try to play it off, but I always feel guilty when it’s time to go.

Watching the whole scene, Raven holding hands with Liv and laughing with my family, the thought of a brief separation and a quickie divorce grinds my jaw. It’s all wrong, and it just doesn’t make sense.

“Hey, bro, you okay?” Garrett walks up to where I’m standing, holding a beer, and thinking all these thoughts.

Clearing them away, I smile, nodding. “Dylan hasn’t put Haddy down since we got here.”

My brother laughs, and his little girl wraps her chubby fingers around his bow tie, intent on putting it in her mouth. Gigi has strawberry-blonde hair like Liv’s, but she has Garrett’s big blue eyes. It’s how you know Haddy’s her cousin—all the Bradford boys have them.

He laughs, following my line of sight to our sister.

“You know I like messing with you, but seriously. Isn’t this the best thing in the world?” He puts his hand on his baby daughter’s back. “Did you ever think you could love someone this much? I mean, Liv is the love of my life, but Gigi’s something different.”

I can’t argue with him. “It’s pretty life-changing.”

“This little lady depends on me.” He kisses her head, and she pulls his now-untied tie into her mouth. “I catch myself having pretty ferocious thoughts when I think somebody might try to hurt her or make her feel bad.”

“You always stood up for the underdog. Look what you did for Craig.”

“That’s what I mean. Kids can be really shitty in school.” He shakes his head. “I’d better not hear about it.”

Chuckling, I nod. “I’m pretty sure Liv knows this about you.”

“Speaking of school, you were a jock, but you were really smart. You always made straightAs.” Squinting up at him, Iwonder what he’s getting at. “Maybe you could work with Jack, be his assistant coach and teach… I don’t know… something.”

Shaking my head, I look down. “I’m not interested in being a teacher.”

“Logan would put you on the air in a heartbeat. You’re a natural at sports radio.”

My throat tightens, and I look up at him, doing his best to give me options to move home. “I’m not ready to retire, Grizz. I still love the game.”

“I know.” He nods, exhaling a laugh. “You want to play until you’re too old to run. I remember. But maybe one day you’ll want to be closer to family. Just letting you know, we have a lot of fun. You wouldn’t be sitting around watching the grass grow.”

Raven gives Dylan a hug, and her eyes meet mine. She smiles, walking to where I’m standing with my brother, and I nod, blinking up at him.

“Thanks, man. I believe you.”

This little town where we lived all our lives surrounded by people who knew and loved us has a lot to offer. If only I knew how to make it enough for me.

“It’snice to meet you at last, Mr. Bradford.” Jeffrey Harrison Gale shakes my hand, and a heavy Rolex watch slides down his wrist.

After all the drama of saying goodbye to my family this morning, which included tears and hugs and kisses from Dylan and more hugs and pictures and promises to FaceTime every day and “stop being such a stranger, Hendrix,” we made the drive to Raven’s father’s estate just south of Atlanta.

I gotta say, it’s a lot bigger than I expected. Hell, this place makes Miss Gina’s mansion on the bluffs look like somebody’s fishing camp.

Raven said her family had money, but this is a ten-foot-tall,wrought-iron gates at the end of the driveway, massive fountain in a circle drive, tall columns at the door, and even a marble foyer with a table holding a bowl of roses as big as something you’d see in a hotel lobby mansion.

I’ve been to grand estates like this for charity events in Hollywood, but I honestly didn’t expect this to be Raven’s scene. She’s so down to earth—and cheap.

I remember the time she was so excited to find a pack of ten tube socks for a dollar at the Safeway. Then she got a twelve-pack of Jolt cola from the dollar store. I didn’t even know they made that shit anymore.

She showed them to me like she’d found buried treasure. Treasure nobody wanted, I pointed out.

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