Free Getting Wound Up: A Sapphire Falls/ Love Between the Bases Novel-- PART THREE by Erin Nicholas

car in reverse.
    The drive to Klein’s Hill should have taken six minutes.
    Seven minutes later they weren’t even going in the right direction.
    He hadn’t noticed because he’d been so distracted with the things he was going to do to and with Caitlyn on that hill. But when they drove past the park and swimming pool and past the huge billboard Ty had put up as a tribute to himself, Eli noticed.
    “What’s going on?”
    “Just thought we could drive for a bit.”
    Eli looked over, saw the tiny curl at the corner of her mouth and it suddenly all became perfectly clear. They’d been in this situation before.
    He settled back in his seat and draped one arm along the back of the seat and the other on the edge of the door. “Okay.”
    She glanced over. “Okay?”
    “Yeah, I like to drive.” He moved his hand from the seat to the back of Caitlyn’s neck. He stroked his thumb up and down the side of her neck. “I like doing anything as long as you’re with me.”
    She swallowed.
    “And I hate doing things when you’re not with me.”
    She looked over. Then back to the road. Then she sighed. “You know what I’m doing, right?”
    “You’re kidnapping me. Again,” he added.
    His chest filled with warmth and love. He didn’t know what exactly this trip entailed, just like he didn’t know what their life held in the future, but he did know that if Caitlyn was beside him, he’d go into it happily.
    “I am.”
    “I certainly hope it’s to Vegas.”
    “You’ve never been?’
    “I’ve never been to Vegas to get married.”
    She glanced over sharply and Eli wondered if he should quit teasing her so she’d keep her eyes on the road.
    “Um, so, no…it’s not Vegas.”
    They were heading south. Which could mean a number of things. It could mean the airport or the interstate. Or, he supposed she could be taking him back to Kilby. Texas was south of Sapphire Falls. A long way south, but definitely south.
    “We don’t have to get married in Vegas,” he said. “We can get married wherever we’re going.”
    The skin of her neck was silky and warm and if he slid his hand forward he could feel her pulse thumping against his thumb. Hard and fast.
    “You wouldn’t want your family there?” she asked.
    “That would be ideal. But if my fiancée is carrying out a surprise elopement, I’m not going to argue.”
    “I’m not officially your fiancée,” she said, her voice a little scratchy.
    She was choked up. He liked that.
    “You are, Candy-girl,” he said, turning slightly in his seat. “You’re mine. In every way. Fiancée just means that we intend to get married. And we do intend to get married, right Cait?”
    She ran her tongue over her lips, staring hard at the road in front of the car now.
    “Cait? I need to hear it.”
    “Yes,” she finally said softly. “Yes, we’re going to get married.”
    Eli felt his chest deflate as the breath he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding rushed out. He loved her, he believed that she loved him. But he really loved hearing the words.
    “After.”
    He looked over at her. “After?” Had he missed a few other words?
    “After the season’s over. During your break.”
    The season. He should have known. “Cait, I already said no.”
    “You told Duke no. But he hasn’t actually told the Friars yet. So you’re still good, as long as you’re at Friar Stadium tomorrow.”
    “How do you know all this?”
    “Your dad said that Stewart had been calling. I got ahold of him and told him that I was going to get you to California.”
    He didn’t say anything for a moment. Finally he managed, “So the Friars…that’s still an option?”
    “Yes. Absolutely. They want you. And I’m taking you to them. To your dream.”
    His dream was sitting right next to him. Being kind of a pain in the ass. But his heart melted at how important this was to her. He smiled in spite of it all and wondered if that was what all romantic relationships were like—heart-melting