The Promises We Keep (Made for Love Book 1) Read Free Page B

should I say Rhonda ’ s brother; she wasn ’ t really much of a mother.
    Charlie lived in Colorado for as long as I could remember and, two weeks every summer, my dad would send me out here to hang out with him. I remember those fourteen days were the best fourteen days I would have all year. I ’ d get drunk off of Charlie ’ s attention — I craved it in ways that I couldn ’ t even understand. He always treated me the way I wished my father would but never did. It broke my heart when he passed away a couple years ago. Having experienced so much shit in my childhood, I never imagined losing him could hurt as much as it did. He saved my life, all those years ago, during our time together.
    Charlie took me to church. Two Sundays. Two Sundays a year I would set foot in a church. Back then, it wasn ’ t enough — it wasn ’ t enough to compensate for the other fifty Sundays I had to endure with Patrick, or rather, without him. It wasn ’ t enough to help put the pieces of my shattered childhood back together. There were so many things that I longed to escape from and I always felt like Colorado was a safe place; Uncle Charlie was my safe place … but two weeks was never enough.
    To add insult to injury, I was a military brat. Being a marine was just about the only thing that mattered to Patrick, so we were moving all the time. My home was never a stable one and moving around the country every couple of years made it even worse — I didn ’ t have time to even figure out what it meant to plant roots somewhere. Patrick retired just before my freshman year of high school. We moved to Texas a couple weeks before school began. It was a blessing and a curse. It was a relief to be able to stay at one school for four years — but living with that man was never easy. To make matters worse, he and Charlie had some sort of falling out and my summer visits to Colorado stopped. That ’ s when I decided, that ’ s when I knew, that if I was ever going to find my way back to Colorado — or anywhere away from Patrick — I had to make my own way. So I did.
    Football was my ticket out, so I gave it everything I had. I made sure to stay on top of my grades, as a backup and to make sure I was always eligible to play, but I was good at football. Really good. I always thought that part of my skill came naturally and the rest came from sheer determination. I tried to stay as focused as possible, but I definitely did my fair share of dumb stuff. Sometimes football wasn ’ t enough and I needed another outlet, another way to find escape … sometimes I needed more than the team.
    Anyway, my hard work paid off. I had a few colleges interested in me, but when Colorado State offered me a full ride, I knew that it was meant to be — like destiny. Then I met Beckham. I met Beckham and I realized that it was more than destiny that brought me here. There was something about him, something so genuine, kind, and accepting — something so subtle that I couldn ’ t place my finger on it; but I was drawn to it. We clicked in a way I ’ d never experienced with anyone. I trusted him. I trust him still, more than anyone. He ’ s my best friend and he ’ s taught me a lot about life — about family.
    Then I met Addie, Avery, and Sarah and I became a part of a community — something different than a team, something bigger than football. Nothing has been the same ever since.

    I wrap my arms around Addie and scoop her off her feet, holding her tightly against my chest. She hums a laugh, hiding her face in my neck, and the smile that pulls at my lips can ’ t be helped. She smells amazing and when she pulls away in order to align her gaze with mine, I ’ m reminded just how much I love this girl. Not that I really need reminding. I feel like I ’ ve loved her forever.
    Five years ago — actually, four years and ten months ago — my church youth group went to a statewide conference. That ’ s where I met Addie. I often wonder how my life