Page 75 of Batter Up!

I nodded and liked what he said the more I thought about it. “I think a surprise sounds fun, and we can do the nursery in a gender-neutral theme like baseball.”

“A baseball-themed nursery sounds perfect for a boy or a girl,” Tyler said with a chuckle. “I do have one request.”

“What’s that?” I asked.

“If we have a boy, I’d love to name him Hudson. My baseball coach in high school was Brian Hudson, and he helped me enhance my game and really put a lot of time and effort into my catching skills. He always said he couldn’t wait to see me in the major leagues. A few years ago, he was killed in a car accident, and it was such a major loss.”

“Hudson Stone,” I said with a smile. “I love it. Oh! Baby likes it, too. It just kicked!”

“Maybe that means it’s a boy,” Tyler said with a grin. “I can’t wait until I can feel the kicks, too.”

A thought crossed my mind, causing me to let out a laugh. Ty arched an eyebrow at me. “What’s so funny?”

“I was thinking if we have a girl, we could name her Hazel since it was a hazelnut cookie that brought us together.”

Tyler had to laugh as well and shook his head. He moved down the bed to where his face was right at my growing belly. “Hey, in there, you will either be Hudson or Hazel. Are you okay with that?”

Then, he kissed my belly, and I squealed as the baby kicked right where he had kissed. “I think those names are baby-approved.”

We talked some more, and before I knew it, I had fallen asleep in the middle of our conversation. I woke up in the morning to his alarm going off. He had already showered and dressed.

“I need to head to practice,” he said and leaned down to kiss my lips. “You can go back to sleep until you need to leave.”

I really wished we had more time together, but I had a business to run, and his team was heading to their next city right after their practice. I shook my head at him, got up out of the bed, and wrapped my arms around him tightly.

“Goodbyes are the worst,” I said as I lay my head on his chest.

He rubbed my back, and I felt him nod his head. “The All-Star Break is coming up soon, and I’ll be able to come home during that. Plus, we’ll talk every night like we have been. Maybe we could even add some phone sex. That could be fun!”

“I’ve never done that. I like that idea,” I said with a small laugh and felt the tears start to fall, even though I tried to hold them back because I knew he hated seeing me cry.

“I’ve never done phone sex either. I love you, Molly,” he said and hugged me even tighter.

There was a knock on the hotel door, and then we heard Montgomery’s voice. “Stone? Are you there still? We’re gonna be late.”

“You better go,” I said and leaned up on my tiptoes to kiss him once more. “I love you.”

Most of us know that person. The one who believes he or she can predict snow, rain, or any kind of weather event simply by when their body – specifically their joints – hurt more.

“Batter Up! This is Molly. How can I help you?”

“Molly, I am so sorry!” Penelope’s voice sounded frantic.

“Hey, Pen. Are you okay?” I asked worriedly, looking at the clock. It was 6:15, and we were scheduled to open in forty-five minutes. She should have been here an hour ago. She was never late, so when she didn’t answer her phone after I called at 5:45 and again at 6:00, I got worried.

“I’ve been calling everyone I can, and no one is answering,” she said out of breath.

“What’s going on?” I asked as I moved the phone to rest between my ear and shoulder. I was adding the coffee grounds to the filter so I could just hit ‘brew’ just a few minutes before we opened up.

“My sister is sick and can’t watch my kids. I called my next-door neighbor, Denise, from the diner and even left a message for their old babysitter.”

“Bring them here. I know I’ve only met them a few times when I came to hang out at your place, but they are good kids. Bring a few toys or whatever, and we can sit them in a booth and feed them sugary treats.”

Penelope sighed with relief. “Are you sure?”

I nodded, even though she couldn’t see me. “I wouldn’t have offered it if I weren’t sure. I can’t wait to see Peyton and Camden when you get here.”

It had been awhile since I opened the store by myself, but I had to grin at the first customer that came through the door.

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