Page 46 of The Home Game

Laughing, Antoni pulled back but he didn’t let go of Matty, arms still circling his waist. “I am happy. I’m just scared to trust anything right now. I think we all are. It feels like the rug could get yanked out from under us at any time.”

“Yeah, I get that,” Matty said. He cupped Antoni’s face and brushed his thumb across his cheek. “You’ve all been through a lot lately. But I’m not gonna yank the rug out from under you, I promise. If you’ll just let me make your lives a little easier …”

“God, I feel like I shouldn’t.” Antoni looked up through his lashes and something in Matty’s stomach went tight when Antoni’s lips parted and he wet them. “I want to but …”

“Trust me,” Matty whispered. “You can trust me, Antoni, I swear.”

Antoni released a shuddering sigh. “I want to.”

“It’s okay,” Matty promised. “Doesn’t have to be today or tomorrow. I’m not going anywhere.”

Matty suddenly felt off-balance like they were talking about something and he didn’t really know what it was. Something more than just moving in and decorating and all that but he wasn’t sure what that would be so he squeezed Antoni a little tighter and said, “Now, do you want to see the rest of the place?”

“Uh, yeah,” Antoni said, clearing his throat as he pulled back, gaze sliding away from Matty’s. “That’s a good idea.”

Antoni followed Matty out of the room in a daze. He still couldn’t believe how much Matty and the team had done for him and the kids. It was crazy.

And Antoni had made it awkward, getting all up in Matty’s space like that. The hug was one thing, but to look at Matty and think about what it would be like to kiss him … yeah, he’d crossed a line.

He’d just been so overwhelmed by Matty’s generosity and sweetness. All of the team’s, really. But Matty was the one who had started it all. And he hadn’t just made space in his house, he’d made it their space.

Who wouldn’t get a little mushy after a gesture like that?

Plus, Matty hadn’t seemed awkward about Antoni flinging himself at him like an idiot so hopefully he’d just taken it as a friendly gesture. Because while Antoni wanted to believe that Matty had wanted that too—there had been that sweet little brush of his thumb on Antoni’s cheek—he couldn’t be sure it wasn’t just wishful thinking.

What if Matty was like that with all his teammates?

Antoni would just have to keep himself in check going forward. No hitting on the landlord, he reminded himself sternly. Though Matty seemed like anything but the typical landlord.

He already felt like a friend.

A friend who looked and smelled really, really good.

“Reese’s room is the closest,” Matty said, stopping in the doorway. “Right next to yours.”

Antoni stared at the room. It was so perfect. The walls were deep sage green with white trim, and the room held a light wood crib and a big, cozy black and white rug on the hardwood floors. There was a comfortable-looking upholstered rocking chair and a stool for Antoni to put his feet on, with shelves nearby to hold books.

Perfect for when he read to Reese before bed.

There was a dresser with a changing table and a little bit of hanging space. There were cubbies with baskets to hold all of the stuff babies needed—which, if Antoni wasn’t mistaken, were not things they’d brought with them—and everything looked so soft and cozy and relaxing already.

“Do you like it?” Matty asked anxiously. “Charlie suggested doing something neutral that could be transitioned into a space for a bigger kid as he grows and …”

Antoni’s eyes swam. “It’s perfect,” he whispered, even though they wouldn’t be here long enough for that to happen.

“Good.” Matty squeezed his shoulder. “I’m glad.”

“Is someone missing a baby?”

Antoni glanced over to see Matty’s captain carrying Reese.

“Whoops,” Antoni said. He’d carried a snoozing Reese into the house in a carrier and left him in the living room, tucked safely out of the way. “I didn’t even hear him cry. This house is too big. I can take him if you want.”

Dustin chuckled but made no move to hand Reese over. “No, he wasn’t crying. Just awake and curious about his surroundings so I decided to give him a little tour of the place. Hope you don’t mind. And don’t worry about leaving him with us. With as cute as this little guy is, I’m not sure you’ll ever get him back. We’ve all been taking turns carrying him around, haven’t we?”

Dustin smiled and tickled Reese’s belly, making him squeal happily.

Matty smirked. “Feeling a touch of baby fever there, D?”

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