Page 22 of Fastlander Fighter

Ryan turned to find Captain there, a good six inches taller than him and so wide in the shoulders, he was blotting out the damn sun.

“You mind leaving her alone? It’s a ball game, man. We’re all here for the kid. Focus on him.”

“Don’t talk about my kid,” Ryan growled.

Captain smiled down at him. “Okay, cupcake.” He twitched his head toward Ryan’s friend group. “Why don’t you head on over to your friends. We’re all good over here.”

Furious, Ryan stomped around him and went to sit with his friends, talking low to them, probably whining about how he was the victim somehow.

“You sure know how to make an entrance,” Sloane said through a grin as she watched Ryan’s friend group all up in a tizzy over him being triggered.

Captain was watching them with narrowed eyes. “It’s a talent. I got you food.”

She looked down at his hands. He held a bag of popcorn, but he’d bought her other snacks as well. He also held a plastic carton of nachos and a cherry Coke.

The smile faded from her lips. He’d remembered. This was the exact thing he’d bought her at the football game on homecoming night her freshman year, his sophomore year.

He was watching her reaction carefully, and she gingerly took the treats from his hands. “You remembered?”

“Had to dig back in the old memory bank. Extra jalapeños, right?”

“Right,” she said softly.

As he made his way around her and handed Ruger a blue electrolyte drink over the top of the dugout and talked to him, she was struck by the moment.

In all the years with Ryan, both dating and married, she couldn’t recall a single time he’d remembered her food order, or surprised her with his thoughtfulness.

Nor could she remember him ever treating Ruger with the same respect.

It touched her heart so deeply.

Ruger was excited. She couldn’t hear Captain’s advice for him, but from the happy look in her son’s eyes as he took the drink, they were doing all right as buddies.

“I don’t fuckin’ like this!” Ryan yelled, and Sloane turned to see he was talking to her. The rest of the parents went quiet at the awkward moment.

“I’m so sorry,” she apologized to the few around her.

She made her way to the bleachers and sat down, feeling like all eyes were on her. Her cheeks were on fire, and she couldn’t lift her eyes from the ground.

“I don’t want him around my son,” Ryan barked out. He’d never cared if he caused a scene, and Sloane really hated that part.

She ignored him, hopeful that if she did, he would move on. This was a kids’ baseball game. Everyone was just here to have fun, not witness drama caused by a grown man.

Ryan raised his voice and repeated louder, “I don’t want him around my son!”

“Our son,” she quipped softly. “And if you ban my friends, then your friends can’t come to these games either, which I tried to talk about the other day.”

“I don’t want any of your boy-toys to come around here,” Ryan gritted out. “It’ll confuse Ruger.”

It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair! So his mistress could come around her son? Around people she remembered from school? Around Ruger’s teammates and their parents? Naomi could introduce herself to everyone here with Ryan’s last name less than a year after Ryan had left Sloane, and act like she hadn’t destroyed a family, and invite all her dumb friends, but Sloane wasn’t allowed to have anyone here? Even though Captain’s presence was at Ruger’s request? How was it right that Ryan still controlled things like that?

“Boy-toys?” Captain asked. Oooh, his voice had filled with steel and there was a gritty edge to it now. “How many dates has she brought to games?”

Ryan got quiet. He looked like he wanted to lie, but he knew she would call it out.

“Speak up,” Captain demanded.

“You,” Ryan answered, less sure of himself now.

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