Page 88 of Force Play

“Yep.”

“Like you and me together?”

“Mhmm. All that slippery skin. What could go wrong?”

“Don’t even think about trying to slip it in without protection. I still need backup birth control for a few more days.”

“But do you?” I ask, giving her my best puppy dog eyes.

“Yes, two sets of those brown eyes working against me is more than I can handle right now.” The laugh she gives me as I scoop her up in my arms, carrying her towards the bathroom, comes easy and hits me hard in the chest. Not that I should be surprised, everything this woman does has that effect. I just hope it doesn’t take her too long to catch up to the feelings that are now much more than an infatuation for my teammates to tease me about.

Chapter 34

Indie

Ronnie whines at my feet as I shift on the couch. Agitation rolls off me in waves, making it nearly impossible to sit still, but I have too much work to do to blow it off for a hike. I’m sure she’d rather be at home. I don’t blame her. Who wouldn’t? But staying there for this quick three-day road series seemed a tad clingy.

Dom didn’t seem to think so. In fact, he practically begged me to stay at his place, but I’m going to assume it had more to do with playing voyeur with his dog cam than it did with anything else. Dealing with the constant emptiness that seems to surround me since he left is enough. I don’t need the existential crisis over why I miss him so much first thing in the morning when I wake up in his bed alone on top of it.

I mean, I know why. I’m just not ready to admit it. Not to him or myself. Admitting it makes this all very real. And the last time I let myself feel that it ended with me broken. This time would be so much worse.

God, I sound like a brat. These are first world problems. Instead of my whiney internal tirade, I should be grateful that the Bandits schedule allowed Dom to come home for my appointment. Going from a game on the west coast to one on the east means one day in Denver between the series. That little detail kept three days from turning into eight days apart, and I’d have gone through my appointment alone. I’m not sure without him physically there reminding me that it’s exactly where he wanted to be that I wouldn’t have succeeded at pushing him away.

“Maybe a short walk isn’t a terrible idea.” Ronnie’s ears instantly perk up at her favorite four-letter word. I can’t help but laugh as she circles her own body, turning herself into a black and brown donut of excitement. This girl never fails to make me smile, even with the inner turmoil over missing Dom and waiting for the dreaded phone call from Dr. Smith. It seems that she’s a perfect match for her owner, and in turn, me.

Indie:

Your dog is ridiculous. [Photo Attached]

Yours:

Nah, she’s perfect, just like her momma.

Indie:

I did not birth this furry thing.

Yours:

Biology isn’t important. She loves you. You love her.

We’re a family. My mom is thrilled.

Indie:

What in the purple dinosaur are you smoking?

You know they drug test baseball players, right?

Yours:

Just high on life, Baby. Enjoy your walk.

Indie:

How’d you know?

Yours:

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