Page 106 of Stealing Home

“Eventually. You’ve still got to ask me first, and make it good,” I tell him.

“I promise I’ll make the most ostentatious spectacle. There won’t be a person around who doesn’t know I’m crazy about you and that I want to spend the rest of my life worshiping you.”

His face falls, and the momentary lightheartedness evaporates. “Listen, this shit with my dad? That’s on him, not you. The only thing you did was exist and make me happy. Besides, whatever is going through your head right now, I guarantee you it’s wrong. Our fight wasn’t about you. We were actually starting to come to a truce about our relationship. Then I told him I’m back on the team, and he accused me of getting your ex fired. Like I did it out of jealousy or revenge.”

My mouth falls open, and I stare at him dumbfounded. “That doesn’t make any sense. If you had the kind of power to get him fired, you wouldn’t have gotten kicked off the team.”

“That’s not even all of it. I think he must have told my mom after I hung up, and she called to let me know they’re coming for the game on Saturday. She also wants all of us to have dinner together as some sort of a ‘do over’.”

“Hmm.” I slide off his lap, and he lets me go. “I don’t know. I think you should have dinner with them by yourself.”

Scott shakes his head. “If you’re not coming, then I’m going to skip it too.”

“No, I think you need to do this.” I reach out and grab his hands. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for all of us to get together. The last thing you and your dad need is more reasons to argue. Maybe after things are right between the two of you we can try again.”

“Are you sure?” His voice shakes, and I hate that my past actions have caused these moments of insecurity for him. There’s only one thing I can do to fix it though. I can stay.

“Yeah, I am. I don’t know if he’s ever going to accept me. He might not, and we can’t control that. I meant what I said before though, I’m not going to come between you and your family. There’s got to be a compromise here somewhere, and we’ll figure it out.”

“Always so self sacrificing, but I can see you’re determined, so I’ll drop it… for now. Will you come to my home games? There’s two this week. You don’t have to sit with my parents. I don’t even know if I can deal with them being there.” A short, almost sad sounding laugh escapes him. “I never thought I’d say that, but that’s where we’re at. I’ve spent most of my life looking for them in the stands, and now I would rather they didn’t even come.”

“Whenever you need me, I’m there,” I tell him.

“Mmmm,” he hums. He stands up and lifts me into his arms. “I need to get you inside, so I can get inside of you.”

I groan. “You better work on your lines before you propose.”

He laughs, and I’m happy to hear some of the heaviness has fallen off of him. “I’m a poet. You can’t resist me.”

“You’re half right,” I say through giggles.

* * *

Bessand I help Wren climb up the bleachers to the seats I claimed behind the home team’s dugout. “I feel like a whale,” Wren grumbles as Bess sets up a padded seat for her.

“A very sexy whale,” Bess teases.

Wren rolls her eyes and settles into her cushy chair. “You’re ridiculous, but I appreciate the effort. We’re here to see Ryan’s sexy ass.”

“Nobody will be checking out Scott’s ass,” I grumble.

Bess and Wren make a show of looking around. “I’m sorry to tell you this, sweet cheeks, but these bleachers are full of women wanting to check out his ass…sets. Assets. You know, because he’s so talented,” Bess fumbles.

“Nice save,” Wren says out of the side of her mouth. Then she looks around and frowns when she sees we can’t see into the dugout. “Is this where you usually sit? You can’t see them until they take the field.”

“Usually?” I scoff. “This is my first game.”

“How is that possible? You guys have been together for a couple of months. He had a few games before he got hurt and was off the team for the last few weeks,” Wren says.

I wait for her to figure out why I haven’t gone until now, but she just stares at me with a confused look on her face. Finally, I remind her, “My ex-husband was the coach, remember?”

She hits the palm of her hand against her head. “Duh. Sorry, mommy brain seems to be worse this time than before.”

I shrug. “No worries. I couldn’t exactly come and risk Nando seeing me get all flustered over his pitcher.”

Scott steps out on the field, almost as if I summoned him and looks into the stands for me. His mouth curves up mischievously, and I know he sees me. He walks with a swagger as he takes the mound and starts warming up with Taylor.

The girls sitting all around us start chattering. I start to pick up bits and pieces of their conversations, then more and more after he takes the mound.

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