Page 72 of Double Play

“How come your origin story isn’t public? And your work with the group homes?”

I shrug. “I’m not a public figure by choice. It’s just part of playing ball. It all kind of exploded when I started playing.”

“Because you’re a great player and unfathomably attractive.”

I rub my chin and joke, “I do have a pretty good mug, don’t I?”

She reaches up and caresses my face. “I think you’re the sweetest, most sincere man I’ve ever met. That’s more attractive to me than your sexy melon.”

I smile down at her. “I’m just paying it forward. Lloyd’s the sweet one. He’s the one who taught me how to make my own bats. Linda said I can start teaching some of the older kids carpentry this off-season.”

“What happened to Lloyd?”

“He still lives in my hometown and coaches in the Little League. I fly him out once a year to come to a game. I offer more, but he won’t take it. I financially support the Little League as my way of thanking him. He won’t let me do anything else.”

She kisses my chest again. “I love it. You were fated to play ball and fated to be in the lives of those kids.”

“Maybe. What about you? How did you get into softball?”

“Quincy played with the boys in the neighborhood, and all I wanted was to be like my big brother. Despite the age difference, he let me tag along. Despite getting shit from his friends about his little sister being there, Quincy never denied me. He’s always looked out for me. At first, I was only allowed to be their runner when they worked on rundowns and things like that. Eventually, he started letting me do more. I swear at only three I could catch and throw with the much older boys.”

I let out a laugh. “I bet. Your arm is insane. As good as his.”

She giggles. “I’m telling him you said that. Obviously, he played Little League. I counted the minutes until I was old enough to join at five years old. I’ve been playing ever since. That’s around the same time that Ripley moved to our area. Her mom was on the Canadian Olympic softball team. She was actually pregnant with Ripley during the ninety-six Olympics, which was the first time softball was a medal sport. She didn’t know it at thetime, she was only a few weeks along. She coached us from Little League until we got to college. My parents ran the store and couldn’t take much time off, so I always traveled with Ripley and her mom. We were devastated when we learned that softball was going to be removed from the twenty-four Olympics. We dreamed of being on that team since we were little kids. Now we have our sights set on twenty-eight in Los Angeles. Softball will be back in the Olympics then, and it’s likely our last chance to make the team.”

I run my hands through her natural-blonde hair. “You’re the best player in the country. I’m sure you’ll make the team.”

“I’ll be thirty-two then. That’s a little old.”

I mock gasp. “Thirty-two is not old.”

She laughs into my chest. “Whoops. Sorry, old man.”

I smile. “Speaking of Quincy, he’s been acting really weird toward me since the basketball game. I don’t know if it’s because we kissed in front of him, but he’s kind of being a dick to me. I’m doing my best to let it slide, but it’s bad. He was even trying to get me to go clubbing with the single guys on the road. All they do is pick up women. I’m not sure why he was pushing me. It’s like he wanted me to get busted.”

I feel her swallow. “Did…did you go?”

I lift her chin a bit so we’re eye to eye. “Are you worried?”

“I just know how life on the road can be. Especially for you.”

Rubbing her face, I say, “Not only would I never cheat on you, I can tell you with a straight face that I have no interest in other women. I only want you.” I run my thumb over her bottom lip. “You’re all I see.”

I see her face relax. “I feel the same.”

I squeeze her tightly. “Good, because I’ve fallen for you and I’m not letting you go.”Ever.

She smiles softly. “I’ve fallen for you too.”

I squirm a bit nervously, hoping this doesn’t freak her out. “I’ve been thinking about Fantasy Suits. There’s honestly nothing more appealing to me right now than traveling the world with you for two months and getting to see you in a bathing suit all day, while I’m basically being paid to grope you. We’ll have off days where we can explore together. At night we’ll be able to eat in local restaurants and then I can eat you up all night long in our private villa or maybe on the beaches. It sounds kind of perfect to me.”

Her face lights up. “I was thinking the same. I see no reason not to move forward with them. They’ve been pressuring me to sign the contract. That Michael Longley guy calls me every day about it. I just wasn’t sure how you felt. It’s a five-month commitment to being…us.”

“I feel great about it. Let’s do it. You deal with your contract. I’ll have Tanner deal with mine.”

She agrees.

I’ve never in my life been more excited for a season to be over.

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