Page 85 of Double Play

He runs his hands over mine as we sand his new bat. “You said you were familiar with a woodshop.”

“I never said I made a bat before. My family made furniture. It’s different.”

“I’m sure it still needed to be sanded.”

“Hmm. I suppose I was never very good at that. I lack patience.”

“Yes, I can tell.” He squeezes my hip. “But you look sexy as fuck in those goggles.”

We’re both wearing safety goggles and I look anything but sexy in them.

I lift one of the bats he made yesterday. “Your bats are so much heavier than ours.” I run my hand along it. “Why am I not shocked that yours has a big head?”

He lets out a laugh. “All baseball bats are like that. They’re completely different from softball bats. Ours are tapered. Yours are more linear.”

“I think the head of your bat is bigger than most.”

He narrows his eyes at me. “I think you just like talking about my big head.”

I lift my goggles and run my hand up his thigh. “I prefer feeling it.”

He grabs my wrist before I reach my intended target. “You’re a sex maniac.”

I rub my nose along his neck. “I’m a Layton Lancaster maniac.”

He sighs as he turns off the lathe, the spinning machine. “This is useless. Note to self, never attempt to make a bat with a sex-crazed lunatic.”

I smile proudly.

He looks down at his watch. “We have an hour until lunch with your parents. Are you sure Quincy is picking them up at the airport? Maybe we should. What if they’re stranded and they think it’s my fault?”

He’s adorably nervous about meeting my parents. They’re flying in today and staying for Quincy’s game tonight and mine tomorrow afternoon before flying out tomorrow night. That’s how it always is with them, being terrified of leaving the store for too long. At least they’re coming. I wasn’t sure they would.

“Quincy can handle it. I love how nervous you are.” I pinch his ass. “It’s so cute.”

He playfully swats me away and pouts. “I’m not nervous.”

“Yes, you are.” Running my hands up his chest, I breathe, “I think I know how to calm your nerves.”

He has an appalled look on his face. “Are you crazy? We can’t have sex while your parents are visiting.”

“We’re not sharing a room with them. They’re not even staying with us.”

“It just seems wrong.”

“You let me suck your dick in a closet twenty feet from my brother, but my parents being in the same state is your hard moral line?”

He smiles at the absurdity. “Maybe you’re right.” He blows out a long breath. “I’m sorry that I’m so on edge. Your brother isn’t talking to me, I’m meeting a girlfriend’s parents for the first time in my life at thirty-four, we’re about to start the playoffs, and all I really want is to fast forward a month to when you and I will be traveling together from exotic beach to exotic beach. Do you think it’s messed up that I’m excited for the season to be over?”

This is the first time he’s expressed any of this to me. “You’re not excited about making the playoffs? It’s a really big deal.”

He rubs his hands up and down my arms. “Iamexcited, but honestly, I’m more excited for our trip and I’mmostexcited about us. Our schedules are crazy. I don’t see you for days at a time. There are always other people, games, and practices getting in the way. I just want to be alone with you.”

I want to be alone with him too, but I’m surprised he’s not more enthusiastic about his team making it to the postseason. Most ballplayers live for that. Then it occurs to me. Does he still love his sport? “Layton, are you considering retiring after this year?”

He pauses for a moment as if in thought. “Frankly, the callous way in which the Greene family was willing to releaseme after all these years cut deep. I considered them family, especially Harold, and it’s not like I have a backup family waiting in the wings. My knees are killing me, and, until you came into my life, I was playing like shit. But now I’ve had this resurgence. It’s kind of hard to think about retiring when you’re playing well.”

“Have you mentioned any of this to Tanner?”

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