Page 109 of Honey Pot

Ella was next, her swing was sturdy and, even with Cael chirping from shortstop, she managed to rip the ball just out of his reach. It rebounded off his fingertips and bounced down between Zoey’s feet as Ella took her spot at second next to Silas.

Julien was last to bat and it was apparent that it annoyed him as he wandered up to the batter’s box.

“Looking cute, Princess.” He winked at me and Cael slapped his mit loudly to interrupt.

“Keep your eye on the ball, Joseph,” he cracked, with a tight look on his handsome face; all business and no play as he figured out how to make a fool of my ex. It had been stupid of me to even think he’d behave today.

“He’s an asshole.” Julien took his eyes off the ball for a fraction of a second and it whipped by him into my glove.

It stung my palm as I pulled it from my glove and chucked it back to Nicholas.

I couldn’t help but notice Cael staring, his nose scrunching up at me with that proud smile back on his face.

“I wasn’t ready,” Julien argued with Nicholas.

“Quit flirting then.” He shrugged and settled down on his feet to pitch again. He fired off another ball, so fast it crashed into the backstop after bouncing wildly off the corner of the mound.

“Ball,” Mrs. Shore called.

“Oh come on,” Nicholas grumbled loudly as I went to find the ball where it had rolled.

“Nicholas King, are you arguing with me?” She used her Mom's voice and Nick clammed up with the shake of his head.

“No Ma’am!” He grumbled and reset.

Julien whistled at me like I was a dog when I bent over to scoop it up. A sound that irritated me worse than nails on a chalkboard and one I hadn’t missed in the last few months. “I swear that ass gets bigger every time I see it.”

I tensed, pausing long enough to compose myself before turning back and throwing the ball. I tugged my sweater over my hips, not cold but uncomfortable with his comment, and did my best to not look over at Cael.

Julien managed to catch the last ball on the tip of his bat and sent it up into the air over our heads in the infield.

“Pop fly,” Silas yelled.

Ella, hesitated on her base for a beat as I squinted into the sunlight and tried to get my sights on the ball. Everyone was screaming and the moment felt as though it was thirty minutes instead of seconds. I couldn’t concentrate as Julien left the batter’s box in the dust.

“Two steps back.” Cael’s voice broke through the noise and I listened,one…two.Raising my glove into the air blindly and just like that the ball dropped into my outstretched hand.

“Second base!” Dean hollered and, instinctively, I threw the ball as hard as I could, getting Ella out as Silas tapped her across the shoulder in her ill-fated attempt to return to her base.

“That was a nice throw, Mary!” Ella hollered, with a disgruntled look on her face.

A smile formed on my face, my breathing ragged, and my heart beating faster than it ever had. Adrenaline pumped through my veins as my eyes dragged across the field to Cael.

The sun beat down on him, hat gone and tucked into his pocket, his hair was messy in the wind and his smile was infectious.

“That’s my girl,” he mouthed with a proud nod.

My hands shook from the excitement.

“Why the hell did you catch it?” Julien’s voice shattered the illusion. “You could have let it drop and given me first base, Babe. I thought this was supposed to be fun.”

He approached from my side and his voice was low but angry as his hand wrapped around my bicep roughly. I looked up at him, squirming in his grasp, and met his dark eyes with a scowl. His voice low, he growled so only I could hear him. “You did that on purpose to embarrass me in front of your new friends.”

I opened my mouth to tell him to back up but it wasn’t my voice that came out.

“Get your hand off of her,” Cael demanded.

In the commotion, I hadn't even heard him come up beside me, but his chest pressed against my opposite shoulder, towering over me and Julien at the same time. Warmth filled my chest as I leaned into Cael’s chest, my heart choosing for me before my mind could even catch up.

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