Page 115 of Sometimes You Fall

“Sounds good.”

Leaning down to line his mouth up to my ear, he whispers, “And then I’ll eat you for dessert.”

“I missed you,” I whisper back to him.

“Missed you too, Scottie.” He presses a kiss on my neck. “I love you.”

“Love you too, babe.”

A shiver races down my spine, but part of that may be from the roar of the engine as the car comes to life, echoing throughout the garage and pulling our attention back to my son.

“It works!” Chase yells over the noise, pushing his hand up into the air through the driver’s side window.

“Fuck yeah!” Grady beams with pride, pulling me into his side as Chase revs the gas and the engine continues to growl.

“Sounds good!” I shout loud enough so Chase can hear me.

“It does.” Grady turns to me and says, “He did good, Scottie.”

“He needed this,” I tell him.

He tucks one of my curls behind my ear. “Yeah, I needed it too.”

The baseball season is about to end, and as of today, my son has officially worked off his punishment for breaking into Grady’s Garage all those months ago. Seems like “punishment” is too strong of a word to use now since that incident ended up being a blessing in disguise. And God, I’m so thankful for that—for this man and his patience, his heart, and the way he’s shown up for me and my son in ways I never thought we’d have.

Chase kills the engine and steps out of the car. “God, it sounded good!”

Grady releases me and moves toward my son. “See? That sound right there was worth all the grease under your fingernails.”

Chase laughs. “I don’t know what feels better—striking out a batter at the plate, or hearing the engine I built come to life.”

“I used to feel that way too.” Grady shuts the driver’s side door. “We still have a few things to finish up on the inside, but your mom is starving, so we’d better feed her.”

“Yeah, this baby girl needs to eat,” I say, rubbing my belly.

“I’m starving too.” Chase moves to the sink to wash the grease off his hands.

“Better start upping your protein. We have three of our biggest games coming up,” Grady says, eyeing me over his shoulder as he scrubs his hands beside my son.

“I don’t see how we could lose. We’ve been on a winning streak pretty much all season.”

Grady shakes his head. “Never go into a game cocky, Chase. Just because you won the last one doesn’t mean shit. Each game is a new battle, and you should always play as if it’s your last.”

Something in his words strikes a chord with me.

My entire adult life has felt like a battle up until this point—fighting for my son, my freedom, and my worth.

But it turns out that the man that was made for me came into my life when I was fourteen. I just had to go through a lot of lessons and hurt to get back to him.

I don’t regret our time apart, though. In fact, without those years, I wouldn’t have Chase. But now, I have the promise of a future I never knew was possible, and it’s all because of Grady—the boy who shared a passion for the same sport I loved, my friend that chased his dreams, even when mine shifted, and the man who loves me now, showing me that sometimes, when you fall, the right person will be there to pick you up and guide you to your next adventure—the one you were meant to take all along.

Chapter twenty-one

Grady

One Month Later

“So, now that the season is over, how do you feel about your first coaching experience?” Parker asks me as he nurses his drink.

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