Page 116 of Sometimes You Fall

“It was harder than I expected in some ways, and exactly what I needed in others.”

I know the season only ended two weeks ago, but I’m already excited for the next one. I signed a contract with the high school to return next spring, and since then, my mind has already been making notes of things we can improve on and tweak as the boys get older.

It feels so fucking good to have baseball in my life again.

Parker nods. “And this? How do you feel about this?” He gestures to the crowd of people around us.

I look around the white tent full of people we know and love, gathered here to celebrate our daughter’s impending arrival. Astrid and Willow went all out throwing this baby shower, creating a beautifultheme of an apple orchard to pay tribute to Scottie’s craving that hasn’t dwindled at all, and Scottie looks absolutely breathtaking.

“I’m happier than I ever thought I could be, man,” I tell him, searching the crowd for Scottie, only to find her just a few feet away, smoothing her pink dress over her bump, smiling and talking with Dolly, who runs the Carrington Cove Inn.

When Astrid and Willow told me they wanted to throw a coed baby shower, I was a little apprehensive about the idea. From what I’ve heard, baby showers are a sacred female-only event where discussions of childbirth and nipple creams take place.

However, now that the woman who owns me has finally let me in, I figured it would be more of an opportunity to celebrate Scottie and me moving in together officially this coming weekend, especially since any details of childbirth don’t scare me anymore. I’ve read the books, and I’ve asked so many questions that I think Scottie has considered smothering me with her pillow multiple times by now. But in a few months, we’re going to be parents, a family of four—and I can’t fucking wait.

I just have one more thing I need to take care of before our daughter arrives, and hopefully that goes off without a hitch later.

“I can’t believe I’m the only one still single now,” Parker grumbles under his breath.

“I thought that’s what you wanted?”

“I mean, it is,” he says, a tad too defensively. “I came so close to getting married, but now that I dodged that bullet, I can’t believe I ever considered it.” He shakes his head before turning his gaze to mine. “Aren’t you going to miss your freedom?”

I glance over at the woman who woke me up with her mouth around my cock this morning. “Nah. Freedom is overrated.”

“Well, I won’t be giving mine up ever again.”

I hide my grin behind the rim of my glass. “Okay, Parker. Whatever you say.”

“I’m serious. Casual hookups only.”

“Sure.”

“I met a smoking-hot woman in New York last month, actually. We met on the plane after I talked her down from a panic attack.” He waggles his eyebrows. “And then we had a great night together.”

“You didn’t tell her the story of how you tried on breast pumps, did you?”

He glares at me before flipping me off and walking away. Part of me feels bad, but the other part knows that all it’s going to take is the right woman to show up in his life and make him see the error in his thinking.

The right woman changes everything.

“You pissed him off already?” Penn asks, striding up to me.

“Of course. Doesn’t take much these days.”

“True story.” He clasps his hand on my shoulder. “So, how are you feeling, dad-to-be?”

My lips curl up of their own accord. “Really fucking good, man.”

“You look happy.”

“Happy isn’t strong enough of a word. The only thing missing is Scottie having my last name,” I say, which surprises him.

“Are you two ready for that?”

“I am. But is Scottie?” I think out loud. “I want to believe she is.”

“Then what’s holding you back?”

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