Page 199 of Vegas Heat

He’s right. It’s inevitable. A wedge will form because it’s time away from each other. Time focused on things other than our relationship. And time is the one thing we can’t get back once we spend it.

We turn quietly back to the film we were just watching, but I’m no longer concentrating on the plays as I think about Gabby.

As far as the team is concerned, I’m not too worried. We’re in good shape. We’ve already built one hell of a team, and the draft will only help fill in the gaps. Pete has worked hard to earn his position as our scouting director, and he knows virtually everybody in baseball. The Heat will be a force to be reckoned with, especially once the team is complete after the draft.

Then the real fun begins…but then the late nights begin, too, and I’m not entirely sure I’m ready for all that entails, especially if I can’t be with Gabby, and especially if we’re still hiding this from her father. He’s already concerned about the wedge theseason will drive between them. I can’t imagine how he’d feel about the wedge of lies on this side of the bridge.

As much as I want to tell him, the universe seems to keep delivering signs to the contrary. Besides, I don’t want the media attacking us for our age gap. Maybe this is best kept hidden a while. We can allow the attention to be on baseball, on the new team, on the season…rather than on my personal life. I’ll deflect questions, and when the time is right, when we’re both ready to take the next step, then we can tell Troy before we go public. After the draft—just like we promised each other.

Mike, Pete, Dave, and Victor walk back into the room just as Troy’s phone starts to ring. His brows dip as he glances up. “I need to take this.”

He ducks out of the room for a beat, and when he returns, he says, “I need to go. My daughter was just rushed to the hospital.”

All the breath is squeezed out of my chest as fear sets in. “Is everything okay?” I ask.

He blinks a few times as he focuses in on me. “I—I think so, but…I don’t know.”

“I’ll drive. Let’s go,” I say, and I realize it might not be my place to do that, but it fuckingismy place and fuck this nonsense about keeping it from her father.

I need to know whether she’s okay.

He nods, as if I’m just being a good friend to him by offering him a ride when the truth is that there is absolutely no place more important than beside her right now.

I rush to the hospital, and I walk a few paces behind Troy to allow him to take the lead.

Jesus, this is all so fucked. I should be rushing to the desk instead of pretending like I don’t have a stake in this. I want to be by her side. I want to be holding her hand. I want to be the one who’s informed of her condition when I walk up beside her father.

I want to be her emergency contact.

It’s a strange realization as I stand in an emergency room waiting area, but it’s the truth. I want to be hereverything.

“Patients are only allowed one visitor,” the woman at the front desk of the emergency room says. “It looks like someone is already back there with her.”

“Well tell whoever the fuck it is to get out of there because I need to see my daughter,” Troy demands. “And get her in a private room!” He throws a couple hundreds on the counter as if money will solve the problem.

I grab his shoulder, feeling as angry as him at the stupid policy but knowing it’s not this poor woman’s fault. “Hey,” I murmur. “It’s their policy.” I turn toward the woman and offer up the charm even though I’m scared out of my mind right now. “Can he get in to see her, or can he at least get an update on how she’s doing?”

She purses her lips. “I’ll see what I can do.”

Joanie comes rushing through the doors as the woman leaves her post to go check on the visitor situation, and she flies right into Troy’s arms. “How’s she doing?”

“They won’t fucking let me back to see her, so I don’t know!” he roars, and some woman sitting beside a small child picks up the child and moves to the other side of the room.

Joanie looks worried, too, and she looks up at Troy, grabbing his cheeks between her palms. “I know you’re worried, but you have to take a deep breath. Okay, boss?”

He draws in a deep breath, and he seems to calm a little at her touch. “Yes, kitten.”

Bossandkitten. Wow. If I wasn’t in a hospital worried about the woman I love, I might be able to come up with some sort of snarky comment or two on those nicknames.

The woman at the desk reappears. “A third now?” she asks, folding her arms across her chest. Joanie offers a small wave. “Ican take two of you back as soon as the woman in there exits. For the record, your daughter is awake and doing fine. We’re just completing some paperwork now.”

The woman in there. The last person Gabby needs to see when she’s in distress is her mother.

Still, a pulse of relief darts through me.

“You two go,” Joanie offers, giving me a meaningful glance Troy doesn’t catch. “I know how close you both are with her.”

Thank you, I mouth to her, and she offers a slight nod.

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