Page 101 of Pitcher Perfect

Austin:it’s where the good dick is [shrug emoji]

Ethan: OH SNAP[laugh-cry emoji] [laugh-cry emoji] [laugh-cry emoji]

Dom:[photo of Ty’s shocked face]

Austin:lol thanks for making me feel like I was there

Dom:why don’t you invite Caleb to our meeting tomorrow so he can be in on the convo? Assuming we’re still moving forward with the food truck plan?

Austin:invite Caleb to our team meeting?

Ethan:that’s a great idea! He’s part of the team now

Ty:as long as he cooks for us. I’m changing the theme to “Caleb is cooking”

Dom:good. Carnival foods was a shit theme

Ty:just for that, I’m bringing it back next time it’s my pick

Austin:I’ll ask him. He might say no since it’s the one evening a week he doesn’t have to put up with my shit

Ethan:he won’t say no because he’ll get to hang out with the rest of us [angel emoji]

Austin:lol true. See you guys tomorrow

EPILOGUE

CALEB

Five months later

“Are the beers cold enough yet?”Austin hooked his thumb in the back of my waistband as he reached around me to check the beer situation in my fridge.

Scratch that.Ourfridge.

“Good enough.” He grabbed two longnecks of his cardamom brew with one hand and passed them to me.

I pulled keys from my pocket and grinned at the custom Team Eggcellent Taps bottle opener Ethan had made for all of us after our Portland Pairing win. Life had been a whirlwind since then, a wild, wonderful whirlwind.

Our Portland Pairing-winning beer had been a huge seasonal success for the guys. I couldn’t wait to taste test the summer ale recipes Austin was currently working on with his home brew equipment.

My restaurant was opening soon, and I couldn’t believe it. Everything was coming together. I loved having my dad about a half an hour away. He was enjoying his new life in McMinnville and was helping me paint and prepare the restaurant when he wasn’t busy teaching at a nearby truck driving school. I had a blast cooking Christmas dinner with Dom last month for my blood and found family. It was a great way to christen the kitchen—far less NSFW than the “christening” Austin and I had done the night I got the keys. The best surprise of all was Charity showing up for Christmas. It explained why my dad had been acting cagey for most of December.

The trip I took to my hometown before he moved to Oregon had been tough, but I was so grateful Austin took time off work to go with me. Pulling away for the last time from the ranch-style home where I’d grown up had hurt more than I’d expected. Having him there to hold me as I’d fallen apart had meant so much.

“Thanks.” Austin kissed me after I opened each of the six beers he’d handed me.

“Save that for after we’re gone,” Ty said.

Austin managed to flip Ty off even with hands full of beer bottles.

“This is a nice place,” Ethan said after scoping out my and Austin’s new two-bedroom apartment.

We’d considered moving him into my one-bedroom unit, but having a separate room we could use as a home office was the best way we could think of to make sure we spent as much time together as possible. I’d wished we could find a house to rent, but money was tight with the restaurant expenses. Instead, hopefully we could save to buy a house together. In that moment, I pictured us having a house, a couple of dogs, maybe a kid or two. The guys coming over for regular barbecues. Our kids having a team of amazing uncles. I wanted it so much, but we both had milestones to hit with our careers before kids, pets, or marriage. I knew we were heading that way though.Austin is it for me.

It was great of the guys to give up their day off to help us. It was hard to remember my life before Austin and the guys became a part of it. A part of me had worried they would be disappointed Austin wanted to move out of the house, but they’d been completely supportive. They were probably relieved that there wouldn’t be another whipped cream debacle with me no longer crashing over there after nights of drinking with the guys.How come the movies never say that whipped cream immediately melts from body heat? Lesson fucking learned.

“Thanks. I like it too.” I caught Austin’s gaze and smiled at him.

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