Page 42 of Maverick
But being with Levi and Barrett had calmed him more than I realized. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His leg stilled, and when those blue eyes opened again, there was nothing but concern there. “You believe him?”
“I do. And so does Quinton. I just… I had to swallow my pride and listen to him. We were both just kids back then, ones who had a lot of growing up to do. We’ve all settled into being together. I’m happy. It feels right.”
Stetson watched me, searching my face for any hint of a lie. He wouldn’t find one. “You know I’ll have to kill him this time if he hurts you, right? And you’ll be singlehandedly responsible for ending my Major League career?”
Relieved, I laughed, running a hand through my hair. “I’ll take that bet.”
My best friend let out a long breath, raising the hand he’d… strategically kept under the table until now. “And here I thought this would be the main topic of conversation.”
“This” being thediamond bandon his left ring finger.
I coughed and sputtered, sending Sprite up my nose and soaking the front of my shirt. “What… wh—why have you let me sit here spouting bullshit while you have awedding ringon your finger?” I screeched.
“Engagementring,” he corrected. “If you think I’d elope and miss out on being the center of attention for a day you’re horribly mist—ah!”
I lunged, yanking his hand across the table to get a closer look. The double-banded circle-cut diamonds sparkled in the dim light. It was flashy, excessive—and screamed “Stetson Holloway.”
“When?” I demanded.
He beamed from ear to ear. “Last night. The final game before the playoffs.” He launched into the story, showing me the videoanother player had recorded, and I sat back and latched onto every word.
It was all staged during a non-televised game. The ump called a penalty while Stetson was at bat and when he inevitably lost his temper, the umpire spun him around to march off the field, only to find Barrett and Levi waiting on one knee. When I saw the tears streaming down my best friend’s face, my vision grew blurry.
“Come on,” Stetson chided, taking his phone from me. “I can’t have my best man being all blubbery on my wedding day.”
“Wh—me? You want me to be your best man?”
“Well, yeah. You’re my best friend, and you were the one who convinced me to give it a shot with them. I wouldn’t have them if it weren’t for you. Who the hell else would I want standing next to me?”
How in the hell did this man expect me not to cry when he was saying shit like that? I’d been smiling so wide that my cheeks were starting to hurt. “I’d be honored.”
“Great, so here’s what I’m thinking…”
Once Stetson got going on wedding planning, he didn’t stop—but I didn’t care. Now that we lived in different states, I didn’t get to see him very often. We stayed at the bar until they shut, with Stetson babbling away and me taking notes on my phone. The more he talked, however, the more I started to feel that pull. The one that made me feel like something was missing.
The quiet drive home gave me the space I needed to think about it. I wasn’t jealous of Stetson—not in the sense that I wantedhim. I saw how he was with his guys. The pure, genuinelovein their eyes when they looked at each other, even when they thought no one was watching—and the only thing I wanted to do was run to Quinton… and Reese.
I’d spent so long trying to figure out how to have that kind of love with one person, that I didn’t realize I already had it—twice over.
I pulled up at a stoplight, where I was forced to make adecision. Left would take me to Quinton’s place, and right would take me to mine. My empty house, void of any true things that would make it… a home. Earlier in the night, when I’d thought of home, it wasn’t my house that I’d thought of—it was his. I’d hardly spent a single night in my own place since I moved in. A quick glance at my dashboard clock made me rethink running right to him. It was nearing three in the morning. But with Quinton… maybe.
I tried calling first, and it surprised me that he picked up quickly. “Hey, princess.” That low rumble echoed through my car, the sound acting as natural stress relief. I sighed, the tension melting from my body. “What are you doing up so late?”
“I’m on my way home. I spent the whole night talking wedding stuff with Stetson.”
“Wedding stuff?”
“Yeah—he’sengaged.”
“What? That’s amazing.”
“We must have lost track of the time. I…” I trailed off. Was it needy to ask him to come over in the middle of the night?
“What’s wrong, baby?”
“I…” Sighing, I scrubbed a hand through my hair. Fuck it. “Can I come over?”
“Of course you can, little love. You’ve got the gate code, you never even have to ask.”
