Page 136 of Wild Pitch
Slowly, he releases his breath. Some old country singer crones in the background and I watch as Cade relaxes against his seat again, but keeps his right hand exactly where it is.
“There’s something you have to know in case it’s not clear enough,” Cade whispers. “Do you remember that viral videoyour roommate put on social media? When I said that my ideal type is a woman who keeps it real?”
“Oh yeah.” I bite my lip, my pulse spiking in anticipation.
“It was you.” His words seem to echo in my head, but then he’s speaking again. “At that moment, when Mena was recording me, you ran across the field behind her and caught my attention, and those words blurted out of my mouth. I might’ve been crushing on you before I even knew it.”
“For… for real?”
“Yeah.” His hand squeezes my thigh a little more. “I also distinctly remember checking out your thighs while you ran. Sorry.”
“No apologies necessary.” I chuckle. “I’m just glad I never skip leg day.”
“But that’s not the reason why I’m wild over you,” Cade continues saying, effectively shutting me up. “You give it to me straight, the good and the bad. And when you show that you care, I have no reason to doubt it’s a lie. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.” He glances at me, his expression serious. “You’re all I’ve ever wanted, Hope.”
My breath hitches. “C—Cade…” Heat pricks behind my eyes but rather than crying, I pluck his hand between my thighs and lift it toward my lips, dropping a little kiss on his palm. “You’re more than I ever wanted,” I whisper, truthfully.
Pulling at my hand, he also brings it toward him for a little peck. “So, boyfriend and girlfriend?”
“Sounds perfect.”
And I mean it, I wish this moment would last forever.
But of course it doesn’t.
CHAPTER 44
CADE
“Starr, come here.”
I lower the water bottle I’m drinking from and swallow. First check: Beau’s face is normal, therefore I must not have done something wrong. Second check: everybody in this damn dugout is watching, so they’re probably wondering what I did wrong, which means literally no one could’ve given me a warning.
“Yes, sir.” I set the water bottle down on the bench. There are enough people between the barrier and the bench that walking through is a struggle. I twist this way and that, and might not be super deliberate in avoiding my girlfriend who stands by the bench.
“Sorry, sorry,” I mumble, lowering my face to give her a lightning quick wink that means I am not sorry at all. Kudos to her for remaining impassive.
Finally, I stand before the team manager and he says, “I’m subbing you out after this inning. Do you know what that means?”
My eyebrows rise. I may not be the brightest tool in the shed but I catch the hint right away—it’s actually what I was thinking about before he called me over.
“This is the team’s last chance to get Miguel Machado out?”
“That’s right.” He nods while chewing mint bubblegum. “If you succeed in keeping Machado to no runs this inning, the pressure on Williams is going to get to him and cause a mistake or two.”
Which would mean eitherhegets subbed out in defeat right away, or he hangs on for the rest of the game and gives us more opportunities to score on him. We’re currently up by a single run in a game that has felt more like a season game against the Denver Riders, than the last game of Spring Training that it actually is.
What Beau is asking of me is huge, though. I have no idea if I can do it, but I sure as hell want to try.
“Key wordsif you succeed,” Kim says from somewhere behind me, making me roll my eyes.
“Cade’s got this,” Lucky argues. “You can’t tell me he doesn’t deserve pizza with the way he’s playing today.”
Straightening up, I whirl around and point at Kim’s annoying face. “If I strike Machado out you buy me pizza for the rest of the year.”
“One month,” he shoots back.
“You guys are kidding, right?” Larry Socci, the main pitching coach, asks with a frown. “Starr shouldn’t eat that many carbs as the season’s about to begin. He’s our starter pitcher.”
