Page 71 of This Is Love
He and I have come so far since those first games where we’d rather punch each other than kiss, but that time has passed. Thank fuck.
After the customary high fives between teams, we head back to the dugout. Coach Kimball bellows, “Good game, Hawks. Go enjoy your families tonight. We’ll have a final team meeting on Sunday.” As I walk by him, he clamps a hand on my shoulder, stopping me in my tracks. “Kid, that was fucking impressive. With you and Jaxon in my lineup for another two years together? I hesitate to say so, but we might be unstoppable. Good job.”
“Thanks, Coach.” I shoot him a smile.
He raises his brows, peering at me. “Don’t let anything get in the way of what we’ve got going, you hear me?”
“You don’t have to worry about that. Jaxon and I are in a good place. Gotta go. He’s waiting on me.” I wink and jog away. I’m unsure if Coach was hinting that he’s aware of our relationship or if I’m simply reading into things because Jaxon—and Rya—are always on my mind. Either way, there won’t be any more trouble. Not from us ever again. Hopefully, there will be a day when we don’t live in fear of what people think. We’ll get there. I’m sure of it.
A few minutes later, Jaxon and I have gathered our assorted bags and, together, we head toward the chaos of families meeting up with their players. We see Rya sprinting toward us first, and she flies into my arms. I twirl her around, kissing her soundly before letting her go. She’s promptly scooped into Jaxon’s arms, and he gives her a lingering kiss, then sets her down.
Kinda like I assume is the truth with Coach, our team is definitely catching on to the relationship among the three of us now, but there’s a part of me that hesitates still, not wanting to push Jaxon too hard. So, it definitely surprises me when he grips the front of my baseball jersey and wrenches my body to his, kissing me with the fire I’ve become so accustomed to—it simply usually occurs in private. As he pulls away, he murmurs low, “Love you.”
I look at him from under hooded eyes. “Love you too.”
“And I love both of you.” Rya wrinkles her nose. “Now come on. Your moms are waiting on us.”
EPILOGUE
JAXON
I glancepast Rya to find she’s right, my mom and Jamie are hurrying through the crowd toward us. Logan’s mother is grinning so widely, it kind of knocks me off balance. I wonder what that’s about.
Logan must have noticed, too, because he tilts his head to the side. “What’s going on?”
Jamie gently pats my chest. She draws in a deep breath, as my mother joins us and walks into my embrace.
“Thanks for being here, Mom. I wasn’t sure if it’d be weird for you.”
“Not at all.” She shakes her head, reaching out to Logan. “Good job today. I really enjoyed watching you.” She’s been doing so much better lately, and I have to wonder if she’s simply done being sad about my father’s behavior and has decided to live again.
Blowing out a breath, Jamie smiles, her gaze pinging from me to her son and then to Rya. “I still can’t wrap my head around the three of you.”
Macie laughs. “Right. But like we were discussing earlier, who the hell are either of us to say love like this is wrong?”
I turn my head, shooting Logan a look that I hope screamsShould we be scared?
Rya laughs. “Don’t be afraid. They’re just moms who are excited their boys are in relationships.”
Logan huffs out a laugh. “Right. Okay, lemme go shower, then we can head out to dinner, like we planned.”
Jamie grabs for Logan’s hand. “I have something to tell you. But I don’t know if this is the time or the place.”
“Ditto,” Mom says, wide eyes landing on me. “Different things. But sorta connected.”
“Maybe we could go sit over there,” Rya suggests, pointing to a grassy area with a bench.
“Good idea,” I grit out, a little unsure of what the hell is going on, but willing to go along for the ride. We amble over, my mom and Jamie claiming the bench, leaving us to sit opposite them on the grass.
Our moms have gotten close in the last two months since Jamie first reached out to talk to her. It’s oddly nice. Mom gestures to Jamie. “I think you should go first.”
She takes a deep breath. “Okay. So the divorce is happening. And there’s no way Eric can pull any tricks.” Reaching over, she pats Mom’s knee. “And I fully intend to make it clear that he did some illegal stuff the first time. He won’t be getting away with it again. And Iwillmake things right for the two of you. That’s a promise.” She clears her throat, glancing first at Mom, then at me. Rubbing her hands over her face, she grimaces. “You should know, he went a little off the deep end when it hit him what was happening, and even more so when he realized I was fully ready to take him on. Steer clear for the time being.”
I laugh. “Not a fucking problem.” Rya’s hand squeezes mine. She’s shaking. I glance at her, my good mood evaporating. Leaning down, I whisper, “What’s wrong?”
She turns and whispers back, “Nothing. Just remember everything is going to be fine.”
I pull away, and Mom gives me a tight smile. “I think maybe Rya overheard something I told Jamie.” She raises a brow at Rya, who shoots her an apologetic look through clenched teeth.
