Page 96 of Skin Deep

“For your birthday,” Owen said.

It was in two days, which was why I hadn't been suspicious. I really had no fucking clue what to say. It was like time had reversed, and I was a kid again, falling in love with the sport. With my life again.

Georgina and I looked at each other. She gasped when I pulled her close and held her against my chest. There were no words good enough for her.

“We gonna do this or not?” Declan said, interrupting. “There are no hugs in baseball! Unless they involve me. Now go get changed so we can get this party started.”

Our hands were locked as we started moving inside. We came to the locker rooms, which people rarely got to see, and the same sensation as always ran through me at the sight of it. The smell of it made my skin contract. I’d always thought this was going to be my future. I looked around, taking it in for a second, then asked Georgina where my clothes were.

My mouth was too fast for my thoughts. That was when I’d noticed it.

A suit hanging up.

She stood on her toes and whispered in my ear, “You can watch from the stands. Or you can play with me for the rest of your life.” When she pulled away, our eyes lingered and stayed connected.

She wasn’t giving me an out. She wasn’t adding, “or we can just play ball.” She wanted me. And I wanted her more than I’d ever wanted anything in my entire life. More than where I was standing and what it meant to me.

If I ever lost her, there would be no more dreams left to chase.

“You going to get dressed or what?” I said.

It was hard for our eyes to break. To move away from each other.

“See you on the field, HarryRagazzo,” she whispered, and with that, left me alone to get dressed.

Her perfume lingered in the air, on me, as I suited up. I left the locker room and walked down the hall to where the opening to the field was. The light spilled out and highlighted a portion of the dimness behind me. I set my hand in my pocket and leaned against the building, looking out at the stadium seats. I didn’t feel comfortable leaving her alone, even if there was security around. Then I thought about Jackie and how he’d arranged all of this for her, for me. My chest felt tight from the overwhelming amount of gratitude.

It was nothing like what I felt when I turned around. It felt like I’d been hit in the chest with a fast ball. She was wearing a simple white gown that landed right above her feet. The neckline was asymmetrical, one side lower on her shoulder. The gown gave the illusion it was pulled tight around her waist and was the reason for the thigh-high slit in the leg. It was geometrical and hugged all her curves. She’d pulled her hair back, and her face was so fresh and gorgeous, it was heartbreaking.

I felt like an Irish-Scotch version of Joe DiMaggio with the Italian version of Marilyn Monroe.

She laughed when I set her hand in the crook of my arm and started hauling ass toward the field.

“In a rush?” she breathed out.

She had no fucking clue.

Everyone was either warming up or standing around the food talking to other people when we came out on the field. A few people stopped right away. It didn’t take long for silence to settle.

“You didn’t tell them,” I whispered out the side of my mouth.

“No,” she said. “I did not want a production. Just…this.” She looked at me.

“I take it this is where I come in?” Father Flanagan, Kelly’s priest on call, said to us.

“Yeah,” I said, running a knuckle down her face gently, then taking her hand. “This is where you come in.”

“Wait!” Keely said. “None of us even knew you two were—” She motioned between us.

I turned and looked at her.

“I mean,” she said, stumbling a bit, “it doesn’t matter. It’s just out of, er, left field.”

“Son,” Mam said, clutching her drink.

“Mam.”

We’d have a lot to talk about later. But it didn’t matter if the place caught fire, or men came in armed, the words that would be spoken between us would be done today. I was sick of waiting. Sick of preparing for the right time. I should have known better. Time waits for no one. My shoulder and what happened with Mari were testaments to that. But if it wasn’t for me being so stubborn, I would have missed out on this.

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