Page 45 of Double Play

“Yes. I stowed away on Trevor’scharter.”

“Seriously?” She repeated what he’d just told her to someonenearby.

“Who’s there? Whereareyou?”

“I found Dwight, he’s showing me around. I thought you’d be at the game so I went to the stadium first. Dwight told me you aren’t in the lineuptoday.”

“No I pulled my,” he shot Maggie a look and lowered his voice, “groin.”

Maggie rolled her eyes and stepped away to give him some space. All of the other wedding guests were already making their way toward the sprawling ranch house, where the reception would be held. That left Jim alone in a sea of whitechairs.

“Sweetheart, I just wanted to be with you. I know you wanted me to come to this wedding. But I wasn’t sure I could, so I didn’t want to say anything. Then I just decided, screw it. If it’s important to you, it’s important to me. And now I owe Trevor for half a charterflight.”

Nina was still half-sobbing, half-laughing. “I can’t believe we both wanted to surprise each other. Maggie told me it was abadidea.”

“No, it was a good idea. It’s so…I’m so…” Moved, amazed, blown away, nothing seemed like quite the right word. “I love you, Nina. I love you so much. You’re the only woman in the world for me. I’ve been thinking about it and if you want me to quit baseball, if that life is toolonely—”

“Quitbaseball? What are you talkingabout?”

“You said you wanted a normal, ordinary life. If I stay in baseball, you won’t get that. We get traded, we travel too much, you’d be alonealot.”

She drew in a swift breath. “Jim, is this…this sounds like…is this somekindof…”

“It’s not a proposal,” he said quickly. “I screwed this surprise up, but I’m not screwingthatup. I’m definitely not doing it on Maggie’s cellphone.”

Nina squealed. “Oh my God. Oh my God! Are youserious?”

He took the phone from his ear before his eardrum got shattered. “About notproposing?Yes.”

“Agggghghhh!!” Her shriek of joy reached Maggie, who was returning with a flute of champagne in each hand. She lifted her eyebrows as she handed him a glass and sat back downbesidehim.

Jim was grinning so hard, he thought his face might break apart. It sure sounded to him like Nina would accept his proposal when it came. “I can’t wait to hear the sounds you make when Idopropose.”

“Aagggghhhhh” she repeated, even moreexcited.

Maggie’s eyes went wide at his words and she tipped her glass against his in atoast.

“So, what do we do now? Should I come back to Kilby right away or should you come to SanDiego?”

“I’m coming to you, sweetheart. I already paid for the ride. Promised to pay, anyway. Can you stay with Dwight until I getthere?”

“I’ll be counting down the minutes. Iloveyou.”

He hung up and handed Maggie’s phone backtoher.

“To you and Nina,” she said, raising her glass in a toast. “You know, I’ve heard about wedding hookups, but usually both people areatthe wedding, right? Or did I get thatwrong?”

He laughed as he clicked his glass against hers. “You’re not wrong. Nina never does anything theusualway.”

“And that’s why we love her,” sheagreed.

He could definitely drinktothat.

* * *

He drankanother glass of champagne inside the ranch house with Teri. She caught him up on everything happening with her baseball career. Even though the Isotopes liked her, they were still using her mostly for middle relief. But she was sure they were going to starthersoon.

“How about the other players? Are they treating you all right?” She’d had some issues when she first came to the league. Change didn’t happen easily in the world ofbaseball.

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