Page 53 of Double Play

“Oh Dwight.” She dropped to her knees before him. “To be honest, I forgave you the second I heard you talking on the phone to my parents, defending me and mychoices.”

“I will always defend you and your choices,” he said solemnly. Then he cracked a grin. “As long as theyincludeme.”

She flung herself against him and he folded his arms around her. He felt the reassuring beat of her heart. They stayed like that for a long moment. A current of emotion passed between them, binding them together. Holding Maggie felt so right, so perfect. All the other problems? They’d figurethemout.

“I would kiss you, but we’re on my front porch right out in public,” she murmured intohisneck.

“Let’s get our asses inside, then.” He pulled her to her feet and twirled them both inside. He shut the door with his foot, then took her in his arms again. “I intend to kiss you, baby love. Over and over. But I have a bigger question to deal withfirst.”

“What?”

“How am I going to get traded to the Red Sox? I’m going to have to talk to myagent.”

She tilted her head back to frown at him. “Excuse me? Why do you want to play for theRedSox?”

“So I can be in the same area as you. Of course, I could quit baseball earlier than I’d planned. But the way I figure it, I should play for a few more years so I can build myself up and earn that Major League money. I can start my foundation, let people know what I’m all about. I’ll be in a better position forwhat’snext.”

“Andwhat’snext?”

“Public speaking, maybe. Motivational speaker, that sort of thing. Maybe I’ll even run for office someday. I want to uplift, inspire. Spreadthelove.”

She studied him for a moment, a wide smile edging across her face. “No one could do it like you, that’s for sure. You’d be amazing. But Dwight, I still don’t get what you’re talking about. WhyBoston?”

He gave a double-take, noticing for the first time the laughter shining from her eyes. “You aren’t going back to Boston for that job your parentsgotyou?”

“Of course not. I’m going to San Diego. The Friars promoted me on Crush’srecommendation.”

“I thought Crush didn’t like your programtoomuch?”

“I finally won him over. But they’re actually hiring me to work on a variety of projects. I’m going to be their Head of DataAnalysis.”

“In SanDiego.”

“In San Diego,” she confirmed. “Withyou.”

“Wooooot!” With a hoot of joy, he scooped her into a passionate kiss. She clung to his shoulders while he feasted on the intoxicating taste of her. Still locked in their embrace, he lifted her up. He headed for the bedroom, then stubbed his toe on a packing box. “Wait, you’re movingtoday?”

“The movers will be here in a couple ofhours.”

“A couple of hours…that’s not much time but I’ll make do. Wait—do you still haveabed?”

Her brilliant smile was all the answer he needed to thatquestion.

20

They putMaggie’s bed to use until the last possible minute. When the movers arrived, Maggie thrust her tangled hair into a ponytail and directed all her worldly possessions into their care. Then Dwight took her to dinner for one last feast at the Smoke Pit Barbecue. They could have ordered snacks from a vending machine and she would have been happy. Being reunited with Dwight, knowing that he still loved and wanted her, was all the sustenance sheneeded.

But baby back ribs weregoodtoo.

“They don’t have anything like this in San Diego, do they?” she asked mournfully as she surveyed her plate of steaming, savory ribs. Occasional consumption of meat was one of the ways Kilby had changed her. Along with being more independent, making new friends, fallinginlove…

“Not likely. But we can come back here, sweetheart. It’s not that far. The Catfish will miss you, and I knowNinawill.”

Maggie glanced at the TV mounted in the corner of the restaurant. “Speaking of Nina, there’sBieberman.”

Dwight snagged the waiter and asked him to turn up the TV. Jim Lieberman’s ever-enthusiastic voice carried into the room. He was being interviewed on the field, near the Friars’ dugout. Fans still lingered in the seats visiblebehindhim.

“It was a great game, definitely a team effort. We couldn’t have pulled off a win like this without everyone pulling together, especially with Dwight Conner out with that freak neurologicalinjury.”

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