Clothes are shed. Kissing continues. We make it to the bed with hard dicks and soft hearts. With love and passion and everything in between.
Epilogue—Danny
One year later
Alden and I are sitting behind third base at Dodger Stadium. He’s yelling at the ref, and I’m laughing hard because he cracks me up.
He sits back down in a huff. “That call was wrong.”
“I know, babe.” I kiss his cheek. “They’ll get it right the next time.”
“Hope so. Peanuts?”
He offers me the bag, and I take some, but I basically spend the game watching him and grinning. Because he’s mine. No matter what, no matter who is around, no matter what anyone thinks. This man is mine.
And I trust that he’s going to be mine for the rest of my life. He accepts me for who I am, flaws and all. And I accept him for who he is, flaws and all. Alden tells me what he thinks and believes. He tells me when he isn’t comfortable with something, and he tells me when he is.
And he tells me that he loves me.
The churro guy comes by, and I buy us two, handing one to Alden, who grins at me. “I love these things, even though they’re gross here,” he says.
“I know. It’s just expensive bits of long, lukewarm dough. My mom makes better ones.”
“We should ask her to,” he says. “But the crappy food is part of what makes it a baseball game.”
“And the balls.”
“I like balls.” He winks at me.
“Oh, don’t say that. I’ll be slinging you over my shoulder and taking you home before the seventh-inning stretch if you’re not careful.”
“Promises, promises.”
I boop him on the nose.
The Dodgers are doing okay, and I’m distracted as usual by all the lights and music and statistics.
But then it’s time for the kiss cam. I get a fluttery feeling in my chest as we watch the camera focus on obvious couples.
Until I see my face along with Alden’s on the DodgerVision screen.
Alden smiles at me. Before I can move in, he kisses me quickly, and the crowd goes wild.
Little does he know I have a small box in my pocket with a brand-new ring in it.
But I’ll get to that after the game.
