I laugh at the phone, and suddenly, I’m gripped with a desire to ask him to come out, to send him a plane ticket or, heck, a plane. To tease him that this is our honeymoon …
But what if he’s just being playful? If this is all just fun and games and he suddenly thinks I’m too pushy, he’ll have to apologize, say he was just being friendly, that he thought we both knew what we were getting into, and I’ll be left feeling like an idiot. For the nextyear.
No, it’s easier to tease and flirt and let him interpret it as he will.
KAYLA
Haha! I love how funny you are.
SEAN
Well, I don’t love thinking of you being stuck with your ex all day.
KAYLA
It’s okay. I’m tough. Plus, your name is surprisingly effective armor.
SEAN
It should be me keeping you safe, not my name.
KAYLA
If only you knew where to find me…
SEAN
Don’t tempt me, Boss.
I hesitate, biting my lip at the text thread.
And before I can talk myself out of it, I send him another selfie, this one with a kissing face.
KAYLA
I’ll be waiting.
I don’t walk into the Outlaws’ stadium with Scottie after breakfast.
I waltz.
“Your boy put some pep in your step this morning, didn’t he?” Scottie says, nudging me as we pass under a massive steel arch that reads Home of the Outlaws.
If a squeal could take form, one is blooming in my chest. “He is socute, Scottie.”
“He’s almost six-four and looks like a grizzly bear,” Scottie says. “Cute might not be the word I’d use.”
In sleek black jeans, boots, and a black blazer so sharp it could slice air, Scottie sips her venti latte with a knowing side-eye. The girl doesn’t drink nearly enough water. I make a mental note to buy her a tumbler—preferably a giant pink cheetah print one she’ll pretend to hate.
“That’s because you have a secret thing for blond pitchers with mullets.”
“I have no such thing for any such guy,” she says flatly.
It’s probably weird that I’m rooting for Lucas to win her over, but I absolutely am. I’m friends with his sister, Liesel, who works for an MLB team and gave me some advice last year when I crashed winter meetings. So I already feel a sisterly affection for him.
Also—and this isn’t my proudest confession—Lucas’s social media presence is the strongest on the team. Speaking of which …
“Hey, didn’t you have some merchandise you needed signed?” I say, tilting my head toward the players’ tunnel. “Why don’t we do that now instead of after the game? The guys are still warming up, and it’ll be quieter.”
