Page 70 of Curveball

I smiled. “I may have badgered your assistant for photos and measurements.”

We moved on to budget—and when he laid out the number he had in mind, my pulse kicked up, even as I kept my expression steady. It was massive. Exactly the kind of project that could change everything for my business.

We talked timelines next. The plan was to start immediately after the season ended, aiming to have the renovation completed before next year’s opening day.

"So, Farrah. Are you in?"

Chapter 32

Walker

Tonight was the night. The night I finally had the balls to discuss my retirement with Farrah. Things had been going too well with us, and having just reconnected, I wasn't ready to rock the boat. Unfortunately, my employer was ready for a decision, so our little bubble of pure bliss was about to pop. Hadley was with Jake this weekend, presenting the perfect opportunity for me to wine and dine my girl at my place before dropping the dreaded subject on her.

I grilled some steaks, made baked potatoes with some broccolini, and poured us one of my dad's more expensive vintages. I had everything on the table when I heard the front door open. "In the kitchen!" I called out to her.

Farrah made her way around the corner, and I swear every single fucking time I saw her, those goddamn butterflies took flight in my stomach. She had her blonde hair piled high into a knot on top of her head, and was wearing a loose gray crop top and dark purple joggers. The girl could wear a paper bag, and she still would manage to take my breath away. I placed a quick kiss against her lips before pulling her into a hug.

"Baby, I cooked!" I gestured proudly toward the plates on the table.

She grinned, approaching the table. "I see that. Impressive."

Once we were seated, she took a quick sip of wine and smirked. "I don't think you could even manage to make mac n' cheese in college."

"Well, I'm a man of many talents now. I've evolved." I waggled my brows at her, making her snort into her wine glass.

Farrah held up her wine glass in a toast. "To evolving."

We fell into a comfortable conversation while eating our dinner. Farrah couldn't get over my newfound cooking skills, interrupting our conversation more than once to gush over the meal. I'd be lying if I said I didn't puff up my chest a few times at the compliments. We’d both been busy this week, so we spent a lot of time catching up on how my pitching was going and the status of some of her projects.

After we finished and I cleared our plates, we decided to sit out on my back porch with a bottle of wine. We sat quietly, enjoying the light breeze. The sky was a deep onyx dusted with glittering stars. I draped my arm across the back of the couch, and Farrah rested her head against my chest. I didn’t want to ruin this moment—but I knew I had to.

"I wanted to talk to you about something," I blurted.

Not the smoothest, Walker.

Farrah lifted her head, her jade eyes meeting mine with question. "Sure, what's up?"

"The team wants my retirement decision by next week. I've been putting it off for a while, trying to see how my elbow felt." I paused. "And seeing what happened between you and me…" My voice trailed off as I glanced down at my wine glass, twirling the stem between my fingers. "I want to do this right, this time. My elbow is strong, and I feel good. My pitching speed and technique are back to where they were, but you and Hadley make me incredibly happy. I finally feel whole again." I blew out a shaky breath. "If you want me to retire, then I will, for us. For the family and life I want with you. I know what comes with my career, and I want to make this decision together."

Even if I don’t know who I am without baseball.

Farrah's eyes softened. "Together," she echoed back.

"So just say the word, and I'll retire. I'll do whatever I have to do to make you happy, Farrah. I…"

She held her finger against my lips, silencing me.

"I don't want you to retire, you're not done. I watched you out on that field, Walker, and that's where you come alive. Your strength, your resilience—you're inspiring. You’re a leader on and off that field, and your team needs you. The last thing I’ll allow you to do is retire before your time; you have more to give." She cupped my jaw, her eyes bright. "I love you, Walker, and we’re in this together. I'm not going anywhere. Not this time."

I hadn’t realized how badly I’d needed to hear those words. My shoulders dropped, the weight lifted. I pressed my mouth to hers before saying what I'd been wanting to say for a long time. "I love you too, Wildflower."

"Oh, and I'll be commuting to Austin a lot during the off-season. So, we’re really going to need to figure out logistics." She smirked.

I tilted my head in confusion.

"You’re looking at the official designer for the Austin Aviators clubhouse."

My brows shot up my forehead, my eyes wide. "Are you fucking serious? You got the job?!"