Page 105 of Verdict

Walker rolled his eyes and clapped Shane on the shoulder. "Don't be a little bitch, Witek."

"Dude, I'm pretty sure I won't be able to move the right side of my body tomorrow."

"Well, maybe you should throw your slider correctly the first time, and I wouldn't have to make you do so many reps."

That earned a laugh from Hudson and the rest of the pitching staff who made their way into the dugout.

I stayed seated on the bench as the rest of them filed out and headed back into the locker rooms. Walker hung back and settled down next to me. He bumped my shoulder, the same way he did all those years ago.

When I couldn’t get his sister out of my head.

Funny how some things never changed.

“You good, Jordan?”

I stared out at the field for a moment longer, taking it in. I’d lived in Austin and played for this team for ten years, but it only now felt like home. And I knew that had everything to do with Ava and Ellie.

“Yeah. I’m great, actually.” I glanced over at him. “I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”

He nodded. “What’s up?”

"Can I get your permission to ask your sister to move in with me?" I smirked.

Walker dropped his head forward, shaking it as he laughed. "You're such an asshole, you know that?"

I laughed right along with him. "But seriously. Thank you."

He tilted his head in confusion, brows drawn together. "For what?"

"For pulling my head out of my ass. For forcing me to really look at my life and decide what I wanted. To not be afraid of it."

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "You really love her, huh?"

Without hesitation, I nodded and glanced back out at the empty field. "I do."

And I'd never been more sure of anything in my life.

I asked Ava to move in with me that night, and a week later, she and Ellie were officially moved into my penthouse. I was able to end her lease at my building early, and she gave up her old apartment.

Life was good.

I soaked in the final week with my girls before heading off to spring training. We had slow mornings, afternoons in the park, and movie nights around my practice schedule. Having Ava whenever I wanted was a new kind of high I'd never experienced before. I couldn't get enough of her, and I wasn't sure I ever would. Maybe we were making up for lost time, I wasn't sure, but we fucked like it was a goddamn sport. I'm pretty sure I was more sore from our nightly activities than practice.

It was fantastic.

I was watching Ellie crawl toward a pile of her blocks on our living room floor when the elevator chimed, announcing Ava's return home from work. I heard her heels click against the hardwood and felt my heart rate kick up.

I was a pathetic, lovesick asshole.

"Hey." She leaned over the couch and planted a kiss on my lips. I breathed her in, lilac and peach, as she walked over toward Ellie. She lowered herself to the floor and placed a kiss on the top of our daughter's head.

"Hey, baby. Come sit, I have a surprise for you." I patted the spot next to me.

That got her attention. She perked up like a kid on Christmas, her navy eyes lit with excitement. "A surprise!?" She stood up and quickly sat down next to me.

I grabbed the folder I had lying on the other side of me and handed it to her. She opened it, her eyes scanning the first paper, and began flipping through the rest of the papers. A smile began to form. "What's all this, CoJo?"

"That’s the house I bought us."