Page 163 of Hiding in the Outfield

I look around the room, wide-eyed expressions staring back at me. “I have the lease on this place through the end of the year, so you guys don’t have to worry about finding a new place to live.”

I have an emergency savings built up, which rent will eat away at, but it’s enough to get me through six months without a job. I can totally find a job in six months. My stomach tightens. I’ve got this.

Large hands grip mine carefully. I glance up and meet Paulie’s identical brown-and-gold eyes. He tugs me off the loveseat and into a hug. His strong arms wrap around me and hold tight.

“I think this is going to be really great for you, Chessie.”

Some of my anxiety melts away. “You don’t think I’m being irrational?” I say faintly. “You don’t think I’ve completely lost it, quitting my job of nearly a decade to move across the country and be with a man I’ve been dating for like two months?”

He draws back and grips my shoulders firmly. “No. I know I wasn’t the biggest fan at first.”

That is putting it extremely lightly.

“I was scared for you.” His lips curl into a smile. “But Chess? Jackson will do anything for you. He’s ready to take on the world to be with you.” His brows draw together, brown eyes glinting with a level of gravity he rarely shows. “That’s the kind of love I wanted for you. You deserve someone who wants you out in the spotlight, not hidden in the shadows. You give so much of yourself and so freely. I’m not blind to the fact that people have taken advantage of that…to the point you didn’t think you had anything of substance to give.”

My gaze drops to his collarbone, and I frown against the pressure building behind my eyes.

“But since you two got together, I’ve seen a version of you I haven’t seen in a very long time. I see a happy man. A man who recognizes his worth. You’ve always been a sassy brat⁠—”

I cut him off with a feigned annoyed look.

He laughs. “But you’ve been using that as a shield. Hiding the incredibly smart, driven, and kind romantic you truly are.”

I bite my cheek as Paulie’s face wavers in and out. I suck in a choppy breath.

He gently chucks me under the chin. “I never thought I’d say this.” His voice is slightly hoarse. “But I’m really grateful for Jackson coming into your life. You’ll figure this out, and until then… I mean, you’ve got this rich, Major League ballplayer boyfriend. I’m sure he can put you up for a little while.”

“Rich is a stretch,” I say with a watery laugh.

Easton scoffs. “He’s going to make like six times his entire minor league salary in two months. He might not be making millions⁠—”

“Yet,” Maddox says.

Easton nods. “Yet. He’s shown in his first two games that he’s an asset. Once he hits arbitration, he’ll be negotiating something sweet, no question. And a league minimum salary of almost eight-hundred grand isn’t exactly chump change.”

Shane softly punches my thigh and sends me a lop-sided smile. “You’ve got this, Frankie. Just let us know what we can help with. We’re team Jankie all the way.”

“Jaaankie,” East and Maddy chorus, dragging the name out in a deep rumble.

Damn. My nose burns as I scan the room. I’m really going to miss these guys. My attention falls back on Paulie. My little brother. It’s been Chessie and Pao Pao for so long now. We went to the same college. God, we played baseball together in high school. Then, when I moved back home after everything that happened with Nick…he was there with me during school breaks, back during off seasons. He’s lived with me for two years while he played for the Clippers.

A muscle tics in his jaw, and his eyes shine back at me. He shakes his head vigorously, a warning in his eyes to not say it. But I can’t stop the words from tumbling out.

“I’m going to miss you so fucking much,” I say hoarsely.

He groans, and a tear slips out the corner of his eye. He yanks me into a bone-crushing hug. “Shelby is going to kill you.” His watery words are muffled in my shoulder.

My heart twinges again. I’m going to miss that girl too. “I guess you need to hurry up and get the call-up,” I tease. “That way you play games in Cali.”

He shoves my shoulder. “Working on it,” he grumbles.

“I know it won’t be as often,” Shane says, looking around at all of us. “But we’re still going to see each other. My brilliant momma once informed me there is this thing on your phone—it’s called video calling. You can see people from anywhere in the world!”

A smile curls my lips.

He shoots me a wink. Then his smile fades and his brow sets. “I was so scared when East and Paulie got assigned to Triple-A in Providence, and I was still in Double-A in Maine. Baseball is as unpredictable as it gets. Trades, call-ups, injuries… But we live in a world where being physically far apart doesn’t negate the closeness we keep.

“I mean, we all video-called Olander before his first game to wish him luck. We’re in our group chat constantly. Our relationship isn’t going away just because he’s not physically here. We’ll get together whenever we can swing it, but otherwise nothing changes.” His eyebrows lift, like the hopeful puppy he is. “We’re a family. A real family.”