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Annalise’s giggles turned to cackles. She grabbed her sides, doubling over.

“What am I missing?” Seth stared at Annalise, then turned back to us and froze. “Wait…” he shot to his feet, pointing at us, “what…are you two?”

“Finally!” Annalise sprawled on the chair.

“Together? What about the other woman?”

He really didn’t get it. “Um, I’m the other woman.”

Seth’s mouth fell open and his eyes bugged, his finger jabbing the air at us. “You. And you! And all this time!”

I finally let my face fall into Ev’s shoulder and squeezed his arm as tightly as he squeezed my knee. It hit me how easily I fit into his side, how natural it was to lean on him and know that he had me. And when he rested his head on top of mine, it was as if two puzzle pieces snapped together.

“We wanted to be sure before we said anything,” Everett replied.

“And you’re sure? Like, for sure? Really, really sure?” I would have thought Seth doubted us but he was too busy bouncing around like a toddler on Christmas morning to be upset. In fact, he was so excited I was worried he might explode.

“We’re sure.” Saying those words felt exactly like jumping off a high diving board. My insides did a somersault and the adrenaline rush made me giddy.

Everett turned to soften the blow as Seth came crashing into us. We collapsed in a pile on the couch, laughing.

“Do you know how happy I am right now?” Seth howled. “We’re together forever now! The four of us! God damn, does life get any better?”

20

WILLA

Iwas exhausted when I rolled into Everett’s room with my suitcase. It was adorable the way he insisted I have my own stuff at his place. Like I was going to argue with him? Funny man. But I did appreciate how clear he made it. I was to have a few changes of clothes and all my toiletries at his place. He’d cleared space in the closet and designated a sink for me.

I unpacked the bare minimum so I could slip into my pajamas and wash my face, then threw myself on the bed. Telling Seth and Annalise was fun but draining. Then I had a full day of one-on-one interviews with groundskeepers. It was going to be a great episode about the challenges of maintaining practice fields and a stadium, about the lives of the staff, interwoven with the events of the last home game.

But man, interviews took it out of me. Lots of thinking, talking, and interacting. By the time I left work I went home, packed, and came straight here. No chance I was making it to Sunshine Stadium even for an inning or two.

I was fully crashed out when Everett came home because one minute I was thinking through my schedule for the rest of the week and the next I had a man curled around me.

This was my life now. I was in a relationship. The forever kind. We wouldn’t always sleep beside each other, but most nights we would. My stuff would get mixed up with his. His life would blend with mine. In a way our lives had been tangled up for over a decade, but never to this level. I was so happy I’d barely spared my mother’s appearance a second thought.

But now, in the dark, it was impossible to push her out of my mind. My success wasn’t new, but my fame had definitely risen. Working behind the camera on big films was important and won me a lot of awards, but my name didn’t get tossed around a lot. Since Taking Tampa shot to the top of the charts my name was mentioned a lot. Kristin was part of the reason for that. She made a specific effort to make sure each person working on her projects—whether it was music, the team, or the show—got some of the spotlight.

So I had no doubt that my fame, combined with the success of the show was the main reason for Beth’s return. That, and Atlanta wasn’t exactly far from Tampa. It was a quick flight or a short day by car. I pictured a gleam in her eye as she made her reservation. Give her enough time and Beth Hanes always got her way. She was just that kind of person. Be sweet. If that didn’t work, become a damsel. If that didn’t work, push until they gave in.

Poor Dad had fallen for the sweet act. When things got tough he’d tripped and fallen straight into her damsel in distress act. Beth had come and gone a few times in my life but by the time I was twelve I’d had enough of her drama. I realized I was never going to have that sweet, nurturing mother my friends had. She didn’t bake cookies or cuddle me at night unless she needed something from me. She only did things for me when it benefitted her.

I begged Dad to see through her act. But he ran to her side every time she cried for help.

Until she left and never came back. I suspected he’d been holding on to hope that if he just loved her hard enough she’d stay. She’d change. She’d be happy.

The one problem I had with my father, the one big thing we had to work through when I got older, was my resentment over that. She brought chaos to our lives. More drama than any one family needed. She made me feel worthless and unloved.

But he didn’t let her go.

And I was so very mad about that.

Everett stirred, nuzzling my throat. “What’s wrong?”

“How did you even know I was awake?” I was just lying here, breathing normally. It wasn’t like I was making noise or thrashing in the sheets.

“Could tell,” he mumbled. Then his arm tightened around me and he hooked a leg over mine. “You okay?”