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Admiring Devin in his textured pale gray suit, I nod. “I know. I had the best example possible for what a man who loves a woman should look like.”
My hands clutch the delicate white peony and olive leaf bouquet, an uncontrollable grin spreading across my face as Dad kisses my temple, and I take my first step toward Devin.
My husband-to-be.
epilogue | nova
“Are you ready for this?”Dad joins me, standing outside the suite we rented for Opening Day. “He belongs to them for the next seven or eight months.”
“Nah, he still belongs to me.” I twist the shiny new ring on my left hand, the surreal reality that I’m officially Devin’s wife. “I’ll let them borrow him for a bit, though.”
“I’m so proud of you both. You know that, right?”
“Yeah, Daddy, I know.” It’s funny how he likes to tell us that. Does he realize how influential he was in my life? In Devin’s? If it wasn’t for Dad’s guiding hand, even before he knew the depth of our feelings for each other, who knows where Dev would be.
I take in the rowdy crowd, ready for the new season to begin, and pinch the inside of my forearm.Yep, I’m awake, and this is real.Then I turn and lean against the railing, looking back at our family crowded around the food in our suite. Even Palmer came. Maybe that should be stranger than it feels, but after our lunch date, Devin reached out to her and brought further closure to their relationship, cementing their friendship. Not that she needed to win me over, but her weekly visits after Dev left for Jupiter and Spring Training two weeks after my attack solidified our truce. Then she met Mari and Mili when they came to see me, and Mari practically adopted her. Poor Palmer. She’ll never get away from our family now. We plan on having her over for dinner when Devin has an open night.
The P.A. announcer comes over the speaker, asking the crowd to stand for the National Anthem and
I scoop Clementine from the seats, setting her on my hip.
“Oomph. You are getting too big for this, girlfriend.” I hug her tight and spin around as the music cues.
“Uncle Dev!” Clementine’s hand grabs my jaw and steers my face toward the Jumbotron as the camera pans over the Sharks, and there he is. Body rocking, eyes heavenward, jaw chewing that Big Red. Tears glaze my eyes.Way to go, Hotshot.
After the Sharks take the field, Devin looks to our left field suite and waves as we cheer. I find an empty spot beside Palmer. “I see you’ve met my cousin, Leo.” I tip my chin to him sitting on her other side.
Her eyebrows leap with a tilt of her head, the smirk and glimmer of her eyes conveying the truth.He’s a big flirt, and she knows it.“That I have. Big Shot Sports Agent over here introduced himself.”
“He’s a lot, but you get used to him,” I tease, glancing at Leo with a wink.
“I resent that.” He reclines back in his form-fitting hundred-dollar white tee and navy blue chinos, taking a sip of his beer.
“Don’t play coy, Leonard.” I prop my foot on the seat in front of me. “Palmer’s too smart for that.”
“I’d never insult a woman’s intelligence. I love them too much.” He adjusts the sunglasses perched in his hair. “And my mom would smack me upside the head.”
Aunt Amber taps the back of his head, messing with his coiffed blonde locks as she passes in the row behind us. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, but a loving smack never hurts to keep you in line.”
“Like I said.” Leo smiles, the neck of his beer bottle tipped toward Amber.
Uncle Olle chuckles before swatting his wife’s butt and murmuring something in Finnish as they take a seat.
With a glance around the stadium suite, Palmer’s expression mellows. “You guys have a huge family.”
“And three boys are missing.” I laugh. “One of my brothers and two of Leon’s.”
“Okay, I have to ask.” She turns to my cousin. “Is your name short for something?”
The charming Leo grin he uses on women to make them swoon makes an appearance. “I’m just Leo, but the family finds joy in calling me anything but.”
She laughs. “I love that. And you all get together like this often?”
I shrug. “A couple times a year, if we can make it work. We’re one of those unicorn families who actually like each other. We’re in the business of adopting people, too. Willa,” I gesture to Devin’s sister bouncing Briar on her lap, “and Leo’s currently MIA best friend, Shep.” Pointing my thumb inside the suite, I say, “Mari’s got her hooks in you now, so good luck getting rid of us.”
Though I’m sure the prospect overwhelms Palmer, she smiles like she’s not opposed to the idea.
The top of the first inning flies by, three up, three down, and I’ve barely gotten comfortable when Devin’s moving to the on-deck circle. Without thinking, I move to stand at the end of the front row of our box seats.
