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And Danae?

ME

Yes? You’re freaking me out with the ominous text of only my name and a question mark.

GRIFFIN

Sorry, not ominous. Just wanted to say thanks for talking. Today and last night. Every time we’ve talked. Can’t wait to talk in person again. Hopefully soon?

ME

Soon works for me.

Chapter nineteen

Griffin

“Tell us every juicy detail about Saturday night,” Luke says the moment he sits down with his burrito bowl.

Drew invited all of the infield team to his house for an early dinner after our workout today. Supposedly, it was a chance for us to hang together before the incoming winter storm likely cancels our group training sessions for the next couple of days. However, I suddenly see this for what it truly is.

A setup. To grill me about my date with Danae.

“Lily, I can’t believe you were party to this,” I yell. She waltzes over and snuggles next to Drew on the loveseat, her own bowl heaping with the rice and taco fixings she cooked for us.

She doesn’t even try to play innocent. “What? I needed to hear the details about any potential addition to the WAGs just as much as they all wanted to watch you squirm.” She points her fork at Carlos. “Amy is going to be upset that you didn’t invite her for this.”

He wipes a hand down his face. “Ugh, she totally is. Can we put this on hold for an hour until she can get over here?”

Adrian swats Carlos with a throw pillow. “Heck, no! You’re not punishing all of us because you didn’t think ahead. You can deal with your fiancée’s wrath later.”

“Leave my throw pillows out of this!” Lily scolds. “And all of you better shut up so Griff canactually talk.”

I take a giant bite of chicken, black beans, and rice as a way to punish them with a delay. The strategy backfires, though, as I’m subjected to five mischievous stares for the extended amount of time it takes to chew.

I already rehashed the highlights of the date with my nosy little sister yesterday. It’s not that I don’t want to rave about how incredible the night was or how much I enjoyed Danae’s company. It’s not that I want to hide how close I came to a heart attack at the sight of her in that green dress or how my respect for her skyrocketed over the course of the evening.

But I don’t want to spook Danae by drawing too much attention to our relationship. Our future felt tenuous for a moment when I described my schedule during the season. I managed to avoid an onslaught of attention by taking her to Capital Grille, but it’s only a matter of time before she’s exposed to the full-blown havoc she only glimpsed at the bookstore.

I’m brainstorming how to establish more trust with her before that happens. And I don’t think sharing intimate details about her or our date with a bunch of people she would consider strangers qualifies as trust-building.

When I finally swallow, all eyes are still locked on me. Unrelenting.

Sighing, I say, “Guys, all I can tell you is how I feel about it. It was the best date of my life. I get antsy even thinking about the possibility of never seeing Danae again. I would have asked to see her again today if Drew hadn’t invited us over here. A decision I now regret knowing the true intentions for this dinner.”

“Awww,” Lily says, eyes and mouth curling into that expression you give adorable babies and dogs.

“But that’s all I’m going to tell you,” I state, which is met with exasperated groans. “With her adoption situation, Danae has more of a need for privacy right now than most people. And we all know that privacy isn’t a luxury afforded to our significant others,” I add, looking pointedly at Lily. She and Drew were college sweethearts, but gossip sites were ruthless toward her when Drew got signed to the majors. They nearly broke off their engagement as a result of the negative press. Thankfully, when he got traded to the Crowns, the fans herehave been much more receptive and respectful. Still . . . I don’t want to push my luck with Danae yet.

Drew reaches over to squeeze Lily’s knee. “We understand, man. Don’t we?” he says, glaring around the circle at the other players. There’s a chorus of mumbled affirmations.

“Fine, fine, but answer this one question,” Luke says. “I’m not saying you’re in love or getting married tomorrow, but on a scale of one to ten, how much do you like her today?”

I don’t even hesitate. “Ten.”

A mug of steaming coffee warms my hands as I take in the fresh white landscape through my living room's oversized windows. The natural light in this room is one of the reasons I chose this house. Of course, the privacy of the gated community was the biggest selling point, but I loved the way the windows illuminated the entire vaulted room. I savor my single cup of coffee for the day as I watch the snow.

Thick flakes lazily drift from the sky, adding to the six inches already coating the ground. I’m keeping an eye on the clock, waiting for an appropriate hour to call Danae. When the area school districts posted messages last night about canceling school today, I hatched a perfect plan on the drive home from Drew’s house. I bribed Sam to make a run to the store for me.