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I notice the scouts lined up behind the cameras facing home plate, all rapidly snapping photographs. They all have radar guns and writing notes down, talking amongst themselves about his delivery, speed, and accuracy.
Pitchers with a good arm move on to the minors. Maybe play in the majors. Pitchers with a great arm, like his dad, play in the majors. Pitchers with an exceptional arm… those are the ones who carve their names in the hall of fame.
Cason is one of those exceptions.
Calm and collected from the outside, his motions on the mound, artful and fluid.
At his third strikeout to retire the inning, he leaves the mound with a smirk, and a slow shake of his head as the crowd in attendance goes ballistic. The strut, the cockiness, that self-assured man walking toward us only adds to his appeal.
Hello, roommate.
I’m fucked.
Nahla nudges me. “You’re drooling.”
I make a panting sound to be funny.
She laughs. “What am I going to do with you?”
“I don’t know, but I wouldn’t be disappointed to meet him in the dugout and warm the bench.”
She rolls her eyes, picking the peanuts out of the Cracker Jacks box she has in her hand. “Do me a favor though, don’t marry him without a prenup and a separate checking account.”
She’s joking. I have absolutely no plans of getting married again, and nevereverwill I share a bank account again.
Sadie rips the box from her hands. “Why are you eating all the nuts out? That’s the best part.”
“Why do you think I’m eating them?”
Before Cason enters the dugout, his eyes lift to where we’re seated. His eyes seek mine under the lights of the stadium’s artificial light. He smiles, dimples forming in the corners of his mouth. And then he winks at me, and I roll my eyes, but I’m unable to keep the smile from my face.
The game passes in a blur. I think I spend more time at the concessions with Tatum and the eight trips to the bathroom where she swears, this time, she has to go. It ends in her peeing her pants and wearing no panties and me buying her a Sun Devils’ onesie to make it home because guess who didn’t bring a change of clothes for her?
This mess of a mom.
It’s after the game, before the team heads into the dugout, that Forest tries to climb over the seats to get to Nahla, while she scurries away, and Cason eyes me with that familiar flirty predatory gaze.
He gestures me forward with a nod. “Couldn’t stay away, huh?”
Laughter escapes me as Tatum wiggles in my arms and reaches out to take Cason’s hat right off his head. “I hope you’re not this arrogant every day.”
He smiles at Tatum and winks at her, letting her have his hat. “Does that mean you’re gonna see me every day?”
I sigh, trying to keep a hold of Tatum in my arms as she tries to limp noodle herself to the ground. “You can rent the room.”
His eyes focus on Tatum and then mine, the flush of his cheeks endearing. “Told you I was your best option.”
“The fact that you beat out a cat lady, a sex offender, an escort, and a dude with a blow-up doll, I wouldn’t be too cocky.” I shift Tatum to my other hip and unintentionally lean toward him like the freaking magnet he is. What the hell is with this guy? Why does my body want to be so close to him? “The stakes really weren’t that high.”
“Regardless. I’m the best option.” He makes eye contact with Tatum, and to my surprise, she reaches for him. I’ve never seen her do that. While I know it’s a ploy to get down and pick up that popcorn in hopes of eating it off the ground, Cason takes her in his arms.
My eyes about bug out of my head. What the hell? He’s holding her? And she’s not crying or freaking out that a stranger is holding her? Did he drug my baby with his scent? Because she’s completely content in his arms. Goes to show you the trance this guy has on people. He brainwashes all females—no age limitations.
Cason smiles at her onesie and steps back, his feet in the dirt, players all around him. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”
Tatum lifts her head, but her eyes are on the field behind Cason. “Loretta.”
Ez walks up behind him and grins at Tatum twirling one of her curls around his finger. “Aren’t you the cutest thing in the world?”