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“Cason….”
“I’m being serious here. I… love you.” I hit her with it. I wasn’t going to throw the words out there so casually, but I do. Deal with it.
By the look on her face, she thinks I’m joking. But the words hit her right where I want them to. Her heart. She blinks, her breathing increases, and the smile widens. I don’t wait for her to say it back before I kiss her.
But then again, I want to hear it. Not that she loves me, because I don’t need the affirmation, but that when I leave here, she’ll be waiting. “Say it,” I breathe against the seam of her lips.
“Say what?”
My lips fumble against hers, my stance shifting. I pull back and gauge her reaction. Same as before. “Don’t make me beg.”
Her hands cup my cheeks. “I’m dating a major leaguer.”
Relief floods through me, and I can’t help but kiss her again. I hate what comes next because this feels so good with her. There’s been no effort here. We just sort of fell into place since that first meeting, and even being hundreds of miles away, that’s not going to change anything.
“Get a room!” Sadie yells from the family room.
I don’t let Sydney go. I know this isn’t goodbye, but fuck if it doesn’t feel like it is. With my heart weighing heavily on my chest, I hold her close and press my lips to hers, again, seeking out the affirmation that she will be here, waiting for me and knowing she doesn’t have to.
Pulling back, I reach inside my back pocket and hand her the two tickets I got for her and Tatum. “Come with me.”
Her eyes drop to the tickets and then lift to mine. Wide. Shocked. Excited? I don’t know. I can’t get a read on her. “What?”
I step back, my ass hitting the edge of the kitchen island. “Come with me to Anaheim this week. You can come to the game with me, and then we can take Tatum to Disneyland.” I lean in and whisper, “There’s a Frozen musical,” and drift my eyes to the kid, trying to seal the deal.
Sydney laughs sarcastically. “Oh, that sounds amazing.”
“So you’ll come then?” To cushion my wager, I pull out the ticket I bought. “These are non-refundable.”
“Cason… you should—”
I stop her, shaking my head. “Share this experience with the two people I care about most.”
At first, I think she’s going to turn me down, until she doesn’t. “When do we leave?”
My shoulders roll forward, and I sink into her embrace. “Tonight.”
Her hands rub up and down my back. “I’ll let you tell Tatum.”
I find Tatum watchingFrozenwhile Sydney ties up some loose ends with her business and has Sadie stay at the house.
Sitting down next to her, Tatum practically sits on my lap. I point to Olaf. “Did you know there’s a musical in Disneyland with him?”
Tatum lifts her eyes to mine and then back to the screen. “Can I hug hims?”
“Maybe. I don’t know. Do you want to go find out?”
She nods, her eyes lighting up. “Let’s go find hims.”
And that’s how easy it was.
THE NEXT TWOdays are packed full with contracts and meetings and getting to watch the Angels play from the box seats high above the stadium. I’ve seen big league games. They’re all the same until you’re on the mound yourself. I’ve signed contracts before, and I know I’m not going right into the majors, so it all feels sort of mechanical. Even with all that and my dreams coming true, none of it compares to Sydney and Tatum’s last night in Anaheim with me. We spent three whole days together, walking all around the park, every ride Tatum could go on, and finally, she meets her best friend. Olaf.
The moment he says hello to her, she screams bloody murder and clings to me. “That didn’t go very well.”
Sydney stares at Tatum, confused. “Why are you scared of him?”
Tatum won’t even look at him, her face buried in my shoulder.