Page 67 of Single Glance
“If that’s what you want.” Cam shrugged, his tone too casual to be real. “I’m disappointed. My girl never backs down from a challenge.” He took Emilia’s hand and sauntered away, but not before calling out over his shoulder. “It’s okay, Iwon’t tell anyone you’re scared of throwing a ball, menace.”
“I’m not scared!” I bit back, even though I was terrified. It was one thing to make a fool of myself in our backyard; it was another thing to make an ass of myself in front ofmillions. Plus, I had to live with the baseball community for a long time, thank you very much. I did not want to be the girlfriend who fucked up the All-Star game for the next ten years.
Cam laughed as he looked down at Emilia. “She sounds pretty scared to me.”
The man was baiting me. I knew he was. The rational part of me was already heading back to my seat, telling Adam to get his butt down here before the game began. But Cam knew me too well—he knew I’d never back down after he issued a challenge. I let out a frustrated groan before I stomped after him.
Cam paused when he got to the tunnel. “You’re making the right choice, baby.”
“Just remember…” I leaned in closer, but instead of kissing him, I flicked his nose. “If I embarrass myself, I am going to make the rest of your life miserable.”
He laughed as he looped his arm not holding Emilia’s hand around me. “As long as I get you forever, baby.” Cam’s face turned serious as he looked down at me. “I’d never set you up for failure, Hadley. You can do this. It’s just one throw, and then you can head back to the stands.”
Maybe it was the adrenaline, or Cam’s unwavering faith in me, but I believed him. He was right—it was only one throw. How hard couldit be?
On second thought,this was a terrible idea. The moment I stepped out under the stadium lights, I could feel every set of eyes turn toward me, probably asking themselves what I was doing out on the field. Yeah, join the club.
Damn Cameron and his sexy-as-hell grin. I was going to tease and torture him for hours when we got back to the hotel tonight. The assistant coach reviewed all the steps with me before I headed toward the pitcher’s mound, careful not to disturb it too much.
I expected to see a catcher on the home plate, waiting for me to toss him the ball. Instead, Cam’s sure smile greeted me. “What are you doing?” I asked.
“Did you think I’d let anyone else catch for you, baby?” His eyes twinkled as he looked up at me. “C’mon, Hads. Show off your skills for everyone to see.”
I rolled my eyes, but a blush still filled my cheeks. I might tease him, but I loved Cam’s confidence in me. It bolstered my own, making me feel like I could conquer the world with him at my side.
An announcement echoed through the stadium, but I couldn’t hear it over the pounding in my ears. Instead, I toyed with the ball in my hand, focusing on the glove in front of me.Throw the ball into the glove. How hard could that be? Answer—really fucking hard.
I started to wind up my throw when a sudden flash of movement made me pause, and Emilia came bustling up to my side. “Wait,” she said, taking the ball from my hand. “That’s the wrong one. You need to use this one.”
I stared down at the one she handed me, already noticing that the weight was off. I turned it over and frowned. Someone had torn the stitches, leaving a wide hole instead. “Hold on, this ball’s busted?—”
But as I looked up, I saw Cam kneeling in front of me,taking my free hand in his. My heart leaped out of my chest, trying to connect words to the sight in front of me. “Are you…?”
“Yeah,” Cam laughed. He took the ball from my hand, squeezing the sides until the opening was large enough to reach inside. He pulled out a beautiful diamond ring, a princess cut with a halo of smaller stones surrounding it. “I’ve spent the last couple of months trying to find the right place to ask you to marry me, Hadley, but nothing seemed right. Not until I came to practice one day and looked out over the stadium. I fell for you the first time you came to my game, cheering for me despite claiming to hate me.”
“I wouldn’t use the word hate.” I smirked.
“You definitely did, but it doesn’t matter. Once you were up in those stands, I realized I always wanted you at my side, wanted to cheer you on like you did for me.” Cam slipped the ring out of the box. “Baseball might have been my first love, but you are my forever. So please, baby. Marry me?”
“Of course!” I squealed as I leaped into him, arms going around his neck, kissing him with every ounce of love in my body. Cam held me tight against him, like he never wanted to let me go. But as soon as my senses came back to me, I remembered where we were and jumped off him.
I held my hand out, and Cam slipped the ring onto my finger, beaming brightly down at me. “What do you think, menace? You ready to spend the rest of your life with me?”
“I’ve never been ready for anything more, sarge.”