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CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Christy
I stare at the picture for most of the morning. It lights my insides on fire. I remember exactly how much I wanted him in that moment. Knowing the entire world has seen it too makes me sick. It was a private moment that we shared, but I guess when you date a professional athlete, you have to share a part of him with the world.
It’s Sunday, and they have a day game, so the plan was to take Nolan to the game, but now I’m terrified to show my face to anyone on the team.
When I arrive at my sister’s, my mood is still shitty, but I know I have to put on a happy face for Nolan since he’s been waiting to go to the game now for a while.
Before I get to the door, she opens it and stares at me with a sag to her shoulders. “Which version of me do you want?” she asks with a sigh.
“The one who just hugs me and says it’s no big deal,” I bite out through tears.
She wraps me in her arms. “It really isn’t a big deal.”
“But I’m taking Nolan to the game today, and we’re sitting with other players’ families. They’ll all be looking at me and judging me.”
She pushes me back and lowers her head to be level with me, but I can’t look at her. “You do realize you’re an adult, right? You weren’t doing anything illegal or immoral. It’s not like he’s married.”
My eyes jump to hers, and she instantly holds her hands up in surrender.
“I didn’t mean to go there.”
She knows that after everything exploded with Nolan’s father, I’m very sensitive about the married subject.
She pulls me in for a hug again. “Stop overthinking it. Just be more careful next time.”
“There’s the mom version you couldn’t wait to get out.”
She laughs as she loosens her grip on me. “I can’t help it. I am indeed a mom.”
“Yeah, me too. But now I’m a mom who looks like she has sex with professional athletes in public.”
“At least he’s hot,” she teases.
I drop my head back. “He’s so hot.”
“Believe me, a lot of women would kill to be in your shoes right now.”
I close my eyes with a chuckle because I know she’s right.
She takes me by my arm. “Come on. Let’s get that little boy to a baseball game.”
I keep my head down as we walk through the crowd and to the suites, where Evan got us tickets for the game. The suite is for family members of the players, so I have no idea who will be there, which is even more nerve-racking. I decided I had to pull up my big-girl panties and face the world and not be ashamed that our private moment went public.
I open the door, and a few kids go running by.
“Can I go play with them?” Nolan asks.
“Yeah, just make sure you don’t leave this room,” I respond.
“I won’t!” he yells, chasing after them.
This suite is bigger than the last one, which is great for the kids, but not so much for my nerves. A few people smile and wave a friendly hello, but since I have no clue who they are, I just wave and head to the balcony, where I find some seats outdoors.
I feel someone grab my arm, and I stop in my tracks until I see a sweet smile gracing the face of a very pregnant woman around my age.
“Hi. You’re Christy, right?” she asks. “I’m Zoe, Eric’s wife. The second baseman …” She leaves it hanging there, making sure I know who she’s talking about.
I try to match her smile, but mine falls flat. “Oh, yeah. Hi. It’s nice to meet you.”
She wraps her arms around me, catching me off guard, but it’s definitely what I need right now. “I’m so sorry that photo of you was posted like that.”
I blink back tears as I hug her. “Yeah, pretty shitty.” I try to make fun of the situation.
“It’s not easy, dating these guys—believe me, I know.” She gives me a simple grin.
“How long have you two been together?”
“About a year.”
I open my eyes wide as I look at her belly.
She laughs, rubbing her palms over the baby that looks to be due any day now. “Yep, imagine the mud that was thrown about me getting pregnant after only knowing him a few months.”
I drop my head to my shoulder as I let out a breath.
“It obviously wasn’t planned, but here we are.” She smiles. “I knew what we had was real, and he did too. I found out I was pregnant, and he instantly dropped to one knee.”
My heart melts at her admission. When I found out I was pregnant, that is most definitely not the reaction I got from Nolan’s dad.
“People called me every name in the book on social media. You just have to tune it out. Just focus on what you two have.” She gives me a mischievous grin. “Because it’s obviously special.” She giggles.
I cover my face, embarrassed, and she wraps her arm around me.
“Come on. Let’s sit together, closer to the railing, and see how many people we can get to post about us being together.”
Her outlook on the entire situation really does ease my thoughts. I guess if Evan and I are really doing this, then this is a part I’ll have to get used to.
After the game, the other kids in the suite talk about going to the field, so Nolan turns to me. “Can I go with them?”
I’m about to say okay when I hear my phone ding with an incoming text message.
Don’t go to the field. Meet me by the players’ gate that we entered in last night.
I turn to Nolan. “Not today, bud. Evan wants us to meet him at the players’ gate.”
“Do you think he’ll show me the locker room?” Nolan jumps up and down.
“I don’t know. We can ask,” I reply, grabbing my things from the floor next to our seats.
Zoe places her hand on my arm. “Come on. I’ll lead the way so no one thinks you’re a groupie.”
“Thank you.” I smile in her direction, and we head out of the suite together.
Once we arrive at the players’ gate, a tall gentleman steps aside, holding the gate open for us without us having to say a word.
“How do you do, Mrs. Wiseman?” he says with a welcoming smile.
“Gerald, hello. Thank you for opening the gate. This is Christy, Evan’s girlfriend, and her son, Nolan. They’re coming back with me,” she replies.
He nods his approval. “Nice to meet you, Christy and Nolan.”
“Hi.” Nolan waves, and I grin.
I search around, feeling like I shouldn’t be here as we walk to the locker room. Thankfully, Evan appears from around the corner, still dressed in his uniform and looking as gorgeous as ever.
When our eyes meet, every ounce of nervousness I felt today flies out the window, and with every step we make, my heart pounds for a completely different reason.
Nolan goes racing toward him, yelling, “Evan!”
Evan leans down to pick him up, and though I can’t hear what’s being said, it doesn’t matter. The smiles on both their faces tell me all I need to know.
We get closer, and he holds out his arm to me to bring me in for a hug and a kiss to my forehead.
Then he says to Zoe, “Thanks for bringing them back.”
“Anytime. It was nice to meet you.” Zoe waves in my direction.
“Nice to meet you too,” I reply.
She walks away, and I turn my attention back to the man I’m falling hard for, who is currently holding my entire world in his arms—both figuratively and literally.
“Can we go on the field?” Nolan asks.
Evan gives me a quick glance that isn’t one I expected, and it makes my chest tight.
He responds, “Not today. How about I show you the locker room instead?”
“Seriously?” Nolan’s eyes get big with excitement.
He may be thrilled, but I’m left questioning what that look meant.
Evan puts Nolan down and points. “Run down that hall, then turn there and wait for us, okay?”
“Okay,” he says over his shoulder, already running away.
“Everything okay?” I ask.
He turns to face me with a sigh. “I got in a little shit for that photo. The owner wanted to bench me.”
My eyes open wide. I cover my mouth in shock as my heart drops to my knees. “Seriously?”
I suddenly can’t breathe. Here this guy is, who’s worked his entire life to get here, and I go and make a mess of things in the first few weeks.
He takes my hands in his. “It’s okay. My coach stood up for me, and I had a good game, so I should be fine.” He sighs before he continues, “I feel really bad though about not bringing Nolan to the field today. The same guy had told me I couldn’t bring kids onto the field after that first game, so I didn’t want to push the subject today.”
I shake my head. “No, don’t worry. Nolan’s fine. Don’t think about him.”
He lets go of my hands and places his palms on either side of my face. “But I want to think about him. I want to think about you.”
He brings his lips to mine.
I instantly forget where we are and only think of him until I hear a guy yell out, “You do remember that’s how you got caught, right?”
I hide in Evan’s shoulder, embarrassed. When I peek out to see who it is, I see Evan flipping Tripp off.
Tripp laughs it off, and Evan grabs my hand to walk us toward the locker room, where I’m sure a very eager little boy is waiting for us.