Page 36 of Home Run (The New York Lions #5)
“Want company?” he asked, lifting the blanket before I could respond and, scooching underneath it, positioned us so I was resting on his chest. “Nice sweatshirt, by the way.”
“Thanks, I thought so.” I giggled. Giggled. What had happened to me? “How was practice?”
“Incredible. We’re going to win the series. I can feel it. Everyone is buzzing for the games this week.” He ran his fingers along the edges of his sweatshirt and pulled gently on the hoodie strings. “I like seeing you in this…Mills, will you wear my shirt for the games? Bring me luck.”
I’d never worn Tanner’s shirt before, I’d avoided it on purpose in case he took it to mean something that didn’t exist. But everything had changed, and Tanner had done so much for me, and if me wearing his shirt made him happy, then I would do that.
Right now, I couldn’t think of anything else I wanted to do more to support him.
“Of course.”
“Thank you,” he replied, dropping a kiss on my head. “Now we have to see who we’ll be playing. We bought some incredible steaks on the way home, Lux is going to cook them up and make dinner for the game.”
“Sounds awesome to me.”
The pair of us turned to find Lux and Radley standing over us. “We’re going to our place to start cooking, you comin’?”
“Yeah, you bet. Come on, babe, let’s go.” Tanner nodded, tossing off the blanket and looking around. “Where’s Parker?”
“He took the steaks back to the apartment with Scout,” Lux replied. “We waited back to not interrupt whatever was going on under the blanket with Tanner and Mills.”
“ Under the Blanket with Tanner and Mills .” Radley laughed, nudging Lux with her elbow. “You sound like an eighties cop duo, showing Tuesday nights on FX .”
“No, we don’t,” shot back Tanner, scoffing loudly while he helped me off the couch. “ FX shows always get canceled halfway through the season. We’re not getting canceled. If we’re anything we’re Disney Plus , maybe Apple TV , possibly Netflix .”
“Nah, I’m not watching Tanner and Mills on Disney or Apple . It’s not a streaming show.”
I gasped loudly. “You take that back, Radley Andrews. Tanner and I are definitely streaming worthy. Apple wishes it could have us, right Tan?”
“Hundred percent, babe.” He replied, pressing his lips hard to mine.
“There is literally nowhere else this conversation is taking place right now,” muttered Lux, following behind the three of us.
Radley stepped back and threw her arm around his shoulder. “And that’s what makes you love me so much.”
“Maybe.” He winked, pulling her back for a kiss that lasted long enough that Tanner and I had made it into the other apartment and to the kitchen before they appeared.
Radley and Lux got to work on the steaks, Parker and Scout had disappeared into Parker’s room, and I sat on one of the stools at the island while trying to decide whether I wanted anything to eat or if I could last until dinner was ready.
The decision was made for me when Tanner placed a basket of warm taco chips and guacamole in front of me, along with a glass of ice water and lemon.
“Thank you,” I said, crunching down on a chip, wondering how I ever thought I’d make it to dinner without eating.
“You’re welcome.”
“Hey, Tan?” asked Radley, slicing up a couple of tomatoes. “What’s Holiday said about SNL tonight, is she excited? Millie and I sent her some good luck flowers.”
He nodded. “Yeah, I spoke to her earlier.”
“I’m sorry you’re missing it,” I added, dropping my head on his shoulder.
“Me, too, but it is what it is. She understands, and she’ll host again.” He shifted my head so he could see me, and his brows shot up. “You two can go, you know? If you want to. I don’t need to come with you, but Holiday will organize it. I’ll call her assistant.”
Radley stopped cutting tomatoes and looked at me.
For half a second I was so tempted, because I should go and support Holiday.
But I was also very comfortable in my pajama pants and Tanner’s sweatshirt, and going to SNL would mean getting out of them and making myself presentable.
Plus, I wouldn’t get home until past two a.m.
Considering I went to bed closer to nine p.m. these days, I’d probably fall asleep.
“No, we’ll all stay in and watch together. We can support her from here,” I replied, and scooped a guac-loaded chip into my mouth. “Tanner and Mills under the blanket.”
“Okay, deal.” He grinned at me. “We’ll finish making dinner, eat, and watch the game, then reset for SNL . If the game finishes early, you might even be able to get a second nap in.”
“I like that plan.” I laughed.
“Thought you might.”
T he Nats beat the Braves four runs to two.
It was much more closely fought than the score suggested, going to eleven innings.
I wouldn’t have time for a nap before Saturday Night Live , but the energy of the game, along with the amount of shouting from the guys who’d decided they’d rather be playing the Nats than the Braves, meant I was wide awake enough to not need one.
“There’s no way we’re not winning the trophy this year, I can feel it in my bones,” announced Parker, echoing Tanner’s earlier sentiment.
As the game progressed, my phone began blowing up with vaguely threating messages from my brothers about Tanner and the Lions boys visiting their hometown.
This, followed by a couple from my mom asking if she should get my room ready, and the last one, right before the final bat, asking me to please come and visit , which I showed to Radley.
“Guess we need to plan a road trip to D.C., stat,” Radley announced, snatching up her phone from the table to find a similar number of messages to what I had. “You wanna leave after lunch? I’ll check with Jake.”
“Sounds good.”
Tanner twisted around to face me. “Babe, how about you bring your mom and brothers to the game? Doug too.”
“Yeah, your brothers can watch the Nats get a whopping,” Parker threw out as he got up to fetch more popcorn.
“Dude, shut up,” Tanner snapped, turning back to me. “What do you think? I can meet your mom.”
I chewed on my lip, though there was little point in hesitating. Tanner would have to meet my mom soon, seeing as the baby would be here before we knew it. And it would be better if he met her before our families descended on each other.
“You sure you want to meet her? You know you’re going to get grilled.”
“I’m ready for it. And no one can be worse than your brothers, right?”
In lieu of a response, I kissed his cheek, and sent out a little prayer to my dad to help make it all go smoothly.
Though in hindsight, that wasn’t the best idea, seeing as my dad would have kicked Tanner’s ass.