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TWENTY-TWO

TANNER

Just in case it’s ever brought into question, Penn Shepherd knows how to throw a party.

He was notorious for them, but this was off the rails even for him.

A private members club in lower Manhattan was the venue for tonight, and I only hoped the walls were soundproofed enough the neighbors couldn’t complain, because it started loud and it was only getting louder.

Servers were walking around carrying trays loaded with Lions-themed cocktails—a Home Rum , the MVP, and King of the Jungle—while magnums of champagne sat in ice buckets on the tables, ready to be opened by anyone who wanted them.

If you didn’t want any of that, you could order anything else at one of the dozen bars dotted around the place—literally anything— Parker had made it his mission to find something they didn’t have. So far he was unsuccessful.

Plates of fried chicken, burgers, and tacos were being handed out—though you had to be quick with the tacos before Boomer Jones got them, and we’d long ago lost Ace to the s’mores station on the roof, where he’d headed with Payton.

It probably had something to do with the fact we’d never won the Championship title before.

Tonight’s game was the furthest the Lions had gotten in the season since the 1940s, so it was a big deal.

Everywhere was black and gold as far as the eye could see—if you didn’t know better, you could assume Halloween decorations had been put up, but on closer inspection, it was all New York Lions themed.

Not a spider or broomstick in sight.

I was almost scared of what the party was going to be like when we won the World Series.

Jupiter said it would go on for days.

“Ya know,” slurred Parker, but loud enough I could hear him over the thump thump thump of the bass as he dropped down hard onto the couch next to me. “I think that’s the one from the atrium.”

My eyes flicked over to the direction he was pointing and the trophy we’d won, now sitting on a large plinth in the middle of the room.

“Didn’t we already have this conversation?”

“Did we?”

“Yes.”

“Oh. What did we decide?”

“I think we decided that Shepherd had it brought over,” I replied, leaning into him and sniffing hard. “Why do you smell like bananas?”

“I just did a shot of banana liqueur.”

“Why?”

“I asked if they had it. And they did. ”

“Yuck.” I picked up the tequila I’d been drinking, something much more palatable, and took a large swig.

“Where’s Millie?”

“She went to the bathroom with Radley. Where’s Scout?”

“I dunno.” He shrugged, his head falling against the couch back. “She was dancing, then she went to film content, and now I have no idea.”

The dancing was a level below us, opened up to double height, which accounted for the reason we needed to shout to each other, and from the positioning of our seats, we could see almost the entire floor. Everyone from the rookies to the locker room attendants was out there.

I swear I’d even seen Jupiter Reeves—though it was a blink-and-you’d-miss-it type situation.

He was now sitting on a couch a couple down from us, with Saint Velasquez and Stone Fields, plus two of the base coaches and the head PT.

They were playing what appeared to be a drinking game combined with poker.

I couldn’t tell who was winning, but the almost empty bottle of rum in front of Stone would suggest it wasn’t him.

The party had been going on for hours. I had no idea what the time was, somewhere close to midnight, I’d guess, and there weren’t any signs of it slowing down.

Looking out onto the floor below, I spotted Millie over in the corner with Radley, plus Scout and the interns who worked on her team—all of them laughing together at a couple of the rookies having a dance-off.

I was so goddamn lucky.

Millie looked incredible. It was like a spotlight had opened up right above her head, and all I could see was her, though the time had long since passed when I noticed anyone else if Millie was around. She commanded my full attention. Always had, always would.

Her skin was so peachy and fresh I could be convinced she hadn’t worn any makeup, except I’d watch her put this shimmery stuff on that made her eyes look like they were sparkling.

She’d pulled her dark brown hair away from her face with a braid thing, because she said it was the only way she could make her face seem a normal size and not like a fat giant moon beaming out.

I’d learned a while ago I shouldn’t laugh whenever she said things like that, no matter how ridiculous they were. Instead, I silenced her with a kiss after telling her how I’d never seen anyone more beautiful. And it was the god’s honest truth, even if I could see she never quite believed me.

I’d tell her until she did.

Watching her now, hand slowly rubbing over her belly, it was hard to articulate exactly what that did to me. Something about knowing that I was the reason she looked like that , all big and glowing. It tugged in my chest, forming this crushing need to protect her and our baby. To take care of them.

And having her here with me, watching the games, wearing my shirt was everything I thought it would be and everything I never expected it to be—consuming, almost. The power I felt inside me from having her in the crowds was the sole reason I’d won the MVP. I knew it.

With her by my side I had no doubt we’d be unstoppable.

As if she sensed my gaze, her eyes flicked up and met mine. Everything and everyone disappeared into white noise as a smile beamed out of her right before she blew me a kiss that hit me square in the chest. Holy shit was I gone for this girl.

I loved her so much it was hard to breathe.

I could have stared at her for the rest of the night, if Sawyer James body surfing over a group of rookies hadn’t interrupted us. When I found her again, she was once more laughing with Radley and Scout.

Parker and I bounced slightly as Lux fell onto the other end of the couch.

“We fucking won,” he shouted, his hands in the air. “We’re going to the World Series.”

“World Series, baby.” Parker picked up a half-empty bottle of champagne, gulped down a few mouthfuls, then passed it to Lux. “Yankee Stadium, here we come?—”

“And we’re gonna kick your ass,” bellowed Lux to anyone who’d listen before finishing the rest of the bottle.

“Hey! Save some for me!”

“Whoops, sorry.” He reached over to the table behind us, plucked one of the bottles out of the ice bucket, and opened it. “Here you go, my man.”

Almost immediately an overwhelming surge of emotion threatened to spill out of me, which had absolutely nothing to do with the amount of alcohol I’d consumed and everything to do with how awesome my friends were. Plus all the staring at Millie.

Wrapping my hand around the back of his neck, I pulled him into me and kissed him hard on the mouth. “Thanks, bud, I love you.”

But instead of my affection being reciprocated, he shoved me back and wiped a sleeve across his mouth .

“ Gerrrof. ”

Man, what was it with people not being able to say they loved me? I was not that unlovable, even when I punched him in the shoulder.

“Hey, say you love me back.”

“You love me back.” He grinned, which set Parker off into a fit of giggles.

“ Noooo . Say you love me.”

He might have rolled his eyes beforehand, but he did as I asked. “ Fine. I love you.”

This time the tears really did pour out.

“See, how hard was that?” I wiped my face and turned to Parker, shoving him with my elbow. “You love me, too, right?”

He lifted one very sleepy eyelid. “Sure.”

“Thank you.” I took a large swig of champagne. “Now why can’t Millie say it?”

Now, this might have been to do with the alcohol consumed, but it was starting to bother me a teeny tiny bit that Millie was yet to admit to me how she felt. And I wasn’t just talking about love. She hadn’t told me anything.

Call me needy, but I wanted to hear it, because I knew it was there. I could see it in her eyes, I could see it in her actions.

I could almost see the words forming on her lips right before she hesitated and changed the subject.

“Duude. She’s having your baby.”

“We’re gonna be godfathers.” bellowed Lux.

“Or God mothers .” slurred Parker. “When are you finding out what we’re having?”

“End of next week,” I shouted over the music as it changed to Taylor Swift. All the girls on the dance floor shrieked, and all the ones who hadn’t been on the dance floor rushed over to join in. “It’s the morning of game five.”

“Only if we need five games.”

“I’ll drink to that,” I replied, and I did, then passed the bottle back to Lux.

“It’s amazing, isn’t it.” Parker sighed. “Payton loves Ace, Scout loves me, Radley loves Lux, and Millie— dude —” He threw his arms around me. “Can’t believe you actually got Millie even after how fucking salty she was, and now you’re having a baby.”

“I know.” I shook my head so hard my brain rattled. “But she’s not said she loves me. She’s not said it. I mean, you said it, it’s easy.”

“Sure, it’s easy. I do love you, man. And Lux loves you. And Ace loves you.”

“And I love you. But Millie?—”

Tanner bolted upright. “Ohmigod, maybe she’s going to do it as a surprise, like in the movies. Maybe she’ll put it in skywriting.”

“ Ooh, or on a cookie,” said Lux.

“Nope, that doesn’t sound like Millie?—”

“What doesn’t sound like me?” she asked, easing down onto the arm of the couch next to me as Radley fell onto Lux’s lap.

I was right, up close the shimmery stuff really did make it look like her eyes were sparkling.

“My beautiful mama bear!” I cried, shoving Parker off me, narrowly missing his head with the champagne bottle I was still holding, and I patted my knee. “Come and give me a cuddle. ”

“How much have you guys had to drink?” asked Radley, her eyes roving over the table at the empty bottles of champagne, several of Parker’s weird-ass fruity shots, and the bottle of tequila.

“S’not all ours,” Lux informed her.

Millie shifted onto my lap and I pulled her further into me until she was fully enveloped in my arms.