Page 39

Chapter thirty-nine

Emmett Foster

My body is screaming at me to go crawl into bed, but my heart wants to see Hazel more. It was a fairly grueling game. We won, but not without putting up a fight. As soon as the game was over, all I could think about was seeing her. I rushed through the interviews and my shower. Emerson tried to slow me down by teasing me about being right all along about Hazel and me, but I dodged him so I could rush home.

My headlights illuminate the wall of my garage as I pull in. We took separate cars so Hazel could put June to bed earlier, so her car is already here. My phone buzzes and my stomach turns. Earlier, I saw a text from Shelby, which I didn’t answer. I hope it’s not another one.

Wildflower: June and Raven are asleep. I’m waiting out back whenever you’re ready.

A grin breaks out across my face. I leave my duffel bag in my car and rush inside to the back door. As soon as I walk out, Hazel runs to me. She jumps into my arms, wrapping her legs around me.

“Congratulations,” she says, her lips brushing against my ear. I shiver at the feeling.

She kisses me before I can respond. Her fingers push into my hair. I tighten my hold around her waist. Her mouth moves over mine with the kind of hunger that mirrors what’s building inside me. Just as sudden as her kiss began, she pulls back. Our chests rise and fall in time with each other. She presses her forehead against mine.

“I missed you,” she whispers.

“If this is what it’s like when you miss me, it’s almost worth the torture of being apart.”

We haven’t even really been apart much. I’m sure it’ll happen more often in the future as I have away games she can’t come with me to. I hate the idea of leaving her behind, but she won’t be able to count on her dad to take care of Raven, and Raven won’t be able to leave school that much, and neither will June.

It was hard enough leaving June with my mom and then Hazel. Now that Hazel is in the picture, it makes me hate this part of my career even more. I love what I do, but I despise how often I have to be away from those I love.

“I loved watching you play,” she says, meeting my gaze. Her green eyes are hooded with desire.

“Yeah?”

She nods slowly. “I like how intense you are on the field.” Her lips brush mine. “I wanted to run out there and jump into your arms just like this.”

“I would have carried you off the field and forfeited the game.”

She lets out a soft laugh. “You would not.”

“If it meant I got to kiss you, I’d quit baseball period.”

Her hair falls into her face as she shakes her head. “I never took you for a flirt, Emmett Foster.”

“Only for you, Hazel James.”

Her smile lights my every nerve up. She lets her legs fall and slides down to the ground. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Wildflower,” I reply, not letting go of her waist.

Something in the corner of my eye draws my attention. I turn my head to see a trail of small battery-powered tealight candles leading to June’s trampoline. On top of the trampoline looks to be a pile of blankets and pillows.

“What’s all this?” I ask.

“I thought you’d be exhausted after your game. So I figured we could rest together.”

I smile down at her. “I like that idea.”

She grins. “Good, because the blankets are from your bed.”

We laugh in unison. I bend down and throw her over my shoulder. She squeals in surprise and delight.

“You’re going to wake the neighborhood up,” I fake-scold her.

“You don’t live in a neighborhood,” she says through laughter.

“Semantics.”

I toss her through the gap in the net around the trampoline. She bounces on her back in the middle, the blankets lifting around her. Her giggles fill the night air. The sound sparkles like the stars above. I climb in next, moving so that my body hovers over hers.

Her giggles subside as she gazes up at me. She lifts her right hand and brushes her fingertips over my temple, then my cheek, then down my bearded jaw.

“I’ve never been this happy in my life,” she whispers.

“Me either.”

I think of my past and wince as the reminder of Shelby’s text comes to mind.

“What’s wrong?” Hazel asks.

I turn and fall onto my back. I hate that Shelby is wiggling her way into our most special moment again, but I don’t want to keep anything from Hazel.

“Shelby texted me.” My chest rises as I draw in a deep breath. “I saw it after the game. I didn’t want to keep it from you.”

“What did she say?” Hazel’s voice is small. The laughter from before is gone and I hate that I’ve stolen it away by bringing this up.

“Nothing of worth. I usually delete messages like this, but like I said, I didn’t want to hide it from you.”

I pull out my phone, unlock it, and hand it to her. I don’t have to look at it to know what it says. Her words are branded in my head.

Shelby: After five years, you finally decided to replace me and it’s with the nanny? I thought you could do better than that. June’s therapist is going to have a lot of fun unpacking that kind of messed up when she’s older.

“If this wasn’t your phone, I’d throw it,” Hazel says in a cold voice. She sets the phone down between us.

“If I could block her number, I would.” Legally, I can’t. She occasionally calls for June or texts, making plans to visit. The last time she visited was June’s birthday last year. Actually, it was two days after June’s birthday, because she forgot which day it was . Even though she’s the one who gave birth to her.

“I’m sorry you have to deal with this after she hurt you and June so badly.” Hazel grabs my hand and squeezes it.

I close my eyes and focus on her touch. There’s a night and day difference between her and Shelby. If I could go back…I shake off the thought and recall what Hazel said to me the first night we came out here. I won’t let Shelby steal my joy.

“It’s okay. I’ll delete the message tonight and won’t think about it again. I hate that June doesn’t have her mom, but”–I turn my head to find her already looking at me–“she has you.”

Hazel smiles. There’s not a trace of fear or uncertainty in her gaze when she replies, “She does, and so do you.”

I move so I’m hovering over her again. She gazes up at me with so much love in her eyes that my breath catches. If I had a ring on me, I’d be tempted to propose right here, right now.

“Us against the world,” I repeat my promise from the day I told her I loved her.

Her smile grows. “Forever.”

Forever.