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I’m still not quite over the whirlwind this day has been, and it’s not even noon yet.

I got the girl, but I also get to play ball. It’s the best of both worlds, and it’s something I never imagined I’d get to have when this day began. And on top of it all, I’ve got my friend back…well, sort of.

Gabby had paperwork to complete to transition to her new position, and I asked Troy if I could speak privately with him afterward. While we both have things to do to prepare for tomorrow’s home opener, this conversation seems somehow more important.

Getting back on the right track with my manager and my friend overrules whatever other plans I might’ve had today.

He sits behind his desk and folds his hands, and he’s more relaxed than I’ve seen him in weeks—since before the wedding, really. I sit across from him, and while we’ve done some office hopping today, this feels like the right place to end up.

“I just want your friendship back, man,” I begin.

Troy nods. “I know, and trust me when I say that’s what I want, too. But I said earlier we need to set some ground rules, and I stand by that. Our relationship is different now. It has to be. Just because I’m her father doesn’t mean we can’t be friends, too. When I first found out about you two, I convinced myself it was casual. But after today, you’ve assured me there’s longevity here, and if that’s true, I want you to know you have my support.”

“That means a lot to me, Troy,” I say.

“But I want to make a few things very clear.” His tone is pointed. “I don’t want to know what goes on between the two of you when you’re alone. Neither of you will ever put me or Joanie in the middle of anything between you. And if you need advice on something related to her, you go to someone else unless it’s the sort of thing you’d ask of a father-in-law…if that’s where you see this heading.”

“It is,” I say softly. “And to that end, I realize this is unconventional, but I want to marry her. I want to ask her to be my wife. I want to stand by her side for the rest of our lives, and I’d love to do that with your blessing and support.”

He sighs and sits back in his chair, and I have a moment of panic where I feel like I’ve overstepped. I don’t have a plan, but one starts to formulate as I await his response.

Eventually it comes.

He stands and makes his way around the desk, and he holds his hand out to me. I stand and grip his in mine.

“Of course, Cooper. I may not understand this, but if you make her happy, then I won’t be the one to stand in the way of that. Well, not anymore.”

I reach my free hand around to give him a one-armed bro-hug, and he gives it back.

“Thanks, man. I won’t let you down.”

“I don’t care about myself,” he says. “Just don’t let her down.”

I shake my head. “Never,” I say.

“I’m holding you to that.”

I chuckle, and then I change the subject. “My family is in town. I’d love for you to meet them, especially since it won’t be long before our families are joining as one anyway. I’m planning to order in Desmonds if you and Joanie would like to join us.”

“I’ll check with her, but I think we’d probably love to. But between you and me, I’ll be taking her to the club after that,” he says, leaning in suggestively, and I laugh as I shake my head. So he can make the innuendoes, but I need to lay off them, I guess.

“Well I can guarantee you one thing. You won’t catch your daughter and me at your club.”

He laughs. “Thank God for that. I’ll let you know about tonight. Joanie and I have some making up to do.”

I refrain from telling him Gabby and I have the same thing to accomplish, and I wonder for a beat where we’re going to make up. My family is at my place, and we can’t do it at her dad’s house…but Caesar’s Palace is always an option.

It represents so many important moments in our relationship, so why not this one, too?

I make a reservation for tonight, and then I head to Joanie’s office. “Is Gabby around?”

She nods. “She’s in her office.”

“She has an office?”

Joanie chuckles. “She sure does. Across the hall and two doors down. And dinner tonight is a yes, by the way. What time should we be there?”

I go for early to get it over with so I can have the night to go slowly with Gabby. “Come over at five. We’ll eat around five-thirty.”

She nods and winks. “Thanks for making it early. We’ll see you then.”

I head down the hall and find Gabby in her brand-new office. She’s bending over her desk arranging something on it, and I can’t help but walk over and take her hips in my hands, bumping my very hard dick against her backside.

“Congratulations on the new office,” I murmur.

She straightens and whips around toward me, her eyes wide. “You heard what Joanie said! No shenanigans at the stadium!”

“That was before when nobody knew about us. Now, though?” I shrug, and she laughs.

“You will definitely be the first to christen this office, but maybe not on my first day in it. Or my first five minutes in it.”

“I’ll be the first? As if there will be…more than one?” I challenge, and she laughs.

“Only one.” She sets her palms on my chest as those green eyes pierce into mine. “My number twenty-one.”

“Damn right I’m yours. Remember when you were going to call me Snuggle T-rex?”

She giggles. “That was never an option. It was always going to be Hottie McHotFace or Captain.”

“You were always Sunshine. And you always will be.”

She leans forward and rests her head on my chest for a beat, and we both draw in a deep breath at the same time. We exhale as if we’re letting out all the negative energy that has surrounded us for weeks, and just like that, we’re back to where we were.

Only this time, it’s with a baby on the way.

I still haven’t reconciled that fact in my own mind.

“I need to get back to work,” she says. “Justin and Chloe are getting called in with their offers, and Mackenzie is getting nothing, and I need to head over to Joanie’s office to celebrate.”

I nod. “I need to get home. I’m, uh, entertaining .”

Her brows knit together. “Entertaining? Like a lady friend?”

I laugh. “You’re my only lady friend.” I shake my head. “No, nothing like that. My family decided to surprise me with a visit, so they’re all over at my place.”

“Everyone?”

“Everyone,” I confirm. “They wanted to come to opening day and they’re staying for all three games in the series.”

“I want to see them!” she says.

“They’ll want to see you, too. I invited your dad and Joanie for dinner tonight at five so the families can meet. I hope that’s okay.”

“It’s perfect. But why five?”

“Well, your dad and Joanie have some making up to do, so I went for an early time slot.”

She makes a face of disgust, and I laugh.

“We have some making up to do, too, in case you forgot. I have a surprise, so be sure to bring an overnight bag when you come over.”

“A surprise?” she asks.

I just shrug mysteriously, and then I change the subject. “By the way, my mom was already on my case last night about you.” I roll my eyes, and she laughs.

“What did she say?”

“She said I was miserable and needed to fix it. She said a lot of things, but walking away from that conversation made me think about how I’d rather walk away from the game than continue on this road without you.”

Her eyes get misty at that. “I love her.”

“She loves you, too. And just wait until we tell her that you’re going to have her grandchild.”

“Are we telling them tonight?” she asks.

I shrug. “Your dad knows. May as well make it official, right?”

She nods, and she leans on the edge of her desk.

“How have you been feeling?” I ask.

“Pretty good, all things considered. Not really any nausea, but sometimes I get headaches, and I’m always hungry. Like always. And I have to pee a lot.”

“The baby is healthy?”

She nods. “Everything is growing just as it’s supposed to so far.”

“I know September ninth is the due date, but where does that put us now?”

“Fourteen weeks, four days. About the size of a kiwi this week.”

“A kiwi?” I ask, bypassing the way fourteen weeks stabs into my heart. I’ve missed fourteen weeks of this. An entire trimester. I walked away, and I could’ve missed even more.

I will never forgive myself for that, and I will do everything in my power to make it up to her.

But even as I think it, I realize I’m not sure what that will look like. I physically won’t be able to be there for every moment since I’ll be on the road with the Heat for a good chunk of the year. But plenty of guys in the league make it work. I’m confident we will be another success story.

“I have this app that tells me how big the baby is and I chose the food comparison.” She shrugs, and I chuckle.

“Do we know gender yet?”

She shakes her head. “Not for a few more weeks, but I’m convinced it’s a girl.”

“How do you know?” I ask.

She shrugs. “Just a guess. An instinct, maybe.”

“Do you already have a name picked out?”

She shakes her head. “Haven’t even thought of that.”

“I’m sort of partial to Kiwi.”

She giggles. “You would be. Maybe Sunshine Junior.”

“Our little Sunny,” I say with a wide grin.

She gasps a little, and her eyes widen.

“Sunny,” we say at the same time.

“Oh my God, I love it,” she murmurs as tears sparkle in her eyes, and she pushes to a full stand and moves toward me, wrapping her arms around my waist. I hold her tightly for a beat. I never want to let go, but I know I have to. She has a meeting to get to. I have guests to attend to. I have a season to get ready for.

And now we’ll do all those things knowing that the other one is waiting just on the other side.