Grand Slam

by Heidi McLaughlin

“K is for Kidd. We may not share the same last name, but you’re a Kidd to me.”

  Daisy hands me a tissue as Lucy wraps her arms around Travis’s neck. “I told you that you’re good for him,” she whispers in my ear. When he stands, he has tears in his eyes, and Lucy is now standing next to him. He reaches for my hand and slowly slides the matching wedding band onto my finger.

  “I promise to give you my everything, every single day. With this ring, I thee wed.”

  “Oh, wow,” I say, trying to gain my composure. Of course, our guests aren’t making it any easier on me. Every woman in the church is crying, and the men are all clearing their throats, because we all know they’re too macho to cry.

  Travis holds his hand out, waiting for his ring. The sight makes me chuckle. I grab his calloused hand and slide the ring halfway, stopping only to look at him. “I promise to be the voice of reason, your backbone when you are struggling, and the wife you need, every single day. With this ring, I thee wed.”

  “By the power vested in me by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Travis, you may kiss your bride.”

  Thirty-Five

  Travis

  While kissing Saylor, all I can think is, Holy nipple sniffer, I am fucking married! This woman, the one I’m holding with both my hands, is my wife. She’s going to kick my ass when I need it, love me when I don’t deserve it, and be my constant when I need her the most. She may think I’m doing her a favor, but that is so far from the truth. When I’m with her, it’s the only time I feel like I can be me. Saylor is the only woman I’ve let in, and thankfully she’s mine forever now.

  “Let me be the first to introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Travis Kidd,” the minister says, effectively pulling me away from Saylor. It’s time to cash in my man card, because hearing him introduce us like that really makes me fucking happy.

  I grab her hand and raise ours together as everyone starts cheering for us. When the music starts, we step toward the aisle, but not before I reach for Lucy’s hand. Together, as a family, we walk to the front of the church, with our impromptu wedding party following behind.

  “Pop the cork,” Cooper yells as we enter the small eating space that the church has. There’s a quick succession of popping champagne corks that echoes over the voices of my friends congratulating us as the guests filter into the room. The moms worked tirelessly to make sure the room was decorated and that we’d have a cake for today. The guys were in charge of the booze. I figured they should get the easiest job. And the wives made sure we’d have food.

  “I can’t believe you did all of this on such short notice,” Saylor says as she leans into me.

  My arm wraps around her as I nuzzle her neck. “I wanted today to be special.”

  “It is—thank you.”

  Ainsley hands us flutes of champagne, and that prompts me to say something about today. “I want to make a toast.” I raise my glass high and wait for everyone to focus on me. “To my wife, daughter, and new mother and to all of our friends and my parents—thank you for being here today with us. I know you’re busy with your own families, and it’s a holiday, so I appreciate you coming on such short notice.”

  “Here, here,” Ethan yells out as most of us clank our glasses together. As far as a reception goes, this is it. Tonight we have the Rotary gala that we’ll be attending, and it marks two years from when Saylor and I hooked up. I’ve thought about reminding her of the day and the significance, but it’s also the day that she wound up in trouble. Honestly, some things are better left unsaid.

  I see my parents making their way toward us, both eager to meet Saylor. They flew in early yesterday morning, and my mom has been doing everything she could to make today go off without any complications, along with Norma.

  “Beautiful ceremony,” my mom says as she kisses me on the cheek.

  “Thank you for everything, Mom. Allow me to introduce you to Saylor, my wife.” I’m looking at Saylor when I finish my sentence to gauge her reaction. I know she’s had cold feet, and I wondered if she would show up today. She’s not very good at hiding her feelings from her facial expression.

  “Saylor, these are my parents, Terry and Tonya Kidd.”

  She steps out of my hold and hugs my father first, then my mother. “It’s so great to meet you,” she says before grabbing my mother by the hands. “And thank you for letting me borrow this exquisite necklace.”

  “You’re welcome, sweetie. I’m just so happy that Travis has finally settled down. I can’t wait to be a grandmother.”

  Saylor’s eyes go wide, and I cough to get rid of the frog that has suddenly lodged itself in my throat. Having children isn’t something we’ve talked about, not that we’ve discussed much of anything about our future, except that she’ll play a role in my baseball and financial future. And if I’m lucky, she’ll let me into her pants. As of right now, I don’t know where we’ll live, and while I think that it’ll be my house, I don’t want to assume anything. But it only makes sense that they move in with me.

  “We have Lucy, Ma. That’s enough for right now.”

  “Oh Travis, she’s such a doll.”

  I laugh. “Wait until you spend time with Lucy. You’ll see why it’s been so easy to fall in love with them.” The l word slips out before I can stop myself from saying it. Saylor tenses, but my dad quickly brushes the comment aside.

  “When Lucy is ready to drive, her grandfather will be happy to teach her,” he says, giving Saylor something else to focus on.

  “You’ll be the first one we come to, Dad,” I say, giving them both another hug. As soon as they’re off mingling with others, Norma is ushering us to the cake.

  “Gather around,” she yells, getting everyone’s attention. “It’s time for cake.”

  “Wow, you really thought of everything,” Saylor says as she picks up the knife.

  “I tried, babe.” She smiles up at me, giving me every opportunity to kiss her. I do, first on her nose, then fully on her lips, keeping everything PG. My only hope is that later, after the gala, she’ll want to become my wife in every sense of the word.

  Daisy guides us on where to cut the cake, and once we’ve sliced our way through, Daisy is there to finish the process.

  “Are you going to smear that all over my face?” I ask Saylor, who is eyeing me wickedly.

  “You probably deserve it.”

  “Probably,” I agree. “But I have to wear this tux tonight and I’d rather it not get dirty.” I lean in and whisper, “We could always do this again later, if you want. I can smear a little frosting on your…” I let my words trail off and her imagination take over. She doesn’t need me to tell her what I want to do to her. I’ve made myself very clear from the last time we were together. The urges I have toward her are strong and have never wavered.

  “Let’s do this,” she says, moving her piece closer to my mouth as hers drops open. I don’t know if we do it at the same time or not, but the moment my tongue touches the cake, I’m biting down softly, conscious that her fingers are in my mouth.

  She pulls away and uses her hand to shield her mouth. Our little wedding party is cheering, and Lucy and Shaun are first in line to get a piece of cake.

  “I sort of forgot you had to go to the Rotary dinner tonight.”

  “We,” I correct her.

  “What?”

  “You’re going, too.”

  She shakes her head. “No, I’m not. I don’t have anything to wear.”

  I point at her dress and nod. “You’re wearing your dress. Daisy and Ainsley are wearing their dresses as well.”

  Saylor pulls my head down so she can speak quietly. “I can’t go, Travis. I’m not allowed, and I think one probation violation is enough, don’t you?”

  I kiss her along her cheek until I reach her ear. “I’ll never let you fail, Saylor. I already took care of it with Irvin. He has a letter from your PO saying you can go. You’ll be safe with me.”

  * * *

  After ou
r reception, Norma and my mother whisk Lucy and Shaun, along with Bailey’s twins, away for the night, giving Branch a break from single fatherhood and giving Cooper and Ainsley a night to themselves. Getting Branch to agree was the hard part, but in the end, he relented. Of course, it helped that if he didn’t attend tonight’s gala, the Renegades would fine him.

  At the hotel where the gala is being held, I rented the honeymoon suite for the night, and while we’re upstairs partying the night away, hotel staff will come in and place rose petals all over the room, add champagne and strawberries, and turn on the mood music.

  Until then, our suite is the staging ground for the women to freshen up and the men to kick back and drink before we have to head upstairs.

  “You’re fucking married,” Ethan says as he taps the lip of his beer bottle to mine.

  “I know.”

  “And she ain’t even pregnant,” Cooper adds. We all gave him shit for marrying Ainsley while she was pregnant even though we knew how he felt about her. I’ve never seen someone become a head case over another person before, but he did. She consumed his thoughts 24/7. I had joked that her pussy was laced with marijuana, because he was so mellow and laid-back, and that’s why he was having performance issues on the field. But that wasn’t the case. The dude was so in love with her he didn’t know how to control his emotions. It almost cost him his career.

  “That she’s not.”

  “I think Daisy wants a baby,” Ethan adds. “She hasn’t come out and said anything, but every time we walk by a baby, she’s gushing. I caught her crying the other day while watching some movie.”

  “Saylor does that. She thinks I don’t notice, but I do. These women live for those damn Hallmark movies.”

  “Man, you guys make me happy to be single,” Branch adds. “I don’t want to mess around with emotional baggage.”

  “It’s the emotional baggage that gets your dick sucked,” Cooper says, smiling.

  “Shouldn’t you be servicing her?” I ask.

  “Tonight will be the first night since before the twins were born. Ainsley got the okay this morning at her appointment.”

  “Shit, I would’ve tapped that the second she walked in,” I say. Cooper has been on pins and needles since the twins arrived.

  “I tried. Cal started crying, her boobs started leaking, and Janie shit her pants so bad she had to be hosed down.”

  The three of us start to laugh, pissing Cooper off.

  “Fuck you,” he says. “Wait until you have kids.”

  “I have one,” I add. “She’s five, and walked in on me and Saylor already. I fucking hit the floor so fast that it brought back memories from high school. At least with the twins, they don’t know what’s going on, so if they hear mommy moaning, they’re not walking in to find out why.”

  “Truth,” Cooper agrees. “I can’t wait to get laid,” he says, sighing. We all laugh but have at one point felt his anguish. Saylor and I will have to be creative when it comes time for adult entertainment. I’m sort of thankful that she doesn’t have a job, because once we drop Lucy off at school, we can fuck all over the house without interruptions.

  “By the way, I fired my agent and hired Saylor to represent me. I’m not saying I want you to switch, but she’ll take you on as clients if you want. Oh, and…I asked to be let out of my contract.”

  “What the fuck?” Branch barks out. “Why?”

  I tell them about what happened in the gym a week or so back and the grumblings I heard around the clubhouse. To say they are shocked is an understatement.

  “You can’t quit,” Cooper says. “I’m the fucking captain, and I say no.”

  “You don’t have a choice,” I tell him.

  “Fuck you, I don’t.” He stands and goes to the door that is separating us from the women. “Saylor,” he yells, knocking loudly.

  “What?” she asks as the door flies open.

  “Your husband can’t quit or get traded.”

  She eyes me and shakes her head. “Don’t worry, Cooper. I’m on it. Travis knows how I feel about him quitting. Seeking a trade, though, if that is what he wants, that is the angle I’ll pursue.”

  “He can’t leave Boston,” he pleads.

  “I know, and he won’t.” She shuts the door in Cooper’s face, and as he walks back toward the couch, he looks victorious.

  “You’re ass slime,” I say to him as he sits down with a smug look on his face.

  “You’re pissed because I told on you.”

  “She’s not my mother, Cooper.”

  “No, but she’s your wife, partner, and agent,” Ethan adds. “Plus, you have a kid to think about now.”

  “Players with families get traded all the time,” I point out. Many kids are uprooted from their schools when their fathers land new contracts or are put on waivers in the middle of the season.

  “True, but people love you here,” Ethan says.

  “Not my teammates.”

  “Fuck them,” Branch blurts out. “They’re not speaking for the whole team. What does Ryan say?”

  “He doesn’t want me to go and asked me to wait until after my hearing next week to make a decision.”

  “Well, do what he says.” Branch finishes off his beer as the women come out of the room, primped and ready to go.

  I stand as soon as I see Saylor. She’s added a red fur shawl to her dress, making her even prettier than before.

  “I can’t believe I get to show you off tonight as my wife. That means no hiding from anyone, and if I want to steal a kiss, I can do so without wondering who is going to see.”

  She nods and meets my gaze. “Will you dance with me?”

  “All night long, babe. And when we’re done upstairs, we are going to perfect the horizontal tango.”

  In a matter of seconds, I took a romantic moment and made it crass. Her hand lands on my lapel in a smack. I can’t help but laugh as I take her hand and follow the guys out of our suite.

  It’s official.

  Travis Kidd has wed his publicist, Saylor Blackwell, in an intimate ceremony on New Year’s Eve. According to sources, Ethan Davenport served as best man while Cooper Bailey was a groomsman.

  For the bride, Daisy Davenport stepped in as matron of honor, and Ainsley Bailey rounded out the wedding party as a bridesmaid. Branch Singleton’s son, Shaun, escorted Miss Lucy Blackwell down the aisle while she performed her flower girl duties.

  The wedding party was later seen at the Rotary Dinner and Gala, still dressed in their wedding attire, giving the guests an opportunity to celebrate with the newlyweds.

  There was no word on who designed Ms. Blackwell’s dress, but revelers from the gala gushed about how beautiful it was.

  Congratulations, Travis and Saylor!

  The BoRe Blogger

  Thirty-Six

  Saylor

  The rooftop terrace provides the most amazing view of the harbor. Everyone gathers around, keeping close for added body heat while we wait for the countdown to the new year. Resolutions are muttered among the onlookers, many seeking a new lifestyle with diets and whatnot, while a few say they’re quitting their jobs or going to finally take that family vacation they’ve wanted.

  I don’t think I can make just one New Year’s resolution. The most obvious is to retain custody of my daughter. That is the highest on my priority list, which leads me to my next one—my need to stop second-guessing my marriage to Travis. Going into today I expected us to say “I do” and head our separate ways for the holiday because he had to be here. He surprised me, though, and has made this one of the most memorable days of my life.

  Travis and I huddle together for warmth with the Baileys and Davenports on either side of us while Branch is off talking to a woman he met this evening. It’s one of the drawbacks of living on the East Coast during the winter, especially near the harbor, but the fireworks are spectacular and shouldn’t be missed if given the opportunity.

  All night the guys have played their parts, posing for pict
ures and signing autographs, even partaking in a few dances with the older women of Boston. The wives, as we were dubbed by a few cleat-chasers, stood back and watched our men dazzle the socks off the city’s most elite.

  “Do you have a New Year’s resolution?” I ask Travis.

  “To make you fall in love with me,” he answers with a kiss to my cold nose. I imagine I look like Rudolph right about now but can easily say I’m not the only one. His words should make me weak in the knees, but the truth is they scare me. I have already fallen in love, and what happens when he decides that this marriage is no longer beneficial to him? Granted, he’s entered into this union without a prenup, something I don’t agree with, but it’s his money. But even money can’t mend a broken heart—only time can, and I’ve been down that path before.

  “I can see the doubt in your eyes, Saylor.”

  “I know, and I’m sorry. It’s just…”

  “What?”

  “Overwhelming,” I tell him. “Today was nothing like I expected. I honestly thought we’d go to the courthouse, get married, and maybe grab a bite to eat before I went home and ate bonbons while I watched the ball drop. But you…I don’t know,” I say, shaking my head. “It’s like you want this to be real, and that’s what I want, too. I’m having a hard time grasping it all.”

  “Grab it all by the horns, baby, and hang on tight, because I promise it’s going to be one hell of a ride.”

  “You make everything sound like a carnival ride.”

  He laughs and kisses me again. “I have a feeling you’re going to give me a run for my money, but it’s going to be worth it.”

  Before I can respond, the crowd starts counting down from ten. Travis and I join in but never take our eyes off each other. It’s been years since I’ve been kissed at the stroke of midnight. Two years ago, Travis and I were in the comfort of his home when he finally kissed me. Tonight, it’ll be in front of the entire city.

  “Five…four…three…two…one…Happy New Year, Saylor,” he says as he holds my face gently with his fingers and moves painstakingly slowly toward me. I lick my lips in preparation for his. The first touch is soft and lingers a bit until I feel him open his mouth and his tongue swipe along my lower lip. I open for him, his tongue sending shivers down my already cold spine. I clutch at the lapels of his jacket, trying to pull him closer as his arm wraps around my shoulders in an attempt to shield me from onlookers.