by Lyssa Layne
His eyebrows arch and he looks at me confused. “What’s that mean?”
In a rush, I blurt out, “Tate said you wanted him focused on baseball and I know you think our dating is interfering with that. Looking at past situations, I wanted you to know that there’s no way possible that could happen again so I won’t be a distraction to your son.”
Mr. James laughs and puts his arm around my shoulders. “Mia, Tate doesn’t need negativity in his life, it brings down his skill level when he’s distracted. I can tell you aren’t a negative aspect in my son’s life and it looks like my grandson likes you too. I think you’re good for him. You’re something he’s needed for a long time. I can tell he’s in a much better place than when he left Milwaukee. As long as you take care of my family then we’ll have no problems. And by family, I mean both my son and grandson.”
My heart slows, yet quickens at the same time. It’s a relief to know that both of his parents approve of me. At the same time, things are moving so fast with our relationship, which isn’t the problem. As it’s always been, the problem is Asher. I have to figure out a way to ditch him without Tate finding out about my past… or my ex finding out about my future.
Tate
Standing at the front door, I have Toby on my hip and my other arm around Mia’s waist. We wave goodbye to my parents who have decided to stay at a hotel for the evening. I take that as a sign that they approve of Mia and want Toby to get some more one-on-one time with her. I grin and pull Mia closer to me.
Their rental car turns onto the main drag and Toby grabs my chin to look at him. “Do I have to go to bed now?”
I laugh and nod. “Quick bath then bedtime, okay?”
Toby yawns in answer and Mia smiles and ruffles his hair. “I’ll clean up the kitchen while you two get ready for bed.”
Toby’s head lays on my chest, but he looks at Mia and asks, “You’ll come say g’night, right?”
She kisses his forehead and nods. “Promise.”
My heart swells at their interaction. Toby’s never been around a woman like this before. I always feel guilty for not having that female figure for him, although I know my mom does a great job. Still, it’s totally different seeing my son and Mia together.
After an extremely wet and playful bath, I carry Toby into the room I’d designated for him. When I open the door, I’m just as shocked as Toby at what is before us. Mia decorated the entire house for me when I was at spring training. Of course, I walked through when I was back in town, but this is not how it was when I last saw it. She must’ve done this last week when I was on the road.
Toby’s eyes get wide. “Whoa, Dad! This is so cool!”
He wiggles out of my arms and jumps down to check out everything from the baseball glove bean bag chair to the baseball painted dresser. The room is decorated in blue and white for the Stags and has pictures of me playing ball framed around the room along with other baseball artwork.
“Dad, look!” Toby points to the ceiling fan where the blades look like bats and the light is a baseball.
I shake my head in awe at what Mia’s done to this room. Her long, soft fingers slide over my bare shoulders and I feel her lips press against my skin. “You like it?”
I nod, but before I can tell her thanks, Toby runs to us, reaching for her. Mia leans over and scoops him up. He’s talking a mile a minute, pointing out every little detail; no clue that she’s the one who decorated it for him. He jumps out of her arms, but doesn’t let go of her.
Mia smiles as Toby holds her hand, dragging her from the table made out of baseball bats to the lamp made out of baseballs. Then he spots the bookcase filled with books and he’s gone. He pulls out book after book, giving us a quick synopsis of each one.
Walking over to him, I mess his hair and laugh. “Okay, son, pick one for us to read then bedtime.”
Toby spins around and hugs my knees. “Thanks Dad, this is the best room. I can’t wait to tell Kyle.”
I reach out to Mia and pull her close, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “You know, Tobs, Mi—” I start to tell him she is the one responsible for all this awesomeness, but she cuts me off.
“Your dad did a pretty great job with it, didn’t he?” Toby looks up and nods as he makes his book selection. She squats down to his level and holds out her arms. “I’m going to let you two read and I’ll see you in the morning.”
Toby runs into her arms in such a carefree, yet completely normal behavior like he does this every day. He grabs her cheeks. “Can you read with us, too?”
Mia glances up at me, asking for permission. I nod and the three of us crawl into his full-size bed. He snuggles between the two of us, leaning more on Mia than me. I should probably be offended that my son would rather curl up with her than me, but I can’t blame the little guy.
Mia and I take turns reading pages and Toby is passed out before we’re even halfway through the book. We both sit in silence, watching him sleep, my fingertips dragging lazily up and down her arm. I bring her hand to my lips and give it a small kiss.
“I’d call today a success,” I say softly.
Mia nods. “Don’t you miss him?” She looks at me and I see tears in her eyes. “I mean, I can’t imagine having him so far away.”
I squeeze her hand. “Of course I do, but I have to do what’s best for him. I’m not going to bring him out here to stay with a nanny all the time.”
Mia doesn’t say anything for a long time. I look at her and can tell there’s something going on in that mind of hers. I start to ask when she looks at me and says, “I can help.”
It’s a sincere gesture on her part, but I can’t accept the offer. Kissing her hand again, I tell her, “I appreciate the offer, babe, but I can’t do that to you. You’ve got work and I’ll be on the road with games.” I shake my head. “It’s sweet, Mia, but I can’t say yes.”
She looks me in the eyes as she speaks. “I can take some time off work, travel with him to the away games. We might need to get a nanny for some times during the week, but we can make it work. Let’s just try it until the All Star break.”
I grin when she says that last part. We…she wants us to be a we which includes the three of us, not just her and me.
CHAPTER 22
Mia
It wasn’t easy, but I convinced Asher that I needed to take some time off work. And by off, that just means that I won’t be showing as many houses or spending as much time in the office. Asher would never let me take four straight weeks of vacation, which is how long Toby is staying with us.
Pouring milk over his Fruit Loops, the fruity smell reminds me of my childhood when my mother used to fix my brother and me the same breakfast. I was relieved that Tate didn’t think I was overstepping when I suggested that I could help him with Toby. After spending the day with his son, I couldn’t picture the two of them being separated again. Plus, for my own selfish reasons, I knew it would take me out of town and delay my “date” with Asher. I know I can’t run from it forever, but delaying will help me figure things out.
“Mia, are you going to marry my dad?” Toby asks, bringing me out of my memories.
The first time he asked that, I panicked, but now it’s been a week and the question has become part of our morning routine. I set the bowl of cereal in front of him and take a seat with my cup of coffee in hand.
“I don’t know. We haven’t talked about it,” I say, giving him my normal answer.
He takes a bite and with a mouthful of Fruit Loops, he comments, “I…really…think…you should.”
I smile and hand him a napkin. “Don’t talk with your mouthful.”
He gulps down his bite and apologizes. I kiss his forehead and take a sip of coffee. “It’s okay. Now, remember, Colie is going to watch you for a bit before we leave for New York this afternoon.”
The guys have already left with the team for their series against the Aces. Colie volunteered to take a later flight with us so that I could get some work done before leaving town for
four days.
He nods. “I know and Dad told me not to bring her any jellyfish when we’re on the beach.”
I laugh. “Right.” Apparently Colie has a fear of jellyfish, which we discovered when Toby came carrying one to her beach towel the other day and she jumped up screaming like a little kid. It was kind of hilarious, but we’ve decided to just avoid the creatures whenever she’s around.
The doorbell rings and I go to answer it. Colie greets me with a hug. I’m slowly getting used to this female affection. Walking back to the kitchen, I give Colie an update on my wedding chore list that she’s assigned me.
“The flowers are ordered, cake tasting is next week, and you have a dress fitting as soon as we get back in town.”
Colie grins. “Thank you, Mia. There is no way I could pull this wedding off without you.”
Toby hops down from the table, carrying his bowl to where I stand at the sink. I give Colie a quick smile as I help Toby clean up his breakfast mess. “Thank you, Tob. Run upstairs and put on your suit. Colie said you guys can go swimming, just no—”
“Jellyfish, got it,” he says while rolling his eyes.
“Thaaaankk you,” Colie responds, letting out a sigh of relief.
I laugh at the two of them and bend my knees, turning sideways in my pencil skirt so I can get to his level. I open my arms for a hug. “Alright, I’ll see you in a couple hours and then we’ll head to the airport.”
Toby wraps his arms around me, squeezing me with all his might. “Okay, Mom….Oops!” He giggles and corrects himself. “I mean Mia, I’ll see you in a little bit.”
Laughing, the little boy runs out of the room as I stay squatted, balancing on my heels in shock at his slip of the tongue. I’m stunned and elated at what he said, unsure if I should tell Tate or not. I feel Colie’s hand on my shoulder. Glancing up at her, I blink quickly, not wanting the tears in my eyes to fall down my cheeks.
Colie holds her hand out and helps me up. Nudging me with her elbow, she comments, “Sounds like the little guy likes you.”
Still in shock, I just nod. I’ve handed Tate and Toby both my heart on a silver platter. I know I’m in too deep and I’m going to end up hurt.
Tate
“Shortstop, Tate James, is up to bat for the Los Angeles Stags,” the announcer’s voice booms over the stadium.
Walking up to the plate, I tap my shoes with my bat, trying to knock off the dirt stuck in my cleats. I glance into the stands and smile at the sight of Mia with my son. It’s the seventh inning and every time I’ve looked at them, neither are paying attention to the game. Well, they were when the Cap Dance Game was on the Jumbotron, but that doesn’t count. Most guys on the team would probably be offended, but I don’t mind. Normally, neither of them would even be here.
I hit a double off a two and two pitch, scoring our catcher. The next batter hits us into a double play and I jog back to the bench. Taking a drink of water, Colie picks up my glove and says, “I think that son of yours is falling for Mia just as hard as you are.”
I look at her with a raised eyebrow, questioning her comment.
“Toby called her mom this morning,” she says, her voice full of excitement.
My eyes get big and I stand there frozen until Colie shoves my glove into my chest. My boy called her mom. He’s never called anyone mom before, not even my own mother. I look at the stands again and see him sitting in her lap. Both of them are grinning from ear to ear and their laughter is infectious as the fans around them are laughing, too. Even from a few hundred feet away, I’m laughing along with them.
Colie slaps my backside and nods to the field. “Go! You’re holding up the game!”
I sprint to my position between second and third base as the umpire glares at me. I take one more look at the two of them. This time Mia is standing up while Toby hangs on her neck. Mia points to me, but my boy only has eyes for her. I grin as I kick the dirt and shake my head. I thought Asher was my competition for Mia; I never realized it would be my own son.
CHAPTER 23
Tate
“Happy birthday!!!” I hear Toby scream at the top of his voice. I roll over, trying to focus my eyes on the alarm clock that I think reads six. Rubbing the sleep away, I sit up as he jumps on the bed, behind him Mia carries a tray with breakfast.
I pull him to me and kiss his head. “Thanks, buddy.”
Toby excitedly bounces up and down in the bed, pointing to the food on the tray. “Mia and I made you breakfast. She let me crack the eggs!”
Mia sets the tray beside me on the bed. “You did a great job, Toby.” She looks at me and raises an eyebrow. “He thought you might want it crunchy.”
I laugh and pull her to me for a birthday kiss. My hand grasps her neck and slowly slides down her silk robe to her waist. Strawberry juice squirts me in the cheek, reminding me that my son is sitting beside me. He giggles and mutters his apologies as he continues to eat his strawberry.
Mia sits on the edge of the bed and I let my hand rest on her lap as I take a bite of the omelet. So far, so good… no shells in that bite. It’s not until the fourth forkful that I find an eggshell. Mia tries to hide her laughter as I politely spit into my napkin.
Her lips give me a gentle kiss on the nose as she stands. “You boys finish up breakfast while I get ready.”
Watching her hips sway, thinking about the sexy, yet modest nightgown she’s wearing underneath, my manhood wants nothing more than to follow her into that shower. Toby grabs my cheeks, forcing me to look at him and quickly making that thought vanish.
“Dad, you gonna marry her or what?” my four-year-old asks as though it’s the most obvious thing in the world.
I laugh and shake my head. Marriage is something we’ve never discussed, but then again, we never discussed her “moving in” either. When I got traded to L.A., this was not what I pictured happening. Toby’s been with us for the past month and he’s headed back to my parents today. Maybe after he leaves, I should ask Mia her thoughts on Toby’s idea.
Pushing my smile away, I look at Toby and in all seriousness ask, “Do you think I should?”
Toby nods excitedly. “Yes! Mia’s so awesome, Dad! She builds the best sandcastles, she taught me all the right words to Take Me Out to the Ballgame, and she puts fruit on a stick and lets me dip it in marshmallow cream.”
I laugh at his comment about the right words. When my dad can’t make it to my games in person, he enjoys a glass of rum and Coke while he listens to the game on the radio. Toby’s always said, “peanuts and Captain Jack” thinking the song was combining the bottle of Captain Morgan, which is my father’s favorite brand of rum, and his favorite pirate movie.
“Well, those are all good reasons. How about I think about it, okay?”
Toby nods and looks down quietly. I nudge him a little and move the tray to the ground. “What is it, bud?”
He looks at me and with honesty that only a four-year-old can possess, he admits, “If you marry Mia, then I can come live with you, right?”
I frown and pull him into a hug. “Aw, Tobs, it’s not that bad with Gram and Pop, is it?”
I can hear tears in his voice when he speaks. “I miss you, Dad.” He sniffles and wraps his arms around me.
Rubbing his back, I whisper, “Shh, Tob, it’s okay. We’ll figure it out, I promise.”
I didn’t realize us being separated was so tough on him. When I was back in Milwaukee, I was constantly on the road, but we did see each other at least two or three times a week. I sigh, my son wants a mom. He wants Mia and I do too.
Mia
Driving home from the airport, we trade out Tate’s truck for my Corvette that we left at my office. I try to keep my tears at bay. It was a lot harder to say goodbye than I expected, I think more so than any of us expected. Tate hasn’t said a word after he hugged a tearful Toby and put him on a plane with his grandparents.
Reaching over, I pat his leg and take his hand in mine. “You okay, babe?”
Tate look
s at me. “Have you thought about marriage?”
My heart beats fast, but I play it off with a laugh. “Yeah, it didn’t work out so great for me the first time around.”
He shakes his head. “No, I mean with me.”
I swallow and stare at the road in front of me. It’s one thing when the four-year-old James boy asks me about marriage, but it’s an entirely different thing when the twenty-eight-year-old one does. Tate squeezes my hand and leans his head back against the seat, sighing.
Panicking, feeling like I have to say something, the right thing, I begin rambling. “Well, we haven’t really discussed it. After my last marriage, I swore I’d never do it again, but now after meeting you, I’d be open to the idea…” I glance at him out of the corner of my eye. His head perks up at my last comment and I squeeze his hand back. “Tate, I just want to be with you and Toby and I don’t think marriage matters either way right now.”
Tate nods, a smile comes to his lips and he laughs. “I’m not real sure what exactly you just said, but it sounds like you want us to stick around. Toby asked me about it this morning and I figured I’d get your thoughts on the subject.”
A smile creeps to my face. “So, he finally asked you, huh?”
Tate looks at me with raised eyebrows. “Finally?”
I nod. “Every morning at breakfast, he’d ask me if we were getting married.”
Tate looks out the window and I frown. “What is it?”
Tate stares at the buildings we pass. “I didn’t realize the move would be so hard on him. He thinks if we get married then he’ll be able to come live here with us.”
My stomach drops and the reality of the kid’s loaded question hits me. I try to push away the fear that he was only using me because my heart already loves this kid. I shrug and look at Tate as I stop at the stoplight. “Anytime you want him to come visit, know that I’ll help you with him.”
He brings my hand to his lips and kisses it. “Thank you, Mia.”
The light turns green and after a few turns, I pull into my driveway. Tate looks at me confused. “Forget something?”