Home Run King

by Stella

  “This place is fantastic. Any time you ever need something printed like invitations, this is where you should come. And ask for Margo.” Ellie pushed her sunglasses on top of her head and reached into the back seat to get her purse. “You ready?”

  “Printed? Why would you have invitations printed?”

  She didn’t wait to answer my question. Instead, she popped out of the driver’s seat like her ass was on fire and stood on the sidewalk until I joined her. “How else would you get invitations made?” She pulled the glass door open to allow me to pass through before her.

  I turned while walking, trying to keep my voice down, and said, “What’s wrong with the packs you can buy at Target?”

  “I don’t know about you, but I don’t have the energy to fill out sixty plus invitations by hand. This is much simpler—they do all the work for you. I even brought the mailing list so they can address the envelopes.”

  “You said you’d keep this small and casual, Ellie.” I tried to keep my voice down so other people in the shop wouldn’t hear me, although I did a crap job of it.

  A woman came sauntering up and gave Ellie an affectionate greeting.

  “Hey, Margo.” She hugged the salesperson, and I wondered how often Ellie visited this place if they were close enough to embrace. The two parted with me standing awkwardly next to Ellie, not having a clue what to do with myself—or my belly that nearly knocked a display over when I turned. “This is Katie. She’s Gage’s girlfriend—the one I’m having the shower for.”

  Margo clapped her hands together and brought them to her chest in a prayer position. Her eyes softened, and before she said another word, her matronly charm embraced me. She was older—probably retired and doing this to keep from going insane—but quite beautiful. The gold around the center of her irises was pale next to the sky blue surrounding it. If I’d had more time to study them—without appearing like a psychopath—I might have determined the shade of the ring that held all that wonderful color into a perfect circle.

  “You’re a lucky girl. Gage is a sweetheart,” she cooed when she took my shoulders in her hands and then brought me in for a hug just like the one she’d given Ellie. Margo was a toucher—I was not, but I faked it because she also appeared genuine.

  Once I broke free, I asked, “Are we talking about the same Gage? Gage Nix?”

  Margo giggled the way older women do when they think a younger generation is playing with them, except I wasn’t playing. “I’ve seen him talk about you on TV. He’s so excited about that baby.” Her golden-blue eyes drifted to my stomach and then back to my face. “It’s easy to see why he’s smitten with both of you.”

  Smitten. That was a word I hadn’t heard since Granny died.

  Margo went back to talking to Ellie. “I pulled out some really cute baseball-themed invitations for you to look at, and of course, some more traditional ones as well. I wasn’t sure which way the two of you wanted to go.”

  You and me, both, Margo. Lead the way.

  We followed her to a table in the back where Margo had planned for our visit. I was blown away by the attention the staff showed us with drinks and snacks—I hadn’t considered Mt. Dew in my quest for energy, but now that I’d had a taste of it, I might never let it go. I’d dare say, it was better than coffee.

  After Margo’s presentation, I didn’t have a clue how Ellie planned to pick one of these. They were all beautiful, and I teared up twice just reading them.

  “So which do you like best, Katie?” Ellie had this uncanny ability to always appear like she was happy, even when she wasn’t smiling. There was something bright in her eyes that I gave up trying to pinpoint and now just admired.

  “I love them all. I couldn’t possibly pick one. You decide.”

  Ellie moved the invitations around, putting them in some kind of order I didn’t follow. Then she picked up all but two like she was clearing a poker table at a casino. There was one baseball and one more traditional. “Either one. You make the final choice.”

  I studied them both and thought about who they were going to. I didn’t know the guys on the team all that well—I mean, I could recite all their stats like a pro, but there wasn’t a single one whose wife’s name I knew, much less their kids’. I loved the more traditional and elegant invitation, although I thought the cute little blue one with a baseball diamond in the back and a pacifier in a glove would be more appealing to Gage’s friends. And that’s the one I chose.

  “That was my favorite, too.” Margo’s approval meant more to me than it should. “Now, envelopes. We have three choices.”

  As soon as Margo told Ellie and me that we could customize the jersey with Gage’s last name and number on the back of the invitation, we were sold. The pale-blue envelope matched the paper of the invitations, but instead of having the diamond on the back, there was a jersey with the glove and pacifier sitting on the hem. It was perfect, and I knew Gage would love it.

  Margo and Ellie talked about the guest list and how she wanted the wording done on the invitation itself, and finally, Margo produced a sheet of fonts for the address on the front of the envelope.

  “I love that one.” I pointed to a script that was pretty yet masculine, and Ellie nodded her agreement.

  “Marisa does a beautiful job with those. You’ll love it.”

  “You mean a computer doesn’t print them?”

  Ellie and Margo looked at each other before laughing. Ellie finally took my hand, and said, “No, Katie. All of the invitations will be hand addressed by a calligrapher. It’s gorgeous. It’ll be perfect. I promise.”

  Handwritten envelopes done by a calligrapher on top of customized invitations for sixty plus would be outrageous. I didn’t have a clue who all was on the guest list because I didn’t even know sixty people, forget the plus.

  “Margo, could you excuse us for just a minute?” I asked politely.

  “Of course. Take your time.”

  “Ellie, you promised casual. This”—with my palms down, I circled them like Mr. Miyagi would wax on and wax off, over the table and everything she planned to order—“is not casual, and neither is the price tag. I can’t let you do this.”

  She cocked her head to the side in confusion. “Katie, I promise, I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t want to. And before you go thinking this is about Coby and Gage, it’s absolutely not. I want to do it for you because you’re my friend.”

  Friend.

  I hadn’t had one of those in so many years I couldn’t even remember the name of the last person I would have granted that title. My eyes welled with tears—pregnancy hormones were a bitch. When I blinked, they fell and trickled down my cheeks. I didn’t try to stop them or even mind when they dripped from my chin. I swallowed hard past the lump that blocked my throat and nodded.

  And once I thought I could utter the only two words I had in my vocabulary to tell her how I felt, I pulled her in for a hug and whispered, “Thank you,” into her hair.

  “You’re welcome.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Katie

  “Katie, baby, we’re going to be late if you don’t hurry.” Gage had tried to get me out the door for the last ten minutes and had now resorted to sweet pet names instead of the silly ones he typically used. He didn’t have a clue how hard it was to move, much less shower, do my hair, get dressed, and put on shoes with a basketball in front of me everywhere I went.

  “Gage, I’m thirty-five weeks pregnant. I’m doing the best I can.” I was on the verge of tears as it was. Having him yell at me didn’t help my current condition.

  He must have heard the distress in my voice. Not a minute later, he came around the door to my bedroom where I sat on the mattress trying to get on my shoes. Thankfully, Ellie went with a baseball theme all around. It was probably trite, but it worked. All of the guys on the team had to play this afternoon and would be leaving the Kylers’ house to go straight to the stadium, so they’d all planned to wear their uniforms. Ellie had shirts made for the women a
nd kids with their player’s number and last name on the back. So all I had to do was add a cute pair of capri jeans with socks and tennis shoes—just one problem…I couldn’t tie the shoes because I couldn’t get my feet anywhere near my hands, and even once I’d gotten them on, the tongues were wedged under the laces.

  “You need some help?” he asked and knelt down before I answered. While he fixed and then tied my shoes, he glanced up. Gage finished the task at hand, and then he cupped my cheeks, wiping away the tears that leaked from my eyes with the pads of his thumbs. “Talk to me.”

  He wouldn’t understand my apprehension. Gage Nix had never met a stranger in his life, yet I was terrified of them. I didn’t want to go and honestly didn’t believe anyone would care whether I showed up or not. These people were all Gage’s family, not mine.

  “I don’t want to go.”

  “The guys on the team already love you, Katie.” Maybe he understood a little.

  “They don’t know me.” I couldn’t just let myself trust him and give in, knowing he wouldn’t drag me into the lion’s den.

  He leaned forward, still on his knees, and pressed his lips to mine that were covered in tears. It had to be as appetizing as kissing a snot-nosed kid. “They don’t have to. All they needed to see was the way you brought me back to life after Granny died to know how good you are for me. And their families will love you, too. That’s just what these guys do. We don’t have any other choice. They’re all I have on the road, and if you take the chance, you’ll have the support of their wives and girlfriends when you’re home alone. You need a team, too.”

  I wiped my face and knew my makeup was ruined, but I’d have to fix it in the car. “It sounds more like a cult.” I held out my hand for him to help lift me to a standing position.

  Gage didn’t fire back with a smartass comment, and he barely snickered at mine. I could tell by the way he stared into my eyes that he knew this terrified me. “I promise. I’ve got your back…always.”

  His gaze was intent and stoic, and his hand felt warm on my neck when he grasped it to pull my forehead to his mouth and plant a heartfelt kiss on the lines that appeared when I worried. Right then and there, I knew, Gage didn’t just mean he had my back today. He meant forever.

  I placed my hand in his, grabbed my makeup bag from the dresser, and let him lead me down the stairs, out into the garage, and into Dick. I should have anticipated Gage’s mood changing drastically by the time we arrived since he didn’t do serious. I should have expected that he’d find a way to make this party his own. I also should have known that whatever I imagined would pale in comparison to reality.

  The team bus was parked outside the Kylers’ to prevent everyone from bringing multiple cars since the guys all had a game this afternoon—Gage’s handiwork. And even with that caveat in place, the streets all over the neighborhood were lined with cars that all bore at least one Titan logo, including my own. Gage pulled into the driveway next door to Coby’s.

  “Gage, you can’t stop here. This is someone’s house.”

  He put the car in park, got out of the driver’s seat, and came around the car to help me down. “I gave the guy two tickets behind home plate for today’s game. We’re good.”

  I would have stared at him in awe and thanked him for his thoughtfulness, but he didn’t give me a chance before dragging me across the lawn to the circus next door. My mouth hung open as it all came into view. I now understood the thought process behind the matching shirts for partygoers. It helped identify who belonged at this carnival and who had just shown up to play.

  Never in my life had I been to or even heard of a baby shower with multiple bounce houses, a motorized carousel, an inflatable slide that dumped into the pool in the backyard, and of course…pony rides. The farther into the festivities we got, the more of Gage’s handiwork came into view: face painting, balloon animals, games for kids. Although the security detail was a shock.

  “Security is in place for the team, but it’s also here for the kids so the parents can enjoy themselves without worrying that their kids took off—they can’t get out of the fence without an adult. I even brought in lifeguards.”

  I was blown away by his thoughtfulness. Corinne was likely the prime motivator, but it didn’t matter—it took care of everyone. “You’re a good man, Gage Nix.”

  “Age and Eighty! You’we hearwa.”

  Gage dropped my hand to catch the brunette nugget who’d launched herself at him, expecting to be held. “Hey, Rinny.”

  “I wode a howse and da side into da poo.” Her hair was wet, and the moisture from her swimsuit came through her clothes the longer Gage held her.

  “Which pony did you ride?” he asked her after shifting her to his hip and retaking my hand.

  I had to admit, seeing him with a little girl in his arms was just about the hottest thing I’d ever witnessed. And it dawned on me—he was right. Women swooned over men standing next to their bride while holding their child. That was a thought I didn’t want to ponder.

  “Dat won.” She pointed to the carousel. “Wit da feaders on his neck.”

  Sure enough, when the thing came back around, there was a white and gold horse bobbing up and down with a pink boa wrapped tightly around it. The kid had good taste; it was by far the prettiest one on the ride and certainly the most grandiose.

  She popped a kiss on the side of Gage’s mouth and squirmed to get down. “I go pway.” Her little feet had no sooner landed on solid ground than she waved and took off.

  “I see where I rank on her list of priorities.” He grunted.

  “If you wanted her to pay attention to you, then you probably shouldn’t have stacked this place with wall-to-wall activities to occupy her time.” The Kylers’ house was more like Family Day at the stadium than a baby shower, but everyone appeared to be enjoying themselves, which took attention away from me.

  “Good point.”

  We couldn’t get more than two steps at a time without Gage stopping to introduce me to someone. I probably should have been more surprised than I was that he knew every kid here by name, and each one thought they were his best friend. It didn’t matter if they were teenagers or toddlers, they loved him. And with each child came at least one parent, although usually two, and they treated me like I’d been on the team with Gage since he’d joined the Titans.

  It wasn’t until we made it inside that we found Coby and Ellie, and each one had an eye on one of the twins waddling around—I could sympathize…with the waddle. We joined them in the kitchen. Gage grabbed Max and blew raspberries on his belly, and I talked to Ellie.

  “This place is amazing, Ellie. I don’t know how you did it all.”

  She rolled her eyes. “The entertainment outside is all thanks to Gage. I about had a coronary when rental trucks started pulling up at seven this morning. But seeing all the kids have fun, I’m glad he did it.” Ellie hated to admit Gage did something well because she knew—just like I did—that it only gave him the green light to go bigger next time.

  “Either way, I’m impressed.”

  “Hopefully he hired a clean-up crew to come in after the security guards leave.” She gave Gage a playful glare.

  “Don’t you worry your pretty little head, LeeLee. I’ve got it all covered, so you don’t have to lift a finger.” Gage tossed the words over his shoulder while he played with Max.

  “Hey, Ellie, you’re out of toilet—” Missy Mills came around the corner holding an empty roll. “Paper.” Her enthusiasm sputtered when she caught sight of me and completely died upon making eye contact with Gage.

  I didn’t have a clue why she was here, but she didn’t have any right to be upset with Gage based on the rock adorning her left ring finger. Either that had been going on while they were still together, or she had moved quickly to tie the poor sucker down—I wasn’t sure which.

  “Kathryn. Gage.” Missy addressed us both before continuing into the room to set the cardboard roll on the kitchen counter in front of Ellie�
��who didn’t have a clue that the density of the air just changed drastically.

  “Oh, no problem. Let me get some.” Ellie opened the pantry and produced several rolls for Missy. “Would you mind putting those in there? I’m sure we’ll go through a lot before everyone heads out.”

  “Sure.” She turned out of the room.

  “I didn’t know your name was Kathryn. It makes sense, but I never put it together. Is that what your family calls you?” The smile on Ellie’s face started to fall when Gage fell quiet and then set Max down.

  “Kyler, you got any beer around here?” Gage didn’t look at Ellie or me; he only addressed Coby, and his tone scared me.

  “Ellie, can you guys watch the boys?”

  She nodded, and Gage and Coby went to the garage. I knew there wasn’t alcohol out for everyone. These guys had a game in a few hours. But I trusted Coby to take care of Gage and not let him do anything stupid or put his career in jeopardy. What I didn’t know, was how to deal with Missy. Ellie and I had never spoken about her, so it wasn’t fair to assume she knew about our past or why we weren’t on speaking terms. Missy never came up in conversation, so I hadn’t had any need to air that dirty laundry—with Ellie or Gage.

  Given the circumstances, I thought the best thing to do was try to play nice…and avoid her at all costs. I wasn’t quite sure how to do that with Ellie wondering what just happened and me not knowing anyone here other than the Kylers.

  “Is everything okay?” Ellie asked, eyes darting from the garage door back to me.

  “I don’t think he’s seen her since they broke up.” Blaming Gage made sense because it was expected…it also prevented me from having to tell Ellie that her best friend was a heinous bitch.

  “Oh gah. I didn’t even think about that. I figured since you and Gage were together and she’s engaged that they’d both moved on. And I knew she was your cousin and thought it might be nice for you to have a familiar face hanging around. Her mom came, too. I wanted to surprise you.”