Chapter Twenty-Six
After two days with my family and Amy's mom, I'm more determined than ever to do what I've should've done weeks ago.
I need to pop the question. My sisters played a big role in convincing me to go for it, but honestly, I've been ready for this moment since the day I met Amy.
However, before I can get down on one knee, my big sister Lauren feels obliged to give me romance advice.
"Charlie, please don't rush this," Lauren says, adjusting my tie for the third time. "You need to make sure the moment is perfect."
I roll my eyes but let her fuss anyway. "I will not mess it up. I've rehearsed what I'm going to say at least fifty times."
"It's not about rehearsing. It's about feeling." She lays her hand over my heart. "What are you feeling right now?"
"Honestly? Like I might throw up." I check my pocket again, making sure the ring is still there. The small velvet box has been burning a hole in my pants for weeks.
Lauren laughs. "That's normal. When Doug proposed to me, he was so nervous he dropped the ring in my champagne glass."
"Yeah, well, I'm planning to keep a tighter grip." I glance at my watch. "Amy's mom should be keeping her busy for another hour, which gives me just enough time to get everything set up at the ballpark."
"I still can't believe you're proposing on a baseball field." My big sister shakes her head, smiling at me fondly.
"It's the place where we fell in love. Where else would I do it?
" I check my reflection in the mirror one more time.
The fancy suit feels constricting after spending most of my life in baseball uniforms and workout clothes, but Amy deserves the best of everything.
I would jump into a volcano to prove my love to her.
Doug appears in the doorway, jingling his car keys. "The florist just called. Everything's set up at the pitcher's mound like you wanted."
My stomach does another flip. "Thanks, man. I appreciate your help with all this."
He claps me on the shoulder. "Are you kidding? I've been waiting for this day since you two finally stopped pretending to hate each other."
I take a deep breath and attempt to calm my nerves. "I just want it to be perfect for her, you know?"
Lauren touches my arm. "Charlie, you could propose to that woman in a parking lot with a lollipop for a ring, and she'd still say yes. Amy loves you."
"I know she does." And it's true. After everything we've been through—my rivalry with Jared, the coaching struggles, even my career-threatening injury—Amy has stood by me, encouraging me to keep outdoing my own stats. "But Lauren, Amy deserves the fairy tale. Every sappy minute of it."
"Then let's get you to your ballpark, Prince Charming." Lauren gives me one final inspection before nodding her approval.
The drive to Jacksonville Admirals Stadium feels both too long and too short.
Every stoplight has me checking my phone, making sure Amy hasn't caught on to our plan.
Her mom promised to keep her occupied with dress shopping—for Lauren's twelve-year-old daughter.
Since Amy adores my niece, it's the perfect ruse.
I can't wait until we have kids of our own.
Doug pulls into the stadium parking lot, turning toward me. "Just speak from the heart, Charlie. That's all any woman wants."
My mouth suddenly feels dry. "Thanks for the pep talk, Doug."
The stadium feels different when it's empty—larger somehow, more imposing. My footsteps echo as I walk across the concrete concourse, past the silent concession stands and team shops. This place has been my second home for years, but today it feels like hallowed ground.
When I step out onto the field, I'm in awe. The grounds crew have outdone themselves. The pitcher's mound is surrounded by a circle of roses—red and white, the Admirals' colors. Tiny lanterns line the base paths, ready to be lit as the sun sets. It's simple but perfect, just as I requested.
"Mr. Braddock, everything looks perfect," the head groundskeeper calls from behind me.
I turn to shake his hand, grateful for his help. "Thanks, Mike. I can't tell you how much this means to me."
"After all you've done for this team? It's the least we could do." He gestures toward the mound. "I'll have the guys light those lanterns about fifteen minutes before sunset. That'll give you the perfect glow when you pop the question."
As Mike walks away, I step onto the pitcher's mound—my domain for so many years. The familiar feel of the clay beneath my dress shoes centers me. This is where I belong. Where we belong.
I pull out my phone and check the time. Fifteen minutes until the woman I love arrives. Doug and Lauren are bringing Amy here under the pretense of picking up some equipment I supposedly left behind. It's a flimsy excuse, but Amy rarely questions anything where I'm concerned, and vice versa.
I pace around the mound, rehearsing my speech one more time. The words feel clumsy on my tongue, inadequate for everything I want to tell her. How do you fill so much love, frustration, growth, and passion into a single moment?
My phone buzzes with a text from Lauren: Operation Fastball is a go. ETA 15 minutes .
I wipe my sweaty palms on my pants and check my pocket again. The ring is still there, nestled in blue velvet—a princess-cut diamond surrounded by two small sapphires, the exact shade of Admirals blue. The jeweler had called it serendipitous. I call it fate.
Mike reappears with two other groundskeepers, and they move silently around the field, lighting the lanterns one by one.
The field gradually glows with a warm, golden light that makes everything feel magical.
The clouds have cleared just enough to let the setting sun paint the sky in shades of pink and orange.
Even the weather is cooperating with my plan.
I straighten my tie for what must be the hundredth time today. The stadium lights have been turned off, creating an intimate atmosphere in this massive space that usually holds thousands of screaming fans. Tonight, it's exclusively for us.
My phone buzzes yet again.
It's Lauren: We're walking through the tunnel now. Are you ready?
I hurriedly type a response: As ready as I'll ever be.
The sound of voices echoes from the dugout tunnel, and my heart leaps into my throat. I recognize Amy's laugh immediately, the bright, unguarded sound that charms me every time.
"What about Charlie?" Amy asks. "I know he's forgetful, but this is ridiculous. You didn't even tell me what I'm supposed to be looking for—"
Amy's voice cuts off abruptly as she emerges from the tunnel.
Her eyes go wide. She takes in the scene—the lanterns, the roses, me standing alone on the pitcher's mound in a suit that suddenly feels too tight around my collar.
For a moment, she doesn't move. The last rays of sunlight glisten on her chestnut hair, creating a halo effect that steals my breath away.
Even in jeans and a simple blouse, she's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.
Then Lauren gives Amy a little shove, encouraging her to jog over to me. When she doesn't move, my sister gives her a firmer push forward.
Lauren and Doug retreat into the tunnel, granting us privacy.
Amy shuffles toward me slowly, seeming both confused and astonished. The lantern light casts a warm glow on her face as she steps onto the pitcher's mound. "Charlie, what is all this?"
I clasp her hands and steady myself. All my rehearsed words evaporate. I'm a pitcher without a game plan, operating purely on instinct. "I wanted to bring you here, where it all began for us."
She glances around at the roses, the lanterns, the empty stadium that somehow feels more alive than during a sold-out game. "This is astonishing and beautiful, Charlie."
" You are beautiful." I squeeze her hands. "Amy, do you remember the first time we met on this field? You told me my fastball was decent, but my attitude needed work." I smile at the memory. "You weren't wrong."
Amy bites her lip while the first shimmer of tears gathers in her eyes. "I was pretty harsh back then. But you needed someone to challenge you."
"I needed you ," I correct. "Just didn't know it yet."
The stadium is silent except for our voices and the distant sounds of the city. The intimacy of this massive space, normally filled with thousands of fans, seems out of context yet also perfectly right.
"Charlie Braddock, are you getting sentimental on me?" Amy teases, but her voice wavers.
"I'm about to get a lot more sentimental." Sucking in a big breath, I drop to one knee, right here on the pitcher's mound where I've thrown countless fastballs and where, slightly more than a year ago, Amy first stormed into my life, changing everything.
Her hands fly to her mouth. "Oh my god. Charlie…"
With shaking fingers, I pull the velvet box from my pocket and open it, revealing the ring that's been burning a hole in my pocket for weeks. The sapphires catch the lantern light, and the diamonds twinkle like stars.
"Amy Keller," I begin, my voice surprisingly even. "You walked into my life like a curveball I never saw coming. You challenged me, pushed me, and made me a better player and a better man."
A tear slips down her cheek, and she doesn't bother to wipe it away.
"I've faced down the toughest batters in the league, but nothing has ever made my heart race like you do.
Nothing has ever felt as right as loving you.
" I pause to collect myself, suddenly overwhelmed by this moment.
"You are my teammate, my partner, my best friend.
And I want to spend every day of my life showing you that this isn't just a good inning—it's the whole damn game.
" I gaze up at her, my throat tight and overcome with emotion. "Amy Joanne Keller, will you marry me?"
For one terrifying second, she just stares at me, tears streaming freely now. Then she breaks into the most radiant smile I've ever seen.
"Yes," she whispers. Then louder: "Yes, Charles Joshua Braddock! Yes! Of course I'll marry you."
My hands are shaking so badly I almost drop the ring—Lauren would never let me live that down—but I manage to slide it onto Amy's finger.
It fits perfectly. I rise and drag her into my arms, lifting her off her feet in a spin that makes her laugh through her joyful tears.
When I set her down, she frames my face with her hands.
I lean in to press my lips to hers, imbuing the kiss with all the love for this woman that I have inside me.
The taste of her tears mingles with our kiss, salty and sweet at the same time.
"I love you," I murmur against her lips. "More than anyone or anything in the whole wide world."
"And I love you just as much." Amy pulls back so she can admire the ring, her eyes wide and glistening. "Charlie, it's perfect. The sapphires—they're Admirals blue."
"Yeah, I noticed." I smile and wink. "What else would I give my fiancée? We're both baseball fanatics."
Just then, my phone alerts me to a new text. When I check it, the words on the screen leave me frozen in shock.
Amy grasps my arm. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Nothing at all." I grin, raising my phone high. "The Admirals are headed for the World Series!"
Suddenly, the stadium lights flash on, and cheers erupt from the tunnel.
My family pours onto the field—not just Lauren and Doug, but my parents and grandmother too.
Amy's mom is also here. Everyone rushes toward us with open arms and tearful smiles.
We're celebrating more than my engagement but also the biggest moment in my professional career.
The World Series.
I whoop. "Hot damn! We've made it!"