Chapter 35
Faye
I spotted them before they saw me.
My guys were climbing the steps from the dugout to the field, chatting with some of their new teammates. Jase laughed at something one of the guys said, tipping his head back as sunlight caught the brim of his cap. Dylan shoved him lightly, smiling, and looking at ease in the middle of a stadium.
The love I felt for both of them overwhelmed me in the best way. It wasn’t accidental or something I had stumbled into. It was a life I was choosing for myself, and a love I was finally brave enough to claim in front of the world.
I leaned forward against the rail, fingers curling around the metal. That’s when Dylan glanced up, stopping mid-step. It took a moment for him to fully realize it was me and I was there. He elbowed Jase, who followed his gaze. The moment Jase saw me, he froze.
Then they grinned and broke into a jog, abandoning whatever warm-up routine they were supposed to be doing and heading straight for the edge of the field, where the protective netting rose between the stands and the dirt.
A few people nearby noticed them coming over, craning their necks to get a better look at who the new players were talking to.
I tuned out all of that and focused on my guys.
“You could have mentioned you were in town when you texted us earlier.” Jase smirked as he stopped in front of me.
“I wanted it to be a surprise.” I smiled so hard my cheeks hurt.
Dylan laughed. “Mission accomplished.”
“You just made this day even better,” Jase said, and it felt like my heart skipped a beat.
“I didn’t want to miss this,” I confessed. “Wherever you two are, that’s where I want to be.”
“Same, Princess. It’s sucked being away from you these past couple of days. I know that’s how things have been up to this point, but we’re going to have to figure something out because I hate how much of a role calendars play in our relationship,” Dylan stated.
Being in Portland was more than a surprise visit.
I’d spent the early afternoon doing something that felt terrifying and right all at once.
It was a step toward a future rather than just continuing to live in the moment.
Hearing Dylan say that and seeing the way they both looked at me, as if I truly belonged here, made me feel more confident in the choices I was starting to make.
I wasn’t ready to spill everything just yet. Not here. Not before the game.
But soon.
For now, I moved closer to the netting and found a gap between the sections.
Without overthinking it, I reached through the small space and pulled Jase closer. He moved willingly, and I kissed him with as much passion as public decency allowed. In the distance, I heard a couple of catcalls, but nothing could distract me at that moment.
We pulled apart, and Dylan had taken a step closer, a hopeful yet hesitant look on his face. I didn’t give him a chance to question anything. I reached up, cupped the side of his face, and pressed my lips to his. His fingers slid into my hair as he deepened the kiss.
This time, there were audible gasps from those nearby, but I refused to think about their reactions. All that mattered was this moment between my boyfriends and me.
“For luck,” I told them, stepping back.
“Damn,” Dylan breathed. “That was one way to go public.”
Jase nodded. “Yep. I don’t think there’s any question anymore about whether we’re together or not.”
“Nope,” I agreed. “And I don’t regret a single second of it.”
They glanced at each other and smiled before a voice barked from the field, reminding them they had a game to play.
Jase reached through the net for my hand. “We’ll meet up after the game.”
“I’ll be waiting,” I promised.
“Then you’re all ours.” Dylan winked, and they hurried onto the field.
It wasn’t until they were standing with their teammates again that I noticed the cameras pointed in my direction. Someone nearby whispered my name. Another voice mentioned my father. I ignored it all and found my seat, flanked by Agents Pederson and Nguyen.
After batting practice and the National Anthem, the stadium announcer called out the starting lineup. Jase and Dylan each received huge ovations from the crowd.
Watching them there—together on the same team, with their dad on the coaching staff—felt like proof that everything was finally lining up the way it should.
The game got underway, and the Pirates’ leadoff batter didn’t hesitate. He launched the first pitch straight toward center field. Dylan tracked the ball the instant it left the bat. I followed his movement, and my breath caught as he ran it down and made the catch on the warning track.
I jumped up and cheered with everyone else.
The next two batters struck out, and the top of the first was over without anyone scoring.
When it was the Seawolves’ turn to bat, I glanced at the scoreboard to double-check the batting order. Jase was hitting second, and Dylan was batting sixth.
Knox Singleton was up first, but I barely watched his at-bat, my gaze locked on Jase in the on-deck circle.
It wasn’t until I heard the crowd cheer that I realized Singleton had reached base.
When the pitcher had the ball again, Jase stepped up to the plate and settled into the batter’s box. The first two pitches were balls, but the third came in fast, and he swung at it.
The ball sailed over the second baseman’s head, and Jase sprinted to first while Singleton came home, putting the first run on the board. By the end of the inning, Jase had scored on a double by Crew Stratton, and the Seawolves led 2-0.
I leaned back in my seat. I’d never been into sports before meeting my guys, but now I couldn’t get enough of the game.
The Pirates pulled it together over the next couple of innings, scoring two runs of their own. After that, it became a back-and-forth battle that had the whole stadium on the edge of their seats.
In the top of the fourth, a ground ball was hit toward Jase at shortstop. He moved quickly, and I barely had time to register what was happening before he dove to his left, snagged the ball, and popped back to his feet in one smooth motion. He threw to first, beating the runner by a step.
“That was hot,” I muttered under my breath, which made Agent Pederson chuckle.
When Dylan came up for his second at-bat later in the game, I leaned forward again, fingers curling around the edge of my seat. He worked the count, fouling off a pitch before finally getting something he liked.
The crack of the bat sounded different this time.
The ball soared high and deep into right field, and the instant it cleared the wall, the fans erupted in cheers.
I jumped to my feet, shouting with everyone else as Dylan rounded the bases, his grin visible even from the stands. When he crossed home plate, he looked my way and winked.
By the time the eighth inning ended, the Seawolves were clinging to a one-run lead.
In the top of the ninth, the leadoff batter reached base, and the mood in the stadium shifted in an instant from excited to anxious.
The next hitter sent the ball toward center field. Dylan took off, and my heart pounded as he sprinted forward and dove, arm outstretched. He caught it.
The breath I’d been holding rushed out of me as the crowd roared, and Dylan got to his feet, throwing the ball back to the infield.
One out.
The next batter hit a line drive that looked like it was headed for the outfield.
At the last second, Jase jumped up to make the catch, then fired the ball to Singleton who stepped on first to get the runner who’d already taken off, not expecting the ball to be caught.
Double play.
Game over.
The team rushed toward the infield to celebrate their win, but my eyes stayed locked on Jase and Dylan as they found each other. I expected the usual high-fives teammates handed out after a win, so I was completely taken aback when Jase grabbed the front of Dylan’s jersey and kissed him hard.
The stadium roared, and cameras flashed, but that kiss wasn’t for the fans or the media.
It was for the three of us, standing in the open, ready for whatever came next.
The noise from the crowd softened into echoes as I followed my agents along the level beneath the stadium.
I stood with the other family and friends near the spot where players filtered from the tunnel into the clubhouse.
I assumed the guys were already in the locker room, since it had taken me a bit of time to navigate the crowds.
Equipment staff rolled carts toward the locker room, while other staff buzzed around doing whatever they were responsible for.
With Secret Service agents on either side of me, I drew some attention, but no one approached or said anything to me. A few feet away, mounted on the wall, one of the stadium screens flickered from highlight replays to a live feed.
Jase and Dylan stood by their lockers, still in their jerseys, surrounded by the media.
A reporter jumped in right away. “Jase, Dylan, can you explain what we saw on the field after the final out?”
Jase glanced sideways at Dylan, the corner of his mouth lifting. “You mean the part where I kissed my boyfriend?”
A ripple of laughter spread through the crowd of reporters.
Dylan didn’t miss a beat. “And his boyfriend kissed him back.”
Another wave of murmurs followed, this time louder.
“So you two are together?” someone called out.
Jase shrugged. “Uh … that’s usually what it means when you call someone your boyfriend.”
Dylan shook his head and chuckled at Jase’s comment. “Yes, it’s true.”
“What about the president’s daughter? Rumor had it that Jase was dating Faye Donnelley, but we saw her kiss both of you before the game,” another voice pressed.
My breath caught even though I knew it was coming.
“That’s right,” Jase acknowledged. “Faye and I are dating.”
“And I’m dating her too,” Dylan clarified.
A few reporters exchanged looks. One of them tried again. “Are you concerned about the attention this will bring to the team?”