EPILOGUE JED
SEPTEMBER
I can’t believe the first day of the playoffs is tomorrow. We made it. Barely, but we squeezed our way in as a wildcard and managed the higher seed spot. I hope that hometown advantage rings true.
You’ll laugh at me, but wanna know what’s even better than making the playoffs? The fact that Shane’s been put on the taxi squad. He’s up here with me for the entire playoffs. The. Entire. Playoffs. Practicing with the team, traveling with us, ready to step in if we have injuries…living with me.
I wish you’d had a chance to meet him. I know I tell you about him all the time, and you’re probably sick of it, but you would have loved him.
And I think he could have really used a father-figure like you.
His father is such a fucking piece of shit, Dad.
I have never loathed someone more. I would have loved for you to step into that spot for Shane, give him what I was so blessed to have for the short time life allowed.
I know you would have too. I can picture it: you two joking around, pretending like Shane was your favorite son.
And I’d pretend to be offended, but really, it’d light me up inside.
He reminds me of you sometimes. The way there’s not an ounce of artifice in him, how he’s just genuinely good. Kind, caring, always knows what to say to make me smile. It’d been a really long time since I’d smiled after the world took you from me.
But I am now. Smiling. Laughing. Happy.
I’m really fucking happy now, Dad. He gave that back to me.
It was pretty scary for us for a while. Shane hit Rule 5 eligibility this year.
I didn’t think there was any way the Jetties were letting him enter the draft.
Not with his talent. The Jetties were either going to add him to the 40-man, or they were going to shop him as trade bait before the deadline to protect the roster spot.
And a top prospect like my man? You know how it is; they’d be able to make a serious return off him.
But they fucking added him to the 40-man, Dad.
And they did it before the postseason eligibility deadline.
I know you’re thinking it too. That’s gotta be a good sign.
They see him as part of the organization’s future.
I’m not sure where they’re thinking with me locking up short, but adding him to the taxi squad only solidifies it.
I might not have gotten the dream of playing with you in The Show, but it looks like I might still get something amazing—a dream I never even thought to have: Playing in the major leagues… with my partner. With my husband.
Yeah. You heard that right, Dad. I’m going to ask him to marry me.
Soon.
I know how precious life is. My heart’s found a reason to beat again for the first time in seven years. I’m not taking any chances.
And what’s even crazier? I have no doubt he’s going to say yes.
Now I just have to come up with a proposal fitting for Shane Michaels. Because he deserves to be swept off his feet. I wish you were here to plan it with me. I know you’d have the best ideas.
“Noooo. You’re Jed Stone Junior?”
I glance up from where I’m sitting in the Jetties dugout, a grin already spreading across my face.
My gaze clashes with a set of sparkling blue eyes. His dimples are on full-display, blonde curls half up in a topknot. He thinks he’s so funny. Fuck, he’s so damn cute.
His smile softens. “How’s Pops?”
“Good. We talked about you a bit.”
He perks up and bounces on his toes. “Yeah? Only good things, I hope.”
“Only ever good things, Sunshine,” I say quietly.
He presses his fingers to his lips and then lifts them to the sky. “Thanks, Poppa Stone.”
I blow out a watery breath. This man.
He offers me a hand, and I let him pull me up. His hand tightens around mine, and we hold chest-to-chest a second longer than would be typical, give ourselves a brief moment of closeness.
Time to head in for our morning team meeting before practice.
With my man by my side.