Chapter 14 Stealing Home
Chapter fourteen
Stealing Home
Derby
Philadelphia. The Phillies had been playing well this season, and we couldn’t take them for granted. In fact, we lost the first game. We had the second of the doubleheader in a few hours.
I stretched out on a bench and closed my eyes, listening to the other players’ chatter in the background. My flight back to Mobile was not early. I’d have time to kill the next day. What would Godwin be doing?
That type of thinking wasn’t going to help me. Focusing on the game was more important, but my mind kept wandering. I hadn’t pitched the first game, but coach would more than likely put me in first in the next. I didn’t want to mess up my WHIP stats with more walks than runs. Focus, Derb-ster!
A commotion in the locker room had me sitting up. Amy hollered for me. “Derby? Hey man?”
“Here. What’s up?” I stood, my socked feet were still cold on the floor of the locker room, since I’d taken my cleats off while I rested.
“There.” She pointed to me and from behind her, Godwin appeared as if by magic.
“What the hell?”
In the next moment, he was in my face. Nose to nose. “Hey, Derby. Hope this is alright.”
“Yeah. It is. It’s fine.”
“Yeah? Because you never invited me to a game, you know?”
My eyes widened. Was that what it took to have him in my life? “You’re invited. To all of them.”
His smile was faint, but his eyes lit up. “Can we go somewhere a little more private to talk?”
I suspected he heard the whispers going on around us. Making that type of appearance wouldn’t go unnoticed or unquestioned. Was I ready to supply the answers? Ready to step up?
For Godwin?
It took less than three seconds to answer that. Yes. Hell yes. “If you want, but we can talk here.”
Godwin leaned in closer. “What if I want to kiss you?” he whispered.
“Then kiss me.”
He hesitated for a moment, glancing around the dugout. Then he moved forward. He wrapped those muscular arms around me and pressed those firm lips against mine. I touched his cheek, fingertips brushing over his late-day scruff.
The guys behind us hooted and hollered. But not in a bad way.
They made comments that they would make to anyone who had been kissed in the locker room.
Get a room, and that’s why you pitch so well—motivation.
I ignored it, simply filing it away for later.
These were a great bunch of guys. I didn’t worry about them. I worried about Godwin.
When I pulled back, I asked, “You okay?”
“Yeah. We do need to talk, but this...” he waved an arm in the air.
“I know.”
“Do you? Do you know how much this means to me? That you’d kiss me in front—”
“I know. I love you, Godwin.” I squeezed him tight. “I have just one question for you.”
“What’s that?”
“Did you mow my mom’s lawn and plant those extra flowers?”
“That’s two questions.” The ear-to-ear smile on his face was answer enough. Then he hugged me tight, lifting my feet off the ground. The locker room erupted in happy cheers.
“Amy, Amy! Come here.” I flagged her over.
We were at the clubhouse in Mobile, killing the next few hours until the game started. Amy was working on some other clients’ work she had. She wanted to hang out with me before the game, knowing it helped keep me grounded. She closed her laptop and crossed the room. “What? Calm down.”
I showed her my phone. “It’s Godwin’s school schedule.”
“Oh, he did it!”
“Yeah. Looks like most of it is online, but there are some days he needs to be on campus. University of Alabama. They have a local campus in Brexlin. He says he has his nephew running the business, and he’s doing well, so...”
“Geez. Forward me that schedule, you marshmallow. I’ll match it up to yours and see what we get.”
“Yes! So yes.” I forwarded the message. “I can’t wait. This is going to be epic.”
“Well, it’ll be a hell of a lot better than you moping around, that’s for sure,” she teased.
“I want plenty of time with him. Even if he has to come with me. He can do his online stuff on the road.”
“Is he going to want to do that?”
“Why else would he send me the schedule? We can make this work.”
“Maybe you should call him.”
I leaned over to make sure things were looking good for our schedules. It wasn’t bad at all with how much he was doing online. “Okay. I’ve got this.” I wasn’t sure if I was telling her or myself, but either way, I tapped my phone and called him.
Godwin answered on the second ring. “Derby? Don’t you have a game right now?”
“No, uh...” I checked my watch. “I still have an hour or so before I have to head to the locker room.”
“Okay...”
“I got your schedule. Does that mean you want to try this? With me? We’re on?
” I’d said the three magic words, but he hadn’t said them back.
After the Phillies game, we’d flown home together, but I’d had to drive down to Mobile the next day, and we hadn’t really talked much since. Outside of video-sex calls, that is.
“Yes, Derby. I thought that was clear. If you’ll still have me.” He sounded shy. It was cute, but not the confident, assertive man I knew him to be.
“Then ask me.”
“Will you be my boyfriend, Derby?”
I let out a whoop. Several heads turned my way, but I didn’t give a damn.
“Yes. I’m so excited. We can spend more time together.
You can travel with me and still do your schoolwork.
When you need to be on campus mostly coincides with my off days.
” I double-checked that by peering over Amy’s shoulder.
She smacked my arm, but then she gave me a nod.
“Then we can figure out offseason. Take more of your onsite classes then.”
“You’re so wound up.”
“Is that okay?”
“Yeah.” Godwin sighed. “What are we doing here, Derby?”
“We’re being boyfriends.”
Godwin chuckled. “If I travel with you like that, people are going to know. They’re going to—”
“I don’t even give a fuck. Plus, the team already knows.” It hadn’t leaked to the press yet, but it was only a matter of time. “You mean more to me than that. I miss the hell out of you. I ache when you’re not with me. I need you.”
“Okay, okay. In that case, come tell the people at the front gate to let me in.”
“What? You’re here. Ohmygod! He’s here, Amy.”
Amy shook her head and chuckled. “I’ve got this.”
A few minutes later, we hung up because he was in the same room. I leaped into his arms, wrapping my legs around him, happy they were long enough. Godwin grabbed my ass to hold me up. “Missed you,” he said. Then he kissed me.
I pulled back and looked into his gorgeous eyes. I was so gone for this guy. “Missed you too.”
“And Derby?”
“Yeah?”
“In case you didn’t realize it...”
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”