EPILOGUE ALEXIS
THREE WEEKS LATER
He glances over at me, and I swear, I will never get tired of seeing his eyes find mine in a room filled with people.
Especially when he’s all dressed up in a tuxedo.
Good Lord, he’s gorgeous.
His lips lift up in a secret smile, and I’m sure he’s thinking of that thing we did last night, and I can’t help a small smile of my own as I shift a little in my seat.
I wish he was sitting next to me so I could slide my hand into his, or he could rest his palm on my thigh, or I could lean in and feel total and complete comfort just from his scent.
But he’s up at the altar standing beside his best friend as we watch Cooper marry Gabby.
It’s a lovely winter wedding. The bride is in a long-sleeve vintage white gown, and her groom is in his black tux as he looks at her like she is the very center of his universe. It’s sweet and romantic, and it reminds me how much I love love.
It reminds me how I very nearly gave into a wedding that was all wrong for me. How different would my life be right now if I would’ve gone through with the wedding to Brooks instead of making the right decision and following my heart?
Who’s to say what might have been, but I’m certainly proud of myself for standing up and doing the right thing.
I glance around the pool area at Caesar’s Palace where the ceremony is taking place right at sunset. It’s a gorgeous scene, and apparently, this particular hotel has meaning for Cooper and Gabby. It’s sweet, and I love seeing all the smiles around me.
The guest list is filled with members of the Vegas Heat, including the team manager who happens to be Gabby’s father. I think back to last March when I showed up at the stadium ready to sing a few songs, more nervous to meet the baseball players than I was to sing.
And now I’m married to the hottest one of them. And I have been for over a month now.
How is this my life? It’s truly everything I never knew I needed.
And in the last three weeks, we’ve seen a total overhaul of Bodega Talent Agency. Our management division is opening next week. It came together quickly, but it had to so that both Danny and I could have a hand in it. If we waited too much longer, his wrist would be better and he’d be in season, and I’d be starting my residency.
And speaking of my residency, I’ll be performing three times a week—Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings—starting in May, and it’ll take all of April to rehearse for the show. I already know exactly what I want it to look like, and I can’t wait to get started.
That also means I only work three days a week, which means I will get to watch Danny play at every home game that takes place Sunday through Wednesday, and I might even get the chance to travel to some of his away games, too, once his wrist is fully healed. He went without his splint for the wedding today, and his wrist is healing nicely. The doctors think he’ll miss spring training and the first two weeks of games, but he can start practicing during those two weeks.
When the ceremony is over, most of the guests meander from the Caesar’s Palace pool to a reception room already set up for the bride and groom inside. I stay behind to watch the photo session with the wedding party, and Danny beelines over to me once he’s done smiling for the camera.
“Should we detour upstairs before the reception?” he asks.
“Why? Do you need a nap or something?”
He grabs my ass. “Or something,” he says, and I giggle.
“Keep it in your pants, big boy. At least until later.”
“No promises. You’re too damn hot in that dress, and there are plenty of places I can seduce you down here. I don’t need a hotel room—I just figured you’d want privacy.”
“How gentlemanly of you,” I murmur.
He leans down and presses a kiss to my cheek. “I try. But don’t expect me to be a gentleman once I get you naked tonight.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” I sincerely hope this honeymoon phase lasts forever. I love how he flirts with me and makes me feel sexy while also making me feel loved and valued. He really is everything I ever dreamed of in a man.
We head to the reception, and one of the best man’s duties is to give a speech. Danny’s up, and he takes the microphone like a pro.
“I’m going to keep this short and sweet. Cooper and I go back a long time, and I’ll never forget the day he asked me who my dream girl was. I told him it was Alexis Bodega, who I’m now married to, and he said his was Gabby Grant…the woman he married today. I couldn’t be happier to see these two finally make it down the aisle after the many strikes that have been thrown their way. Now let’s raise our glasses.” He holds up his glass of whiskey, and everyone in the room raises their glasses into the air, too. “Congratulations to the bride and groom!”
He chugs what’s left in his glass before he takes his seat next to me, and I lean over to give him a kiss. “Well done,” I murmur.
“All I had to do was mention your name, and I knew that would be enough to throw the heat off myself.”
I giggle. “Always happy to be your distraction.” I lean in a little closer to him. “Oh, and remember how we talked about me getting my IUD removed?”
His eyes widen when they meet mine.
“Well…it’s out.”
He kisses me again, this time with a little more intensity than is probably appropriate for public consumption, as if my words to him are spurring him on and he can’t quite control himself.
It’s hot.
But I pull back.
We’re at a reception.
We have all the time in the world for…practicing.
We dig into our dinners. We spend the night dancing, catching up with friends, laughing, and sharing secret looks with each other. It’s the memorable kind of evening that feeds my soul in the most beautiful way.
And later, when Danny finally takes me up to our suite, he feeds another part of me as we come together in a completely different way that’s even more beautiful.
It’s the kind of way that makes me think about the future since we might’ve just created a new life out of our love. And if it didn’t work this time, I’ve got plenty of chances left on deck with my hot first baseman husband.