55. FRANKIE #3
“I was scared for you.” His lips curl into a smile.
“But Chess? Jackson will do anything for you. He’s ready to take on the world to be with you.
” His brows draw together, brown eyes glinting with a level of gravity he rarely shows.
“That’s the kind of love I wanted for you.
You deserve someone who wants you out in the spotlight, not hidden in the shadows.
You give so much of yourself and so freely.
I’m not blind to the fact that people have taken advantage of that…
to the point you didn’t think you had anything of substance to give. ”
My gaze drops to his collarbone, and I frown against the pressure building behind my eyes.
“But since you two got together, I’ve seen a version of you I haven’t seen in a very long time. I see a happy man. A man who recognizes his worth. You’ve always been a sassy brat—”
I cut him off with a feigned annoyed look.
He laughs. “But you’ve been using that as a shield. Hiding the incredibly smart, driven, and kind romantic you truly are.”
I bite my cheek as Paulie’s face wavers in and out. I suck in a choppy breath.
He gently chucks me under the chin. “I never thought I’d say this.
” His voice is slightly hoarse. “But I’m really grateful for Jackson coming into your life.
You’ll figure this out, and until then… I mean, you’ve got this rich, Major League ballplayer boyfriend.
I’m sure he can put you up for a little while. ”
“Rich is a stretch,” I say with a watery laugh.
Easton scoffs. “He’s going to make like six times his entire minor league salary in two months. He might not be making millions—”
“Yet,” Maddox says.
Easton nods. “Yet. He’s shown in his first two games that he’s an asset. Once he hits arbitration, he’ll be negotiating something sweet, no question. And a league minimum salary of almost eight-hundred grand isn’t exactly chump change.”
Shane softly punches my thigh and sends me a lop-sided smile. “You’ve got this, Frankie. Just let us know what we can help with. We’re team Jankie all the way.”
“Jaaankie,” East and Maddy chorus, dragging the name out in a deep rumble.
Damn. My nose burns as I scan the room. I’m really going to miss these guys.
My attention falls back on Paulie. My little brother.
It’s been Chessie and Pao Pao for so long now.
We went to the same college. God, we played baseball together in high school.
Then, when I moved back home after everything that happened with Nick…
he was there with me during school breaks, back during off seasons.
He’s lived with me for two years while he played for the Clippers.
A muscle tics in his jaw, and his eyes shine back at me. He shakes his head vigorously, a warning in his eyes to not say it. But I can’t stop the words from tumbling out.
“I’m going to miss you so fucking much,” I say hoarsely.
He groans, and a tear slips out the corner of his eye. He yanks me into a bone-crushing hug. “Shelby is going to kill you.” His watery words are muffled in my shoulder.
My heart twinges again. I’m going to miss that girl too. “I guess you need to hurry up and get the call-up,” I tease. “That way you play games in Cali.”
He shoves my shoulder. “Working on it,” he grumbles.
“I know it won’t be as often,” Shane says, looking around at all of us. “But we’re still going to see each other. My brilliant momma once informed me there is this thing on your phone—it’s called video calling. You can see people from anywhere in the world!”
A smile curls my lips.
He shoots me a wink. Then his smile fades and his brow sets.
“I was so scared when East and Paulie got assigned to Triple-A in Providence, and I was still in Double-A in Maine. Baseball is as unpredictable as it gets. Trades, call-ups, injuries… But we live in a world where being physically far apart doesn’t negate the closeness we keep.
“I mean, we all video-called Olander before his first game to wish him luck. We’re in our group chat constantly.
Our relationship isn’t going away just because he’s not physically here.
We’ll get together whenever we can swing it, but otherwise nothing changes.
” His eyebrows lift, like the hopeful puppy he is. “We’re a family. A real family.”
“And true family sticks together,” Maddox says firmly.
A little tension eases from Shane’s frame. My poor golden boy will always hold on to that fear his father left him with. I hold out my hand to him, and he laces our fingers.
“You’re right, Shaney-babe. Family.” I squeeze. “Always.”
I look around the room. “I’ll miss coming home to you all.” I let out a dramatic sigh. “I’ll miss the eye candy.”
“Jackson’s not exactly hard to look at,” Maddy says with a grin.
“Truth,” Easton says. He sits up and snuggles into Maddy’s side. Maddy drops a kiss to his curls.
A subtle yearning builds in my chest, and it confirms this is the right decision. It’s a huge change—a complete overhaul of my life—but then I get that. Not every day, but for every moment I can steal when Jackson’s not traveling. And the off-season…oh, the off-season.
“So, what’s next?” Paulie’s question rings through the room.
“I guess I should book a flight,” I say faintly. “For two weeks from now.”
“We’ll help you pack!” Shane says.
“He’s going to need to hire a moving company,” Maddy says. “All this furniture, and don’t get me started on the cookware.”
Shane gasps. “Ohmygod, cannot forget the cookware. Extra bubble wrap.”
“He and Jackson need to actually get a place to live first,” Paulie adds.
Easton whips out his phone. “I’ll pull up a realtor site right now.”
My mind spins as they throw things back and forth too fast for me to follow
“Does Jackson know?”
I blink, unsure who asked the question. “Not yet. I just gave my two-weeks this afternoon…and he’s still playing right now.”
A shit-eating grin spreads across Paulie’s face. “Can we all be there when you tell him?”
“He’s going to piss himself!” Shane says, punching the air.