Epilogue
STELLA - THREE MONTHS LATER
“Let’s go, baby!” Rachel cupped her mouth and called out to her husband at the plate.
Since the Brooklyn Bats were too young a team to have old-timers’ day, where older legends came to play against the current team, management had thought up a new version—coaches and trainers versus the current team—right before the last game of the season.
Silas’s career had ended from a bad knee injury, but Lee had told me that his doctor had cleared him to play as long as he wore a brace around his knee. As Silas practiced swinging before stepping up to bat, he looked every bit the legendary player Lee had always said he was.
“This is so exciting,” Rachel said to me. “I never got to date a jock in high school, and I’m channeling the experience,” she said, adjusting her Jones jersey over her baby bump.
“Me neither,” I told her, although I had been in the stands for most of Lee’s high school games.
After he’d left for the field this morning, I’d found his old jersey in the back of his closet and slipped it on.
I’d thought I’d spotted it one morning and had felt a little guilty rummaging through his things, but he’d appreciate the sentiment enough not to mind.
Hopefully.
It had been a whirlwind of a summer, and I’d loved every minute of it.
I’d learned that when I took the crazy travel and all night presentation prep out of the equation, I actually did enjoy fixing various problems for different companies.
But now, I only accepted occasional remote assignments on a consultant basis.
Lee had already signed a contract with the Bats for three more seasons since I’d agreed to move in with him and Bennie for good.
He could keep doing the job he loved while I stayed with the father and daughter I loved.
Zach pled guilty to attempted manslaughter and was awaiting sentencing.
The police had tracked down Rodney, who’d insisted that he had no intentions of hurting me for what Zach owed him.
He’d only mentioned seeing my photo to taunt Zach, but after he’d realized that I was connected to a high-profile professional sports team, the New York detective speculated that Rodney had decided that coming after me would be more trouble than it would be worth.
I didn’t have to look over my shoulder anymore, even if I couldn’t shake all the regret.
Doubt still crept in from time to time, but we talked it out and didn’t keep secrets.
Lee hadn’t been mad at the one I’d kept from him for so long, and he even teased me about being the man of my dreams sometimes.
I couldn’t argue.
We all turned at a loud pop when Silas made contact, the ball sailing well into the outfield for a base hit. It would have been an easy out if Ricky hadn’t let it bounce before he threw it to first.
It wasn’t intended to be a fair game, and the players were saving their energy for the play-offs.
“Where did you get that jersey?” Lee asked me, leaning on the railing. We were sitting in the row behind the opposing team’s dugout to get a better look at our guys strolling up to the plate. I wanted the front-row seat to Lee in baseball pants like I’d had in high school.
“Back of your closet.” I shrugged, stepping down to meet him. “Just supporting my athlete boyfriend,” I said, turning to show off his last name spreading across my shoulder blades. “You don’t like it? It’s big but a little tight on my chest.”
His narrowed eyes, full of heat, flicked to my breasts.
“You’re going to pay for this later,” he rasped, leaning in to brush my lips. “Looking that hot in my old jersey when I have to wear these damn pants.”
“If you get a base hit, I’ll put out.” I waggled my brows. “Can I wear the jersey then too?”
“Orrico, you’re up!”
Lee turned to the umpire, throwing me one more smoldering glare before he stalked up to the plate.
“Come on, Doc! Show us what you got!” Nate called out as Adrian laughed on the mound.
Lee was going to destroy me later, and after watching him swing the bat on the first pitch, sending the ball deep into right field, I couldn’t wait.
“Too bad your daughter wasn’t there to see your big moment,” I told Lee on the way home. Bennie had been invited to her first glamour birthday party and couldn’t pass it up, not even to watch her father and her favorite Bat play against each other.
“But she would have rooted for Nate, and that would have hurt a little. At least one of my girls was there to see it,” Lee said, pressing his lips to mine and letting go with a nibble.
“I rooted for you. I promise.”
“You better,” he growled after we parked in the driveway.
“This was fun,” I said, stepping inside the house. “Are they making this a thing?”
“Once photos of Silas at bat make their way around social media, probably.”
“I think Dr. DILF will have them coming back,” I teased. “But he belongs to me.”
“Well, the girl with my name on her back belongs to me,” he said, flipping his baseball cap backward and backing me up against the wall. “Fuck, you look hot in my clothes.”
“You look hot in your clothes too,” I said, kissing his chin while I hooked my thumbs into the waistband of his pants and yanked him closer. “You should definitely wear it like this more often.” I pinched the brim of his hat between my fingers.
His smile faded as he held my gaze.
“You were at almost every game.”
“I was.” I nodded. “I loved watching you play.” I ran my hands up and down his arms. “You were so intense when you came up to bat. Gave me chills.”
I bunched my shoulders in an exaggerated shiver.
“Then when you pitched, I’d stare at your ass the whole game,” I said, reaching around to give his perfect butt a squeeze. “I got chills from that too.”
His head fell back as he burst out laughing.
“You liked wearing my name today?”
“Of course. They should make sports manager and trainer jerseys at Wayne Field. I could have a collection.”
He dropped his chin to his chest and chuckled.
“Only Silas gets to have a manager jersey sold at Wayne Field. But I may know another way you could wear my name.”
I scrunched my nose at Lee.
“What, your sports medicine polo you wear to the games? I could be into it.”
“No,” he said, exhaling a chuckle. “Stay here.”
I headed to the living room, unbuttoning the jersey and turning up the AC. Summer didn’t want to let go, making the late September day hot and humid. This jersey wasn’t the coolest thing to wear in the heat all afternoon. I was about to peel it off when I found Lee on the floor, down on one knee.
“I was saving this for the right time, which I haven’t been able to find in the two weeks I’ve had this, but now is as good a time as any. You don’t have to take my name if you don’t want to, but I need you to marry me.”
I froze, not knowing whether to scream with joy or bawl like a baby.
“I know it’s only been a few months, but I don’t depend on the luxury of time. Not when I’m this sure.”
For him, it was a few months. For me, it had already been forever. A forever I hadn’t thought would ever be real outside of my head.
“Stella. Breathe, sweetheart.”
“I’m breathing,” I said, my chest tight because, no, I wasn’t breathing.
“Then please stop scaring me and answer me. Will you marry—”
“Yes,” I gasped, dropping to my knees in front of Lee. “Yes, yes, yes.”
I fell into him, crashing my lips to his as he sat back and set me on his lap.
“I think this should fit. I stole a ring out of your jewelry box to make sure.” He slid on the ring, the perfect round diamond sparkly and bright even through my blurry gaze.
“Can we…” I hiccuped, clutching Lee’s shoulders. I wasn’t dreaming. This was real and it was mine, despite what I’d talked myself into or out of or how many places I’d seen when I only wanted to be here.
And I’d never have to give it back.
“We can do anything you want, Mrs. Orrico. If that’s what you want to be called.”
“I’ve been signing Stella Orrico across hundreds of notebooks for years.” I swiped at my cheeks with the back of my hand. “I’m ready.”
“Okay,” he said, his chest rumbling with a laugh. “What do you want to do, baby?”
“Can we go pick up Bennie?”
Want more? Click here or scan the QR code for a glimpse into the future for Lee, Stella, and Bennie. (And maybe someone else)…and a hint who Nate ends up with in Off Base, the next Brooklyn Bats book!