Chapter 21
I sat and watched Meg and Sommer laughing in the kitchen. They looked as though they’d been friends for years. Granted, they knew each other from the team, but they never hung out or did things together. Except at that moment, no one would know that.
Earlier, when I’d spotted Sommer sitting next to Meg in the stands, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that my heart stuttered in my chest. The rush of happiness that flooded my veins surprised me. It wasn’t that I didn’t feel that way when Sommer was near me, but something about her sitting next to another player’s wife hit differently.
It had been as though the pieces of my world came together. When I glanced up and caught Sommer looking in my direction, I couldn’t stop another surge of happiness from washing over me. They weren’t in the wives-and-girlfriends section since Meg didn’t care to be in the spotlight or next to any jersey chasers or, worse, jersey jumpers who scored their “man’s” number to wear for that game. I couldn’t have been happier about that. The last thing I needed was Sommer subjected to women talking about their team conquests ... yes, team because those women gave the term jersey jumpers meaning.
“Man, you’ve got it bad,” Remington chuckled before handing me a beer and walking out the back door with me behind him. It was an ideal summer evening—warm air and the perfect breeze.
I sat down at the table, setting my beer bottle on the tempered glass. “You’d know, wouldn’t you?” Rem could dish out all the shit he wanted, but that man was completely pussy-whipped. On the field, he took charge; he was the leader of the team. But at home, between Meg and Ariel, the guy didn’t stand a chance. And the best part was, he didn’t care.
“I would, yes. Consider me an expert. She’s great, though. And smart as a whip. That girl knows baseball, especially the Hawks. Sommer will definitely make her mark one day with this organization.”
“What are you two talking about?” Meg asked, setting a tray laden with boxes of Chinese dishes, bowls, chopsticks, forks, and sauces down on the outdoor table. “You both have a guilty look on your face.”
Remington wrapped his arm around her hips and pulled Meg onto his lap. “Talking about you two, baby.” He kissed her, and she slowly melted into him.
Sommer looked at me and smiled. “My food is getting cold,” I playfully barked. Meg giggled before getting up and sitting next to him. Meanwhile, Rem threw me the finger, and Sommer swatted my arm.
“Let them be. I love your relationship,” Sommer cooed.
I wanted to tell Sommer we could have the same if she weren’t so damn stubborn and worried about everything, but I didn’t want to get into it.
“Yes, they’re adorable,” I chided.
“You’re just jealous,” Remington countered and scooped out some kung pao chicken into his bowl, followed by brown rice.
Shocking everyone except myself, I nodded. “You’re right, I am.” I tossed my arm around Sommer, pulled her in, and kissed her cheek.
There had been zero doubt, and by the jovial look on my friends’ faces, I’d been right. I turned toward Sommer and whispered, “You smell like flowers. Is it a new perfume?”
She blushed, and I knew I sounded lovesick, but it was true. It had been a scent I hadn’t smelled on her before.
“Lavender from the spa.”
That three-letter word opened up another conversation between the girls. Meg loved going, but since Ariel, she hadn’t gone in a long time. Remington and I shared a conspiratorial look that said we’d be treating them soon.
As I suspected, our conversation was effortless. Adding Sommer into the mix hadn’t changed a thing. Instead, it added to our dynamic. Meg had a partner in crime when it came to disagreeing with something we said, and I could be the boyfriend to Sommer that I had wanted to be. Putting my arm around her, holding her hand on my lap, or simply kissing her without feeling as though I had to hide it felt great.
I knew she could sense it too. She leaned over, kissed my cheek, and whispered in my ear, “I’m having such a good time. Thank you.”
My thumb idly traced invisible figure eights on her shoulder. “You’re welcome.”
As we all sat in their large but cozy living room, our conversation continued to easily flow. I took a moment to sit back and watch my friends mingle with my girlfriend, and a huge wave of happiness washed over me.
Remington and Meg were the epitome of a perfect couple. Add Ariel to that mix, and they were the perfect family. Their relationship felt effortless. It made me want that with Sommer because I knew we could have it if she’d let us.
They looked at each other, and Meg gave him a slight nod. If I hadn’t been staring at them, I would have missed it.
“Okay, what’s going on?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“Should we tell them, honey?”
Remington nodded. “Go ahead, do the honors.”
“We’re pregnant,” Meg said with tears in her eyes.
In a flash, Sommer was on her feet. Remington and Meg stood as Sommer wrapped her arms around them. “What amazing news! Congratulations!”
The girls rocked back and forth in their embrace. I got up, walked over to my buddy, and shook his hand. “Congrats. This is great news.”
“Thanks, man. That means a lot.”
Sommer brought her folded hands to the center of her chest. “When are you due?”
“December.”
Remington came back with a bottle of champagne and a bottle of sparkling grape juice. It was then I realized that we all had an alcoholic beverage, except for Meg, who had been drinking water.
He poured us each a glass, we raised them up, and he put his free arm around his wife’s shoulders.
“May I?” I asked. Remington nodded. Surprisingly, Sommer put her hand on the center of my back, bringing an even bigger smile to spread across my face. “Here’s to Meg and Remington, and to their love that created their new miracle, and to the adventures that await you both, and my sweet buddy, Ariel. Uncle Yimmy is ready to babysit anytime you need me. Cheers to you and your family. I love you guys.”
A tear rolled down Meg’s cheek, which she blamed hormones for. Remington kissed her temple. She looked up at him and nodded.
“There’s one more thing,” my buddy said. “Jimmy, you’re like a brother to me ... to us.”
Meg sniffed. “Ariel loves you too.”
“We all do. Which is why we’d like to know if you’d be our little guy’s godfather.”
All I could do was blink. A sharp tingle hit my nose first before rising and resting behind my eyes. I could feel the mist turn to tears, and I couldn’t help but get choked up. Fuck it, I let a tear leak out.
“Little guy? You’re having a boy and you want me to be his godfather?”
Meg’s head quickly nodded. “We do.”
“How wonderful.” The heat of Sommer’s hand rubbing my back grounded me. “I’m so happy for you. A little boy, he’ll need some Hawks gear,” my girl added.
“I’d be honored,” I said, finally finding the words to answer them. I’d been so stunned that I hadn’t even been sure how many minutes had passed.
Once again, I shook my friend’s hand before hugging Meg. “Thank you. I’ll be the best godfather.”
“We know. We see how you are with our daughter. You’re going to be a great dad one day.”
I smiled and immediately looked at Sommer, who didn’t even blink at their words. Instead, she floored me and said, “I think so too. Congratulations to you too, godfather.”
Leaning down, I placed a chaste kiss on her lips. Sommer was it for me. What shocked me more than that revelation was that it didn’t scare me. Suddenly, one woman for the rest of my life sounded great, especially if that woman was Sommer Bennett.
* * *
If someone had told me at the beginning of the season that I would find a woman who wasn’t only beautiful and smart but who made me feel as alive being with her as I did stepping onto the mound, I would have laughed in their face. Same if someone told me that I could very well fall in love in such a short amount of time.
Was there a rule for how long it took for two people to fall in love? I wasn’t saying that we were in love, but it felt damn close to it, or at least what I assumed it felt like. I had heard about people falling in love at first sight. When it came to me and Sommer, I’d change that to lust at first sight because my eyes were the first to react to her. Then, it didn’t take long for my heart to follow.
Was it love?
She walked out of her bathroom, slipped under the covers, and lay next to me in her bed, where I’d been waiting with a million thoughts in my mind. Seeing her in my T-shirt, which she’d slyly confiscated from my home, had me wanting to bury myself in her warmth. Then again, I had a feeling she could have a suit of armor on and my body would still react to her.
Sommer smiled. “Why are you staring at me like that?” I went to say something, but her index finger landed on my parted lips. “Before you say anything, no hanky-panky tonight. I just got my period, and I feel blah.”
I had it in my phone to ask her next week if everything was okay since I hadn’t worn a condom the past couple of times we were together.
“Does your back hurt? My mom used to complain about her lower back hurting. Not to me, of course, but I would hear her talk to my dad about it.”
“A little. For me, I get headaches. Thankfully, I took something to ward that off. Hopefully it will work.”
Reaching up, I brought my hand to the side of her head and began softly massaging her right temple with my left thumb. Sommer sighed and settled deeper into her pillow.
“That feels nice.”
“I’m glad.”
“That was pretty amazing tonight, don’t you think? I can’t believe I was there for Remington and Meg’s announcement. And you, the godfather. So wonderful.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty great. I love kids. I’ll need to make sure to get something special for Ariel so she knows she’s my number one niece. Blood or not, I love that girl. I hope my kids and Rem’s are the best of friends.”
“Do you want a big family?”
“I’d love a mini baseball team.” Sommer laughed. “But because I’m away so much, I’m not sure that would be fair to my wife or my children. Maybe when I’m a bit older, then I’ll take whatever God gives me. What about you?”
“Well, I definitely want a family, but not a mini baseball team. Maybe two? Definitely more than one. I just hope I can be a good mom one day. It’s not as though I had a great example.”
“You’ll be a perfect mother.”
Silence stretched for an almost awkward amount of time. Sommer placed her hand on my wrist. “It feels better, thank you.” She nestled her body next to mine, forcing me to go onto my back. She laid her head on my chest, and my heartbeat thrummed steadily beneath her cheek.
The tips of her fingers idly played with the little bit of hair I had on my abdomen. “I think you’d be a great dad, too, one day.”
I kissed the top of her head. “Thanks, let’s get some sleep. Unless you’d like me to leave.”
“No, I like you exactly where you are.”
Beneath my palm, Sommer’s back rose and fell in steady breaths. While we’d been talking about kids, I imagined she’d be the one pushing our kids on the swing and playing catch with us. That she was the one with the swollen belly carrying our child. I had to be having those thoughts because of the night we had with Rem and Meg. Right?
Except I couldn’t be sure. I don’t know what happened to me, but whatever the reason, I knew Sommer was the driving force. She changed me, and, shockingly, I was all right with that. I didn’t need a harem of girls fawning over me. All I needed was Sommer Bennett by my side and in my arms. If I had that, I knew that my life would be better than it already had been.