5. Guy
GUY
I walk out of the hotel with a heaviness I’ve never felt before.
I’ve never had such an instant attraction to someone, and I’m not sure what to make of it.
I pull my hat lower and walk down the street to the bar parking lot where my car is.
By the time I get to the airport, I’ve changed into my team travel gear and swapped my Brody Ranch hat for a Jasper Bears baseball cap.
I’m about to board the plane when my phone dings with a text.
For a second, I hope it’s Nicole.
I let out a breath when I see it’s from my brother Miller. Sky’s having the baby. We’re all at Jasper Hospital. Are you still in town?
My mind races as I try to figure out what to do. I call the team manager and wait for him to answer. “Hey, Coach.”
He pauses. “You’re supposed to be getting on a plane, Brody.”
“I know. My baby sister is having her baby right now.” I blow out a breath. “I promise I’ll be there in time for practice tomorrow afternoon.”
Coach groans. “You’re lucky I’m in a good mood, Brody. Get your ass to the field on time tomorrow. Don’t be late.”
“Thanks, Coach.”
I hang up, thankful the hospital is close to the airport. I drive there, park, and ask the first person I see where the maternity ward is. By the time I reach the waiting room, my whole family is sitting there. “I’m here,” I say, slightly out of breath. “Tell me I didn’t miss it.”
Logan turns toward me. “Where were you?”
“The airport.” I drag a hand down my face. Man, what a night. I go to Mom and Dad first and give them each a hug before looking around the room.
“Where’s Skyler? She doing okay?”
“Zach is with her,” Penn says. “We’ve all been warned to stay put until we’re invited back.”
I blow out a breath. “Okay.”
I drop into an empty seat beside my sister-in-law. “Hey, Aria.”
We talk for a few minutes before my phone starts dinging. I dig it out of my pocket and stare at the screen as notification after notification appears. Damn.
Penn sits up straighter beside Aria. “Guy?”
I laugh once and shake my head. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Logan walks toward me. “What happened?”
“Nothing.”
“It doesn’t look like nothing,” Aria says.
I read the headline again.
Baseball Bad Boy Guy Brody Spotted Leaving Bar with Mystery Woman — Has His Type Changed?
My jaw clenches as I continue reading.
Brody’s mystery companion is already drawing attention online, mostly because she doesn’t fit the mold of the women usually seen on his arm.
Known for dating slim blondes, the baseball star’s latest outing has fans questioning whether this curvy redhead is something more or just another name on his long list of one-night distractions.
I hold my phone out for Aria. Her nose scrunches as she reads it. “Oh, that’s disgusting.”
I look at her.
“Sorry,” she says quickly. “But it is. That’s horrible.”
Lindsey walks over and reads over Aria’s shoulder. Her face hardens. “They wrote that?”
I lock my phone and shove it into my pocket. “They write whatever gets clicks.”
“Who is she?” Bree asks softly.
“No one.” The words come out before I can stop them, and I regret them instantly. Nicole is definitely not no one.
Penn’s eyebrows lift. “No one?”
I glare at him. “Drop it.”
Aria nudges my shoulder. “You should probably call her and give her a heads-up.”
I turn my glare on her. She puts her hands up. “What? I’m just saying. If she means anything to you, you might want to check on her.”
My family starts throwing questions at me, wanting to know who Nicole is and where we met. I don’t tell them anything. The need to protect her is too strong, especially after seeing the way that article talked about her. Aria finally convinces me to call. Not that I need much convincing.
I walk out of the waiting room and find a quiet spot in the hallway before dialing Nicole’s number.
“Hello?” she answers softly.
“Nicole. It’s me, Guy.”
She inhales. “How did you get my number?”
I chuckle. “You should know better than to hand your phone to just anyone. When I put my number in, I called myself so I’d have yours.”
“Oh.” Her voice softens. “You know you could have just asked for it.”
“I wasn’t taking any chances.”
She clears her throat. “Aren’t you supposed to be on a plane right now?”
“Well, that’s sort of why I’m calling.” I lean against the wall. “I don’t know if you’ve seen it yet, but someone took pictures of us leaving the bar together.”
There’s a pause. “What?”
I close my eyes. “Look, I wanted to make sure you’re okay. These people are ruthless, and they’ll say anything for clicks. I need you to ignore it.”
I can hear her moving around on the other end of the phone. A few seconds later, she gasps softly.
Fuck. I want to find whoever wrote the article and punch them in the face. “Nicole.”
She doesn’t answer, and I know she’s reading it. “Nicole,” I say again.
She sucks in a breath and lets it out slowly. “Well, I guess it’s good they don’t know who I am. All the pictures are from behind. You can’t see my face.”
“Nicole.”
“It’s fine. Thanks for calling and letting me know. I—”
“Nicole.”
Her voice softens. “What?”
“Those people are idiots, and you are exactly my type.”
I can picture her rolling her eyes. “Guy, I’ve seen the women you date. I’m nothing like them.”
My voice thickens. “I know you’re different, but you’re exactly what I want.”
I know I sound crazy. This is all happening too fast, but the thought that one random post might scare her away makes something twist inside me.
She puts my thoughts into words. “Guy, this is crazy. We just met.”
I grunt. “When I get back into town, we’re going on a date.”
She doesn’t answer. Fuck.
“Anyway, I need you to do me a favor. Ignore the posts and the comments. They’re trolls looking for attention. Don’t give it to them.”
She inhales slowly. “I know what I look like, Guy.”
I grunt, thinking about every one of her curves. “Right, so you know you’re sexy and—”
She cuts me off. “Like I was saying, I know what I look like, and I’m happy with who I am. I get that I’m not everyone’s cup of tea, but I don’t let strangers online decide my self-worth.”
“Fuck yeah. You know that’s right.”
She laughs softly. “Seriously, aren’t you supposed to be on a plane?”
I look through the windows at my family in the waiting room. “As I was about to board, Miller texted me that my sister was in labor. I’m at the hospital.” For a second, I consider asking Nicole to come here and meet everyone, but I know that would really freak her out.
“Oh wow,” she says. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks. I should probably get back inside, but I needed to talk to you about the pictures. Ignore all of it. I’m going to call you when I get back into town, and we’re going on a real date.”
She’s quiet, and the pause bothers me. “Nicole?”
She answers quickly this time. “Go be with your family and don’t worry about me. I can handle people online. I’m fine.”
Something about her response makes me uneasy, but I’m not sure what else to say. “Okay. I’m still going to call you.”
“Okay. Enjoy your new niece or nephew.”
“Good night, Nicole.”
Her voice softens. “Good night, Guy.”
I reluctantly hang up and walk back inside. I ignore my family’s questions and sit down. A little while later, Miller stands so fast his chair scrapes against the floor.
Zach is walking down the hallway, and everyone freezes.
He takes off the scrub cap he’s wearing and smiles. “She’s here. Both mom and the baby are doing well.”
The room erupts.
Bree and Lindsey start crying. Mom and Dad are both in tears. Logan hugs Miller hard enough to make him grunt, and Ozzy pulls Zach into a hug. Zach looks at my parents. “Mom, Dad, she wants you first.”
He leads them down the hallway, and the rest of us wait impatiently for our turn.
When they finally call me back, I’m nervous as hell. I walk into the room, hug my sister, and then Zach makes me sanitize my hands twice before he lets me hold my niece. I stare down at her. “She’s perfect.”
Skyler looks tired but happy. Zach stands close, watching me like he thinks I might drop his daughter.
I rise from the chair and move closer to the bed. “She’s going to be a heartbreaker.”
“She’s not dating until she’s twenty,” Zach announces.
Skyler rolls her eyes, and I laugh. My brother-in-law has been a mess since the day he found out Skyler was pregnant. I thought he might relax once the baby arrived, but apparently not.
I spend a few more minutes with them before leaving so the rest of the family can have a turn.
When I get back to the waiting room, I hug my parents and say goodbye to everyone. They all promise they’ll be watching the game on television.
As soon as I step outside, my first thought is Nicole. I shake my head. I need to focus. First, I have to figure out how I’m getting to Ohio for the series. Then I can think about Nicole.
Although I already know I’m going to be thinking about her the entire way there.