Chapter 40
FORTY
“A girl could get used to this.” Chelsea stretched out in her seat, flinging her arms behind her head. “Last time I came to a game, I sat so far up, I could barely see the field. And look at us now.”
She held out her soda, and I clinked mine against it. “Don’t get too used to it. The guys only splurge on a box once a season, and that’s it. You’re going to have to settle for outfield seats in the future.”
A loud laugh broke out from inside, where the rest of the group remained, grabbing drinks and snacks before the game started.
Our allotted box had an inner and outer section, separated by a thick glass wall.
Ollie and Brianna talked by the window, likely continuing their earlier argument about the best stadium food.
Hadley and Emilia danced in the center of the room as a pop song played from the former’s phone speaker.
Anna stared up at them in awe, struck silent by her new older friend.
We’d set up her travel crib in the corner in case she got tired, but she already loved being here.
And with her contained in one area, with all of us keeping an eye on her, I could relax and enjoy the game.
Okay, maybe Chelsea had a point. A girl could really get used to this life, especially the private bathroom so we didn’t have to brave the long lines between innings.
“Fine,” she sighed, dropping her head back. “Get me used to luxury, only to rip it away.”
I giggled into my soda, trying not to stare too long at the field where Jace stretched in the outfield.
The rest of the team did the same, but I only had eyes for him.
Hell, that man filled out a pair of baseball pants.
The others warned me they did irrational things to your brain, but I didn’t get it until this exact moment.
And after tonight, he was mine for four whole, uninterrupted days. Parker and two of the other players would head down to Philadelphia next week to represent the American League while the rest of the team got a well-deserved break, and I planned to spend as much of it with Jace as possible.
Anna took a couple of wobbly steps toward me, her jersey more like a long dress than a skirt.
Jace was so excited about the idea of Anna coming to his game, he’d gone out and gotten a jersey made just for her.
It matched both of ours, the name Lyons splayed across the back.
When we walked into the living room this morning, he gaped at us.
“You like?” I teased.
“I fucking love it. Seeing my name on your back is giving me all sorts of ideas.”
“Like what?”
“Like how much I like the sound of Kinsley Lyons. Would you—” His voice trailed off, his hands tucking into his pockets.
“Would you do that? Change your last name to mine?” The question caught me off guard, and my mouth hung open.
Jace mistook my silence for apprehension and took my hand in his.
“Doesn’t matter to me, Kins. As long as we’re together, that’s all I need. ”
“N-no,” I stammered. “It just surprised me. You think about us getting married?”
Jace smirked down at me. “Yeah, Kins. Haven’t tried to hide that. I want to marry you. Not yet, but one day. I’d like you to wear my ring.”
“I’d like that too,” I breathed. “Wearing your ring. And having your last name.”
Jace swallowed hard, but his gaze never broke from mine. “R-really?”
“Yeah. Is that so surprising?”
“I thought, because of your mom, and my name…” He shook his head. “My family name never meant much to me, but that was before you. Before Anna. We’d make it mean something real. Something meaningful.”
Someone waving their hands in front of my face broke me out of the memory, forcing me back to the present. Hadley smiled brightly down at me, “Where did you go?”
“Nowhere. Just excited to see them play.”
“Uh huh…” she drawled, giving me a knowing smirk.
The music in the stadium changed, loud cheers echoing through the air as the game clock counted down.
God, no wonder Jace loved being here. The excitement in the air, the constant hum of the crowd—everything made me squirm in anticipation.
Hadley settled down on the other side of Chelsea, and Brianna and Ollie joined us.
Anna crawled along our laps, staying with each of us for only a couple of moments.
But as the game started, Anna stuck with Emilia, who explained each play, despite my daughter’s ignorance.
If you had told me months ago that I’d be here—with a large friend group, overwhelmingly in love with Jace—I never would have believed you.
But now, so much love surrounded our little family.
It was on all my friends’ faces as my daughter climbed into their laps, how they showed up, no matter when I needed them.
I felt it in their quiet glances they gave me when Jace strode into the outfield, surely seeing the pride and anticipation written on my face.
“Thank you,” I whispered to the sky, sure that, in some way, my mom was watching over me.
As much as losing her hurt, it had led me back home—to Jace.
Without the worst part of my life, I never would have experienced any of this—this weird, imperfect, beautiful life we were building together.
Where would I be if I’d never come back? I shuddered thinking about it.
So instead, I cheered on the Hawks, counting the minutes until Jace and I could celebrate his break alone.
“God, I hate these post-game interviews,” Hadley whined, leaning her head on my shoulder. “They should ban them when they go into extra innings. Give the guys a break.”
She had a point. My eyes were so heavy, and all I wanted was my bed. Anna was already back at Jace’s place. Chelsea offered to take her back and hang out with her until we got home. As much as she wanted to support us, seven innings was enough.
We stared at the closed locker room door, hoping it would only be a little longer.
But Cam and Jace got pulled into the interview room, so while everyone else headed home, we stayed, hanging out in the family and friends area until they finished up.
Damien and Brianna left right after the game, the latter fussing over her fiancé like a true mother hen.
Ollie had also left quickly, not bothering to wait around to say goodbye.
Hadley was pissed she didn’t talk to any of the guys, but she kept her mouth shut, just frowning as Ollie walked away from the stadium.
“It can’t be much longer,” I said, trying to mask my own impatience. “How many questions could they possibly ask?”
“Enough to ruin my plans for the night,” Hadley pouted. “Always like to help Cam work off his energy after a big win. He’s very…rigorous.”
I covered my ears with a smirk. “I do not need to know any more details than that.”
Hadley rolled her eyes, but, before she could say anything else, my phone rang out from my purse. Chelsea’s name flashed on the screen. “Everything okay, Chels?”
“Yeah,” she said. “But Anna woke up and she’s crying for her stuffy. Do you have it?”
Crap. When Anna had gotten a little fussy earlier, I’d ran out and grabbed her a stuffed hawk from one of the gift shops. She’d cuddled up with it for hours, and I thought she’d taken it with her. “We must have left it up in the box. I’ll see if I can go up and grab it.”
“Is Anna alright?” Hadley asked when I had hung up.
“Yup, just a lost stuffed animal. I’m going to see if someone will let me back in to look for it.”
“You want me to come with you?”
“No, stay here.” I squeezed her hand in thanks. “Let Jace know if he comes out that I’ll be right back?”
I dashed toward the elevators, finding one of the guest relations team members to let me back into the booth.
With a flash of my friends and family badge, he reluctantly agreed, but he warned I had to be fast. We rushed back to the upper levels of the stadium; after he opened the door, I quickly spotted the stuffed hawk hiding out under the couch.
“Thank God,” I groaned as I leaned down to grab it, stuffing it back into my purse.
With a relieved sigh, I headed back out of the booth, looking for the attendant, but he was nowhere to be found.
Oh well. I’d done my part, and the door locked behind me.
But as I walked back to the elevator, someone stepped up to my side, and my entire body stiffened at his proximity.
Tate Lyons.
The man was a legend on the baseball field, known for his impressive batting average and his numerous championship rings. To me, though, he would always just be Jace’s father—the one who had filled his head with doubts and insecurities.
I took a step around him to press the down button, but before I could reach it, he blocked the path, sneering down at me. My jaw tightened, almost unable to stomach the disgust in his eyes. “Can I help you?”
He smiled, and his white teeth were blinding in the fluorescent overhead lights. Tate held out his hand. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, Ms. Woods. No wonder my son is so taken with you.”
His voice was honeyed—almost too smooth, the kind of confidence that made people seem untouchable.
Between that and his broad frame, my knees almost buckled, wishing I’d never come up here alone.
But I kept all that off my face, trying to keep up my air of indifference.
I reached out and shook his hand, hoping the simple introduction was all he wanted from me.
“Thank you, Mr. Lyons. It’s nice to meet you as well. ”
“Please, call me Tate.” His dark eyes flickered, so much like his son’s that my defenses dipped at the sight, but his answering grin broke me out of my stupor. “After all, I think we’re both working toward the same goal: giving Jace the best future possible.”
“What do you mean?”
Tate shook his head. “My son’s made a lot of mistakes in his life, stubborn to a damn fault. Gets that from his mother. But my job is to make sure his mistakes don’t come at the cost of his future—his career. He’s worked too hard to throw it away now.”
“And how exactly is he throwing it away?” I asked, searching for the attendant.
There had to be cameras, something around to capture our conversation, but being alone with Tate Lyons made my skin crawl.
The way he spoke about Jace—more like a commodity than his son—made my fists tighten.
I already hated the man because of how he spoke to Jace, and now, I understood even more.
“Jace played well today, and he’s having a great season. ”
“And yet, he’s still not at the top of the pack. Jace was not meant to be great, Ms. Woods. He was born to be extraordinary.”
Jace’s words from weeks earlier flashed back to me.
You’re fucking extraordinary, Kinsley. No one else could ever compare.
I felt the same way about him. But unlike his father, Jace’s strength came from more than his talent on the field; it was in the way he loved so deeply, how he cared for me and our daughter.
How much he supported his friends and gave every part of himself to his team.
Stats or numbers could never measure those things.
“Jace is that and more, and if you can’t see that, I almost feel sorry for you.”
Tate chuckled, the sound light, but it made my spine stiffen. He shook his head and then stared back at me, his hands finding his hips. “I tried to do this the polite way, Ms. Woods, but you seem determined to force my hand. “
“What does that mean?”
“You are a distraction.” His voice lowered, and I took a step back from him. He followed, lowering his chin to glare at me. “One my son cannot afford to have. You’ve had your fun, but he’s meant for much more than this city, this team.”
I narrowed my eyes to match the intensity of his stare. “And if I don’t want to walk away?”
“Oh, I think you will, Ms. Woods. I am prepared to make a generous offer to help you see reason.”
“Excuse me?”
He chuckled as the color drained from my face. “Tell me, Kinsley: how much would it take for you to walk away from my son for good?”