Home Run Baby: A Sports Romance (25 page)

I resist the images flashing in my head, pushing the unobtainable fantasy out of reach. “That’s not what you want, Hunter.”

“It wasn’t before. But it is now.” He slides onto the floor again and balances on one knee by the bed. “Now, I realize that the wacky, crazy, irresponsible life you and I can share together is far better than what I can do alone.”

He reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out an old, discolored baseball. I stare at it and furrow my brow as he presents it to me on his fingertips.

“I think the universe really did smack you in the head with that ball and I’m happy it did. Life is a team sport, Daisy Hawthorne. I want you and this baby on my team for the rest of my life.”

I take the ball from his outstretched fingers, gripping it tightly in my palm. “Hunter…”

“Yeah?”

“Did you seriously just propose to me with a baseball?”

“It was all I had in my car,” he says. “It’s not nearly as impressive as four home runs and a double play but I can redo it later with a ring, if you want.”

I smile. “No, I think you’re good.”

“Is that a yes?”

I stare back at him, nearly bursting with every emotion. He’s right. I never wanted this kind of life at all, but this is Hunter Novak. For him, I’ll make the exception. For him, I’ll go wherever life wants to take us and whatever it wants to give us. It won’t matter because I won’t have to do it alone anymore.

“It’s a
shut the hell up and kiss me already,
” I say.

He grins at me and leans forward, gently sliding over me until our lips touch.

I pull back an inch. “But, yeah — I’m still gonna need a ring.”

“You can pick it out tomorrow,” he says.

“God, you’re perfect.”

He laughs and kisses me again, crushing his lips on mine and I can’t stop the giggles from taking over me.

The door opens and we split apart as Mom and Rose step inside with paper cups of coffee in their hands. My sister instantly smiles with wide, doe eyes behind her glasses but my mother looks just as stern and protective as before.

Hunter clears his throat and sits back in his chair but he holds my hand a little tighter; keeping his promise to never let go of me again, I suppose.

“So…” I look between them all. “Hunter and I have some
news
…”

Rose can barely stop the squeal from shooting out of her throat. She’s been our greatest cheerleader since the beginning, after all.

Mom stands still with her empty hand on her hip and a smirk on her lips. “Yeah, I figured…” She gestures at Hunter. “Come with me.”

She walks back out into the hallway and Hunter tenses up.

“Well, you heard her,” I say. “Go on.”

He doesn’t move. “So, that’s your mother.”

“That’s our mother.”

“She’s a little scary.”

I laugh. “I think you can take her, Hunter.”

A shiver trails his spine. “I don’t.”

I let go of his hand and shove his shoulder. “Go. Don’t worry. She won’t kill you here. Not in front of all these witnesses…”

He smiles and kisses my forehead before climbing to his feet.

Rose stays behind with me and offers Hunter a comforting pat on his shoulder as he passes by her. “Good luck,” she says.

“Thanks, Rose,” he says on his way out.

Once he’s gone, she rushes to my side.
“Tell me tell me tell me—”
I lay the baseball in her hand and she stops. “Okay, what is this?”

“He proposed to me with a baseball,” I say.

“He proposed to you with a baseball?”

I nod. “It was perfect.”

“With a baseball?” she repeats, turning it over in her fingers. “It’s
used
.”

“So?” I snatch it away from her, clenching it like a precious artifact.

“Aren’t baseballs like a dollar each?” she quips. “He couldn’t pick up a new one to propose to the mother of his child with?”

“It was unique! And personal.” I stare at the ball. “I’m going to cherish this memory for the rest of my life.”

Rose sticks her nose up. “John’s proposal was unique.”

I raise a brow. “He banged you on a desk and you two got chased down the block by campus security.”

“How is that not unique?”

I laugh. “Okay, fine. But Hunter is letting me
pick out
my ring.”

“And John knew me well-enough to pick out one I’d adore forever.” She stares at her finger, sighing with love in her eyes. “I bet Hunter doesn’t even know your middle name.”

“Oh, please. Don’t tell me you’re not a little jealous.”

She scoffs. “Of
what
? You and your obviously last-minute, on-a-whim, proposal? Be still, my heart.”

“That Hunter is hotter than John.”

Her jaw drops. “Oh, hell no.”

“Stronger, too.”

“He is not!”

“Have you
seen
Hunter’s biceps? They’re larger than my giant thighs.”

Rose shakes her head. “John Kirby is a
professional
football player
, Daisy. He’s as ripped as an old sheet.”

“He’s a
running back
,” I argue. “His job is to
run away from the larger players.”

“Oh, it’s on now,” she says, leaning forward.

“Is it?”

“
Anyone
can jog around a diamond in predetermined straight lines,” she says. “It takes a real man to rush one-hundred yards with over two-hundred pounds of pure muscle lunging at him from all sides.”

I hold up the baseball. “I’m pretty sure if
halfback
saw this thing flying at his face at ninety miles-per-hour, he’d piss himself.”

“He would not! He’d catch it.”

I laugh. “With his bare hands?”

“Yes!”

“I’d like to see him try.”

“You will! John Kirby could kick Hunter Novak’s ass
any day.
”

“It sounds like you’re trying to convince yourself more than me, Rose.”

She sits back and huffs. “You know what this means, right?” she asks, her brow rising slowly.

“What?” I ask.

“Double wedding.”

I deflate. “Ugh,
no
.”

“Yes!” She bounces in her chair at the idea. “Oh, my god. Yes. Let’s have a twin double wedding!”

“No.”

“Yes?”

“No.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“Why not?” she whines. “Remember when we were kids and we used to pretend we were the
Brady Brides
? We
always
wanted to have a double wedding.”

I wrinkle my face. “I have no recollection of this.”

“Oh, come on. I was Jan, you were Marsha.”

“Why were you
Jan
in your own fantasy dream wedding?” I tease.

“Only
hoes
wanted to be Marsha, Daisy.”

“Ahh, I see.”

“You don’t remember this?”

“Not at all.”

She exhales loudly. “Fine. But I still think we should do it. Small, double ceremony. Close friends and family. Big cake. Eh?
Ehh?
”

“Cake sounds pretty good right now…” I chew on my lip, feeling Rose’s expectant eyes on me. “I’ll think about it.”

She grins and sits back with victory on her face.

I can already see the plans forming in her head, meaning that I’m basically committed to this travesty-in-progress whether I like it or not. It actually doesn’t sound too bad, to be honest, but I’ll let her squirm for a few weeks before caving.

I glance at the door, growing nervous. “They’ve been gone a long time.”

“Want me to go check on them?”

“Yes, please.”

Rose hops out of her chair, still smiling wide. “I’ll swing by the morgue first.”

“Good thinking,” I nod. “And also the cafeteria.”

“For cake?”

“Yes.”

She laughs as she disappears into the hall.

Chapter 32

Hunter

Daisy tightens her grip, practically choking me as I carry her up the stairs.
“Please don’t drop me.”

“I’m not going to drop you,” I say, flexing my arms. “You’re not even heavy.”

“You say that
now
.” She fires a skeptical look. “But we’ve still got
weeks to go
, Hunter. Day in, day out, lugging me around all day to the bedroom, to the bathroom, to the kitchen—”

“Daisy…”
I pause on the landing. “You’re beautiful.”

“Shut up.”

I laugh and move us towards her apartment door. “Do you mind unlocking, please?”

She finds the key in my jacket pocket and opens the door with one hand, keeping her iron clench on me with the other.

“Bed or futon?” I ask her, kicking the door open wide.

“Futon, please.”

I carry her through the darkness, trying my best not to run into anything. I’ve only been here once before and I lack the talent she has for seeing the dark. Luckily, I find the couch in the center of the room and slowly lower her down onto it. She reaches behind her and flicks on the lamp on the end table.

“Okay…” I take a breath. “What do you need? Water? Juice? A blanket?” I smirk. “A mind-shattering orgasm?”

“I’m pretty sure bed rest means no sex, Hunter.”

I blink. “Well, shit…”

“My thoughts exactly.”

“It’s okay. We’ll live.” I lean in to kiss her and she smiles. “There’s plenty of ways we can be affectionate without it.”

“Yeah?” she asks.

“Oh, Daisy… Have you forgotten how good I am with my hands?”

“Maybe. You should remind me.”

I pull from the kiss and stand up. “Later. Right now, there are arrangements to be made.”

“Arrangements?”

“I need to call Devin. See if he’s willing to help me move in here.”

“You’re moving into my apartment, are you?” she asks.

I nod. “Laura and I talked it out. I’ll move in to take care of you so she doesn’t have to close down her firm. She’ll take on fewer clients for a while, just in case, so if something happens, it’ll be easy for her to drop everything and fly back here to help out.”

“L—
Laura
?” She blinks. “You’re on a first-name basis with my mother now?”

I keep talking, drawing more adorable confusion to her eyes. “She’s already emailed me a few listings for apartments across town. Better neighborhoods, extra bedrooms. We need more space.”

“Okay, wait—”

“And I need to call my parents,” I say. “My mother really wants to meet you.”

She frowns. “She does?”

“How about dinner tomorrow night?” I ask, her eyes filling with horror as I make my way towards the kitchen. “I’m not much of a cook, but she’s fantastic. I’ll have her teach me some recipes. Dr. Jones told me to keep you healthy. Less sugar, more protein.”

“Hunter.”

I glance through the empty cupboards, making a list in my head.
Bread, milk, eggs.
“My parents live just outside of town, so we have help there if we need it.”

“Hunter.”

“Do you have extra pillows and blankets?” I ask her, passing through to the hallway closet. “You need to be as comfortable as possible. Couch and bed only. Keep your feet elevated. Sponge baths. I’m personally looking forward to
those
.”

“Hunter.”

I turn to Daisy. She’s sitting up with her hand on her stomach and a serious look on her face. “What? What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“Come here,” she says.

I rush over and fall to my knees by her side. “What’s happening? Should I call 911?”

She takes my hand and lays it on her belly, sliding my fingertips beneath her shirt and across her skin.

I feel it move from the other side. One small, gentle swipe against my hand and my heart stops. I forget to breathe. All of my senses except this one dissolve as I feel my baby girl push against my palm. 

“Wow...” I whisper. 

Daisy reaches out and wipes the lone tear off my cheek. “She’s going crazy in there.”

“Why?” I feel a jolt of panic. “Does it hurt?”

“No. It’s you.”

“Me?”

“I think she recognizes your voice. She missed you.”

I lean in closer and brush my lips along her navel. “I missed you, too,” I say. “I’m not going anywhere, baby. I promise.” Another soft kick strikes my hand and I know she hears me in there.

Daisy pulls me up and kisses me. I embrace her, holding on as if my life depended on it.

Because it does.