by Jaci Burton
His first pitch was a ball, high and outside.
Shit.
Focus, Tucker.
He leaned in, took the sign from Sanchez, then threw the curve. It sailed perfectly and the batter swung and missed for a strike.
Tucker fed on the cheers of the crowd, the noise almost deafening. Focusing, he threw the next pitch, the batter swung and the ball sailed toward right field. For a second, Tucker didn’t breathe—not until the ball landed in Trevor Shay’s glove for out number two. Tucker exhaled, taking in the ever-increasing decibel level from the crowd.
He had to admit he dug it. A lot. It wasn’t distracting to him at all, because his focus was on the prize now.
He absorbed the crowd noise and what was just beyond his grasp. He had this. One batter left. He could feel the win, and the win was all he was going for, was all he thought about. Not the other thing.
The batter came to the plate and Tucker was ready for him. He zinged a curveball and the batter didn’t swing.
The ump called a strike.
The crowd was on their feet now, stomping and cheering as Tucker threw the second, another curve. This time the batter swung.
And missed.
Strike two.
Sweat poured down Tucker’s face, down his back. He pulled off his ball cap to swipe his face with his arm, tucked his cap back on, then stared down the batter while waiting for the call sign.
This game was his. He had the batter and he knew it.
He took the sign from Sanchez, nodded, wound up and threw the pitch.
Curveball.
Called strike three.
Holy shit. He’d just thrown a no-hitter.
Holy shit.
The stadium erupted. Tucker threw his glove down and jumped up and down like a kid. He didn’t care. It was a career maker. Sanchez came running to the mound and so did the infield guys. He was surrounded and tackled and he’d never laughed so hard.
He’d never been so elated, so goddamn relieved a game was over.
“You did it,” Sanchez yelled at him.
The rest of the guys slammed him on the back and Tucker felt tears prick his eyes. He didn’t even try to hold them back as the whole team surrounded him. He looked around at all his teammates, and despite the wild roar of the crowd, he thanked them all, because without their hot bats and their amazing defense, this wouldn’t have happened for him tonight. He owed them everything.
He loved this team. He loved these guys.
The fans were still roaring as he made his way to the dugout.
“You gotta go back out there,” Trevor Shay said.
He did, and lifted his cap to the crowd, making a full-circle turn to acknowledge the entire stadium. They roared even louder. He couldn’t hold back his grin, unable to believe this had happened.
He’d thrown a no-hitter. It was still so surreal. He wasn’t sure when this was going to really sink in.
Wow. Wow. It was something every pitcher dreamed of doing. It was something Tucker had dreamed about since Little League, but never in his wildest imaginings did he think it would ever happen to him in the big leagues.
His coach threw an arm around him.
“Goddamn fine job out there, Cassidy,” Manny said. “One of the best games I’ve ever been a part of.”
Tucker couldn’t hold back his grin. “Thanks, Coach.”
“You’ve got the whole team wanting to hug you and shake your hand, and about a billion press ready to talk to you. It’s your night kid. Enjoy every minute of it.”
“Thanks.”
His pitching coach came over. “I think you can quit worrying about your curveball now, Tucker.”
He laughed. “At least for tonight. Thanks for all your help, Bobby. I couldn’t have done this without you.”
Bobby shook his hand, squeezing his arm. “The talent is all yours, kid. I had nothing to do with it.”
He still couldn’t believe it had happened. He couldn’t wait to talk to his parents and his brothers.
Grant. Grant had come tonight. He hoped he and Katrina and the kids would come down to the locker room. He couldn’t wait to see his brother, and was so damn glad he’d been here for this tonight.
He turned to Manny. “My brother was here for the game tonight. Can you make sure he gets through to the locker room?”
“Which one?”
“Grant. And his girlfriend and her brother and sister.”
“Sure. I’ll take care of it. You just go enjoy the moment.”
“Thanks, Manny.” He couldn’t get this stupid grin off his face. He could imagine his phone was blowing up with calls and texts right now.
But he sure as hell wished Aubry had been here to share it with him.
He was going to see her later. An even brighter spot than this win.
They’d talk. And he’d apologize like crazy to her.
But first . . . all this.
AUBRY SAT IN THE STANDS AND CRIED.
First, she’d cheered like a madwoman, screamed until she was hoarse and hugged both Liz and Shawnelle, all of them jumping up and down like kids. The whole stadium had rocked. She’d been thrilled to be a part of it.
And then she’d cried with utter happiness for Tucker. She couldn’t even imagine what it must feel like for him.
She’d been around baseball her entire life, understood the nuances of the game probably more than she ever wanted to, thanks to her father. She’d watched a few no-hitters on television, and had even been present at the stadium for one before this, when she was a child. She knew what they meant to a pitcher. She knew what it meant for Tucker. It was a lifetime achievement that not a lot of pitchers ever realized. This was so momentous for Tucker. It was a game he’d never forget.
She was so grateful to have been here to see it happen.
She rubbed her arms, amazed to feel the chill bumps there.
For Tucker. She was so happy for him.
After spending some time chatting with Liz and Shawnelle, they made their way down to the locker room, which was an utter madhouse of players and press.
“We’ll never get inside,” she said.
“Ha. Think again,” Liz said, pushing her way past the throng with her agent credentials.
Champagne was flowing. Or spraying. And Tucker was the recipient. He was drenched, as was everyone else within close range. Aubry stood back and absorbed the happiness running rampant through the room. It was a night for celebration, television crews were in there along with print press, and she couldn’t be more excited for Tucker.
She hung back to watch it all.
When she saw her father walk in, he said hello to the press, then went over to talk to Tucker.
Aubry chewed on her bottom lip, wondering how that exchange was going to go.
She eased a little closer so she could hear what they were saying.
“You did a remarkable job tonight, Tucker. I’m so impressed.” Her dad held out his hand.
“Thank you, sir.” Tucker shook his hand.
Cameras caught it all, the two of them smiling at each other. She knew it was all for show.
“I need a break for a second, guys,” Tucker said. “Mr. Ross, can I have a minute?”
“Sure.”
Aubry ducked behind the lockers as Tucker pulled her dad away from the cameras.
The two of them ended up right where she was hiding.
“You can trade me,” Tucker said.
“Excuse me?”
“I’m in love with Aubry, and I don’t intend to stop seeing her. So send me back down to Triple-A ball or trade me. Whatever you want to do.”
Aubry’s heart squeezed.
He loved her. Tears filled her eyes.
He loved her. And he’d just thrown down the gauntlet to her father. Right there, in the locker room, with all those reporters standing five feet away.
Wow.
“Oh,” her father said. “That. Well, I don’t intend to do either.”
Tucker sh
rugged. “Whatever. Just know that you can threaten me with anything you want to, but it’s not going to stop me from loving your daughter.”
Tucker started to walk away, then saw her leaning against the lockers.
Her dad saw her as well. “I’ll let you two talk.”
Her father walked away and she stepped out from between the lockers. She didn’t want to ruin this moment for him, so she smiled and hugged him. “Congratulations on the no-hitter, Tucker. I am so happy for you.”
He pulled back, his expression a mix of worry and utter elation. “You saw the game?”
She nodded. “I had to work late, but I got here. I saw some of it before I got here on the TV in the hospital lounge. As soon as I saw what was happening I raced over. I needed to be at the stadium to see it. For you.”
Someone called his name. He looked back and nodded, then turned back to her. “I’ve gotta do this.”
“I know.”
He grasped her hand. “I still really want to talk to you, Aubry.”
“I heard what you said to my father.”
“I meant it. And I’m sorry. Those words don’t seem adequate.”
She let go of his hand. “We’ll talk when you’re done here. Come over to my place.”
He looked over at his grinning teammates, at the field of reporters. “This might take a while.”
She laughed. “I’m so keyed up I won’t sleep anyway. Call me when you’re done.”
“Okay.”
With a long, lingering look at her, he turned, wandered into the throng and disappeared.
Her father came over.
“Aubry.”
She was still so angry with him, but he was her father, so she’d stand and listen.
“I’ve gotten an earful from your mother, and obviously you heard what Tucker said.”
“I did.”
“I’m so very sorry. Sometimes I let my concern for you outweigh my good sense. And I interfered in your life when I shouldn’t have.”
“You hurt me, Dad. And you hurt Tucker, too.”
“I know. I love you, Aubry. It would kill me to lose you. Please tell me you’ll forgive me.”
She saw the pain in his eyes, and knew without a doubt his apology was sincere.
“I love you, too, Dad. But you have to start trusting in me. My career is important to me. I’m not going to do anything to jeopardize it.”
“I realize that now. I also know you have a fine young man there, who’s willing to change his career to be with you. That says a lot about his character.”
She looked over to where Tucker was answering questions from the press. “Yes. And you owe him an apology as well.”
“He’ll get one from me, but not tonight. Tonight is his night and I intend to give him space to enjoy it. I’ll talk to him tomorrow.”
“You do that.”
Her father stepped forward and grasped her hand in his. “From the time you were a baby I felt it was my responsibility to look out for you, to make sure you stayed on the right path. I guess I need to let you go now.”
He looked so sad it broke her heart. “You never have to let me go, Daddy. You just have to give me the freedom to let me grow.”
He pulled her close and hugged her. She wrapped her arms around him, knowing that the two of them were going to be fine.
“Now you go talk to the reporters and revel in your superstar pitcher,” she said. “A pitcher you were almost stupid enough to let go.”
Her father cocked his head to the side. “I can’t believe you called me stupid.”
“If the stupid hat fits . . .” she said with a smile.
Her dad smiled. “Okay, you’re right. I own the stupid hat and I’ll wear it with all the shame I deserve.”
She laughed. “I’ll talk to you later, Dad.”
She headed out to her car, checking her text messages on the way. Several from her fellow residents all cheering Tucker’s win.
One from Katie that just said, Omgomgomg. A no-hitter! O.M.G. Hope you celebrate appropriately with your stud tonight.
She smiled and shook her head, and hoped they’d get to the point where they could celebrate—appropriately.
She got in her car and headed home.
THAT HAD BEEN EXHAUSTING. EXHILARATING BUT also exhausting. Fortunately he’d worn more champagne than he’d had to drink, celebrating with Grant and Katrina and Leo and Anya, who’d all been thrilled to be at the ballpark for the no-hitter.
Tucker had gotten a huge hug from Grant, and finally kudos from the superstar quarterback who’d told him it was the best damn pitching he’d ever seen.
And Leo had been in awe to be in the locker room, so Tucker had introduced him to all the players and had told them all that Leo had just won his high school team’s state championship. They all congratulated him, and Leo was probably grinning as much as Tucker.
He’d given a ton of interviews, so he drank a lot of water, and showered off all the champagne and sweat before getting in his car to drive to Aubry’s.
He’d talked to his parents and his brothers and sister. He’d never heard his brothers more animated, or more excited about baseball. After all these years he’d gotten his brothers to admit that he was good at this baseball thing. The perfect part of this was he had text messages from all of them celebrating his no-hitter and telling him he was a damn good pitcher.
He intended to save those to throw it in their faces the next time they tried to make fun of him for choosing baseball over football.
It was a good night.
But now was the hard part—facing Aubry.
She’d come to his game tonight. He grinned as he pulled off the highway, unable to believe she’d actually showed up to the game. When he pulled into the parking lot of her condo complex, he was still smiling.
Hell, he might smile for days. He was running on a high that might not ever go away.
At least not until his next loss, which was inevitable.
He hoped it wasn’t too late. Celebrations and interviews had lasted a lot longer than he’d expected them to. But her lights were on, so he knocked lightly at the door.
She answered right away. Her hair was straight, and she wore capris and a T-shirt, so it looked like she’d showered, too.
“Long night,” she asked as she stood aside for him to come in.
“The longest.”
She closed the door. “But the best, right?”
He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Yeah, it was pretty good.”
She motioned toward the sofa, so he took a seat. She sat next to him. “Come on, Tucker. It was more than pretty good. It was amazing. You were amazing. And being a part of it—I can’t even explain what that felt like.”
He so wanted to touch her, to lay his hand on her knee, to tug her close so he could feel her body against his. But he had no right. Not anymore. Not after what he’d done. “I felt the electricity of the crowd while I was pitching. It really helped.”
Her face was lit up with excitement. “I’m so glad. I was wondering if it would be too noisy for you there at the end. But we were all so caught up in the moment.”
“No, it really did help. It was like a supercharged environment, and I really think it was all the positive vibes that helped me win.”
She laughed. “No, it was your talent that propelled you toward that no-hitter tonight. Your curveball was on fire. It was like a perfect storm of pitches. You could do no wrong.”
She was saying all the right things—about his game. “Thanks. It’s a game I’ll remember throughout my entire career. But you know, that’s not why I’m here.”
She took a deep breath, then let it out. “About my dad. I was so pissed at him. My mother is so angry with him. And he’s very sorry. He said he’s going to talk to you about that tomorrow. He owes you a big apology.”
“Well, it happened. The worst part is I didn’t do anything about it. It shocked me at first and I just kind of took a moment—a really long moment, u
nfortunately, to think about what that meant. Like, was he really serious? And if so, what would that mean for my career?”
She nodded. “Understandable. I mean, really, Tucker, I understand. You’ve worked your ass off to get where you are. Once I found out what my father did, I understood the choice you made.”
She was letting him off the hook, and that wasn’t acceptable. He shook his head. “No, it wasn’t okay, Aubry. I didn’t want to tell you what he said because I didn’t want to put you in the middle between me and your father, forcing you to have to make a choice between us. Second, I should have chosen you. Right away, I should have chosen you. Because without you, this career means nothing to me.”
Aubry’s heart did that squeezing thing again, like it always did since she’d fallen in love with Tucker. She swallowed, her throat gone dry as she struggled for a response. “I . . . your career is everything to you.”
“Yeah, it is. But when I tried to keep my distance from you, baseball didn’t have the same spark. So while I love the game, I love you more. And I’m so sorry that I didn’t realize that right away. Please forgive me for hurting you.”
Now the tears fell, and she blinked them back. “Tucker. I love you, too.”
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her, and it was like an explosion of warmth and love and the passion that had always been there with him. It was as if everything in her world was right as long as he was holding her.
“I’ve missed you,” he said, rubbing his lips against hers.
She felt the heaviness of his hard cock pressing against her hip. “I’ve missed you, too. Make love to me.”
He picked her up and carried her into her bedroom, then set her on the bed. He stood next to the bed and pulled off his T-shirt, then unzipped his pants, kicked off his shoes and let his jeans drop to the floor.
Aubry arched a brow. “Commando, huh?”
“I was in a hurry.”
She reached for his cock. “Works for me.”
She stroked him, tipping her head back to watch his face as she wound her hand around him, then put her mouth on him. His loud groans were her undoing, making her dampen and quiver with need.
He pulled his cock from between her lips and pushed her back on the bed.
