by Gina Drayer
He felt so good. I started moving, taking my own pleasure from him. He leaned back, easing his hand between us so his finger drug across my clit every time I came down. It wasn’t long before our frantic lovemaking pushed me over the edge.
I screamed out his name, and he answered with a few more brutal pumps, whispered how much he loved me in my ear. As I came down from the high, it struck me just how much I loved this man. The intensity of the moment hit me square in the chest, and I buried my face in his neck and cried.
“Don’t cry,” he whispered into my hair and wrapped me in his arms.
I snuggled into his embrace as he rubbed a hand up and down my back, soothing me. We sat like that for several minutes until I calmed down.
“I’m sorry,” I said, sniffing, the tears finally drying up. “I don’t always know what will set off the tears. I’m so happy you’re here.”
“I had to come.” He pulled back and wiped the last of the tears away. “I needed to see you.”
I pressed my forehead against his and closed my eyes. All my doubts and fears about the future lessened. We could do this. We’d figure out a way to make this work.
We sat there, holding on to each other until the cool air seeped into my damp skin and caused a shiver to run up my spine.
“I should get you upstairs. I just want to spend these next twenty-four hours wrapped in your arms.”
“That’s going to be a problem,” I said, making a face. “I was cleaning out the office and moved a bunch of stuff to my bedroom. We’ll have to move the boxes off the bed before we can get into it.”
He frowned. “You aren’t supposed to be moving boxes.”
“They’re lite. I promise. I needed to make room in the office. I bought a crib, and it’s getting delivered tomorrow.”
His eyes drifted down to my bump. He moved, his big hands covering my growing belly and sighed.
“This is really happening,” he said with an almost reverent tone. He looked up, his eyes suddenly going wide. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. I’m happy. I love you, and I’m already in love with our baby, but this is the first time it seems real.”
I covered his hand with mine. “It’s okay. I say the same thing at least five times a day.”
He smiled and moved me off his lap. “Well, it looks like I need to move some boxes. Did you see where I tossed my pants?”
It took him about twenty minutes to move everything to the front entry. I ordered us food, and we ate in bed while I showed him all the random baby things I’d bought. The clothes, bedding, and toys. Everything in creams and other gender neutral colors.
“Do you want to find out the sex?” I asked, realizing we hadn’t discussed it yet.
“I’d like to know. You’re due in August. There’s a really good chance I could be away when you go into labor. I don’t want to find out over the phone.”
“I’m fine with that. I’ll make sure to wait for the ultrasound until you’re back from Florida. We’ll find out together.”
He looked over the piles of stuff I’d bought and pointed to the black bag sitting in the chair across the room. “What’s that?”
“Oh, I wasn’t expecting you to actually see it. That was your surprise.” I told him about my trip to the adult toy shop and my educational, but still awkward chat with Colleen.
“So are you going to take it out of the bag? Maybe we can give it a test drive tonight.”
With my cheeks burning, I pulled out the box. He snatched it from me laughing. “That is the brightest pink I’ve ever seen.”
“Wait,” I said and removed the vibrator from the box and turned it on.
“Why does it light up?”
“That’s exactly what I said!”
“Now it looks like a tiny vibrating lightsaber.” He held it out like a sword and made a whooshing noise. “Luke, at that speed do you think you'll be able to pull out in time?”
I burst out laughing as he waved it around, making noises.
“Stop it! You’re going to make me pee myself!”
“We should turn off the lights and see how it works in the dark,” he said, crawling up the bed towards me. He pulled my hips until I was flat on the bed and covered my body. His blue-green eyes were dark with desire, and I was already starting to warm up.
“I think that’s an excellent idea.”
17
Cooper
“Looking good, Reynolds,” a fan yelled from the stands as I jogged out to third base.
I tipped my hat to the fan and continued on my way.
Even though these were just exhibition games, for a lot of players on the team, how they performed during training camp would decide whether they got a starting position or if they were playing backup—or even being sent back to AAA ball. It also gave us a chance to study the competition in our division.
The guy in the stands was right, I was at the top of my game. All my stats were up, and I felt great. The offseason training I’d done was paying off, and yes, even the yoga had helped. I was more aware of my center, and that really helped when I was at bat.
But more than that, for the first time in my life, I felt settled. Having Emily in my life, planning for our child, filled a part of my soul I didn’t know was missing. I felt like something in my life was more important than baseball. I mean, sure, there were a lot of things still left up in the air, but we’d figure them out. The first being the fact that I needed to marry that woman.
I understood why she turned me down the first time I’d asked. It was a knee-jerk reaction to the baby. She was right. If we had got married just because she was pregnant, there was a fair chance neither one of us would be happy in the long run. But it didn’t take me long to realize that, baby or not, I wanted Emily to be my wife.
Now, I just had to convince her to say yes.
I’d be back in New York in a little under two weeks. I had a few days before the regular season started, but I wasn’t sure that would be the right time. We had a ton of things to do in that short time. I still needed to convert my spare bedroom into a nursery for when she and the baby stayed over—and hopefully for when she moved in with me. I needed to visit my lawyer and update my estate. Contact my buildings management firm and have her added to the resident's list, the car service, and get her a pass for the stadium. Then there was the ultrasound.
It just didn’t seem like the right time to bring up marriage. There was so much going on that revolved around the baby, I didn’t want her to immediately assume I was still asking because of it— Him? Her? I kind of wanted a little girl with curly, honey brown hair just like her mom. I need to wait until things were a bit more settled before asking her to marry me. But I wasn’t going to wait until the little guy or gal was here.
But time wasn’t on my side. One hundred and sixty-two games was a long time, and I only had until August. Five months, half of them on the road. The other half I’d be getting home well after midnight.
It was going to be hard, but there was no doubt in my mind that we’d be able to make it work. I might even be able to talk her into joining me for a long weekend while I was on the road. A romantic weekend trip would be the perfect time to ask her.
The crack of wood hitting leather rang out across the lawn. The crowd was on their feet as the St. Louis batter hit a straight line drive to center field. The runner passed first and easily rounded the corner to second. They were down three in the game with one more inning to go. As the next batter stepped on deck, I knew the runner was coming my way.
I put away the thought of the future and focused on the game.
The runner kept inching toward third. I’d played against him before and knew what he was planning. Greg looked over his shoulder at the runner and back to me. We had a silent conversation in that one look. I stepped off the base and prepared for the throw, twisting my cleats into the dirt to give me better traction.
Greg pulled into the pitch. The runner took off to third. With a quick twist of his body, Greg turned and rocket
ed the ball my direction. I was turning as soon as I felt that distinctive thud of ball meeting glove, and swept the ground to tag the sliding runner. Our bodies met, the force of the impact knocking me to the ground. The umpire called him out. And the crowd roared.
It was all over in a split second.
But as the runner hopped up and dusted the dirt off his pants, I knew there was something wrong. Pain shot up my leg as I rolled onto my side. Above me, the umpire waved a timeout, and the third base coach came running up the line. My knee was on fire, and I thought I was going to throw up.
The coach crouched down and put a hand on my shoulder. “Hold on Coop,” he said, signaling to the dugout. “The trainer will be here in just a sec.”
Greg left the mound and was kneeling by my side. “Hang on. Doc is going to take care of you.”
When the trainer jogged up, I already knew it was bad. He eased me onto my back and straightened out the knee.
“Does it hurt when I move it like this?”
I nodded and squeezed my eyes shut as my entire body broke out in a clammy sweat. Doc kept prodding my knee, and it was all I could do not to scream out in pain.
Greg grabbed my hand and squeezed. “You’ve got this.”
“We’re taking you to the hospital,” Doc said and waved over the paramedics.
By the time they strapped me to a backboard, the entire team was on the field giving me words of encouragement. Kevin took my hat and glove.
“Is there anything I can do for you?” he asked as they started wheeling me away.
“Call Emily. I don’t want some asshole reporter telling her I’m injured. Call her and tell her I’m okay. Tell her I’m going to be just fine.”
But even as I said the words, I wasn’t sure they were true.
18
Emily
The new building was perfect. We’d already accepted three more families and were interviewing another this afternoon. The media attention and Ben’s help also meant that we were receiving new donations at a record pace. Tony was applying for a grant to expand the after-school program, and I had an ad out to hire another full-time person.
Personally, things were better. The morning sickness was all but gone. Although, I still couldn’t stomach broccoli. And outside of the need to pee every three minutes and my almost insatiable sex drive, I was feeling great.
After Cooper’s visit, I felt like we were finally on solid ground. Starting a family like this wasn’t ideal, but I finally felt like that was what we were doing—starting a family. A real family.
I pressed my hand on my growing belly. The tears were already stinging my nose, and I sniffed, trying to stop them. That’s one thing my second trimester didn’t fix; my wildly fluctuating emotions. I just started carrying boxes of tissue with me to save time.
“Don’t cry, Ms. Emily. I’m sure he’s going to be okay.”
I looked up to see Mica standing in the doorway, brow creased with worry. “I’m fine. It’s just the baby again.” I rubbed my belly and smiled him.
“So Cooper isn’t hurt?” he asked, confused.
I froze, and my heart picked up to a frantic pace as dread flooded my system. “What do you mean? Why do you think Cooper is hurt?”
“I’ve been watching the score on the new computer. Cooper was telling me that a lot of the guys put in some extra training during the offseason and he thought that New York could make it to the World Series this year. Especially, since they had such a good season last year and they only traded the one player—”
“Mica! What about Cooper?”
“Oh, yeah, so I had the sports channel pulled up on the internet watching the scores, and it said that Cooper was taken to the hospital.”
“The hospital? Are you sure? You’re positive they said Cooper’s name.”
“Yes. That’s why I came down here to see if you had any news. Is he okay?”
I had no idea. Would anyone bother to call me if something had happened to him? God, I didn’t even have my phone on me. I put it on silent during our last meeting. I ran around my desk and pulled open my drawer. I’d missed five calls and had three messages waiting. There were several numbers I didn’t recognize. Not one of them was Cooper’s.
With a shaky hand, I dialed my voicemail and listened.
“Hi, Emily. This is Kevin Chadwick. We met at the Literacy Ball and at the New Year’s Eve party. Coop asked me to call you. Um… I’ve never made a call like this. He got hurt during today’s game, but he’s going to be just fine. They’re taking him to the hospital now.”
“This is Greg Fitzpatrick. I play with Cooper. He injured his knee when another player collided with him. They’re taking him to the hospital to do some tests right now. I know he’d want you to be updated. I’ll call back when I know more.”
“Hi, Emily. It’s Greg again. The trainer says he may have torn his ACL. If he did, they’re talking possible surgery. Is there any way you can get down here? It’s a pretty serious injury, and he’s going to need all the support he can get.”
I collapsed back into the chair, letting the phone slide from my hand. I didn’t even know what an ACL was, but Greg had said it was a serious injury. How serious? Enough to need surgery.
“Ms. Emily are you okay? Tony! Tony come here! Tony! Emily needs help.”
“No. No. I’m okay,” I said, wiping the tears from my face. I hadn’t even realized I’d been crying. I felt numb. “I have to go. Thank you for telling me.”
“What’s wrong?” Tony came running up the hall. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
“It’s Cooper—”
The phone rang in my hand before I could explain and I answered it, hoping for some more news.
“It’s Ben. Has anyone called you?”
“I just got the messages. Greg said he was going to have surgery.”
“Did he say what the injury was?”
“He said ACL. I don’t know what that means.”
“Fuck. It’s his knee. This injury could mean the end of his career.”
“I have to get off the phone and book a flight.”
“I’m sending my car now. Just go to the airport. I’ll take care of the ticket for you. This is bad, and he’s going to need you to be there with him.”
I got off the phone and took a deep breath. I couldn’t break down now. I had to keep it together long enough to get on a plane. Once I was in the air, I could cry.
“I’m leaving for Florida. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone.” I walked over to my desk and started packing my laptop. Feeling calmer than I had a right to be. “I’ll take my computer, and I can do some work remotely. You’re going to have to do the orientation with the new staff and call Joni Fitzpatrick. She might be able to get some volunteers to fill in while I’m gone.”
“Do you need a ride to the airport? I can call Lisa and have her pick you up. I’m worried about you. You’re white as a sheet.”
I took a deep breath and squeezed Tony’s arm. “I’ll be fine. I can handle what’s going on with Cooper if I know you’ve got everything here handled.”
“You can count on me. Mica and I will take care of things here while you take care of Cooper.”
19
Cooper
“I’m not convinced it’s a complete tear. But I’d still recommend surgery.”
Complete tear. Partial tear. It didn’t matter. All I knew was that this was the same injury that ended Ben’s career. It was the same injury that forced dozens of baseball players into early retirement.
I wasn’t sure what to do. These goddamn drugs were making it hard for me to think. It was like trying to wade through the Florida swamps.
“What did Doctor Pete say?”
“He reviewed your file. But I’m sure he’ll also recommend surgery. It’s the best option for injuries like these.”
“Fuck that. Until Doctor Pete says surgery, I’m not letting anyone near my knee.”
Waiting for the team’s orthopedic surgeon was its o
wn kind of special hell. The hours crawled by at an incredibly slow pace, and the fucking nurses wouldn’t leave me alone. The game had gone on without me and had finished up hours ago. A few of my teammates had made it to the hospital to check in on me, but I was waiting for Kevin.
“You know there are easier ways to get some time off,” Kevin said as he walked through the door.
“You know me. I don’t do easy. What took you so long?”
“Coach kept the starters after the game.”
“Already planning my funeral? Did you at least call Emily? Did you tell her not to worry?”
He shook his head and pulled my phone out of his pocket. “I tried to call, but she didn’t answer.”
“Fuck. I hope the press hasn’t started hounding her. The last thing she needs is to deal with those assholes. She doesn’t need that kind of stress.”
It wasn’t like her not to pick up. It was possible that she’d left her phone at home. Just the other day she confessed to having what she jokingly called baby-brain. She said she was getting more and more forgetful. But still, it wasn’t like her.
“Don’t worry. Greg got her number from Joni and has been leaving messages.”
Like that was supposed to make me feel better. Greg didn’t mince words. I wanted her reassured, but he wouldn’t sugarcoat the injury.
I tried her cell myself, but it went straight to voicemail. I disconnected and pulled up the number for the shelter, deciding that might be the best way to reach her.
“Tony, it’s Cooper. Is Emily around? I can’t get her on her phone.”
“She probably hasn’t landed yet. How are you? Emily said you needed surgery.”
“Wait. What?” I couldn’t have heard that right. “What do you mean, she hasn’t landed yet?”
“She left for the airport about five hours ago, but I’m not sure when her flight was or when she was due to land. All I know is she’s headed down to see you.”
