“I don’t want to miss anything,” I tell her. “I’ll wait until the stretch.”
“You know how busy the bathrooms get then. We should go now.” She’s tugging on my arm as she scoots past the others. “Come on, Murphy.”
I’m not sure why she’s so adamant that we go now. Maybe she really needs to pee. Or maybe my face really does need a touch-up.
When we return to our seats, the game is tied 3-3. Brady is up to bat. Caden tells me that pitchers aren’t usually very good hitters, but Brady is good. He hasn’t had as many home runs as Caden, but he does get on base a lot.
As I watch him at the plate, I think about what he told me at the coffee shop. That he lost two people. I wonder if that’s why he is the way he is. I vow to try and get closer to him. Maybe he’d open up to a woman who is a friend. My mind goes crazy with ideas of how I can make that happen.
I guess I lost track of time, because I don’t even notice when the seventh-inning-stretch starts. But what pulls me from my thoughts is when I hear a song blasting over the loudspeakers.
I turn to Lexi, who has a huge smile on her face. “I thought they didn’t play this song here,” I say.
“They don’t,” she tells me, looking like she’s about to burst. “Not ever.”
I look around, confused as ‘Sweet Caroline’ plays in Hawks Stadium for perhaps the first time. Then I become horrified as I look at the JumboTron to see my face plastered on it. I grab Lexi’s arm.
“It’s okay, Murphy.” She nods to the field in front of us.
When I look down, I see Caden walking over in our direction. I’m more than a little concerned that he’s left the dugout during a game. I notice he’s rubbing his right shoulder blade where his tattoo is. It’s something he only does before he goes to bat. He motions for me to come to the wall. I shake my head. I don’t know what he’s doing, but he’s acting very strange.
He laughs at my apprehension.
“Go,” Lexi prods me.
I make my way down the four rows and lean into the net separating us. “What are you doing, Caden?”
He lifts up the net and asks a few guys to hold it. Then he reaches over the half-wall and lifts me over, pulling me onto the field. All the while, the stadium is going crazy singing the song that never gets played here.
“Have you lost your mind?” I shout as he puts me down so I’m standing in front of him.
He laughs again. “I think I have,” he says. “But in a good way.” He looks up at the large screen that shows me the cameras are still focused on us. “I wanted you to have a good experience here, because I hope you will be spending a lot of time in this stadium.”
“Caden, I told you, I don’t care what other people think. I’m going to be here for you no matter what.”
He nods. “And that’s just one of the reasons I love you, Murphy Brown.”
He reaches into his back pocket and pulls something out. Then he drops to a knee and the stadium goes wild. My heart lodges in my throat and I lose all my breath. I look up at Lexi and my mom, who are both crying. I look down at Caden, whose eyes are locked on me as I come to grips with what is happening.
My hand covers my mouth when I see the ring in his hand. Tears stream down my face as I forget about the noise, the JumboTron, the forty thousand people watching. Nothing else matters except this man before me.
I drop down to my knees in front of him, knowing he’d have to yell otherwise.
“I’ve been wanting to do this for months,” he says loudly, so I can hear him over the crowd. “I got this when I was in Florida. But I knew even before then that you were the one. Murphy, the day I hit you with my ball was the best day of my life.” He runs a finger across my scar. “I love your scar because it’s what makes you mine. I love your heart because it’s what makes you compassionate. I love your mind because it’s what makes you strong. I love everything about you. So, what do you say, Sweet Caroline, will you marry me?”
I have no words. All I can do is nod over and over as I stare at him with tear-blurred eyes. He slips the ring on my finger and then he stands up, pulling me with him and into his arms as he swings me around to the cheers of the crowd. He kisses me. He kisses me hard and long.
When our lips finally part, he nods to the screen. “This is one video I want the entire world to see.”
He kisses me once more and then sits me back on the wall.
“I love you, Kessler,” I tell him.
“I love you too, Murphy Brown.” He glances over his shoulder at the dugout, where his team is watching and cheering. “But I kind of have a job to finish up here.”
I laugh as he slowly backs away. But then he shakes his head and jogs back to me. “Shit, I almost forgot. I need the ring back.”
I wrinkle my brow in confusion.
“I’ve had that ring in my back pocket all season, Murph. And it’s been the best season of my life. I’m not about to screw that up now. You can have it on that pretty little finger of yours every other minute of the day—but during game time, it’s mine. In case you didn’t know, you’re marrying a ball player. Our crazy superstitions come with the territory.”
I happily remove the ring and give it to him. Then he takes his hat off and puts it on my head. “If I’m not mistaken, this one will complete the circle.” He winks at me and then turns around to join his team.
Lexi and my mother pull me in for a long embrace when it dawns on me. “You knew about this, didn’t you?” I ask them. I turn to my mother. “You never come to games.”
“We knew,” she admits. “And I guess I’ll be coming to a lot more, now that my future son-in-law is a star catcher.”
“I’d love for you to come to more games when you’re in town, Mom.”
She looks over at Shane and then back to me. “What if I were in town all the time?” she asks.
My jaw drops. “You’re moving here?”
She smiles. “Would that be okay, honey?”
I pull her in for another hug. “That would be great, Mom!”
Lexi squeals in delight. “Oh, we will have so much fun planning your wedding.”
I look at the woman who has become my best friend and think of how Kelly would have loved her. “I know it’s kind of early, but Lexi, would you be my Matron of Honor?”
We’re both crying when she wraps her arms around me. “There is no one else I’d rather have as a sister. Of course I’ll stand up with you.”
It’s hard to concentrate on the game after what has happened. I only hope Caden isn’t having the same problem. When it’s his turn at bat, my body stiffens and my heartbeat shoots through the roof.
He fouls a ball to the left. Then he steps out of the batter’s box and looks over at me. He pounds his chest and points at me. And for the second time today, the crowd goes wild. The stadium is as loud as I’ve ever heard it. The energy around me is palpable. I can barely contain my emotions as I lock elbows with both Lexi and my mother.
Then I watch my future husband step up to the plate.
Crack!
Epilogue
Murphy
Two years later …
Caden does his best to wrap his arms around me as I run my fingers across the bills of the hats displayed on our wall. The word is almost complete now and I wonder what will come next. What wonderful adventures does our future hold?
I wince and he turns me around to face him. “I felt that,” he says, rubbing my belly. “Which one was it, Caroline or CayJay?”
I laugh at his nickname for Caden, Jr. “CayJay?”
“Yeah, it’s a great baseball name, don’t you think? CayJay Kessler.”
“I thought we agreed on C.J.”
He shrugs and then plants a kiss on my cheek. “Whatever you want, Kessler,” he says to me. “But think about it. I bet the name will grow on you.”
I lean in to give him one heck of a pre-game kiss. The twins protest when they get smashed between us, and one or both of them starts kicking again.
I smile down on him and run my fingers through his hair. “Maybe next time, you shouldn’t get your wife pregnant in the off-season,” I say.
“Next time?” he says, looking at me hopefully.
I shrug as I flash him a playful grin.
He plants one more kiss on me before leaving for his game.
I call out after him. “Aren’t you forgetting something, Kessler?” I take my engagement ring off and hold his good luck charm out to him. “You don’t think you’re going to win the World Series without this, do you?”
He comes back over and takes the ring. “Don’t you know, Murphy Brown? I’ve already won.”
Stay tuned for Brady’s story, BENCHING BRADY, coming spring 2018.
If you enjoyed reading about Caden, you’ll enjoy Charlie, Mallory, and Lexi’s stories in the Stone Brothers books:
US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M09FHOJ
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01M09FHOJ
To keep up with my releases, see cover reveals, and get a chance to read ARCs, please sign up for my mailing list here: http://www.samanthachristy.com/contact.html
Lastly, if you would be so kind as to leave a short review on Amazon, I’d be forever grateful. Even just a few words would be lovely. Here is the link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076TFPD7G
Acknowledgements
Catching Caden was a lot of fun to write. Mainly because I’m a baseball mom. For the past three years, my husband and I have spent countless hours carpooling kids, watching baseball and traveling the country with our 12-year-old son. This last year, in particular, was special because we got to go to Cooperstown, NY, so Ryan could play in a once-in-a-lifetime baseball tournament with his team. And to top it off – he hit his first home run there!
It was while watching endless hours of baseball this year that I came up with stories for Caden, Brady and Sawyer.
I couldn’t have written this book without the help of baseball coach and former MLB player, Talmadge "T" Nunnari, whose expertise in all things baseball made this book believable.
I also have to thank my medical expert, Dr. Brandon Crawford, for your guidance on Murphy’s injury. You were very patient with me while I made you take me through every detail of her recovery.
Thank you to my beta readers, Tammy Dixon, Laura Conley, and Joelle Yates. You all contribute greatly to making my books a better read.
Much appreciation to my hard-working editors, Ann Peters and Jeannie Hinkle, who work tirelessly to make sure my novels are in tip-top shape.
And lastly, thank you to my readers. None of this would be possible without you.
About the author
Samantha Christy’s passion for writing started long before her first novel was published. Graduating from the University of Nebraska with a degree in Criminal Justice, she held the title of Computer Systems Analyst for The Supreme Court of Wisconsin and several major universities around the United States. Raised mainly in Indianapolis, she holds the Midwest and its homegrown values dear to her heart and upon the birth of her third child devoted herself to raising her family full time. While it took time to get from there to here, writing has remained her utmost passion and being a stay-at-home mom facilitated her ability to follow that dream. When she is not writing, she keeps busy cruising to every Caribbean island where ships sail. Samantha Christy currently resides in St. Augustine, Florida with her husband and four children.
You can reach Samantha Christy at any of these wonderful places:
Website: www.samanthachristy.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamanthaChristyAuthor
Twitter: @SamLoves2Write
E-mail: [email protected]
Catching Caden (The Perfect Game Series) Page 28
