She was planting trees this evening. And I knew damn well that tree was for Lorenzo.
That guy rubbed me the wrong way the second I laid eyes on him. Slick. Smiled too easy. Spoke too smooth. If he hadn’t served with Jamie, I wouldn’t buy that he was a soldier either.Vassili, you targeted the wrong guy!
Every part of me screamed Ferri was hiding something.
I gripped my bat tighter as I walked toward the plate.
I didn’t pray for home runs. Didn’t believe in manipulating God like that. But tonight, I burned with hope.
I needed to pull this off. Not just for the team. For me. For everything I couldn’t say to Natasha. For every inch of distance she’d put between us after telling me how somebawbagharmed her. Because I loved her, and she was out there—right now—with someone who didn’t deserve to breathe her air. Her cologne.
Ourcologne.
A humorless laugh choked my throat.
I stepped into the batter’s box.
The crowd was electric—sixty thousand strong, shaking the stadium walls with adrenaline.
Montana stood on third. My brother’s glare warned me to get in the game. Shohei at second. A hotshot rookie just walked to first. The lineup had stacked perfectly.
This was my shot.
The Giants’ closer stood tall on the mound, sweat beading his neck. I glared at him. Ice in my veins, though my heartbeat was a thundering Scottish drum in my ears.
The count climbed fast—strike one, two.
The umpire called a questionable ball.
Hyper focused, my vision blurred the dugout, the fans. Somewhere in those stands, I imagined Natasha chose me tonight.
Even if I was wrong … this was for her.
I locked eyes with the pitcher, my powerful limbs settled into a stance, and I waited.
He threw.
Fastball.
Too low. Too quick.
But I saw it.
Crack.
The sound of connection echoed like a fighter jet.
The crowd surged as I ran.
Montana crossed home to the chants of “Big Country!” Shohei at his heels. The rookie a step after. I rounded third.
By the time my cleats stomped home plate, the dugout had emptied and swallowed me whole. Montana threw an arm around me. Another hoisted me halfway into the air, water bottles exploding.
We won!
A grand slam walk-off.
I was breathless, pumped, laughing.
