I turn in time to see Gabby marching down the stairs to our seats. Other than her tight smile to passersby and the slight dip between her eyebrows, she almost looks normal. But as her best friend, I can tell something is wrong. I know she loves her job but she’s been very stressed lately. Before we have a chance togreet her, Gabby grabs Taylor’s beer out of her hand and chugs it back in one gulp, shocking us both into silence. Taylor quirks her head and blinks rapidly as if asking herself if that really happened.
Clearing my throat, I ask, “Uh, Gabby? Is everything okay?”
“Just peachy.” Taylor purses her lips. The team lines up for the National Anthem so we give Gabby a minute to settle down.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Tay presses when the pregame activities are over.
“The rookie at Triple A is already causing issues, and I am having to deal with it.” Gabby drops into her seat. “He’s a grown ass man. I don’t have time to babysit and police morality clauses.” She throws her hands up with a huff.
“What’s he doing?” I ask, popping a nacho into my mouth.
“What is henotdoing is the better question.” Gabby rakes her hands through her hair in frustration. “Can we talk about something else?” She struggles letting people in and never wants to feel like she is complaining.
“Sure, but if you want to talk about it, we’re here.” Tay and I both lean in to squeeze Gabby into a group hug.
“Can we talk about how hot Preston looks in baseball pants?” I ask, making the girls laugh and effectively breaking the tension.
The Music City Troubadours may have ended last season with the worst record in the league, but they start the game strong. The team seems to have clicked over the off-season. Preston and Miller were both huge influences on team chemistry and it’s paying off on the field. I’m so proud of him.
“Who’s that girl Miller is talking to in the dugout?” Tay asks.
Looking over, I find Miller leaning over the rail of the dugout talking to a blonde haired girl.
“I think she’s the new team photographer,” Gabby responds, taking a sip of her beer.
At least she isn’t chugging them anymore.
“She’s cute,” I say. I can only see her profile butthe megawatt grin on Miller’s face tells me he agrees. “How much do you want to bet he just told her a dad joke?”
“He’s such a goof,” Taylor says, watching Miller run to grab his bat because he wasn’t paying attention to his turn in the lineup.
“He is.” I can’t help but shake my head and laugh at him. “But, he’s our goof.”
Miller and I have gotten close. He’s the brother I never had, though it’s debatable whether he would be the younger or older brother.
The game continues and the home team wins 4-0. As the team celebrates on the field, we celebrate with the crowd in the stands. I love living here. It’s so different from L.A. where everyone wanted to know where Ivory Crenshaw was and the media hounded me. In Nashville, for the most part, the general public leaves me alone.
The normalcy of watching my boyfriend play baseball from the stands instead of a private box is something I have never had. It’s just another thing Preston has given me. As the crowd disperses, we make our way down to the field to congratulate the guys.
“Tay-Tay!” Miller rushes to the gate and wraps Taylor up into a bear hug. “When did you get into town?”
“Ew, you’re sweaty. Get off me!” She acts like she hates it but I see the twitch of her lips over his shoulder. Watching Miller and Taylor together is always hilarious.
“Gabby Gab!” Miller exclaims, moving to her next.
“That’s not my name.” She dodges his embrace and turns to Preston.
“You both played great today. So proud of you.”
“Thanks, Gabs. It was a good team win today.” Preston finally felt comfortable giving Gabrielle a nickname after he moved in.Instead of calling her Gabby like the rest of us, he calls her Gabs. I love their friendship. It’s a lot like mine and Miller’s.
“You mean my epic protection of home plate?” Miller winks.
“Shut up and go shower.” Preston pushes him away, towards the dugout.
“By myself? Are you not coming?”
“What, do you need me to hold your hand or something?”
