I earned this.
But none of them know that.
“Wilder, come here,” Susan says calmly.
Shit.
I know that name.
I don’t know him, not really, but I know of him. I know he and my brother are tight. I know he’s the team’s golden boy, the pitcher everyone chants for. I know his reputation makes him just as popular off the field as he is on it.
And when he steps forward, every ounce of that reputation suddenly makes sense.
He’s tall. Broad. Tattoos creeping out from beneath his sleeves. Confidence rolling off him. His eyes flick to Susan, then briefly to me.
Heat flares low in my stomach before panic smothers it.
Coach’s voice booms through the tension. “Alright, everyone, out on the diamond!”
Movement erupts around us. Players grab gloves and helmets, filing out in a rush of noise and purpose. Kamden jumps over the bench toward me, his face set with intent, but he’s stopped short when Coach Carson steps directly into his path, hand pressed flat against my brother’s chest.
“I didn’t know,” he says firmly. “Or I would’ve told you.”
“Coach,” Kamden says, his voice tight, dangerous, “I respect the fuck outta you, but I need you to move.”
Susan steps in before Coach Carson can respond, placing a calming hand on Wilder’s shoulder as she angles herself toward my brother. “What’s the problem?”
Kamden lets out a humorless laugh. “The problem, Susan, is that you have my little sister standing in my locker room.”
Every eye snaps to me.
Susan looks over her shoulder, surprise flashing across her face, before she turns back to Kamden. “I had no idea.”
“The last name didn’t give it away?” Wilder says, his voice low as he crosses his massive, tattooed arms.
Damn.
Susan doesn’t flinch. “No, it didn’t. I don’t focus on last names when a young woman with this much drive, intelligence, and determination is talking to me.”
Her words wrap around me like armor.
She glances around the room, unbothered by the tension. “I’m sorry, but I want to work with Amelia. I haven’t found an intern like her in far too long.”
Kamden scoffs. “Well, no shit. My sister is the smartest person I know. Clearly smarter than you.”
“Enough,” Coach Carson snaps.
The room freezes.
“We have a game to get ready for, and I don’t need this shit,” he continues. “If Susan wants your sister here, she stays. If you have a problem with that, you can have a nice long session with Susan.” His gaze hardens as he looks at Kamden. “Now get your ass outside.”
Silence stretches for a beat.
Then Kamden exhales sharply, shaking his head before finally turning away. As he walks out, he glances back at me, his expression softening just a fraction.
I swallow hard, my throat tight.
I don’t know how this is going to work.
