Duke glided his fingertips along the length of her arm, over the curve of her shoulder, and up the back of her neck. “You’remy greatest gift,” he breathed before kissing her once more. A long, lingering kiss that offered that ever-intoxicating thrill and, as unspoken as it might be, the promise of more to come.
Viv knew that the baseball practice would end soon and that, in mere moments, the twins would rush over and ask Duke if he could stick around and play ball for a while. But moments like those were a joy of their own. Almost equal to the time they shared alone.Almost.
An entirely new thrill shot through her as she considered just how many wonderful moments awaited them in the days, months, and even years ahead. What a rewarding game life could be.
Chapter 25
The moment had come, and Duke could hardly believe it. He’d seen his brothers, and his sister too, fall in love, take their vows, and step into a world of nuptial bliss.
Sure, he’d also seen firsthand that newlyweds had their problems, but Duke couldn’t deny that his siblings were the happiest they’d been.
Now he knew why, and he planned to do something about it right there at Dodger Stadium.
“When are they bringing up the snow cones?” Dante asked as he followed Duke up the steps. The little guy had waited for the opportune moment when the stadium organ finished a pre-game piece with a flourish.
“The snow cone guy will come up whenever we’d like him to,” Duke said. “We just wave him up.”
Diego took a step ahead of him and looked over his shoulder. “That’s cool.”
Duke pulled in a deep breath, enjoying the savory smell of Dodger Dogs mixed with the buttery aroma of fresh popcorn. Memories of cheering beside his dad in that very stadium flooded his mind. Randomly throughout the game, Dad would nudge Duke with an elbow, only to shoot him a wink and a grin and say,“How are you enjoying the game, sport?”
He was a great dad. And from what Duke had observed over the years, a great husband too. Sure, Mom and Dad had their share of issues over the years, particularly after Winston was born, from what Mom said, but Duke was grateful they’d made it work.
The Benton clan had witnessed—first hand—demonstrations of love, compromise, and endurance. Through it, Duke and his siblings learned to be loyal to the family, its name, and those they loved.
Duke’s list ofthe ones he lovedhad grown by three over the last few months. Or perhaps it had really only grown by two. After all, he never had fully stopped loving Vivi. Those twins though…they were something else. He shook his head in wonder.
An odd thing had happened since Dante and Diego came into Duke’s life—he felt closer to his dad. The odd part was that his father had passed seven years ago. But perhaps it was the sense of father-like love he felt for the twins. The unexpected drive to nurture, protect, and provide.
And the crazy thing was, after years of accepting that kids, in general, would never like him, Duke had gained the twins’ love without even trying. It’d been as natural as breathing. As if maybe, just maybe, they were meant to belong to him one day.
“How do those hats fit?” Duke asked them.
Diego took another step. “Awesome!”
“Perfect,” Dante agreed, giving his new Dodgers hat a tug at the bill.
“Good. We better hurry and get back up there.” Duke set his sights back on the executive club suite where the rest of their group waited.
He’d recently upgraded the suite to accommodate their growing numbers. The indoor private lounge area now had, in addition to its full kitchen and multiple food stations, two luxury bathrooms instead of one, half a dozen wide screens, and over thirty outdoor stadium seats. Dad and Grandpa would be proud that the tradition still carried on in style.
Home games at the Dodger stadium were always a family affair. This time, Viv’s parents were joining them too. An onslaught of nerves took over as he considered what he was about to do—with, he might add, the full blessing of Viv’s father, Emilio.
The recollection alone gave him a level of peace. Things would go smoothly. They would.
Hopefully.
“When are they going to have you go back down to do the first pitch?” Diego asked.
“Probably in a few minutes,” Duke answered.
“Lots of presidents have done the first pitch,” Dante said.
“They sure have,” Duke agreed. “Since it’s early on in the season, they’re letting boring old me do it.” He shrugged. “That sometimes happens when you sponsor a giveaway for the night.”
They’d made it to the suite’s entrance now. Dante pushed open the door and motioned for Duke and Diego to go ahead of him.
“Thanks, man.” Duke gave the little guy a fist bump before heading in. Once inside, he paused to survey the scene, a rush of emotion pushing through him.
