“Except, the man she cheated on Shane with—andgot pregnant by while they were still engaged—is someone we talk to all the time.”
“Who?” Colton and I ask in unison.
DJ pauses, glancing toward the back of the plane where Shane sits alone in the last row. Instead of wearing Waves gear, he’s dressed in black sweats and a hoodie, with noise-canceling headphones over his copper hair. His head bobs along to a song we can’t hear as he scowls out the window.
“Mike Ellison, our new game planning coach—also from the Stallions.”
Colton releases a low whistle while I sit back in my seat, blinking. My mind shifts through various memories of Shane storming out of team meetings, refusing to cooperate with Mike.
“That’s…” My heart aches for my teammate. “That’s awful. No wonder he’s always so grumpy.”
DJ hums in agreement. “Shane’s gone on record that he’s not going to date anyone until his career is over.”
“That feels a bit extreme.”
“I agree. This job is a lot easier when you have someone at home.”
His fingers riffle past the diamond and sapphire tennis necklaces around his neck to pull his gold chains out of his collar. The first is a gold crucifix. The second pendant is of his wife, Dulce, her smiling face tilted back in laughter. He kisses the tiny replica before patting it over his heart.
Gratitude flows through my veins that I now have someone supporting me too.
Colton pulls his gaze from the back of the plane, his brow wrinkled. “If Shane said he was staying single, why is he wearing a wedding band?”
The three of us crane our necks in Shane’s direction, as subtle as a group of chattering parrots. A flight attendant hands him a steaming coffee mug, and Shane lowers his headphones as he accepts it with a quiet thank you. The action gives us a clear view of both of his ring-free hands.
“Quit making stuff up,” I tell Colton.
“I swear.” He ducks down, lowering his voice when Shane shifts his icy glare in our direction. “I saw a ring on his left hand while we were climbing the boarding stairs.”
With a muttered Spanish word, DJ shoves Colton, almost knocking him into Trevor and Kai across the aisle.
“Can you guys calm down?” Trevor asks, resting a team tablet on his knee.
“Or better yet, sit down?” Kai adds, staring pointedly at Colton’s rear-end right in his face. “The grownups would appreciate some peace and quiet.”
DJ just laughs while Colton and I open our mouths to go on the offensive. We’re interrupted by a burst of static when our manager picks up the receiver for the plane’s PA system.
“Alright, fellas, take your seats,” he says, crossing one ankle over the other while leaning his shoulder against the wall. “Let’s talk through the Rattlers series—pitching matchups and approach.”
Kai gives Colton a smug smile as he walks away.
I sneak one more glance at Shane before shaking my head. There’s no way he’s married after what DJ just told us. It makes sense for Shane to lick his wounds for a while. Poor guy. I’ll ease up on him about social events now that I know why he’s been so distant.
After this morning’s conversation with Alex, I’llalsobe busy after games for the foreseeable future. A grin lifts my lips as I settle into my seat, listening to Patrick.
For the first time, I have something other than baseball to look forward to.
Chapter 33
Tenny
“Ground to glove!” the infield coach barks at me when I miss yet another short hop. We’ve been doing fielding drills for the last ten minutes, but I keep missing every third ball because I’m looking for Alex. She’s supposed to conduct her pregame interviews on the field today—that’s what Patrick told us on the bus ride over. I should be focusing, but I want to catch the exact second the Arizona sun makes her blonde hair glow.
It’s surprising how much I already miss Alex. So much so that I passed on going out with the guys last night, hoping to video chat with her. In the end, Alex wasn’t available, so the hotel’s pillow-stacked headboard paired with my latest audiobook was my evening entertainment.
Rhett gave me a hard time about it this morning, but there were too many people around to tell him that Alex and I are back together. Then, after breakfast, he tucked away in a corner with his phone, like he’s been doing for the last few weeks. I couldn’t get him alone before I went to lunch with Coach Randy, like I always do when we play in Phoenix. Glancing at the plate where Rhett is doing batting practice, I make a mental note to ask him about his cagey behavior later.
When Alex finally climbs the dugout stairs onto the field, an audible sigh leaves my mouth, followed immediately by a hard grunt when the baseball I failed to catch hits me in the gut. Alex quirks an eyebrow at me, and I’m helpless to do anything but smile back.
