Page 73 of Worth the Shot

“Looks good.” Wes says, “but mine is better.”

“Now THAT is a nice suit,” Shayne says in approval. I laugh, catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror one last time. The saleswoman helps me out of the jacket and carefully places it back onto a hanger as I disappear into the dressing room to take care of the rest.

“You bringing anyone to this shindig?” Wes calls out.

Miles immediately chimes in, “Aw, is this a setup for your Promposal?”

I can hear Wes shove him and we all laugh, but mine is a little tighter. Mostly because I’m not sure how to handle any questions that might follow my answer right now. Thankfully, Shayne chimes in.

“He’s got a date,” he says, and I can’t tell if it bothers him or if he sees something there too.

“Delaney?” Miles guesses, and I step out of the dressing room just in time to defend our…situation.

“Of course,” I answer, easily.

“Thank god we’re over the just friends speech,” Shayne says as his hands land on his hips, and yeah, he is fully in Dad mode. “That got old real quick.”

“That’s cool. Not gonna lie, she’s pretty hot,” Wes says, matter-of-factly.

“Watch it,” Shayne and I both threaten in unison. Wes throws his hands up in surrender, and Miles laughs, muttering something about him being brave.

The saleswoman packs up our new suits, shoes, and whatever other accessories the guys picked out, and we head back out to Main Street.

Emma’s already there, waiting for Shayne with Luca on her hip. The smile on his face when he sees them, his family that he’s worked so hard to keep here where they want to be, means everything to him. He fought hard for the No Trade Clause, and honestly, I can’t say I blame him.

Luca reaches out for him as soon as he’s in view, and Emma surrenders him with a laugh, smiling as she watches Luca melt into his arms. I don’t mean to stare, but I can’t help it. They have it all in my eyes. Everything I hope to have myself one day.

Emma catches me watching, and her soft smile shifts in my direction. She walks over, places her hand on my arm, and gives it a gentle squeeze, just enough to pull me out of my thoughts.

“Having a kid changes everything, you know?” She turns her attention back to Shayne and Luca as she continues, “And I swear, you never think you can love someone that much until you see them for the first time. But then you watch the person you loved first become a parent and you realize you absolutely can love someone even more than you ever thought possible.” A tear slips from her eye, and I throw my arm around her and pull her halfway into my side.

“You guys are great parents, Em. Luca is lucky to have you two.”

“We’re the lucky ones. I hope we get to watch you be that someday, too.”

I glance back over at Shayne, who’s bouncing Luca in his arms while Luca babbles something that has him laughing like it is the funniest thing he has ever heard.

For a moment, I let myself picture it. A life like that, a family waiting for me at the end of the day. And finally the idea doesn’t feel so far out of reach.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Delaney

Time, please slow down.

That’s all I can think as I stare at Luca, his Mountaineers jersey with his name and the number one on the back stretching across his tiny shoulders as he waddles toward the race car track I just finished building for his birthday. He plops down with all the grace of a falling bowling ball, drool already soaking the front of the jersey. Brennan bought it for him as an early present, since he apparently needed to match his Monty the Moose stuffed animal he got him for Christmas. With a delighted shriek he launches one of the toy cars, airborne, across the rug.

“Goodness,” I say, scooping him into my lap. “Aunt Laney is going to have to start wearing a helmet around here soon.”

He resists at first, squirming and twisting, but when I turn him around to face me his little arms lock around my neck. He buries his wet face into the crook of it and my whole body turns to jelly. For a second I wish I could freeze time, just so I could always remember exactly what it feels like for those little arms to embrace me this way. Bottle up the weight of him in my arms, the sticky baby smell of applesauce and detergent, the way his breath warms my skin. It’s love in its purest form. And then, because God forbid we have a moment, a loud crash startles us both and Luca immediately begins to cry.

“It’s okay, buddy,” I murmur, pulling him closer as I hop to my feet and hurry toward the kitchen.

“What the hell was that?” I call out as we round the corner.

“What da hell,” Luca repeats through sniffles.

“Hey, no,” I whisper quickly, pressing my lips to his hair to hide my laugh. “We don’t say that.”