Page 57 of Verdict

And for once—if only for today—I felt chosen.

The Aviators chose me. They saw my talent, my ambition, my potential. They saw me.

And they still wanted me.

Me: You are looking at the newest Austin Aviator!

Walker: You realize you’re not on the team, right?

Weston: Congrats, Ava. That’s badass. You deserve it.

Addison: Congrats, Avs! Between Walk, Farrah, and now Ava, I feel like the Aviators should name a conference room after our family or something. Maybe even a section of the stadium…

Walker: I like it…The Walker James Room. Or The Walker James Deck. Or even lounge or club, I’m not picky.

Weston: Dipshit.

Addison: Not what I had in mind.

Me: Thanks for the hookup, Walk. This is a literal dream come true and Ellie will be in the same building with me every day!

Walker: I just dropped your name. You closed the deal. You’re going to crush it. Have you told Coh?

Me: ………

Walker: AVA JAMES. You do realize he will find out. You know….by seeing you at the field. And by realizing HIS DAUGHTER is there.

Me: I know, I know. I’m telling him today. Chill.

I notified my firm that I wouldn’t be returning after my maternity leave. They weren’t thrilled, but they understood. I was starting my new job with the Aviators in a week, and somehow, I still hadn’t told Cohen.

I didn’t know why I was so nervous about his reaction, but I was. He was on his way over now to pick up Ellie for the afternoon. With the Aviators entering playoff mode tomorrow, Cohen’s schedule was about to get even more demanding, which meant limited time with her.

When he stepped into my apartment, I immediately noticed something was off. Dark circles shadowed his eyes. His chocolate-brown hair was more disheveled than usual, the scruff along his jaw thicker. He looked exhausted.

We’d both been carefully skirting the space between us lately—but me being the Nosy Nelly I was, I couldn’t help myself. I had to know what was going on.

“Hey,” I said gently. “Everything okay? You look tired.”

He rubbed a hand across his jaw. “You saying I look like shit, Trouble?” The nickname eased some of the tension between us. A welcome reprieve from the awkwardness we’d fallen into.

I shrugged. “You don’t look great, CoJo.” I rested my hands on my hips. “What’s going on?”

He sighed. “I'm just stressed about the playoffs, we've got a tough schedule, and I'm not as confident without your brother on the mound if I'm being honest.” He lifted Ellie from her Boppy and held her up, her giggles filling the room. “There’s my girl.”

I nodded. “Yeah, I get it. But you've got a great pitching staff. The bullpen is stacked.”

He chuckled. “I love how much you know about baseball.” Then, as if he’d realized the warmth in his voice, he cleared his throat and straightened, settling Ellie against his chest. “Yeah the bullpen will save our ass, but we're still missing a strong ace in our starting rotation. Everyone thinks the new guy we got in July is it. I'm not convinced yet.”

He wasn’t wrong. Walker’s retirement had left a noticeable gap.

My fingers worried the hem of my shirt. Since we were already talking about the team, I figured now was as good a time as any to bring up the job.

“So,” I said carefully. “Not to abruptly change topics. But I’ve got some news.” I glanced down. “I got a new job.”

Cohen smiled immediately. “That’s great, Ava. Congratulations. I know you've been stressed about going back to your old firm.”

“Yeah. Thanks.” I swallowed. “But there’s more. I got a job with the Aviators.”