two or three glasses of this.” Clark holds up an aged bottle of Macallan.
“Come on in.” I wave them inside with a sigh.
Walker and I haven’t been the same since he discovered Colleen and me originally, and I’m kind of surprised he’s here.
“How are you holding up?” Clark asks as I take three highball glasses down from my cabinet and hand them over to him.
I watch as he pours the brown liquid healthily into them. “I’m all right.”
“And Colleen? I still can’t believe it, man. But then again, you do always play your cards close to the vest.”
“Something like that,” I grumble. “Good job on the wins guys, that was awesome. Can’t believe we’re in the series.”
“Would have been an easier fight if you didn’t put us in the position of losing you on the roster.” Walker’s voice is unreadable.
I hang my head. “You don’t think I know that? I hate that I let my team down.”
“Psh, don’t listen to him, you let no one down. If she’s worth it, then she’s worth it.” Clark, the most unlikely of romantics, hits me with wisdom far beyond his intellect.
“She’s worth it,” I say sagely, taking my glass and downing a large gulp of burning liquid.
“You love her, or else you wouldn’t be willingly facing a firing squad every day,” Walker finally says, tilting his head to observe me.
“I do love her, very much. So much so that I let her go. She balked, got scared a few weeks ago and broke it off. I was going to let her. And then …”
“And then Hannah and Shane happened.” Walker nods his head, finishing my sentence.
“I can’t say I’m shocked by that one. But you guys saw it?” Clark’s eyes turn ominous, like he’d like to sucker punch our ex-teammate, too.
The minute the organization found out about his domestic abuse charges, they dropped Shane faster than a boiling hot potato.
Walker glances at me, and in his eyes, I see the same emotion I saw that night he cradled Hannah to his chest. He understands how I feel about Colleen, how I could give it all up for her, because he feels the same way about a woman who is currently hurting both physically and emotionally in the worst way possible.
“It opened my eyes to everything I was letting pass me by. I was wasting time, pretending that baseball or life without turmoil was more important, or maybe safer, than what my life would be with her in it. Obviously, it’s all blowing up in our faces, but I almost can’t care. Because at the end of the day, I have her by my side. That’s what really matters.”
All three of us drink in unison, and then Clark sputters on a laugh.
“Jesus, you sound like a general about to leave his woman home and go off to war. I need some of your lines to perfect for my next batch of women.”
My eyes practically roll to the back of my head. “You’re a horny asshole.”
“And proud of it,” he beams. “But just know that us two and the rest of the guys are campaigning hard to get you in that starting lineup. Your love life shouldn’t dictate whether you step out onto the field, that’s bullshit.”
When I look at Walker, he’s nodding his head in agreement. A silent truce passes between us, two men who both know how it feels to be in love with the wrong woman.
I just hope that, eventually, it works out for both of us.
39
Colleen
My uncle’s office door is ajar as I make my way to it, the tune of the death march ringing in my ears.
This is what it must feel like to walk into the principal’s office or be called in by your boss, knowing you’re about to get fired.
I knock out of habit, even though Uncle Daniel is pacing the carpet and can clearly see me.
“Come in,” he says in a tone that should be reserved for an annoying fly buzzing around your head.
“You wanted to see me?” I ask politely, though there is an undercurrent of malice under my breath.
He’s been a complete dictator since the news of my relationship came out. Practically forcing my own hand to write my resignation letter, threatening me in meetings in front of our staff, and saying that he’d plant whatever stories he had to get me out. That last one had gone too far, and he mentioned it to Walker, who in turn told him he’d do no such