Page 95 of Stolen Bases

“Just like your daddy, right?” I poke my niece again, making her squeal.

“Hey, I take offense to that,” Jace grouses. “I’m not a bear.”

“Take offense to what?” Eli asks, stepping into our circle. He must have come from work because he’s wearing an expensive suit tailored to his body.

“I was messing with Jace.”

“Uncle Cam called my dad a bear,” Rhys interjects. “My mom’s just grumpy because she’s having a baby.”

“Rhys,” Rylann gasps.

“What?” He shrugs like he didn’t just drop a bomb on the group.

Jace wraps an arm around his wife’s shoulders and kisses her temple. “I guess the cat’s out of the bag.”

“Wait, you’re serious?” Eli asks.

“Deadly,” Jace says proudly. Last Thanksgiving, he mentioned wanting more kids. I guess he wasn’t messing around. “I knocked her up real good.”

Rylann slaps my brother in the stomach. “Ace, knock it off. I’m sorry, guys. We were going to wait until we were at your parents’ house for the barbeque tonight to tell everyone.”

“Wait for what?” my dad asks, stepping into the circle with my mom, Mason, and Emery in tow.

“To tell everyone Mom’s pregnant,” Rhys says, ruining the surprise twice.

“Rhys!” Jace shouts.

“Really?” Mom asks. Her hands clutch to her chest, and you can’t miss the glassy sheen in her eyes.

Rylann removes Riah from the contraption on her chest and hands her to Jace, who Riah slaps in the face with a drooly hand. Ry turns to the side and with her hands smooths the dress covering the slight bump on her stomach. “Thirteen weeks.”

My mom lets out a scream before wrapping Rylann up in a bear hug. Emery joins the two of them as they all start talking about how she’s feeling and when the baby is due. My dad and Eli congratulate Jace before getting in on the baby conversation. I’d bet anything Mason and Emery aren’t too far behind Jace and Rylann.

I turn to Jace. “Congrats, brother.”

“Thanks, man. I’m real fucking happy about it.” Jace watches Rylann with starry eyes as she chats with our family. His happiness is palpable.

My stomach twinges with jealousy. I want that. Maybe not all those kids yet, but I want to look over at my girl and not hide how I feel.

Out of the corner of my eye, thick raven-hair shimmering in the sun catches my attention.

My girl.

The organ in my chest takes off at a gallop as she smiles. She’s surrounded by a group of women who all eerily look like her, with black hair, voluptuous curves, and olive skin. With her attention occupied, she hasn’t seen me yet, so I stand back and observe. My eyes scan her from head to toe.

My sexy little pixie is wearing blue and white sneakers, tiny cutoff jean shorts that show off her muscular legs, and an Evaders jersey. She turns around, giving me a view of her full ass and…

What the fuck?

Across her back, it saysRomero.

Anger and jealousy rip through me. My blood pressure spikes, and my lungs freeze like I’ve just taken a blow to the stomach. Fisting my hands at my sides, I force my feet to stay planted.

Don’t do it,my head screams at me.

Eli lands a punch on my shoulder, pulling me out of the green haze obstructing my vision and begging me to go postal.

“Dude, stop staring.” Eli is a few inches shorter than me, but he’s still strong. He forces me to turn and face my family. “Are you okay?”

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