Page 7 of The Strike Zone

“I haven’t hit like that since the middle of last season, and I go and get a home run on my first pitch during Opening Day. It’s a sign, I know it?—”

“I’ll ask her on a date?—”

I stopped dead.

Tanner stopped next to me.

The pair of us were standing in the middle of the corridor heading to the locker rooms, which wasn’t the best place to stop after a game, seeing as it became an interstate of players, staff, coaches, and sports journalists all rushing around, dodging each other to avoid a collision.

I pulled him to the side before we got taken out by someone not looking where they were going.

It wouldn’t be the first time it had happened.

“What?”

“What?”

“What are you talking about?” we asked in sync, both looking more confused than we probably should.

I held my hand up before he started talking again. “What were you talking about just then? Who are you asking out?”

“Millie. Who are you talking about?”

“Scout.” I sighed.

Scout was all I ever seemed to talk about right now.

Think about.

Dream about.

I was almost at the point where I was boring myself, let alone everyone else.

Nah, who was I kidding? I’d never get bored of talking about Scout Davison.

Tanner held his mouth in a straight line and gave one single understanding nod. “Okay, bud. You go first.”

Dropping a hand on his shoulder, I squeezed in gratitude.

He knew the seriousness of this situation, because he was living it, too, and pining over Millie Robinson, who wanted nothing to do with him. But at least he didn’t have to see her every day.

Now the season had started, I’d be seeing Scoutevery damn day,and I had no plans to go through the same torture of last year, when I took too long to ask her out.

I was not about to sit on my ass again while another dude swooped in and snatched her up.

I was the only one who’d be doing any swooping.

Me, Parker King, catcher for the New York Lions.

Swooper.

“Thanks, man.”

My cheeks puffed, letting out the deep breath I’d taken, and my mind homed in on Scout again. I don’t know what it was about this girl that caused me to forget how to act like a normal human being.

It was miles away from the professional baseball player who could get any woman he wanted. The one who’d never in hisentirelife had a problem asking a girl out.

But Scout made me forget myself.

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