Page 83 of Make My Heart Malt

“I’m a bartender. It’s not something I can do remotely.” I laugh.

“Then it becomes a personal decision and one you’d have to talk out with Garrett. I will say you’ll develop a bond with all the wives and girlfriends over time. We’re like family. Melanie has helped me a lot with what to expect with having kids and traveling.” Tori rests her hand on Melanie’s. “We’ve become like sisters.” Melanie gives her a warm smile.

Over the next hour, we chat about their lives and mine. There's definitely a bond between the baseball wives and girlfriends that not everyone understands. If this becomes my life, it will be great to know I'll have an entire support system waiting with open arms.

After lunch, we head to this stadium. I follow Melanie and Tori’s lead since I’m the newbie. At the box office, we collect our family seating tickets the guys had set aside for us. A security guard escorts us to our entrance. As we stroll through the tunnel, the sunlight grows brighter as it opens to the field. This stadium, being their spring training field, is smaller with less seating, but there’s still a decent size crowd. We hike up the stairs to our seats a few rows up behind the Warblers’ dugout. Sitting on the edge of the folding seat, I scan the field until I spot Garrett. A rush of emotions, from excitement to sadness, flows through me at seeing him in his uniform and a backwards Warblers cap. I hate that we lost so many years away from each other. But I love seeing him in his element. He was always meant to play baseball. Watching him on the field, it’s clear this is his dream. Bonus points, him wearing his uniform is a total thirst trap.

Over the next several minutes, I’m mesmerized by Garrett as he catches balls and tosses them back to another player. The kids yell for their dad and wave when they have his attention. Before the game is about to start, each team goes to their respective dugout. The Warblers are up to bat first. After the first batter strikes out, Garrett walks out onto the field. He swings the bat, loosening up his arms before he steps up to the batter’s box. He bends his knees, hands slightly parted, gripping the bat. The pitcher for San Diego throws. The ball crosses the plate a little high, but the ump calls a strike. My foot bounces against the concrete. Come on, Garrett. He retreats a step and loosens his shoulders before returning to the plate. Once again, he gets into position. The pitcher slingshots the ball toward the plate and Garrett swings. The bat connects with the ball, sending it soaring to center field. It bounces off the ground before the San Diego player catches it. Garrett rounds first base and sprints toward second. The outfielder throws the ball toward the second baseman. When Garrett’s a few feet away, he dives, sliding on his stomach. His fingertips graze the base just as the second baseman tags him with his glove. The ump waves his hands, signaling safe.

The Warblers finish their at bat with one run scored by Garrett. Now I get to watch him do what he does best. He saunters onto the field and stands behind home plate. He laughs with the ump before crouching down. I can’t help but drop my gaze to his ass. Seconds before the pitcher throws the ball, Garrett moves to his knees and kicks his leg out. As the ball sails through the air, the sound of cheering fills the stadium. The batter swings, but the ball lands directly in Garrett’s glove. The ump calls a strike. I clap my hands and scream from my seat. With the next pitch, the batter makes contact and sends the ball flying toward theoutfield, where Randy acrobatically catches it, resulting in an out. The second batter strikes out. The third batter hits the ball deep to center field. Randy catches it, then throws to Joe while the runner rounds third base. Come on. Come on. I wring my hands together. Joe throws to Garrett, and within seconds he snatches the ball out of the air, swoops his arm down and tags the player out. I jump to my feet, cheering and clapping.

The Warblers win four to two. After the game, Melanie and Tori take me to the family room where we’ll wait for the guys to finish their post-game workout. They introduce me to some of the other players’ wives and girlfriends. I exchange numbers with Melanie and Tori, and they tell me they hope to see me at more games. Garrett’s signature scent wafts around me seconds before he wraps his arms around my waist from behind and presses a kiss to my cheek.

“The best part of the day was knowing you’re here waiting for me,” he murmurs next to my ear.

I spin around in his arms. “The best part was watching you play. You did amazing.”

His fingers graze my temple, sending a flutter through my chest as he brushes a strand of hair behind my ear. “It’s because you were in the stands watching. I had to impress you.”

“Get a room!” Joe yells from the other side of the room.

Garrett laughs, and I drop my forehead to his chest to hide my embarrassment. He twists his head to the side to face Joe. “That’s an excellent idea. I think we’ll do just that.”

THIRTY-FIVE

SO FUCKING SCREWED

Dessa

It’s been a month since I visited Garrett in Arizona. We chatted almost every day, either with a phone call or FaceTime. Of course, it got difficult to sync our schedules especially when his games can either be in the afternoon or in the evening. In between work and talking to Garrett, I got drinks with Georgia. She told me she filed for a divorce from Tony. While he never admitted to trying to kiss me in Chicago, she caught him blatantly flirting with other women. She’s served him the papers, but he’s been dragging his feet on signing them. I’m sure it’s to squeeze out whatever he can from Georgia like the snake he is. The last she heard, he left Harbor Highlands and has been spotted in Chicago. Since Georgia recently opened her new handbag boutique in Harbor Highlands, she’s decided to stay here instead of going back to Chicago where herfamily is. She says Chicago may be big, but it’s not big enough if Tony’s there. I reassured her she’ll always have a place with us.

I change the channel to the Seattle-Houston game at Porter’s. If I can’t see Garrett in person, watching him play on TV will have to suffice. They’re still doing warm-ups while the announcers discuss the game. My heart flutters every time I get a glimpse of Garrett in his uniform. Is it wrong that it turns me on as much as it does? I wonder if that’s some sort of fetish other baseball players’ partners have. I’ll have to ask Melanie and Tori. He does like seeing me wearing his jersey, so I guess it’s the same for me to see him wearing his.

“I’ve never seen anyone with actual hearts in their eyes.” Nora rests her elbow on the bar next to me. She picks up a cardboard coaster and fans me with it.

I twist to face her. “What are you doing?”

“You’re panting. I thought I’d cool you down.”

I laugh and yank the coaster from her hand. “I am not.”

She studies me with a quizzical raised eyebrow. “So, when did you know you were in love with Garrett?”

My heart skips a beat. “Love? What are you talking about?” The words have been on the tip of my tongue several times, but it sounds so much different when someone else says them. I love that we’ve reconnected. I love watching him play a sport he loves. My pulse races whenever I’m with him. He sends tingles through my entire body whenever he touches me. He’s constantly on my mind. Anticipation bubbles within me thinking about hearing his voice or catching a glimpse of his smile on video chat. He's the only one I want to be with.

“If the way you’re staring at the TV, at Garrett, isn’t love, then all the books and all the movies have been tellingme nothing but lies.” She quirks an eyebrow at me before she adds, “Go for it. It’s clear he loves you just as much.” Without another word, she turns away and helps a customer at the other end of the bar.

I do love him. I’m screwed. So fucking screwed. My gaze flits to the TV as the camera pans his way. He removes the Warblers cap and flips it backwards before setting it on his head. He’s talking animatedly to one of his coaches and then his face lights up with his signature dazzling smile. I miss him. So damn much. Two weeks. I’ll get to see him when he plays in Minnesota in two weeks.

It’s Friday night, and I settle in to watch tonight's game on the TV. Since I had to work earlier, I wasn’t able to make it to today’s game in Minneapolis, but Garrett got me tickets for tomorrow. I click the button on the remote and flip to the channel for the game when a scrolling banner on the bottom of the screen says tonight’s game has been canceled. I check my phone, but I have zero messages from Garrett about the game getting canceled. My heart sinks. I was looking forward to watching Garrett… er… the game, tonight. I guess I’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see him.

A knock on my front door startles me. Mentally, I do a quick rundown of everyone who could possibly be knocking on my front door right now. Lach and Nora are both at work. I just got off the phone with Rylee, and she’s at home. Jake would never come to my house. Tony’s gone AWOL, and Georgia is meeting with some investors. Another knock echoes through my townhome, only louder this time. I throw the blanket off my lap and race to the front door. I rise to my tippy toes and peek through thepeephole. All that comes into view is the top of a Warblers baseball cap. My heart does a backflip. My fingers fumble to unlock the deadbolt, and I yank open the door. His head drifts up, deep emerald eyes stare into mine.

“W-what are you doing here?” I ask.

“It’s pouring rain in Minneapolis and not letting up anytime soon. Since they canceled the game, I told the manager I was going to make a drive two hours north.”

I hold the door open and motion for him to come in. “You drove all the way up here to see me? What did your manager say?”

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