Page 33 of The Americana Playbook

My eyes flit up to Parker’s as man with a heavy camera walks through the door.

“A photo would be a nice touch,” Candice says. “One of you two, and one with the four of us. It’s a shame your mother isn’t here.”

I figure by the amount of vibrating happening in my pocket, my mom has gotten word about what’s going on.

“How about we take it in the Rose Garden?” Candice suggests to the photographer.

Walter stands and I sense Parker is about to move from my side, so I strengthen the grip on her hand, tugging her.

“Here is good,” I say as Parker lands with a small gasp in my lap, her legs now hanging over the dark wood arm of the chair. I smile at her. “Don’t you think?”

Parker’s heart-shaped mouth smooths into a grin and before Candice or Walter can say otherwise, I hear the clicking of the camera.

“Well look at that,” the photographer says. “America’s sweethearts.”

I sip my lemonade. It’s not too sweet and crisp, but I could seriously use a drink. “Not everything has to be made a show.”

The irony isn’t lost on me that, after today,everythingwill be made a show.

“Look around,” I tell Josh. “Do you think this is an easy family to marry into?”

“I guess not. It’s... I feel like a shit friend,” he says.

“What?” I put down my glass. “Why?”

“Call me crazy, but this just feels like the kind of thing you tell your friends about, that’s all.”

It’s not every day you see a grown-ass man pushing three hundred pounds admit hisfeelingswere hurt.

I grip Josh’s shoulder. “You know, after living in the limelight for so long, I kind of needed something that was justmine. I didn’t box you out to hurt you, man. Really, I didn’t. I didn’t want to have people saying this and that about my relationship if I played like shit after coming to a new team all hyped up. That wouldn’t be fair to her.”

“I get it. It’s”—Josh pauses—"incoming.”

I turn, half expecting to find Parker, but instead, it’s Coach.

The way he clenches his jaw lets me know he’s not all that happy. I find my mouth dry, my tongue swollen, blocking the words I’m trying to scramble up.

Despite his hard face, Coach extends his hand. “Congratulations.”

The tension in my body fades and my shoulders drop, relieved. I take his outstretched hand in my own, shaking it. But Coach’s face doesn’t change. What does, is the strength of his grip.

“Congratulations, Fitz,” he repeats. “On your dirty little secret.”

I quickly let go of his hand. “We should?—"

“I’m so sorry.” My body is met with a softer touch, that of Parker’s. “I need to steal my fiancé. Do you mind?”

I glance at Parker, finding Josh behind her and I thank myself that he isn’t just married, but he’s also a good guy, because he stares at her with stars in his eyes.

Coach, on the other hand, shoots darts from behind his glasses.

Parker leans against me. “Oh. Mr. Foller. I hardly recognized you. It’s nice to see you after all this time.”

I look down, but out of the corner of my eye, I catch the very evident flex of Coach’s jaw.

“Babe, can you come with me for a minute?”

Parker’s got an arm wrapped around my waist, but it still takes a second for me to realize who she’s talking to.

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