Page 11 of Stetson

Stetson was a complete animal.

I called for a pitch that should have been an easy ball for us, but Stetson swung. Thecrackof the bat rang out in my ears, and Stetson easily claimed first base. One of the outfielders sent the ball hurtling toward second base, but not fast enough. Stetson slid onto the plate, and the move was proclaimed safe.

I was impressed—with more than the sport. I watched intently as our second baseman helped a dirt-covered Stetson to his feet. Stetson stood, muscles rippling beneath his uniform and my mouth watering in response. He swapped his helmet for his cap and when those baby blues came into view, my heart seemed to stop.

Goddamn. Levi was right. This boy was the one we’d been looking for. As if he could sense me staring, Stetson met my gaze. His eyes blazed and his jaw clenched. I sensed… something. Something more than the intensity of the game. But the next batter stepped up to the plate and I was forced to shake it off.

* * *

The Thrashers were good, damn good. We held our own, but by the seventh inning, impressive stolen bases and wild pitches had them two runs ahead of us. We could still come back from it, but with that Tasmanian Devil on the field, it wouldn’t be easy.

As the season’s star rookie, all eyes were on Stetson. Mine especially. After seeing him play, I wanted him just as much as Levi did, but I still couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

When we entered the clubhouse for a break, I grabbed a bottle of water and fell into a chair. I’d gotten slammed in the ribs by a fastball and waited for the team’s medic to make their way over. I knew Levi would come see me, but he wanted to go see Stetson first. Our teams battling it out in the first game of the season had to be serendipitous.

By the time Levi joined me, I was relaxed in my seat with my shirt off while the medic checked me over.

“You okay?” he asked, crouching in front of me.

“Fine.” I leaned in to accept the kiss he offered me. “I’ve been hit worse. Have you seen Stetson?”

Levi’s face fell. “I tried. He didn’t want to talk to me.”

“Why?”

The medic cleared me with instructions to ice it as soon as the game was finished, and I stood to redress.

“When I asked him over for dinner tomorrow night, he said, ‘Why don’t you ask your boyfriend?’ and stormed off. That boy has one hell of a temper.”

It dawned on me then. “Wait, hedidknow you had a boyfriend, didn’t he?”

“Everyone knows we’re together, Bear.”

I reached out to touch him. “I know it feels that way, but five years is a long time. Especially in sports. I think we need to consider the idea that he didn’t know. At least, not until today.”

Levi sighed. “He was watching earlier when you kissed me. Maybe I should go explain.”

“No,” I said, pushing on his shoulders as he tried to stand. “Let him work out that anger on the field. If you go back over there and go all ‘Daddy’ on him, it might throw off his game.”

Levi smirked. “You mean youdon’twant him to slip up?”

“Hell no! He’s keeping us on our toes.”

“Two minutes!”

I finished off my water and tossed the bottle in the trash. “If he’s meant to be your boy, we’ll figure it out. I promise.”

Levi at least made an attempt to relax. “Okay. I trust you.”

I leaned in for another kiss, grunting into his mouth as he reached around to give my ass a squeeze. “Get ‘em tiger,” he whispered.

The second I took to the field, my head cleared. I wasn’t lying when I told Levi I could leave the drama outside the stadium. When I was out here, my mind was centered on the game and the game alone.

By the bottom of the ninth, fatigue was evident. The game was neck and neck. The next out or the next run would settle it. The Thrashers had two outs, one person on second, and Stetson was next to bat. This time, he didn’t even look at me as he stepped up to home plate. An uncharacteristic chill shot down my spine.

I made the call, the pitcher wound up and threw. Stetson swung.

And missed.

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