Page 130 of Home Run

MILLIE

FIVE MONTHS LATER

“Woo.Come on, Daddy. Let’s go.”

“It still sounds so weird when you call him that. I stand by what I said last year, it’s like you’re about to spank him.”

“Oh gross.” Grumbled Holiday, her hands shooting up to her ears.

I’d have done the same for Brady if his ears weren’t already muffled with a little fluffy hat inside the bunny onesie Tanner had picked out this morning. Though peering down at my son strapped to my chest it seemed it didn’t matter how noisy the environment was, he slept like his dad.

“Seriously, Rad,” I hissed, “You can’t say shit like that as godmother. At least not in front of Brady.”

“Or me, if you don’t mind.” Added Holiday.

“Hey, I call it as I see it.” Radley laughed, though it was drowned out by the cheers of fans as Tanner snatched up the ball and threw it over to Sawyer James, catching the Marlins batter right as he skidded along the diamond. Cupping her hands around her mouth, she yelled, “Come on, Lions. Let’s go.”

“That was close.” Holiday muttered, as the batter trundled off the field, “And now we have a changeover. Let’s see what our boys can bring.”

We were only a couple of weeks into the regular season but the Lions had started strong, even stronger than last year according to most of the sports commentators. It was too early to predict anything, but I couldn’t help but cross my fingers we’d go all the way again.

I still felt guilty about robbing Tanner of his opportunity to play in the final game last season.

“Do you think they can get a back-to-back World Series?”

“I think Penn Shepherd can make anything happen.” Radley replied, her eyes trained on Lux heading to the dugout from center field swinging his arms around and around. “He turned the team around in three seasons, anything’s possible.”

“I wonder what shirt my mom would make this year.” Holiday laughed.

My head dropped on her shoulder, “Ah Hol, you’re going to miss this aren’t you?”

Whatever she was about to say died on her lips and herentire expression softened when she glanced at her nephew, “Maybe I could stay another month…”

“No. You’re going to England.” Said Radley, “and we’re going to come and visit before Millie and I start back at school in the fall.”

Holiday groaned in response.

“I don’t know why you’re so reluctant. Don’t go if you don’t want to.” I told her.

“Idowant to go. I need the break, I’m exhausted. But I didn’t think I’d miss this little one so much. He’s only just arrived.”

“All Brady will do for the next few months is sleep, eat and cry. You won’t miss anything.” I nudged her trying to raise a smile.

It’s what I’d been telling Tanner every day when he complained about the travel for the season. Leaving Brady and me had been a hard adjustment for him, so we’d be flying out to support him whenever we were able – Tanner’s mom had already volunteered to come with us for help.

“C’mon, show us a picture of the cottage again.”

With a tut, Holiday pulled her phone out, scrolled through her pictures until she found what she was looking for, and passed it over.

“It’s socute.”Radley sighed, zooming into the photo of the place Holiday had rented for six months in England. “Look at the pretty flowers growing up the side of the house, and the thatched roof. I didn’t even know roofs came like that in real life, I thought it was only in Shakespearean tales.”

She tilted the phone so I could see itagain.

Cute was the perfect word to describe it.Englishwas another.

With its ramshackle white windows and pale blue front door, and a path lined with rose bushes it was the prettiest place of all the places Holiday’s assistant had found for her to live, while she spent some time away from the grind of Hollywood.

She totally deserved it and more.

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