Page 55 of Home Run

“Hell yes, I’ll go shopping, and we can get a massage and do all the girly stuff.” She grinned and held her handout, her finger curling into her palm in agimmegesture. “But do you have something for me?”

“Oh, sure.” Easing my wallet from my pocket, I plucked my Amex out and handed it over.

“Notthat.I don’t need your money.”

Her brows raised as she pinned me with a look, and I tried to figure out what she wanted. It took a second. “Ohhh.”

Behind the Amex was the sonogram picture I’d torn off the stack, along with a couple of others I’d kept for this moment.

“I can’t believe I’m going to be an auntie,” she whispered, holding it up to the light.

“Hol, you’re already an auntie.”

“I know, but you know what I mean.” She sniffed. “This baby will be more mine than the rest of the rabble we have.”

I chuckled. I did know what she meant. Holiday was already an awesome auntie to our five nieces and nephews, never forgetting birthdays or important events, and always reminding me of when they came up. She was way better at organizing everything than I was. And while we were all close, no one in the family had the bond we did.

“Where are Mom and Dad?”

“In the backyard.” She carefully dabbed a tear from under her eye. “Ready to break the news?”

I groaned. “Yeah.”

Holiday threw her arm around my shoulder, which wasn’t that easy, given there was nearly a foot height difference between us. “It’ll be fine.”

“I know.” I sighed. “And you’re going to big her up, right?”

“I know. Iknow. Don’t worry, when I’m done, Mom and Dad will love her.”

I grinned down at my sister. “I knew those acting classes would come in handy.”

Jumping out of the way right before she rammed an elbow into my side, I jogged into the large, open-plan kitchen. It wasn’t as big as the one we had in the apartment, which always seemed bigger because of the views, but it was cozy in the way ours wasn’t.

The huge doors at the end were wide open and led out to a paved backyard filled with potted trees and hanging plants. It had a similar vibe to the backyard Holiday had out in California, albeit smaller, but wherever Holiday went, there would be trees and flowers and outdoor space.

It was where we differed—because I loved modern and sleek, whereas she thrived in spaces where it looked like running water had only just been installed.

An outdoor dining table stretched along the back of the garden, shaded from the sun by a huge striped umbrella, and where my parents were currently enjoying their morning coffee.

“Tanner,” my mom screeched, jumping up and throwing her arms around me.

“Hey, Mom,” I replied, kissing her cheek.

My dad folded down the corner ofThe New York Timesand peered over. I couldn’t see his mouth, but I could tell he was grinning, the grin he only ever wore when he was looking at my mom. I eased out of her grip and rounded the table.

“Hey, Pops. Have a good flight?”

He stood up, bringing me into a slightly less suffocating hug than my mom had. “Yeah, buddy. Always easy.” Stepping back, his eyes scanned over me before patting me on the shoulder. “You look good. We caught the end of the game last night, you got a few big hits in there.”

A smile stretched across my face. Last night we’d played the Yankees, and I’d been responsible for two home runs out of five, against their two. “Thanks, Dad. You excited about coming tonight?”

“You bet, and your mother wants to get there early.”

“Why?”

“Shopping.” He shrugged, reaching for his coffee cup.

“You know I like to go early to shop in the store. I want to buy the new season shirt,” she interrupted.

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