Page 62 of Home Run

Millie: *eye roll emoji*

Tanner: Did you buy me something?

Millie: Maybe

Tanner: Is it underwear?

Millie: You wanted me to buy you underwear?

Tanner: I wanted you to buy underwear for you

Millie: I bought pregnancy underwear, it’s not sexy. Don’t get any ideas

Tanner: Anything would be sexy on you, Mills

Iwas about to reply when I realized that the manicurist was patiently holding her hand out for me to give her mine. Tanner would have to wait.

“Did my mom ask if you wanted to be on the Simpson’s group chat?” Holiday asked from the chair next to me. “If she does, say no. The current topic is my nephew’s missing tooth and how he got ripped off by the tooth fairy. We’ve been talking about it forfiveweeks.”

A flurry of goose bumps shot down my spine as another beautician began rubbing my feet with exfoliating paste. That initial swipe over my arch had me relaxing and squirming all at the same time. Another technician was working on my hands, I was nicely full from a delicious brunch, and on my way to being the most relaxed I’d been in a long while. So much so, I’d forgotten about Tanner’s mom.

I huffed out a small laugh and shook my head. “Nope. Not been added to the group chat.”

I’d been waiting for Tanner when he got back from the breakfast with his parents. One look at his shell-shocked face and I descended into panic mode. It took fifteen minutes for him to calm me down and another fifteen to explain his mom was on hyperdrive levels of excitement.

As I slowly understood they didn’t hate me or think I’d gotten pregnant on purpose for Tanner’s money, but wanted to get to know me, I’d agreed to anything he’d asked.

Sure, you can give your mom my cell number.

In less than a week, I think I’d received a hundred messages including but not limited to pregnancy advice, baby pictures of Tanner while telling me what an awesomedad he was going to make, pictures of her five grandchildren and how cute they were, more about how wonderful Tanner was, and the news about the tooth Holiday was talking about. One time she’d called me and we ended up speaking for two hours. Other times I’d been napping, and thankfully Radley had been there to field the call.

The only thing getting me through was that it came from a place of love, and she didn’t hate me. But if she didn’t tone it down soon, I might well explode. She was currently trying to plan a trip to D.C. to meet my mom. I had a feeling she didn’t want to be dethroned as the world’s best grandma, an award she’d won for the past seven years apparently.

“But…” I paused, wondering how to put this delicately. “Um, is?—”

“My mom always this nuts?” Holiday finished. “Yep. Especially when it comes to Tanner.”

“What d’you mean?”

“She babies him. He’s her baby boy.” Holiday shrugged. “You have brothers, right? You know.”

I thought back to the million times my mom had done things for my brothers that she never would have done for me. Or rather, I would have done for myself without waiting for her. “Yeah, I get it.”

“So do I,” mumbled Radley, who I thought had fallen asleep.

Holiday fanned through the shades of nail colors, debating between two different nudes. “We have an older brother, Lucas, who also gets preferential treatment, but Tan is a whole different ball game, and he used to milk it for all it was worth. But he’s grown up a lot the past year.”

“What d’you mean?”

Holiday sucked in her top lip. It was casual, but I could also see that she was seriously assessing her response, cautiously almost. Like she didn’t know how much to give away.

“When you came along it was like he had a reason to stop dicking about and take responsibility. He’s always had such talent on the field, he’s an incredible baseball player, but it’s been easy for him. He’s never had hardship, or had to try. I spent years and years going through auditions and rejections, making very questionable decisions…” She paused, taking a breath. “All I’m saying is you’re the first person who’s come along and not shown him the adoration he immediately gets from everyone else.”

I turned and stared at her; I didn’t know what to say. Or if there was anythingtosay.

“You know, it’s a running joke in our family that Tanner is the favorite. Everyone loves him, he’s always happy and full of life, but also kind of an idiot and takes nothing seriously except on the field. I’m not saying he likes you because you didn’t fall at his feet, but it made him stop and think. And if you notice, this season he’s been playing even better than last. His batting average is stronger, he’s fielded more balls, his reflexes are quicker. And I can’t remember the last time I heard him mention a girl that wasn’t you.”

My mouth opened to respond, but Radley got there first. “That’s what I keep telling her.”

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