Page 81 of Home Run

“Wow, it’s come around so quickly,” Scout said. “I feel like it was only a couple of months ago when Tanner was talking about you while trying to get me to date Parker.”

“Tell me about it.” I laughed, my eyes flicking to the screen with Matthew McConaughey’s face paused. “Everything’s moving so quickly, it’s scary. And on that note, shall we start the movie? Otherwise the boys will be back before the end.”

As expected, I fell asleep. I only got as far as the scene where the bet is made, before the day swept over me and I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer. Not even for a second hot chocolate. It wasn’t until the elevator pinged that I woke up, and opened my eyes to spot Parker, Lux,and Tanner walking out carrying their sports bags, which were promptly dumped on the floor.

“What’s happening here?” asked Lux, taking in the popcorn and marshmallows, plus the couple of glasses of wine, which Radley and Scout appeared to have moved onto while I slept.

“Girl time,” replied Radley, jumping up for a kiss.

Stretching my arms out from under the blanket, I caught sight of Tanner marching toward me dressed in his black Lions hoodie and sweatpants, his bright blue eyes trained on me with a smile splitting his face. A flutter of butterflies swept through my chest the closer he got, until he was all I could see. He was so assured and it felt so normal that he’d beelined toward me, I could hardly think of a time when he didn’t. Or why I would ever stop him.

His hands found the bump first, and he bent down with a kiss.

“Hi, baby lemon,” he murmured, before moving up until he hovered over me, his lips lined up perfectly to mine, hesitating for a split second, silently asking permission to do the same to me. I tipped my chin closer to his and granted it. “Hi, Baby Mama. How’s it going?”

“Good.” I grinned back. “We did a little yoga, and I had a nap, as you can see.”

“Want company?” he asked, lifting the blanket before I could respond and, scooching underneath it, positioned us so I was resting on his chest. “Nice sweatshirt, by the way.”

“Thanks, I thought so.” I giggled.Giggled.What had happened to me? “How was practice?”

“Incredible. We’re going to win the series. I can feel it. Everyone is buzzing for the games this week.” He ran hisfingers along the edges of his sweatshirt and pulled gently on the hoodie strings. “I like seeing you in this…Mills, will you wear my shirt for the games? Bring me luck.”

I’d never worn Tanner’s shirt before, I’d avoided it on purpose in case he took it to mean something that didn’t exist. But everything had changed, and Tanner had done so much for me, and if me wearing his shirt made him happy, then I would do that. Right now, I couldn’t think of anything else I wanted to do more to support him.

“Of course.”

“Thank you,” he replied, dropping a kiss on my head. “Now we have to see who we’ll be playing. We bought some incredible steaks on the way home, Lux is going to cook them up and make dinner for the game.”

“Sounds awesome to me.”

The pair of us turned to find Lux and Radley standing over us. “We’re going to our place to start cooking, you comin’?”

“Yeah, you bet. Come on, babe, let’s go.” Tanner nodded, tossing off the blanket and looking around. “Where’s Parker?”

“He took the steaks back to the apartment with Scout,” Lux replied. “We waited back to not interrupt whatever was going on under the blanket with Tanner and Mills.”

“Under the Blanket with Tanner and Mills.” Radley laughed, nudging Lux with her elbow. “You sound like an eighties cop duo, showing Tuesday nights onFX.”

“No, we don’t,” shot back Tanner, scoffing loudly while he helped me off the couch. “FXshows always get canceled halfway through the season. We’re not getting canceled. Ifwe’re anything we’reDisney Plus, maybeApple TV, possiblyNetflix.”

“Nah, I’m not watchingTanner and MillsonDisneyorApple. It’s not a streaming show.”

I gasped loudly. “You take that back, Radley Andrews. Tanner and I are definitely streaming worthy.Applewishes it could have us, right Tan?”

“Hundred percent, babe.” He replied, pressing his lips hard to mine.

“There is literally nowhere else this conversation is taking place right now,” muttered Lux, following behind the three of us.

Radley stepped back and threw her arm around his shoulder. “And that’s what makes you love me so much.”

“Maybe.” He winked, pulling her back for a kiss that lasted long enough that Tanner and I had made it into the other apartment and to the kitchen before they appeared.

Radley and Lux got to work on the steaks, Parker and Scout had disappeared into Parker’s room, and I sat on one of the stools at the island while trying to decide whether I wanted anything to eat or if I could last until dinner was ready.

The decision was made for me when Tanner placed a basket of warm taco chips and guacamole in front of me, along with a glass of ice water and lemon.

“Thank you,” I said, crunching down on a chip, wondering how I ever thought I’d make it to dinner without eating.

---