Page 136 of Hyde and Seek

The work Jake had done wasn’t just for some guy with an extra bunch of bleacher tickets. It was for Jason Pasters, the third baseman.

When he came over before the game to shake our hands and talk with Jake, I barely kept my screams in my head. Nat looked like she was fighting the same battle.

It quickly became obvious that Dad liked Jake. Nat told me that he’d met them for breakfast after their flight landed. According to her, Dad had to work hard to keep a stern face when he was greeted by a guy in scuffed motorcycle boots, well-worn jeans, and a t-shirt, instead of some pretentious yuppie from my mother’s line-up of men. It still wasn’t until Dad saw Jake and me at my party that he’d pulled him aside to give him his blessing.

While we watched the game and Nat filled me in on everything, we drank. A lot. Which led to us declaring our undying love for Teddy Anderson in the bottom of the ninth when he was going up to bat. I loved him because his batting average was rocking and he went by Teddy, not Theodore. Nat said it was because of his fine ass.

Regardless, he hit a double and got the two RBIs they needed to win.

Nat and I might have also heckled a few of the opposing team’s players.

Just a little.

Like hardly noticeable.

Okay, maybe not.

Probablyverynoticeable.

*******

As I silently accepted that maybe Nat and I had gotten a little wild, Jake handed me some pain meds and a tall glass of ice water. “I don’t need those, I’m not even drunk.”

“Yeah, you are.”

“Okay, maybe a little. But not really.”

Jake looked up and inhaled deeply. “Piper, take the damn pills.”

“Fine. But I don’t get hangovers, so it’s a total waste of perfectly good medicine. You never know when you might need some and you’ll go for the bottle but it’ll be empty. And you’ll only have yourself to blame ‘cause I really don’t need these.” I stopped talking when Jake’s deep laughter filled the kitchen.

“No. You’re right. You’re not drunk at all. What woulda made me think that?”

“What’s so funny?” I asked, hiccupping in the middle and making his laughter start again.

“You. You’re also fuckin’ cute.”

“Yeah?” I smiled as warmth spread through me.

“Yeah, sweets.” Jake moved between my knees. “Did you have fun?”

“So much. I never knew I could be this happy. It was the best birthday, but also just the best weekend of my life,” I whispered like it was a secret.

“Piper,” Jake returned hoarsely.

Leaning up, I pressed my lips to his jaw. “About Nat and I. Maybe we did get just a little crazy.”

“Yeah, babe.” Grabbing my ass, he lifted me off the counter. “Just a little.”

“Sorry.”

“Worth it to see you happy.”

“Fuck, I love my man.”

Did I think that in my head?

“Love you, too. But no more with the love shit to anyone other than me, yeah?”

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