Page 92 of Tagging Bases

After taking a bite for myself, I’m inclined to agree. The cake is moist and rich, with a hint of lemon that cuts through the sweetness of the frosting. We devour our slices in contented silence, enjoying every bite.

As we eat, I let my gaze roam over the party. Esther holds court at the center of a small group of her friends, waving her hands animatedly as she recounts a hilarious tale. I strain my ears to catch snippets of the conversation over the general hubbub of the party.

“…so there Roy was, thinking he could waltz up to Daisy and milk her like it was no big deal. But Daisy, she’s a clever old girl. She let him get close enough, and then BAM!” Esther smacks her hands together for emphasis, making her audience jump. “Kicked him right in the family jewels! He was rolling around on the ground, moaning and clutching himself, while Daisy looked on, cool as a cucumber. She taught him a valuable lesson about respecting a lady’s personal space, that’s for sure!”

I chuckle at the mental image of burly, no-nonsense Roy felled by a disgruntled dairy cow. Across the yard, I see the man himself, his face beet red as he tries to shush his cackling grandma.But there’s a barely there quirk to his lips that tells me he’s not as put out as he’s pretending to be.

I’m about to lean over and make a joke to Charlie when I notice him go stiff. He’s staring at something over my shoulder, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open in a comical expression of shock.

“Charlie?” I ask, concern lacing my voice. “What’s?—”

He makes a strangled noise, halfway between a gasp and a squeak, and scrambles to his feet, nearly upending the table in the process. I glance around to see who’s managed to elicit such a reaction out of him and find myself staring up at a mountain of a man.

He’s easily six-foot-five, with shoulders as broad as a barn door and biceps that strain against the sleeves of his polo shirt. His square-jawed face is surprisingly wrinkle-free, and his eyes are bright and sharp. Despite the youthfulness, there’s no mistaking the air of authority that clings to him.

“Coach Bryant,” Charlie stammers after a long, painful beat of silence. “What are you…I mean, how did you…why are you here?”

I wince at the bluntness of his question, but Coach Bryant simply throws his head back and laughs. “Now, is that how you greet your coach, son?”

He punctuates the question with a hearty fist bump to Charlie’s chest that nearly sends him stumbling into me. Charlie rights himself with a sheepish grin, his cheeks flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and delight.

“Sorry, Coach. You just surprised me, is all,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Well, when Roy called to see if it was okay for you to step away for the weekend, I figured it was high time for us all to take a break.”

As if on cue, a raucous cheer erupts from the side of the house, and the Ashford U Green Wolves spill into the yard withbrightly wrapped gifts. They’re a pack of exuberant puppies, all broad grins and boisterous laughter.

Javi is the first to reach us, pulling Charlie into a bone-crushing hug. “Surprise, bro! Bet you didn’t see this coming!”

He pinches Charlie’s ass, and Charlie laughs, pushing Javi away. “You’re right about that. I had no idea, you guys!”

The rest of the team quickly surrounds Charlie in a whirlwind of backslaps, fist bumps, and good-natured ribbing. I hover on the edge, feeling out of place among it all. But then Daniel appears, joining the fray and taking me along with him.

“Yo, Charlie, who’s your friend?” Javi asks, appraising me from head to toe.

Before I can respond, Charlie and Daniel pipe up at the same time. “He’s our boyfriend.”

A collective gasp ripples through the group, including from Coach Bryant. I blush furiously under the sudden scrutiny, but Charlie and Daniel sling an arm around me, unfazed.

“Our boyfriend,” Charlie repeats, joyously and affectionately. “We’re all dating each other.”

“You’re all what, now?” Joe Bryce asks, his mouth hanging wide open.

“Dating. A throuple, if you will,” Charlie clarifies.

“A throuple?” Javi echoes, a slow grin spreading across his face. “Damn, you’ve been holding out on us! When did this happen?”

Charlie chuckles. “It’s a long story. But the short version is that we met on New Year’s Eve, and things sort of…clicked.”

“And you’re okay with this?” Coach Bryant asks Daniel, his expression unreadable. “Sharing your boyfriend with another man?”

Daniel meets his coach’s gaze steadily. “More than okay. We make each other happy.”

A beat of silence follows his declaration. I hold my breath, waiting for the final reaction. But then Javi lets out a whoop and claps Daniel on the back. “Well, all right then! Congrats, youthree. ’Bout time you found someone who can keep up with the two of you.”

The tension breaks as the rest of the team chimes in with more congratulations and well wishes. Questions fly from all directions, some more appropriate than others.

“So, like, how does it work? Do you take turns or…?”

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