Page 66 of Single Glance

She winked at me. “We always were. Sometimes, the right thing just takes a little longer to come along.”

I glanced over my shoulder at the man who’d stolen my heart.

Truer words had never been spoken.

EPILOGUE

ONE YEAR LATER

You would think after spending the last year with a professional baseball player, I’d be used to the energy of a packed stadium, but the air at the All-Star Game was different, filled with excited anticipation and awe. This game might not affect any team’s standings, but fans packed into the Dallas stadium, ready to cheer on the best in the league.

Including my man.

I smiled as I surveyed the crowd, proudly displaying the Seda name stamped across my back. In fact, we had an entire cheering section for Cam and the other two Hawks playing tonight. Damien’s sister and her wife sat on the other side of our group, all five of their girls ready to cheer for their uncle. Ollie and Brianna sat together, wearing matching jerseys for Parker. They’d become close friends over the past year, especially since Brianna filed for divorce. When she had to sell her house, Ollie offered her a room in her condo, and they seemed to enjoy living together.

In Cam’s unofficial cheering section, I sat with Emilia,Victoria, and Adam, as well as Cam’s parents. I’d met them in passing over the years, but when we first flew out to Texas so they could meet me as Cam’s girlfriend, I was terrified. Not only did they remember me as Victoria’s best friend, but they had high standards for their son. After a lifetime of never being enough for my mother, I convinced myself they’d see right through me, wishing Cam had found someone better to spend his life with.

But just like their son, they exceeded all my expectations. His parents welcomed me right into the fold. Where I viewed our shared history as a negative, it thrilled them, already knowing how much I loved their granddaughter. After years of being alone in the world, I finally had a family, and it was all thanks to the man about to take the field.

I couldn’t lie and say there weren’t days I missed my mother. At least, I missed the idea of who she could have been—the relationship we missed out on. In the year since we last spoke, she’d only reached out a handful of times, each message more belligerent than the last. In my mother’s twisted mind, she probably thought I’d cave, guilt and shame eating away at my resolve. If anything, it had done the opposite, especially now that Cam showed me love didn’t have to be conditional. These people were my family, the ones I counted on during life’s highs and lows. There was no more room in my heart for someone who only saw me as a pawn.

As I turned to Victoria, ready to talk to her more about our newest idea for the Sunshine Academy, a voice called out above me. “Excuse me, miss? Someone asked to see you before the game.”

I furrowed my brow. “Everything okay?”

“Oh yes.” The attendantsmiled back at me. “But please, we’d appreciate it if you came quickly, and bring Miss Emilia.”

“Do you know anything about this?” I turned to ask Victoria.

She just shrugged, but a smirk teased the corners of her lips. “Nope. Guess you’re going to have to find out what’s going on.”

I narrowed my eyes at my best friend and business partner. Despite the rocky start to our dream, the Sunshine Academy was thriving. We had a waiting list three months out for our flagship location, and were scouting new ones to potentially open next year. And the best part? I got to spend every day with my best friend. There was no one else I would have wanted to take on this challenge with, and I was forever grateful Cam pushed me to chase this dream.

When I stood, I grabbed Emilia’s hand, and we followed the attendant to the lower part of the field. I kept waiting for someone to tell me what was going on, but the attendant remained stoically quiet as we took the elevator down to the locker rooms. As soon as the doors opened, Cam’s grin greeted us on the other side. Emilia took off, leaping into her father’s arms. He happily caught her, pressing a soft kiss into her hair.

“Hey, Em. Having fun so far?”

“It’s so cool!” she exclaimed. “I got to meet so many players!”

At seven, Emilia had become obsessed with baseball, even asking her first grade teacher to start an after-school softball program. Cam fully supported the idea, and during the off-season, he volunteered to show the girls some tricks. He’d done so well, the school asked him to continue the program,but that all depended on Emilia and if her tastes changed in the future. But right now, her dad was her hero, and Cam loved every second.

After he set her back on her feet, Cam’s hand found my hip and pulled me in close for a kiss. It was a simple touch, yet I inhaled slowly, savoring his mouth on mine. I’d never get enough of it. He pulled back, brushing his fingers along my jaw. “Need a favor, menace.”

“Okay…”

“We had someone lined up to throw the first pitch, but they had to back out.”

“Oh!” I exclaimed, pulling out my phone. “Do you need me to text Adam? I’m sure he’d love to do it.”

Cam shook his head. “Another time. Tonight, it’s all you.”

They probably heard the laugh that barreled out of me on the space shuttle. “Me?” I squawked incredulously. “Have you lost your ever-loving mind? I can barely throw the ball to Emilia, and she moves in closer for me.”

“It’s true, Dad,” Emilia added in from our side.

Cam shifted closer to me, his fingers finding my chin and tilting it up. “Are you telling me there’s something my girl can’t do?” He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. “Because I don’t believe that.”

“Cam, as much as I love your undeserved confidence in me, this is a professional baseball game with millions of people watching.” I fumbled for my phone again. “I’ll text Adam. He can fill in, and we can forget about this ridiculous idea of me pitching in a professional stadium.”

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