Page 88 of Curveball
“I didn’t get introduced to your girl, Max,” Chase says to me with a chin nod, but before I can answer, Tripp walks up.
“Hey, guys,” he says to our group. We all say hello, then the three young guns grumble about not hanging out with the boomers, and take off.
Tripp focuses on me. “You just get here? I was looking for you earlier. Why didn’t you answer your phone?” Then, he notices Palmer standing back a step and reaches for her hand. “Palmer! I thought you might be here, too.”
Palmer steps forward and stiffly shakes his hand like they’re in a business meeting. “Nice to see you again. It’s Tripp, right?”
“Unless you’d rather call him Cassidy,” I throw in, because I know that’ll piss him off.
“Nope, Tripp it is,” he affirms, his eyes shooting daggers at me. “You guys seen Gunnar, yet?”
“Nah, we just rolled up a few minutes ago. Haven’t even made it all the way through this madhouse.”
I take Palmer’s hand, and Tripp slides up beside us. We walk three abreast across the massive stamped concrete patio anddeck, and then into the grassy yard, stopping to say hello to other guys from the team.
Tripp peels off when we stop to take a break under a wide shade tree. My water’s gone, so I find one of the trash bins scattered about.
“You ready to get out of here, maybe start the honeymoon?” I murmur, leaning in so I can speak softly.
“All right, love birds. Gavin has rooms for that shit,” Gunnar yells at us from ten feet away, and Palmer chuckles into my neck.
“We are so busted,” she says before I pull away to give Gunnar shit for interrupting us.
“Last I heard, he rents those rooms by the hour,” I throw back at him, and he explodes into laughter.
“There’s a rumor going around that you have jokes today, but I had to see for myself. I guess the babies aren’t telling lies.”
“Better watch who you’re calling babies, or you’re going to lose your backup on the field and find yourself scrambling after those line drives.”
Gunnar scoffs like he’s got it covered, then looks out toward the pool area where the children seem to have taken over.
“Hey, Gav,” he says as his brother crosses the lawn to approach us, a sweating bottle of beer in his hand. I’m adding a beer to my list of things I want as soon as the season’s over.
“I heard my name over here, but it’s been a minute,” Gavin says, before shaking my hand and raising his hand to wave at Palmer.
“Thanks for the invite. It’s a hell of a place you have here,” I say, because my mama taught me manners.
“Glad y’all could make it. You out in the yard gossiping about me like a couple of old women?”
“It’s not always about you, Gav,” Gunnar says with a laugh.
He’s talking to his brother but he’s got his eye on Palmer, andwhat the fuck?Dude is not seriously hitting onmy wifein front of all these people.
“I’d write you a song about it, but I think somebody already did that,” Gavin jokes back to his brother, like they haven’t noticed I’m about to lose my ever-lovin’ shit.
Gunnar ignores that last dig and addresses Palmer directly, his expression pensive, his brow furrowed.
“Sorry if I’m being forward, but have I met you? I’ve been trying to figure it out, but you look so damn—er,darn—familiar to me.”
Gavin’s gaze cuts over to his brother, then to Palmer, like he’s trying to make the connection.
Palmer sucks in a quick breath and reaches for my hand, clutching me as though she needs my touch for strength, andwhat is going on here?I pull her in closer to me.
“Babe, you holding out on me?”
I think I want to tease her out of whatever’s happening right now, but also,she’s got her fucking ring turned around. What exactly is going on?
Palmer chuckles, but it’s a poor attempt.
