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I decided against drying my hair and quickly braided the damp strands instead. It would still be wet when I went to bed, but at least it was out of the way. I threw on jeans and one of Ethan’s team shirts, then hustled downstairs to hit the road.

I came to an abrupt stop when I rounded the corner into the kitchen and found Carter leaning against the fridge, my keys dangling from his long fingers. He was freshly showered, wearing jeans that showed off his muscled quads and left nothing to the imagination. It still amazed me that, at least for now, this delectable man was mine.

“Ethan invited me to his game. I thought we might go together. Unless you don’t want to?” Carter looked uncertain, almost anxious.

Seeing him less than his usual confident self was oddly sweet. The fact he was going to Ethan’s game said so much about him. He was loyal and considerate. And I wanted to go to the game with him, even if we had to pretend to just be friends.

“I didn’t know you wanted to come. Going together would be fun.” Everyone in town knew he was living with me, so showing up at Ethan’s game together wouldn’t raise any eyebrows. “Do you mind driving? I pulled a muscle at work, and if you drive, I can take something for it.”

At his nod, I reached for the first aid kit and extracted the bottle I wanted, washing down two tablets with water. Unless the game was a complete blowout, it would provide enough entertainment to keep me awake even with the drugs in my system. At least this way I wouldn’t be in pain the whole time.

“Okay, I’m ready. We can still make the first pitch if we hurry.” I locked the door behind me as we started for my truck.

Thankfully, Ethan’s team had ended the season with the best record in their division, so they had home field advantage. The opposing team was from Calgary, which would have been a long trip after a full day of work. The Red Rock high school ballpark was too small to accommodate all the spectators who would come from Calgary for the division championship game, so the Fliers had offered the Airfield for the game.

“Have you eaten?” Carter’s brow furrowed as he glanced at me from the driver’s seat.

“The school is fundraising for the athletics department by selling food. I’ll get a hot dog when we’re there.” I had done my part by donating hundreds of cookies for them to sell at tonight’s game. Players from the school’s volleyball and basketball teams were responsible for handling the sales, and all the funds were for new uniforms and equipment for the athletics department.

“What about you? A hot dog or two probably isn’t the healthiest choice postgame.”

“I had a protein shake after the game, and one night of junk food won’t kill me. I’ll be fine. This game is too important to miss just to get me some grilled chicken.”

The tightness in my chest was from the pulled muscle. It had nothing to do with Carter’s eagerness to see Ethan play. Nope, nothing at all. Chad had never been this excited to attend any of the kids’ sporting events. As a family friend, Carter was actively supporting Ethan’s career goals. I swallowed past the lump in my throat.

The trip to the park flew by as he told me about today’s game. I had managed to catch a few plays between sales rushes, but I loved hearing his perspective.

We arrived just as they were finishing the anthem, lessening my anxiety. We hurried to buy hot dogs and drinks, and then headed down to seats just above the home team dugout that had been reserved for families. Ethan was already out in center field, and we settled in to watch the game.

I looked around but didn’t see Chad in the crowd. I hadn’t seen him since I’d kicked him out, and I didn’t want to ruin Ethan’s night with a confrontation. Even so, I wanted Chad to come for Ethan’s sake. He would be disappointed if his father didn’t show up. He’d handled Chad’s departure from the house okay, but if Chad skipped this game . . . I forced away that thought. Chad would not ruin my night.

The top of the first inning went fast—three up, three down. As Ethan jogged back to the dugout, he spotted us and waved, grinning wide. “Mom! You’re here. Carter! Thanks for coming, I’ll see you after the game.”

I waved back. I was so proud of Ethan and his team. They had played hard this year, and making it to the division playoffs was a huge accomplishment. I’d been working a lot, and I hadn’t been around as much for him as most years, but he’d handled it well. He always made it to practice on time and took extra batting practice at every opportunity. He was working so hard. If only the team could hang on and win one more game . . .

Ethan was scheduled to hit cleanup, and he would come to the plate in the first only if someone got on base. The Calgary pitcher was good, with a strong fastball and a wicked sinker. He struck out the leadoff hitter on four pitches. He was also a little wild, and he hit the second Red Rock batter. The crowd gasped as the batter went down. I held my breath, hoping that he wasn’t injured. I cheered along with the crowd when he popped back up and dusted himself off. Thankfully the ball hit his calf, and after being checked over by the coaches, he went to first base. He waved at the crowd to show he was fine.

I leaned forward, locked in on the action. Unless the next batter hit into a double play, Ethan would get to bat this inning. The pitcher wound up and released a high fastball that sailed over the heads of everyone at the plate, bouncing off the netting behind home. The wild pitch allowed the runner on first to jog over to second base with little effort, eliminating the potential double play and putting him in scoring position. With only one out, Red Rock had a good shot at scoring the first run in the game.

Two more balls came in quick succession. The pitcher was fighting for control, visibly rattled after hitting the second batter. Another pitch, and he’d walked the third hitter on four pitches.

I sucked in a deep breath as Ethan came to the plate, exhaling slowly. I was nervous, but he looked completely calm, confident in his ability. He was a good hitter, but the team hadn’t played to win the division in decades. That was a lot of stress for these kids, and as the son of a big leaguer, Ethan faced more pressure than most. None of that showed as he walked to the batter’s box.

It was only the first inning. He didn’t need to be a hero. He took his place in the box. As the pitcher started his motion, Ethan squared to bunt. The pitch wasn’t ideal, but it was a strike, and Ethan bunted it foul down the third base line.

Damn. Ethan had practiced his bunting so much. He would be upset with himself for missing that pitch. He couldn’t let it get to him.

“It was a good try,” Carter said, leaning close to be heard over the crowd. “It was a terrible pitch, but he almost got it. Moving the runners over is a smart play.”

A sacrifice bunt would be smarter if there was nobody out, but it was still a solid play. The risk of a double-play ball, or a high fly out that didn’t advance the runners, made the bunt a decent choice.

The second pitch was a ball. Another bunt attempt fouled off left Ethan with a one-two count. The bunt play would be off now. I held my breath as the next pitch came, willing it to be something Ethan could hit. Ethan took a huge swing, connecting solidly with the ball, and it sailed high into the stands, foul. I groaned, disappointed it hadn’t been fair. I laced my fingers together in my lap, waiting for the next pitch. The foul had been a good cut.

Another pitch, this one in the dirt. Ball two. Ethan took his timeout, then stepped back in the box and adjusted his stance. The pitch was a fastball, high in the zone. Ethan swung and the ball cracked off the bat, sailing into left field. I held my breath, praying it wouldn’t be caught, and that the ball would stay fair.

The Calgary left fielder had been shaded closer to center field, playing a little shallow. The ball was a straight shot down the left field line. The third baseman leaped for it but had no chance, and the ball landed fair and bounced all the way to the corner before the left fielder gloved it. I jumped out of my seat, screaming as Ethan raced for first.

The Red Rock player on second took off as soon as the ball flew over the third baseman’s glove, rounding third and heading for home while the ball was still rolling into the corner. The player on first was held at third as the left fielder got the ball back into the infield. Ethan pulled up at second with a stand-up double and the game’s first RBI.