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“You know like what.” She poked me the moment I was within reach. “That happened last time you looked at me like that.” She pointed at the little bassinet next to her.

Our sleeping new baby boy was breathing softly with his hand covering his face.

Life was crazy.

One moment you’re some dumbass kid who thinks he’s untouchable, riding high and thinking he knows exactly what he wants out of life. And maybe, professionally, I had. But never in a million years had college-me ever envisioned anything as beautiful as the life Roxie and I created together.

With the help of family—mostly hers because my parents hadn’t been as happy about me marrying someone they considered beneath me—we had been able to achieve goals we’d both never imagined. Which, to each their own and their own beliefs, but I wasn’t going to let my family’s negativity and judgment ever mar our happiness. I’d cut them off before Lexi had been born.

Throughout the years, they’d tried to reach out, but we had the life and family we not only needed but wanted, so we kept them an arm’s length way. Sure, people could change, but I always knew my parents, and the only reason they’d even tried to reach out the first time was because of some bad investments my dad had made, and they’d learned of just how successful my wife’s spas were.

But through hard work and love, we’d done this. A knock sounded at the door, and she smiled. “You ready?” she asked.

“For our kids to meet the newest member our family?”

“Last member of our family. It’s a party of six. No way we can do this again.” That was fine with me. Whatever she wanted, I’d give her.

“You said that last time,” I reminded her, just because I liked to poke her buttons, too.

“You look too good in your uniform,” she mumbled. I walked to the door smiling at the sound of my wife’s laughter. And damn, I would never get tired of the sound.

“Good thing it’s my last year,” I said as I looked over my shoulder. I didn’t miss the way my girl’s eyes widened with surprise.

“What?”

“I’m retiring after this season.”

“You sure?” she asked, as if we didn’t have three very excited kids waiting to meet their baby brother for the first time just on the other side of the door. I nodded.

I’d had a great career.

But it had not come without its share of injuries. The wear and tear to my body after a lifetime of pitching was getting to me. And with our last child born, I was ready to be home and carry my share of the load to be Roxie’s number one cheerleader.

“Positive.”

“Okay… we’ll talk about it later?”

“Anything you want.” I winked at my glowing wife. “Ready for the monsters?” She nodded.

I opened the door and hugged my babies, breathing them in knowing that time was a fucking beast that wouldn’t ever stop. I watched as the three of them sanitized their hands, some little and some not so much anymore, before turning their attention to their mom.

They quietly hurried off to say hi and meet the newest member of our Ferguson clan. And as I stood next to them watching Lexi hold her baby brother like a pro and Henry talk to his mom and Georgie watch the baby like he was an alien, I felt like life couldn’t get any better.

But like Roxie liked to remind me time and time again, being a man, like usual, I was wrong and life, even with its fastballs and curveballs, did get better and more beautiful than I could have ever imagined.

One thing I had been right about, though? I was the luckiest son of a bitch to ever live.

EPILOGUE II

ROXIE

I sat on the cool wooden bench just as the AC kicked in. I sighed, shutting my eyes to take a deep breath and soak in the quiet.

The indoor batting cage I’d gifted my bully of a husband our second year of marriage had paid off over the years. From a spot to hide from the kids when either of us needed a break—and with four kids, breaks were a must!—to a place to take the kids to relax and have fun without loading everyone in the car and pray no one recognized one of the best pitchers in the league.

But there was one thing we still hadn’t done in over a decade of being married. Something I was going to take care of tonight. I looked down and rolled my heeled foot and bit down on my bottom lip.

I looked damn good, felt good, too. Sammy had just turned one, and we were all finally getting a full night’s sleep. Now that Daddy was officially retired, I felt a need to kick things up. My phone rang, the familiar ringtone making me smile as I picked up without needing to see who it was.