“No.” I’m quick to defend. “He’s not. I promise you. I wouldn’t put up with that. He’s just… very sure of this. Of us. He wants to see where this goes.”
“What do you want, P?”
“I want it all. I want my job with the team, I want Cameron to get a permanent spot on the Blaze, and I want him,” I admit out loud for the first time ever. And to my dad, no less.
Dad nods. He looks a little sad, but I always knew this would be hard for him. I was his first little girl. As I said, my sisters owe me big time.
“I should get this cleaned up and get in there in case they need me.”
“All right.” He hugs me tight again. “Love you, princess.”
“Love you too, Dad.”
“I want to meet him. Officially.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” I tell him—already making up excuses of why I could put the meeting off. Then I remember I’m meeting Cameron’s mom tonight. This is moving really fast, but to my surprise, it feels right. My mom used to tell me how she fought my dad when they first started dating. She said he was so sure, so confident that she and I were what he wanted, but she resisted. Here they are, years of marriage and three kids later, and they’re still madly in love. I know it’s possible. I guess I never considered it would happen to me. I’m not saying that I’m in love with Cameron, but I’m definitely in like. A whole lot of like.
Chapter 10
Cameron
It takes extreme effort not to glare at Miller when I enter the locker room. He didn’t do anything wrong except put his hands on her. It was respectful, and that’s the only reason I’m not throwing hands with my new teammate.
Many of the guys already know I’ve got my sights set on Paisley. It wasn’t hard to put two and two together when I asked them where she was and which bus she was on during our away game this week.
That’s the effect that she has on me. She’s all I think about. Hell, even when I’m on the field, she’s on my mind, and that never happens to me. Usually, when I’m on the field, it’s just me and the game, but from the day I met her, she’s been there, always on my mind.
“Good job, rookie,” Henderson, our second baseman, tells me.
“Thanks.” I bump my fist with his as I make my way to my locker to grab some clothes to shower. Checking my phone, I see a missed message from my mom.
Mom: Great game, Cam!
Me: Thanks, Ma. Showering. Will be out soon.
I hesitate to tell her that Paisley is joining us and decide I don’t want to catch her off guard.
Me: I have someone I want you to meet.
Mom: Someone, as in a woman? Have you been holding out on me? Oh, is this the kiss cam girl?
I chuckle at her question. For years, she’s been telling me she’s not getting any younger and wants grandkids. I’ve always assured her that if I ever met a woman who I thought may be able to make that happen, she’d be the first to know.
Me: Yeah, Mom, it’s the kiss cam girl, and you’re the first to know.
Mom: A win, a hug from my son, and I get to meet the one. This night just keeps getting better.
Me: Don’t scare her away.
Mom: Best behavior. Now hurry up!
Me: Yes, ma’am.
I toss my phone back into my locker and head to the showers. By the time I’m finished, the locker room has cleared out a good bit.
“Yo, Taylor. Drinks at The Pub?” Henderson calls out.
“Nah, my mom’s in town. Taking her to dinner.”
He nods. “All right. Catch you later.”
I finish getting dressed, and pack up my bag and go in search of Paisley. I assume she’s going to be hanging around outside the locker room for me. We didn’t really discuss where she was going to wait for me, just that she would wait.
Pushing open the locker room door, I’m just in time to hear Henderson asking Paisley if she wants to head to The Pub for a drink.
“No, thanks.” She declines with a smile that I know has him puffing out his chest. She has that effect on you. Trust me. I know firsthand.
“You got plans?” he asks her.
“She does,” I answer for her.
“Dinner with Mom?” Henderson whistles. “So, it’s like that.”
“Yeah, it’s like that.” I nod, walking toward Paisley and sliding my arm around her waist.
“All right.” Henderson holds up his hands in surrender. “You two will have to join us next time.” With that, he turns and walks away, catching up with a few of our teammates who are already halfway down the hall.
“Was that necessary?” she asks.
“Yes. Yes, it was.” I press my lips to her forehead. “You ready for this?”
“Do I have a choice?”
I stop walking and pull her into me so we’re chest to chest. “Yes. You always have a choice. I know I can come on strong, but I don’t want you to be miserable. If you’re really not ready for this, then I’ll take Mom to dinner and come home to you.”
“No. It’s okay. I’m sorry. I’m being prickly. I’m just… nervous.”
“You have nothing to be nervous about. She’s going to love you.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do, actually.” I smile reassuringly.
“Care to enlighten me?” she asks, tilting her head back to look up at me.
“Because I’ve never introduced her to anyone before. She knows that this is important to me, that you are important to me by that fact alone. She also knows because I told her.”
“I don’t know what to say to that.”
“You tell me if you want to do this or not. I won’t force you. I don’t want you to be miserable, but, babe, I promise that’s not how this will go. If anything, my mom is going to come on too strong. She’s excited to meet you, but she promised me she would be on her best behavior.”
“You made her promise?”
“Of course, I did. I just got you. I can’t have her scaring you away.”
“You really want to do this?” she asks softly.
I move my hands to rest against her cheeks. “I really want to do this. With you. I want you to meet my mom.”
“Okay.”
“You’re sure?” I ask, hardly able to believe my luck. It may be a small concession, but it tells me she’s finally seeing the bigger picture. The one where we are together. Not just for a date or a night of fun. For a hell of a lot more than that.
She nods. “Yes. I’m sure. But just know that if this is where this is headed, you’re going to have to meet my dad.”
“You tell me when and where, and I’ll be there.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that. You feel this too, right? It’s not just me who feels this intense, crazy connection between us?”
“I feel it too,” she confesses. “It’s crazy and scary and so fast.”