“She already does.”
His mouth falls open. “What are you talking about?”
I grin. “She saw me kiss you at the door the other night. When she mentioned it, I got all ready to have an uncomfortable conversation about relationships, but the first thing she asked was when you could move in with us. That was it. That was all she wanted to know.”
Joey laughs softly. “I should have known we couldn’t keep it from her for long. She’s a helper and she notices everything. What did you tell her?”
“That I would work on it and keep her updated.”
“But we should still keep this low key for now.”
“Why? I don’t want to keep it low key from anyone. And before you ask, I’m talking to my manager in the morning and seeing what our options are. I’m not asking for permission to love who I love. But no matter what he or the team owners or anyone else says, I won’t be changing my mind.”
“So, we’re dating?”
“Well, now, I’ve never been in love before, but I’d say what we’re doing is a hell of a lot more serious than dating.”
Then he’s kissing me back and telling me he loves me every time he takes a breath. Telling me again as I follow him down onto his bed and get us both out of our clothes. With every touch. Every moan. Every stroke of his tongue he tells me that he’s trusting me. Taking that leap for this. For us.
Love you.
Thank God.
Epilogue
Elliot
I don’t know why I’m awake so early, but I have no desire to move yet. Maybe it’s because I had one of those dreams you want to hold onto for as long as you can. What made it better was waking up to realize it wasn’t a dream at all.
I can hear Joey in the bathroom, and his side of the bed is still warm. He spent the night again. The way he has every night this week. Since I snuck onto his balcony and we said those three words that meant everything.
Baseball used to mean everything to me. It was my freedom from an unhappy home life. It was my father’s approval. It was, in so many ways, the beginning and end of all that I knew. I still love the game. I love the feel of the ball in my hands, my fingers reading its seams like braille and the hush that falls one second before it’s safe in my catcher’s mitt and the crowd goes wild. But something is different now.
I think I was right that night at Finn’s. Knowing and loving only one thing makes for a narrow life. It doesn’t leave room for possibilities or potential. For fatherhood. For romance. For more.
I have more now than I dreamed possible.
Two days after I told Joey I loved him, I told the world. I convinced the host who’d come for a tour of my nearly completed facility that Joey had been respecting my wishes with his previous interview. That I wanted to come out to my fans in my own way. I made sure they knew what it cost him to do that for me. All because he was a good man who loved me.
He was holding Rue’s hand as I did it and staring at me like I was crazy. Like I was a superhero. Once it aired, the powers that be had held their collective breath over my contract, waiting for the inevitable outrage and dismay.
A low hum of distaste managed to trickle in, but more surprising, the real fans came out and shouted down all the naysayers. The journalist who reported the story is now one of my favorites.
“He’s not the first sports star in history to come out, but did this pitcher just change the game? Baseball fans seem to thinks so, and they’re letting team ownership know by the truckload. Fan mail and petitions supporting EJ Ransom’s recent introduction of his child, as well as his love for millionaire entrepreneur and nanny whisperer Joey Redmond, have been pouring in nonstop for a week. Some have taken to skywriting to proclaim their affection for the new power couple. Even Ransom’s own teammates have spoken to reporters to show their support and volunteered their time to his new nonprofit baseball facility, The Redmond-Ransom Training Academy. That’s R&R for short.
Are we all just craving good news at a time when it’s in such short supply? Did the Me Too movement and the election of several LGBTQ officials during the last cycle have that much of an effect on the landscape? Or is it possible that we all recognize love when we see it right in front of us? I know I do. I’m rooting for you, Flash. And I’m not alone when I say I hope to see more of your new family next season.”