Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 54966 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54966 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
Holden twirls my hair in his fingers. “I talked to Cole out there tonight. I asked him if he was okay with us dating.”
I bite my lip and try to contain my smile. How is this my life? “I don’t even have to ask what he said. I’m sure he said he was happy about it.”
Holden presses his finger to my lip and soothes across where I was biting it. “Yeah, but he told me that if I was serious about you that I should think about marrying you.”
I can feel all the heat rush to my face. “Oh my God, he didn’t.”
He’s chuckling. “He did. Does that freak you out?”
I’m surprised by his question, but instead of answering him, I ask him the same thing in return. “What about you? Does that freak you out?”
He cradles my face in his hands. “No, I told him I’d see if I could talk you into it.”
Speechless, all I can do is stare at him.
He doesn’t blink, look away, or hesitate. “I’m going to get you used to the idea of us being together, but eventually, you’re going to be Mrs. Catherine Gray.”
“Oh, Holden.”
He pulls me in for another kiss, and before I get too carried away, he pulls back. “I’m sorry, but I have to go back to Jasper tonight. Let’s go get Cole and let me get you two home.”
“I’ll go get him so you can get back. I’m going to come to the game tomorrow, if that’s okay.”
His eyes light up. “Okay? Of course it’s okay. I want you both there. I’ll leave you tickets at the gate.”
I grasp his hand. “Walk me to my car.”
Hand in hand, we walk. “This doesn’t feel right. I want to be with you tonight.”
“Your last game of the season is tomorrow, Holden. We can be together after that. I mean, you may want to celebrate or do something else tomorrow night, but we can be together another day.”
He stops walking. “You don’t get it. I want to be with you… I win, I lose, whatever. I want to be with you.”
I go up on my tiptoes. “I want that too.”
We kiss again, and my heart does a little flutter in my chest. Holden makes me feel things I’ve never felt before, and even though it scares me, I’m going in full force. No more hiding, no more fear, I’m going to love Holden for as long as he’ll let me.
29
HOLDEN
I can’t help it. I keep looking up into the stands where my family and Cat and Cole are sitting. As soon as Cat and Cole showed up, it’s like I knew they were here. And when I saw that she was wearing my jersey, it took everything in me not to run up the stands where she’s sitting.
It’s the bottom of the ninth, and it’s a tied ballgame. I should be concentrating on the game, but instead, I’m standing at the edge of the dugout, wondering how I’m going to get through the crowd to Cat when the game is over.
“Gray, you’re up.”
I pull my eyes off Cat, grab my bat, and make my way to home plate. If I want to get to my girl and claim her in front of everybody, I need to take control of things.
I stand at the plate, ready to hit, and watch the first ball go by. “Strike.”
I stay in the box, bat over my shoulder as another pitch comes. “Strike,” the umpire calls.
If I don’t do something, we’re going into extra innings, and I’m ready for this game to be over. I kick my feet in the dirt, crowd the plate, and choke up on the bat. I watch as the pitcher wipes his brow and then gears up to throw the ball.
The ball is coming in fast, and I swing like my life depends on it.
As soon as the ball leaves the bat, I know it’s going over. Normally, I’d jog around the bases, but I’m a man on a mission.
I’m running, giving it all I got, and as I cross home plate, I just keep going. My team all runs to the middle of the field, but I head off into the stands, and straight to Cat. She has her arms wide open, waiting for me, and I pick her up, twirling her around. She receives me way better than I ever would have dreamed, but she leans down to kiss me, and I take over from there. The crowd is thunderous around us, and my brothers and sister are all crowding us. I pull Cat under my arm and Cole against my other side to hug them both to me. I bury my head into the top of Cat’s hair and breathe her in. Never in my life have I been happier than I am in this moment. Not because of a game, but because of the two people in my arms right now.