Chapter 17

Cassie

Parker had gone to meetings twice in the week between Christmas and the New Year. One of those times, he left the house in a suit. Each time I asked him what was going on, all he'd say was that he was taking care of things. We were supposed to be in it together, and each time he said it, I became a bit more pissed than I already was. By the time New Year's Eve came around, I had a fire lit under my ass like you wouldn't believe. I hadn't talked to Parker once that day, and I didn't plan for that to change either.

We'd agreed days before to go over to my parents' and grandma's house for dinner and the countdown to midnight. There was no way I could go against what we'd already planned. If I did, my grandma would be all over my ass, and I couldn't have that. So, I put a smile on my face, and we headed two houses down. Everyone was already there, so when we walked in, I headed straight for the ladies.

When dinner was ready, both Parker and I helped the kids get their food, but we didn't exchange a single word between us. That wasn't normal, not at all. I was pretty quiet through dinner, and I felt my grandma watching me the entire time. She'd never missed a thing, and no matter how hard I tried, I knew she wasn't missing the tension flowing off of me.

“I'm going to watch television,” Parker said, as soon we were done eating. “Would you like to watch it with me?”

“I guess,” I said, knowing I'd be kicking his ass later for putting me on the spot like that.

I sat down next to him, and when I grabbed for the remote to turn off the sports channel, he quickly grabbed it back.

“Never said I was watching sports,” I said, as I began to stand.

“Woman,” he hissed, as he reached for my arm before my ass could even leave the seat.

“Parker,” Sammie whispered, and my ass hit the seat with my attention turning back toward the television.

The second my eyes landed on the screen, I gasped.

“Look at that handsome guy,” my grandma said, as she sat down next to me.

“What the fuck!” Lance snapped out.

“Lance,” Lucy warned him.

Anyone that wasn't already in the living room got there quickly.

“Since you requested this interview, I'm going to let you take the floor, Parker,” the guy next to him said into his microphone.

“Thank you!” Parker said.

I turned to look over at Parker, but he hadn't turned away from the screen. There was something in his eyes. I wasn't sure if it was sadness or worry. What had gone on during the week, I wondered? He'd left in a suit two days before, so whatever was about to happen had been taped then. He knew I was watching him, so he nodded toward the screen. As pissed as I was, I couldn't do it anymore. My man wasn't happy, and he needed me to be there for him. Whatever I was about to hear, I needed to hear it from next to him, so I scooted across the couch and snuggled in close to his side. He wrapped his arm around my back and kissed the top of my head.

“I love you,” he whispered, and my arm that had gone over his belly tightened around him.

“I've been playing ball with my fellow Pirates for a long time, and I can honestly say that I've loved every minute of it. I've gained some very good friends through my team, and I wouldn't trade a single one of them. We're a family. There's no doubt about that. As you already know, there was talk two seasons ago of trading me. What you don't know is that it's happened again.”

“Shit!” I whispered. “They really are trading you.”

“Just listen, princess,” he whispered into my hair.”

“No way!” Sammie hissed.

“Settle down, Woman,” James said, as he pulled his woman in close.

“Bullshit!” Lance barked out.

“Well, I couldn't let that happen,” Parker continued. “Yes, I love the team, I really do. Baseball has been my life since I could walk. If I wasn't playing in a game, I was watching one. Pennsylvania is my home, and I won't leave it. I have a beautiful wife and six amazing kids.”

A smile so wide filled his face on the screen, and I squeezed him tight.

“We've built something absolutely perfect, and there is no way I will uproot them. I also refuse to live without them by my side every second. If someone would have asked me just a few years ago where I'd be at this moment, I'd tell them playing ball, but things have changed. The second that woman walked into my life, I knew I'd never let her leave it.”

“I love the game just as much, if not more than I always have, and I will be there to watch my team, my friends, do some amazing things. The only difference is that I will now be doing it from the stands. I am retiring and will not be returning next season.”

The entire room around me went quiet and still, and I looked up at Parker.

“You can't,” I said.

“I already have,” he said.

“You're at the top of your game, Pete,” the guy interviewing him said. “You're in demand.”

“That's true,” Parker said. “I guess you could say I'm going out on top. It's time to be with my family.”

“I don't get it,” the guy said. “Do you realize what you're giving up? The teams that want you are willing to pay you more than you've ever made.”

“I do,” Parker said. “You know what, not everything is about money. I play baseball because I love it. Yes, it is my career, and I do get paid to play it, but that's not the main reason I play. When I retire, I will still continue to play the game every single day. I'll play with my children, my wife, my extended family, and the kids at Sammie Reid's place. Shit! I'll probably still play with some of the Pirates. I'm not giving up the game. That will never happen. I will always play ball. The game has always come first in my life, but it's time for that to change. I'll now be working it around family functions and school events. I've missed a lot over the years, and I won't miss one more thing. It's time for me to be home, to be with my family. They're my world, and nothing will take that away, not ever.”

By the time he was done, tears were pouring down my face.

“If the Pirates were to call you and tell you they were keeping you, you could stay here guaranteed, would you do it?” the guy asked.

“No,” Parker answered. “I honestly wouldn't.”

“What will you tell the fans?” the guy asked. “They're not going to be happy about this. You're one of the best on the team.”

“I am so damn thankful to every single person that has ever watched me play,” Parker said. “I truly am, but I am not one of the best on the team. Every single guy on the team is amazing and important. Not a single one of us could do our job without the other. We are all equally important. I'm not leaving my team or the fans, I'm just changing where I stand during the game.”

“Thank you so much for taking the time to announce your retirement on the show,” the guy said. “It's so much better to hear it from the player than to hear it from the media. I have so much respect for you, and I wish you the best of luck in all you do.”

As soon as the interview was over, Sammie was up and on her feet.

“Is this some kind of joke?” she asked.

“Not at all,” Parker answered.

“This is real?” she asked.

“It is,” Parker answered.

“I can't believe this,” I said, as I turned toward him. “You can't do this.”

“It's already done, princess,” he said.

“You didn't know this was coming?” Sammie asked me.

“Do I look like I knew?” I asked, as the tears continued to run down my face.

“She had no idea,” Parker said.

“I knew they were talking about trading him,” I said.

“Really?” Sammie asked.

“Yes,” I answered. “He told me a week ago, but I had no idea he was doing this. We'd agreed to figure things out together.”

“I already knew,” Parker said.

“What?” I asked.

“When I told you they were talking about trading me, you hadn't even gone upstairs, and I'd already decided what I was going to do,” he said.

“We should have talked about it,” I said.

“So you could talk me out of it?” he asked.

“Yes,” I answered. “I didn't want you to leave the game, wannabe. It's your life.”

“You're my life,” he said, as he held my face in his hands and leaned in to kiss me. “Our family is my life.”

“Are you sure about this?” I asked.

“More sure than I've ever been before,” he answered. “Will you still love me if I'm not a ballplayer?”

“I'll love you even more,” I said, as I wrapped my arms around his neck and crashed my lips to his.

“Will you still wear my jersey?” he asked, when we pulled away to catch our breath.

“Every single night if you want,” I said, as his hands held my face and his thumbs wiped my tears from face.

“Oh, I want,” he began, but he was cut off.

“Stop,” Lance snapped out. “Not another word.”

“Oh stop,” Lucy said, as she swatted at his arm. “Like you haven't fucked me in your jersey a time or two.”

“Or a million,” Lance began, but it was his turn to be cut off.

“Not another word,” Sammie snapped, as her hands went up to cover her ears like a child would.

“You made the right choice,” my dad said, and everyone went quiet.

“What?” Parker asked.

“I wouldn't have let you take her,” my dad answered.

“Really?” Parker asked, a little rougher than he should have.

“Really,” my dad said. “I love you like one of my own, but I wouldn't have let her leave. I lost way too much time with my little girl and the kids. Why do you think my ass lives two houses away from you?”

I saw a smirk on Parker's face and knew he'd already let what my dad had just said go.

“Then I'm glad I decided to retire,” Parker said sternly. “There's no way I would have left her behind.”

A look passed between my dad and Parker, but neither of them said another word.

“You could have at least waited until they made a decision,” Lance said. “What if the Pirates kept you? Then you quit early for nothing.”

“For nothing,” grandma said roughly.

“You know what I mean, Mom,” Lance said.

“Says the guy who retired early for his family. I don't recall there even being talk of trading you,” she said. “You have no room to speak on the matter, so just quiet yourself over there.”

“You tell him,” Lucy said, as she let out a laugh.

“Firecraker,” Lance snapped.

“Hey!” Lucy said, as she put her hands up. “She speaks the truth, hotshot. I was just so amazing that you couldn't stay away from me.”

“You were a pain in my ass,” he said, as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her onto his lap. “I'll admit that much.”

“Now you're a pain in mine,” she said, as she snuggled in close to his chest.

“Every chance I get,” he said.

“Dad,” Sammie yelled.

“What?” Lance asked. Then his eyes went wide. “Fuck! Seriously, Sammie? You just made me hate Reid even more.”

“Hey!” James snapped out. “I did nothing wrong. I'm completely innocent.”

“Really?” Lance asked, as he pointed at Sammie's belly. “I don't believe that for a second.”

Everyone went on talking and giving each other shit, and my grandma leaned over toward me.

“You know better,” she whispered.

“What?” I asked, totally lost about what she meant by her words.

“Do not what me, Cassandra,” she whisper growled.

When I realized exactly what she meant, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

“I just found out,” I told her.

“I'm so damn happy for you,” she whispered. “They will be too.”

“I'm not ready for Lance yet,” I whispered back.

“When will you kids learn?” she asked.

“It'll be worth it to have just a few more weeks without him on my back,” I said.

She shook her head, and I smiled.

“This is all your fault,” I said.

Her eyes went wide.

“My fault?” she asked.

“Yes,” I answered, and before she could open her mouth to argue, I continued. “You were the one that wanted a bigger gap.”

She shook her head and smiled.

“I guess I did, didn't I?” she said, and we both burst into laughter.

“What's going on over there?” Lance asked.

“Do you have to have your nose in everything?” she asked him. “I'm having a discussion with my grandchild. Is that okay?”

He opened his mouth to reply, but she narrowed her eyes at him, and his mouth shut.

“I love you so much, Grandma,” I said. “You're the only one that can shut that man's mouth.”

We both burst into laughter again. When he narrowed his eyes my way, I narrowed mine right back.

“It's not the same when you do it, Cassie,” he snapped, as he got up and walked toward the kids. “I'm going to go see the people that love me.”

“So,” Sammie said, as she walked over to us. “You really won't be playing anymore?”

“Not for the Pirates,” Parker answered. “I hope you're ready.”

“For what?” she asked.

“To be seeing a lot more of me,” he said.

“My woman doesn't need to see any more of you than she already does,” James said, as he walked up behind Sammie and wrapped his arms around her, resting his hands over her big belly.

“Really?” Sammie asked, totally ignoring her husband's comment.

“I need to play,” Parker answered, “so I thought I'd come hang out at your place every day now. Would that be okay?”

“That would be amazing,” she said. “As long as you don't mind jumping in and helping me. I could really use it.”

“That sounds awesome,” he said. “I'm sure Cassie will be pushing me out the door each day. She's not used to having me around all the time.”

“Something tells me she's going to get used to it real quick,” Sammie said, as she gave me a little wink.

“I'm pretty sure you're right, Sammie,” I said, as I gave her a tiny nod of my head.

That woman was getting just as good as grandma at figuring things out. She was definitely one to watch.

“I'm just happy he'll be home,” I said.

“So am I,” she said. “We both need him for his body. I just need him to fill a space.”

“Oh, I need him to fill a space too,” I said, with a laugh.

“No,” James said, as he pulled Sammie away from me. “This is not okay. I do not need to think about him filling any spaces. Come on, Woman. You belong over here with me.”

“Your sister is the one with the dirty mind,” Sammie said, as James pulled her along behind him.

“You got a dirty mind?” Parker asked.

“Oh, I do,” I answered. “I plan to show you just how dirty it is every single night from now on.”

“Oh yeah?” he asked.

“Most definitely,” I said. “I'm going to show you just how worth it it is to be home with me.”

“You want to start now?” he asked.

“Parker,” I said, as I looked over at him.

“You two aren't going anywhere,” Lance said, as he sat down across from us. “Yeah, I hear you over there. I've already got Sammie to watch out for. That's all I can handle right now.”

I looked at Parker, and we both smiled.

“Fine,” Parker said,” but the second Sammie pops that baby out, all bets are off.”

“Agreed,” Lance said. “That will at least give me a short break.”

That man had no idea just how wrong he was.