Her family had gone home to watch the game, giving Jordan and Bree a blessed moment of peace. It had been wonderful having them there, especially as she facetimed with Carter, but she was completely worn out.

Now it was just the two of them, Bree and Jordan.

Bree had thankfully latched on easily enough. Jordan had worried it would be just one of many failings she’d have as a mother. But there she was, sucking eagerly enough at her breast.

It gave Jordan such a warm and happy feeling watching her.

“Hey there green eyes,” she cooed down at the face.

That had been the biggest surprise. Carter’s eyes.

The hair was light brown and wavy, the skin was surprisingly pink. He mother had taken one look at the top of Bree’s ears and pointed out the exact shade of cafe au lait she’d probably end up being. Her dad had criticized that that was just an old wives’ tale.

As she looked down at her, Jordan realized she didn’t care. Bree was perfect.

Jordan looked at the time and saw that the game had already started. She turned on the TV in the room, putting it on mute and watched the game unfold. She wanted to watch her man beat the Braves.

Besides, she—and now Bree—were his good luck charms. She smiled down at the fuzzy head below her, oblivious to the screen above them.

A few players in and Carter was at bat. She wasn’t aware of her body tensing until she heard and felt the mildly irritated whimper at her breast. She kissed the head to calm Bree a bit and looked back up at the screen.

“There’s your daddy,” she whispered with a smile.

The camera zoomed in on his face for a moment and she was instantly taken back to the very first day she met Carter Fox. That face….

“Go get ‘em Slugger,” she whispered and smiled up at the screen.

The first pitch was thrown and even Jordan could see it was a ball. She started with satisfaction before remembering that Bree was still in her arms. She could feel the earlier eagerness slowing down. Pretty soon, she’d probably be asleep.

She couldn’t tell if the next pitch was a ball. It didn’t matter, Carter swung...and missed. Her heart fell with disappointment. It was crazy how emotional she got when her guy was at bat!

Strike one, ball one.

The next came so close to hitting Carter in the crotch she actually gasped. Even the crowd in Atlanta gave a ripple of shock. She tensed, waiting to see his reaction. Would he get upset? She didn’t want to see him sitting out a game this close to making it to the World Series. She saw him grimace, step away from the plate, shake his head vigorously then step right back.

She let out a breath, rubbing Bree’s soft head to calm herself.

She saw the look of determination on his face just as the next pitch was thrown. She knew even before the bat connected with the ball. The camera followed it up…up…up…and over the stands.

The camera switched back to Carter and that’s when her heart burst into a million pieces. As if fully aware that she was looking at him through the TV screen, he double-tapped his chest, right above the heart, with his fist then brought two fingers up to his lips.

“We love you too Carter Fox,” she whispered with pride.

She looked down and saw that her nipple had no little mouth attached to it. Bree was sound asleep. Jordan just chuckled.

* * *

The hospital had a policy of keeping babies in the room with their mothers instead of the nursery. The literature said it was to help form an attachment between the two. Jordan had an idea it was also to enlighten new moms to what it would be like once they got home, so it wasn’t too much of a shock to the system.

Jordan was most definitely enlightened. The nurses could send her home today knowing that she was fully aware of what she had gotten herself into. Carter was the one who was now in for a surprise.

She smiled at the thought as she got out of bed to check in on her daughter, who was suspiciously quiet.

“They, um…said it was okay for me to come by since it was visiting hours.”

She turned in surprise at the voice that was permanently embedded in her memory.

Madison Grant, in all her flame-haired glory, was standing in the doorway of her hospital room.

The two blinked at each other awkwardly for a moment, then Jordan swallowed.

Madison glanced past her toward the bassinet where Bree was staring up idly out the window. “Can I see her?”

An instinctively protective force ran through Jordan. She let it subside. The woman was Carter’s mother. She was here to see her granddaughter. That said something.

Jordan nodded.

Madison gave a brief, grateful smile. She held up the tiny pink bag, which Jordan noticed for the first time.

“Carter texted me,” she said pursing her lips at the impersonal nature of the notification. “I suppose I should be grateful he got in touch at all,” she said, making her way to Bree.

She handed the bag to Jordan and peeked down at her granddaughter. Bree stared up at her with that newborn look of wonder and surprise, most likely at the strikingly, flame-colored halo surrounding the woman’s face.

“A girl, huh?” she said smiling down. “That probably gave Carter a nice little heart attack.”

Jordan couldn’t help herself, and she laughed. Madison looked up at her with surprise, then joined in. Another female to wreak havoc on his life.

Seeing that the ice had been somewhat thawed between them, Madison pressed on. “May I?” she said reaching her hands down to Bree.

Jordan nodded again.

Madison reached in and picked the tiny bundle up, cradling the head expertly and bouncing her lightly. “Hey there, little girl,” she cooed.

She peered closely and her eyes blinked in surprise. “She has green eyes!” she said, astonished.

Jordan tensed, remembering full well their one-time conversation on eugenics.

Madison’s slight smile faltered as her eyes rolled over to meet Jordan’s and she saw the expression there.

“I—I didn’t mean,” she stammered. “It’s just…she reminds me so much of him.”

Jordan’s tension level decreased by exactly one notch.

Madison looked down at Bree with a somber expression. “What I said that day…I...you just have no idea what a mother pours into her child.”

“I think I have a pretty good idea,” Jordan said testily.

Madison gave her a wry smile. “Oh, you’re just beginning,” she mused. “Wait until she breaks your heart for the first time.”

“Those things I said, I...I honestly don’t know what I think anymore. Everything changes with a baby.” She turned to look down at Bree again with an almost nostalgic smile.“I know Carter loves you. I hope you love him just as much.”

“I do,” Jordan confirmed.

Madison brought her eyes back up to Jordan. “I wanna apologize for that day. No matter how I feel—felt—you didn’t deserve it, especially considering your situation. It was mean and spiteful of me. I was just so scared of losing Carter. He’s all the family I have.”

Jordan thawed. This was progress at least.

She reached down into the bag and dug through the pink tissue paper. Jordan pulled out three little onesies, pink, lavender and white. All Sluggers’ gear.

She laughed as she held them up.

Madison looked up. “Might as well start her early,” she shrugged with a grin, then she began chuckling as well.