"It's opening day, man. I'm beyond excited. You?" Jeremy popped my butt and walked onto the field. We had a quick warm up before moving down to the bullpen. I would be opening the game that day, and excited wasn't really the word I was looking for.

"I'm just hoping like hell that everything goes okay. You know?" I rolled my shoulders and turned my attention up to the owner's box. My girl was already up there, the smile on her face enough to have every cell in my body teaming with desire. We'd been together for nine months, and every day had been better than the last.

Our GM, Alan was the one behind the HGH bullshit. Once Joe found out, he and Terra got him out of the club so fast it had everyone's head spinning. Jeremy and all the other players who got wrapped up in the shit were back on the team and their names cleared. My mother and Lyndsay were up in the stands, both of them healing from the loss of my dad just like I was. It would take a lot longer than nine months, but we'd get through it like we always did. Together. Terra had played a huge role in helping us move forward, both my mother and Lyndsay falling in love with my beautiful redhead vixen.

"You playing this one for your dad?" Jeremy glanced over his shoulder as he stopped by the first base.

"No. I played my guts out for him last season." I blew a kiss up toward Terra. "I'm playing for the woman that's going to be wearing my ring soon."

"Oh shit." He put his hands on my chest, stopping me. "You're going to do it here? On opening day?"

"Yeah. Why not?" I smiled and moved past him. After giving Gary a quick nod as he knelt behind home plate, I got on the pitcher's mound. The old guy was going to retire the year before, but like most of us, he just couldn't give it up yet. For the love of the game, we'd all grow old on the crimson dirt and deep green grass.

"In front of fucking everyone?" Jeremy yelled from the sideline.

"Hell yeah," I yelled back and got into position. I put a fastball in Gary's glove and a few of the early fans let off a collective holler. I got ready to throw another, but Gary stood and nodded to someone walking up behind me.

I turned to find Joe, our head coach doing a less than attractive mall-walk my way. "Hey. Everything is in place. We'll call her down here shortly. You got the ring?"

A laugh bubbled up inside of me. "Yeah, Joe. I got it. I swear you guys are more nervous than I am. What the hell?"

He lifted his eyebrow, giving me his famous warning look. "Her father was my best friend. She grew up on the sidelines of this field. We're all going to be watching you, Danny. She's our daughter, our sister, our leader."

"This is true." I turned and took a shaky breath. No pressure.

After warming up a little more, the announcer's voice filled the stadium. "Good Evening folks. We're going to get things started tonight with a surprise guest who will be throwing out the honorary first pitch to kick off our season."

The crowd went wild, and I turned to glance up at Terra. The poor thing had no clue that we'd all worked to set her up. I glanced around in a circle to find the guys on the team standing stone still with goofy smiles on their faces. I shook my head and turned my attention back up toward my girl as she pressed her hands to the glass on the other side of the owner's box.

"Miss Terra Harmon, could you make your way down to the field? We usually have our guest on the field ready to go, but tonight is a surprise for the Owner of your favorite baseball team here in Seattle." The crowd went nuts as Terra walked out of the box and gave me a look. The announcer continued. "Terra is also the daughter of the late Martin Harmon, the best owner Seattle has ever seen. We're all behind Terra as she carries on her father's legacy."

The crowd got louder, and the players behind me lifted up their own accolade to Terra.

A smile crept up my lips as she walked toward me, her hand on her hip, her long red hair flying behind her. "You knew about this."

"Me?" I reached out and pulled her against me, leaning down to kiss her in a romantic fashion. No need to leave the crowd speculating about our relationship as they had for the last nine months. I was about to take the final lap around the bases and ask her to be mine forever.

"Danny," she whispered softly against my lips as I kissed her again.

"You okay with me catching the ball?"

"For my pitch?" She rolled her shoulders, almost mimicking my moments from earlier. We'd been together too long. I chuckled at the thought.

"Yeah. I want to catch the ball." I touched her cheek and smiled. "Fuck you're beautiful. You doing anything later tonight?"

"You." She took the ball from me and got into position. "Get ready for the heat, McAdams."

"Please?" I turned and jogged over to Gary.

The older man stood and offered me his glove.

"No. I got this. Just wish me luck." I moved into position and lifted my glove.

"You don't need it boy. That girl has loved you for as long as I've known you both. About damn time you stopped acting like a fool and finally bought the ring.

"Shh, Gary. I'm trying to concentrate. Jeez." I gave him a wink and nodded at Terra. "Let's see whatcha got, Miss Harmon."

She threw the ball and the power of it almost knocked me back. Hot.

The crowd went wild again, and she walked toward me, waving and smiling up at them. I stayed in a squatting position, letting the ball roll behind me while she wasn't looking.

"Get up. That's it right?" She stopped in front of me.

"What do we have here?" I pulled my hand from the glove and moved to my knee. "A ring for my girl?"

"Danny. What are you doing right now?" She reached down and ran her fingers through the hair on the side of my head. I wanted to lean into her touch, but a crowd full of fans were watching.

"I've loved you for all of my life. Since I was pretending to be your brother's best friend in sixth grade just to spend the night."

She laughed. "He was pretty nerdy back then."

"Pretty?" I lifted the ring. "You trusted me with your future, your heart and your body, baby. Let me spend the rest of my life showing you how much that means to me. I want you to be my wife, to stand beside me forever, Terra. Come be my partner and let's build a big family together."

"Yes." She reached for me as I stood and pulled me in close, kissing me deep and long. The stadium erupted, and joy filled my heart as someone tugged on my pants’ leg.

"Peanut." I bent down and picked up my daughter, holding her between me and Terra. We shared a group hug and Terra kissed me one more time before walking off the field with Lyndsay.

It had been a long nine months, but a good one, and now life was going to get better. No more stealing anything.

She agreed to be mine.

Forever.