Chapter 12

Parker

We'd finished a couple of innings when I looked up at the family section where I would usually see my wife, but she wasn't there. The woman was about to pop. She was insisting she wanted to come and watch me play, but I let her know it wasn't happening. I'd also let every single one of the family know they weren't to bring her or let her out of their sight. When I saw one of the wives, the one Cassie and Sammie liked to talk to, wave, I shook my head and looked back at her husband. When she started waving her arms around like a crazy woman, I looked back at her man again, and he had the same confused look on his face that I had on mine. Our third out came, and we began walking toward the dugout. When I looked up, I saw the same woman hold up a sign. I stopped and tried to make out what it said, but I couldn't. Her husband came up next to me and let out a laugh.

“What the fuck is wrong with your wife?” I asked.

He stopped, and I stopped too.

“Look at the sign again,” he said.

When I looked up again, I saw the words Baby Time.

“Shit!” I growled out, as I hurried toward the dugout. “I have to get there. I have to make it. I promised I'd be there. I am not missing my child's birth.”

The second I got where all the guys could hear me, I let them know. We needed to move as fast as possible. I needed to get to my wife and baby.

I felt like that one game was taking days. Was she at the hospital? Did we have a long time? Was she already pushing? What the fuck was going on? There was no way to know. I wanted to walk out of there so badly, but I couldn't. I was under contract, but more importantly, those were my guys I'd be walking out on, and I couldn't do that. I was part of the team.

When the last inning started, we were tied, and I couldn't have that. I needed to leave. They got a run, but so did we, so it was tied up again. That could not happen again. They were up, and my guys got them out three in a row. I was the first up to bat. As soon as the ball came my way, I knocked that shit right out of there. I rounded the bases, landed on home plate, hugged my team, smacked hands with the rest, and I was out of there. I got to the locker room, grabbed my stuff, and took off for my car, pushing right by the reporter that was trying to stop me.

I drove as fast as I could, pulled into the first spot I found, and took off for the door. I got through the hospital as fast as I could. The woman at the desk quickly directed me on where to go, and I was on my way. As soon as I reached the labor and delivery area, a nurse grabbed my arm.

“Hurry up,” she snapped out. “She's been doing everything she can to wait, but it hasn't been working.”

“How do you know who I am?” I asked.

She motioned to my jersey and laughed.

“It's not that difficult,” she said. “She followed every second of the game.”

She reached for a door, pulled it open, and hurried me into the room. The moment I saw her, my heart broke.

“Push,” I heard Sammie say.

“No,” Cassie yelled. “He's not here yet. Fuck!”

“He is now,” Sammie said, as she motioned for me to move.

I hurried to Cassie's side and took her hand from Sammie's.

“Hey, princess,” I said. “I tried as hard as I could, baby. I really did.”

“Parker,” she said, as she opened her eyes and looked up at me. “You're here.”

“I'm here,” I said.

“You need to push,” the doctor said.

“Fine,” she said.

She held my hand tight and did just as the doctor had asked her. After six big pushes, our baby entered the world. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen in my life. When I heard the tiny cry, my heart melted.

“It's a boy,” the doctor said. “You have a son.”

They did what they needed to do, and when they placed my son in my wife's arms, I cried. I'd missed the twins coming into the world, and I was so damn thankful I hadn't missed what had just happened. I would never forget it for as long as I lived.

I looked down at our perfect little boy. Then I looked into the eyes of the most amazing woman I'd ever met.

“Six kids,” I said. “We have six kids.”

“We do,” she said, as she handed our son to me.

“When do we go for seven?” I asked, as I held the little bundle close to my chest.

“Parker,” Cassie growled out.

“Just kidding, princess,” I said. “I'll give you a few months before I bring it up again.”

“I'm not risking you missing another birth,” she said. “That was too scary for me. Never again.”

“Don't say that,” I said. “You'll change your mind.”

“Will not,” she said.

“I'll have to talk to your grandma about it then,” I said, and we both laughed.

My woman was exhausted, and I wasn't leaving her side. I was going to be right there to take care of her and our son.

“I want to name him Pete,” she said, and I let out a laugh.

“Cassie,” I said. “You're just exhausted.”

“Look at him,” she said. “He looks just like you.”

“Cassie,” I said, with warning in my tone.

“I'm serious,” she said.

“No,” I said.

“Yes,” she said.

“Not happening, princess,” I said.

“This is one argument I'm not giving up on,” she said.

Just as I opened my mouth to tell her what I thought about that, the door opened, and everyone walked in. There was Lucy, Lance, Carrie, Scott, Sammie, James, and grandma.

“Where's my newest grandchild?” grandma asked.

“Right here,” I said. “It's a boy.”

“Get on that next one right away,” she said, as she sat down and motioned for me to bring her the baby.

“That's what I said,” I told her. “Cassie doesn't seem so thrilled though.”

“She will be,” grandma said. “Just give her some time.”

“He's so adorable,” Sammie said, as she looked down at the baby before walking over to Cassie. “What's his name?”

“Pete Parker Jr.,” Cassie said.

“Seriously,” James blurted out with a laugh.

“Yes,” Cassie said, with seriousness in her tone.

She meant it. I'd totally thought it was a joke, but it wasn't. She really wanted to name our boy after me.

“I'm not sure,” I said.

“I love it,” grandma said. “He looks just like his daddy. That's the perfect name.”

“See,” Cassie said. “Grandma even thinks it's perfect.”

“She also thinks we need to work on another one right away,” I said.

My girl looked at me with the biggest smile on her face, and I knew right then that I'd lost the argument. What my wife wanted, my wife got. I'd do anything to make her happy. So, there it was. We were naming our little boy after me, and secretly, I was so damn happy about it.