I had been standing for an entire inning now, and I couldn’t tell if I was squeezing Aly’s hand numb, or if she was squeezing mine numb. I was pretty sure it was even because we were equally nervous – she as a lifelong Empires fan, and me as the one person who knew just how badly Drew Maddox needed this win.

The stakes were high enough that I actually watched every second of the game instead of drifting off here and there to ogle how damned good my boyfriend looked on the mound.

During the regular season, it was definitely a problem.

I usually sat in a suite behind home plate with Aly and Emmett, and despite having the game right in front of me – and seats most people would kill for – I generally just hawked the TV broadcast on the flat screen, waiting for those close-ups of Drew’s green eyes framed between the bill of his cap and his glove.

They were just so damned gorgeous and every time I saw them, I touched my belly to ask the little one a silent question.

Do you have his eyes or mine? No pressure at all. I’m just curious. But I kind of hope you have his.

That was usually how it went, but there was no ogling today. Because this was crunch time.

Game 7 of the World Series. Bottom of the ninth. Empires up 4-2 with one on, two outs and the count at three and two.

I literally had no idea what any of these numbers meant at the beginning of the summer, and if I had to be completely honest, I still sometimes cheered prematurely and needed to ask Aly why something wasn’t considered an out.

But tonight, I knew exactly what was happening – not just because this was the biggest game in Drew’s life but because my man had already made history.

It wasn’t common for pitchers to go nine innings in even a regular season game, but in the final game of the World Series, nine innings later, Drew was still on the mound – sore, aching, but still locked in beast mode and striking out batters on ninety-five mile-per-hour fastballs.

He was still laboring, and now he was only one out away from winning it all.

“Omigod, omigod, here we go, here we go,” Aly whispered as Drew wound up for his next pitch. As he delivered, she gripped my hand so tight her engagement ring crushed my fingers, but I didn’t even register the pain till I saw the swing and heard the crack of the bat.

Fuck.

There was a collective gasp in the stadium followed by utter silence as fifty thousand pairs of eyes flew to follow the ball of white that soared high in the sky, eventually landed foul in the seats.

Then came the collective exhale.

“Oh God, thank God,” I squeaked as the stadium returned to a buzz in anticipation of the next pitch.

“Come on, come on, I can’t take this stress anymore,” Aly breathed, squeezing my hand as we both bounced on our toes.

“Me neither, and I’m feeling very left out,” Emmett hissed on her right, to which we both went shh because Drew was getting into position again, preparing for another wind-up on hopefully the final pitch of the season.

Okay, maybe I was lying about the lack of ogling, because God he looked so damned tall and powerful on that mound. I held my breath as I watched that long body turn to wind up for the next pitch.

But just before its release, I felt a little twitch that I knew wasn’t butterflies in my stomach.

It was the first little kick in my belly.

My mouth fell open just as Drew launched an absolute rocket to home plate. I saw the big, healthy swing just as I heard the ball hitting leather.

And for a second, time stood still.

It slowed before me as I stood there, savoring every aspect of this one incredible moment. The roar of the stadium. My hand in Aly’s. Drew’s pumping fist.

And our baby kicking once more to celebrate the win.

“Oh my God – yesss!”

Aly and Emmett’s raucous cheers brought me back to Earth, and before I knew it, I was laughing, crying and screaming my face off with them as well as everyone around us.

Because Drew Maddox and the New York Empires were World Champions.

It was absolute chaos, but in the best possible way, and just when I thought I was out of tears, the mob of Empires finally started climbing off of Drew.

And by the time I spotted him in the crowd of white jerseys, he was already headed my way.

The second our frantic, wet eyes locked he mouthed I love you, and the next thing I knew, I was in his arms, his cap flipped backwards as he kissed me so deeply my knees went weak.

“I love you,” I whispered back between his kisses, too far over the moon to care about all the cameramen and big, crazy-looking cameras surrounding us.

I was so in love with the man holding me in his strong arms, and I was so overjoyed for his joy. I felt it welling inside him as he held me tight, kissing me so sweetly as I brought his palm down to my belly.

“He kicked right before your last pitch,” I whispered excitedly once we’d caught our breaths enough to speak.

Well, I certainly did. It took another second for Drew, especially after processing the words that I said. Cupping my face, he gazed down at my belly before looking into my eyes.

“He?” he repeated breathlessly, his eyes crinkling as he smiled wide. “You know something I don’t know?”

“I found out today,” I grinned, laughing with surprise as Drew scaled the fence into the front row seats and knelt right down before my stomach. With the crowd roaring around us, I couldn’t hear the smiling words he spoke to our son, but I didn’t need to. I chalked it up as their first father-son pep talk, and I couldn’t think of a better time for it.

The cameras flashed like crazy as Drew knelt before my little bump, and I giggled with Aly, especially as Drew bumped fists with Emmett before giving our little one the last word and rising again to his feet.

“Listen, Evie,” he murmured close to me, thousands of eyes upon us.

“Yeah?” I giggled.

“There are a lot of people watching us right now.”

“Yes. More than ever. Cameras too.”

“Yeah. Thought so,” Drew smirked close to my lips. “Should probably wait till later to ask this but fuck it,” he murmured, taking my left hand in both of his and kissing me softly as he wiggled the ring off my finger.

I wasn’t fully sure what was happening, but I looked down, a stunning new diamond had replaced the one I’d worn since the summer. It was a similar size to the first – just princess cut this time around – but somehow it was so many million times more beautiful, and it snatched my breath straight away.

Because this time, I knew the man I loved had chosen it.

“Will you marry me, Evie?” Drew whispered his question with a wicked little on his lips.

Fresh tears sprung to my eyes as I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him again, giving him the answer he’d already known for awhile now.

“Baby, you know I will.”