Stupid Girl(120)

“Your folks are coming, right?”

I smiled and kissed Brax on the nose. “Yes. They’re coming. They’re probably already in the stands.”

He grinned, wagged his brows, and cockily pulled the bill of his Silverbacks hat low. “They’ll see how wicked bitchy I pitch.”

I shook my head. “Your ego, Southie. It’s a biggun.”

“You like it.”

“I do.”

Brax pulled me into a tight embrace, lowered his mouth to mine.

And devoured it.

I kissed him back, no hesitation, no shyness. He made me that comfortable.

Our kissing turned smoldering, and we fell against Brax’s front door. His hand moved to my hip, around my buttock. “How am I supposed to concentrate on the mound, Gracie?” he said, taking small nips of my bottom lip.

“Just think of what’ll be waiting for you after you win,” I said, breathless.

A knock on the door at my back startled us both.

“Hey! We know you’re both in there. Probably naked and making out,” Tessa’s tinny voice sounded from the other side of the door. “Game day, guys. Come on! It’s freezing out here!”

Brax pulled back slowly, my bottom lip in his mouth, and he gave it one last taste. “Hold your ponies, Barnes,” he said, grinning. His eyes never left mine. “Be out in a sec.”

Two weeks into the new semester, and everything was absolutely perfect. Brax and I didn’t have any classes together, but we still had lunch every day. He worked at the batting cages when he wasn’t at early spring training, and I at the observatory. We studied together, spent as much time together as possible, and although I hadn’t moved into his apartment, I stayed there a lot. Henry didn’t mind. Brax hated to ever see me leave.

We were as close as a couple in love could be.

Except, we’d neither said it.

Brax had changed. I probably had, too, but his was noticeable. To me, anyway. Although he’d defend me in a sweet minute, that angry side of him had disappeared. He wasn’t quite as rough around the edges. I don’t know … it was as if he’d found peace, maybe? I’d liked to think I was that peace. He’d certainly been for me. Besides. Kelsy Evans had all but vanished. I was pretty sure he’d flunked his semester. Or his father had pulled him from Winston in order to duck trouble. Either way, I never saw him around school and that sat perfectly well with me.

“Come on!” Tessa complained from the other side of the door. “Cory, tell your pitcher to move his ass!”

“Move your ass!” Cory hollered.

Brax kissed me once more and grinned. “Let’s go before I punch him in the throat.”

We all headed out to the Winston baseball diamond in Cory’s Camaro. The middle of January was chilly and sunny and perfect. My family had driven in to watch Brax pitch and have dinner. The only thing missing was Jilly. And I knew he was there in spirit.

Brax and Cory’s cleats clicked across the parking lot as we hurried to the dugout, where Brax swept me up and kissed me once more.

“Kick ass,” I said, grinning, and kissed him back.

“You know I will,” he replied.

Tessa ran with me up the bleachers, where I found Mom and my brothers. I introduced everyone, and we waited for the game to start.

“Come here, Lil’ Bit,” Jace said, and pulled me next to him.

Kyle reached around Mom and smacked me in the back of the head. “This better be good,” he said, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips.

I grabbed his knee cap, and he squawked. “Just you watch.”

“All right you guys,” Mom said. She tugged my braid. “Behave.”

The game started, and Brax fired three fastballs in a row for the first strike out. I watched in fascination as he collected, stretched, and pitched. It was a thing of beauty, to me. The ball popped the catcher’s glove so loud it sounded like gunfire. He had a grimace on his face that showed every ounce of strength he used to shoot that pitch, too. I thought it was the sexiest growling face. Ever.

“Damn that boy,” Seth said low. “Jace.”

“I know,” he agreed. “Son of a—”

“Hey,” Mom said.

“Wait ’til you see him bat,” I added.

After three consecutive outs, the Silverbacks were up to bat. The first two batters hit singles, leaving Brax with runners on first and second. He found me in the stands, pointed his bat right at me.

“God he’s cocky,” Kyle said. “I like that.”

I only grinned.

“Could you be a little more sickening?” Tessa teased. “Chica, please.”

My brothers laughed.

Brax crowded the plate on the first pitch and swung. He loved to hit fast balls, and that’s exactly what had crossed the plate. His bat cracked the ball, sending it out to the left field corner. He took off in that arrogant, bow-legged swaggering run. One player scored, one was on third, and Brax made it to second by sliding. We all jumped to our feet and hollered.