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Wren’s hand clasps mine harder. “She’s Emmett’s!” She narrows her small eyes at him.
“What?” Gillian’s head whips in my direction.
“Wren, I’m just his roommate.” I give her a smile.
She shakes her head. Did Emmett tell Bennett, and he let it slip to his daughter?
“Yes, Wren. They’re just sharing space for the moment,” Gillian says.
Walker chuckles. “We all know Emmett doesn’t see anyone exclusively. He usually picks them up after I’m done with them.”
Gillian’s hands go over Wren’s ears. “What is wrong with you? There’s a little girl around. You shouldn’t even be here.”
Walker cringes, looking somewhat repentant. “Sorry, she’s usually not at the games.”
“I’m six now, so Daddy said I can come.” She wiggles her shoulders, giving him attitude. It’s kind of cute. “Watch what you say.”
Wren looks at me, and I nod in agreement that she told him off. She puts one foot up on the bleacher in front of her, crossing her leg over it. She’s so cute.
The umpire calls the coaches in, and Jude goes to home plate along with the coach of the Diamond Spurs. They do what they do, and a coin is flipped.
“We’re home,” Jude says, and all the players go to their positions on the field.
Emmett eyes me from shortstop, then his attention falls on Walker.
“There’s Daddy!” Wren points toward left field. Bennett waves, and she claps for him. “And Emmett. Do you see him?”
Gillian is staring from Wren to me.
“I do. Shortstop.”
Wren snuggles closer to me, and again, Gillian’s eyes shift to our clasped hands.
The first player goes up to bat. Scarlett pitches and the ball goes right between third and shortstop. Emmett and Ben race for the ball. Emmett says he’s got it, but Ben continues for it, so Emmett bulldozes him with his shoulder.
“Whoa,” Gillian says. “That was unnecessary.”
Ben falls to the ground and Emmett gets the ball, throwing it to first. They get the runner out. Ben gets up, brushing dirt off his legs, and Emmett says something I can’t hear.
I don’t say anything to Gillian.
The next batter strikes out, and the one after that hits a fly ball. Wren stands, watching her dad run for the ball, but Lottie comes in to catch it from centerfield.
“That was a good catch,” Wren says as if she’s convincing herself.
“It was.”
Then we’re up to bat.
“Looks like he changed the lineup this year,” Gillian says to Sadie.
“You don’t want to know how much he’s stressed about this.” Sadie shakes her head.
Ben comes out of the dugout first. He used to be the four-hitter if I remember correctly. He looks pissed off, but goes up to bat, swings at the first pitch, and gets a line drive to right field, safe at first.
The second batter is Lottie, who also gets on by an error from the third baseman.
Brooks comes out of the dugout. “Maybe if you weren’t staring at her ass, you wouldn’t have bobbled the ball,” he calls to the third baseman before going back in to sit down.
