Page 74 of Coastal Rewind

“I suggest you leave MJ alone and never speak to him again, or else he’ll call us,” Nolan added with a tsk.

Jason’s bottom lip started trembling and he took off across the patio where his mom was looking completely unbothered. The guys all broke in smiles and clapped each other on the shoulder, their faces completely changing from a second ago.

I cleared my throat and arched a brow at the group of grown men.

“Did you just threaten a child?”

“Nope.” Owen shrugged.

“You guys are ridiculous.” I rolled my eyes.

MJ tapped Owen on the arm. He turned and looked down with concern in his expression.

“Thank you, Uncle Owen.”

Owen scooped him up and all the guys surrounded them, offering laughs and tickling MJ’s side. The sight had my heart soaring.

Someone cleared a throat behind me, and I turned around to see Mason standing there with a sheepish look on his face.

I winced. “Can we pretend you didn’t see my overprotective brother make a seven-year-old cry?”

“We can’t, Sunshine.” Mason looped his arms around my waist and pulled me into him. I glanced behind me and saw the guys taking MJ into the house. Knowing the coast was clear, I turned back to Mason and let him kiss me.

“You’re not mad?” I asked against his mouth.

“I will never be mad at your family for protecting my boy like he’s your own.”

I pulled back and smiled up at him, but my face fell when I realized Mason didn’t know about Jason.

“MJ told me he was being bullied for not having a mom. That kids were telling him she left him in a dumpster and you adopted him because you’re rich. I think this was a tough year for him.”

Mason’s jaw ticked, and I could tell he was going to have words about this later. “And it was Fitz?”

I nodded. “I talked to MJ about it, but maybe it’s time he knows more about his mom.”

Mason let out a breath and dropped his head. “Maybe.”

“He deserves to know the truth.”

“He does,” Mason agreed. He pulled me into his side and started walking to the house. “Come on, I’ve been volunteered for a fucking basketball game in the front.”

I threw my head back laughing and followed Mason into the party.

thirty-one

Mason

The crowd was alive tonight as we ran into the dugout. Everyone was in good spirits since our record was the best it had ever been and, despite the predictions to be one of the worst in the league, we were dominating.

We didn’t necessarily have the best players in the league, but what the Sparrows had that other teams lacked was chemistry. We could sense movements before they even happened and we always had each other’s backs. That trumped natural talent any day of the week.

I slipped on my batting gloves and grabbed my helmet before walking up to wait for Tucker to hit one out. My body buzzed with anticipation as I glanced over at Ryleigh and MJ who were sitting in the first row, centered between our dugout and home plate. I’d have a direct view of her face when my surprise played for the entire stadium to hear.

Ryleigh and I hadn’t really had the what are we talk, but the more time I spent with her, the more I knew I was so fucking gone for her that I feared I’d never be whole again after she left for her next adventure.

Part of me was hoping maybe she’d stay. Maybe MJ and I would be good enough for her. She hadn’t mentioned leaving in September so I truly didn’t know where she stood. My plan was to make it painfully obvious how much I wanted her here so when the time came I wouldn’t have any regrets about the one who got away.

Tucker’s bat made contact with the ball and it went sailing into the outfield. It landed in a gap in front of the right fielder and Tucker got to first base without a problem. I grabbed my bat and headed up the stairs as my new walk up song started blasting throughout the stadium.