HitandRun

BookTwointheSummerRushSeries

CherylDouglas

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ChapterOne

“Ineedyoutodomeafavor.”

Since Maceon “Ace” Phillips had never, in all the years they’d known each other, asked his best

friendforarealfavor,heknewtheoddsweregoodRowanwouldagreetohelphim.

“Sure,whatisit?”
“HaveyouandTenleyfoundavenuefortheweddingreceptionyet?”
“Uh,no.Why?”Rowanasked,stretchinghislonglegsoutinfrontofhim.
“DaniellemanagestheYorkHotel.”
“Youmeanyourex-girlfriendfromhighschool?Theonewho—”
“Yeah,that’stheone.”
“Youwantustoworkwithher?Why?Ithoughtshehatedyou.”Hewinced,raisinghishand.“Sorry,

I’msureyoudon’tneedtobereminded.”

No,Acedidn’tneedtobereminded.He’dneverforgetthelookinDani’seyesthedayshefoundout

hewastheoneresponsibleforhertwinbrother’sdeath.Butyearshadpassedsincethen.He’dpaidhis
debt to society. Now he wanted one last chance to make amends with her. Before she married another
man.

Acewasashamedofalotofthedecisionshe’dmadewhenhewasyounganddumb,buthisbiggest

regret was getting behind the wheel of a car after drinking too much and letting his best friend, Dani’s
brother,climbintothepassenger’sseatnexttohim.

The judge had called it manslaughter. An apt description, since whether it was intentional or not,

Acehadslaughteredamanthatday.Amanwhohadbeenlikeabrothertohim.

“Ineedtoseeheragain.Ineedtoapologize.”Aceknewitwasprobablytoolittle,toolate,butthis

hadbeeneatinghimupinsideforyears.Hethoughtofallthelettershe’dwrittentoDaniandherparents,
whohadbeenlikefamilytohim.Thelettershe’dneverhadthegutstomail.

“Idon’tgetit,”Rowansaid,shakinghishead.“Whydoweneedtobookatherhoteljustsoyoucan

apologize?”

“Ineedtotalktohersomewhereshecan’tescape.”Heknewitsoundedcryptic,buthehadnodoubt

Daniwouldrunfromhim,giventhechance.

Rowanchuckled.“YouthinkIwantthatkindofdramaatmywedding,man?Tenleywouldkillme.

She’salreadybeggingmetoelopebecauseshedoesn’twanthermothertomakeascene.”

“Ihearyou,andyouknowI’dneverdoanythingtomessupyourbigday.Butthiswouldmeanalot

tome,man.Letthisbemygifttoyou—aweddingreceptionattheYork.”

“Are you serious?” Rowan looked at Ace as though he was crazy, which he probably was. “Why

wouldyouwanttodothat?”

“You’remybestfriend,”Acesaid,shrugging.“Whywouldn’tIwanttodothat?”
Since they played for the same professional baseball team, Ace knew his friend made almost as

muchashedid,butwhatelsecouldhegiveacouplewhohadeverythingandthemoneytobuywhatever

theywanted?

“Soletmegetthisstraight,”Rowansaid,rubbinghisforehead.“Youwanttopayformywedding

reception—”

“Food,booze,décor,thewholedeal,”Acesaid,hopingtosweetentheoffer.“Besides,thisplaceis

atop-notchboutiquehotelawayfromthehustleandbustleofthecity.Youcouldevendotheceremony
outsidethere,ifyouwantto.IbetTenleywouldloveit.”

“Andyouknowallthishow?”
“Imayhavedonealittleresearch.”Acetypedintheaddressofawebsitethathenowknewbyheart

before showing Rowan his phone. “This is their website. They’ve hosted some pretty high-profile
weddings,soIhavenodoubtthey’ddoagreatjobwithyours.”

“Obviously you don’t want your ex to know about your involvement,” Rowan said as he scrolled

throughthesite.

“Obviously.”AceknewDaniwouldn’taccepttheirreservationifshethoughtshemightrunintohim

again.

“LetmetalktoTenleyaboutthis,andI’llgetbacktoyou,okay?”
“Yougotit,”Acesaid,standingtoshakehishand.“Thanks,buddy.Thismeansalottome.”
“I feel like I should thank you,” Rowan said, laughing. “You did just offer to pay for my wedding

reception,afterall.”

Acehadnoproblemgivinghisfriendandhisbeautifulbridetheweddingofherdreams,butifthat

caraccidenthadtaughtAceonething,itwastovaluehisfriends.

***

Daniellewasrunninglateforaclientmeeting,andshehatedbeinglate.Sowhenshefinallyrushed

into her office, she tripped over a ripple in the area rug and almost did a face-plant. Great first
impression.

“Oh my God,” she said, righting herself as heat crept up her neck to stain her cheeks. “I am so

sorry.”

The groom stood, grinning as he took her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Kipling. I’m Rowan

Nixon,andthisismyfiancée,Tenley.”

OfcoursesheknewwhoRowanwas.Everyoneinthecitydid.Hewasalmostasfamousas…no!

Shewasn’tgoingtothinkabouthim.

“It’sapleasure.I’msorryIkeptyouwaiting,”shesaid,grimacingwhensheshookthebride’shand.

“Todaywasoneofthosedays.Mycarwouldn’tstartand…”Shesealedherlipswhensherealizedshe
was babbling. “And please, call me Danielle.” Gesturing to the chairs they’d been sitting in when she
stumbledintotheoffice,shesaid,“Please,takeaseat.Didmyassistantofferyouadrinkwhileyouwere
waiting?”

“Shedid,”Tenleyconfirmed.“We’regood.”
“Great,”Daniellesaid,takingaseatbehindherdesk.“Let’sgetstartedthen.”
Sinceshe’dalreadyemailedthemaquestionnaire,whichthey’dfilledoutandreturnedtoher,she

knewtheywantedavenuethatcouldhostonehundredfiftyguestsandanoutdoorceremonywithbeautiful
groundsforphotos.

Danielle pulled out their completed questionnaire, which she’d printed, and scanned it one more

time.“Well,Ihavesomeideaofwhatyou’relookingfor.I’msureyou’recomparingourstoothervenues,
sobeforeItakeyouonatour,whydon’tyouaskme—”

“No,” Rowan said firmly, gripping Tenley’s hand. “We don’t need to look anywhere else. We’ve

alreadydecidedwewanttohavetheweddinghere.Isn’tthatright,babe?”Heshotasidelongglanceat
hisfiancée.

“Absolutely,” Tenley said, smiling a little too brightly. “Besides, I’m sure your wedding planner

willbeawholelotbetteratthisthanIam.Ioncetriedtothrowmyroommateasurprisebirthdayparty
andcouldn’tevenpullthatoffwithouttippingheroff.”

“Haveyouattendedaneventherebefore?”Danielleasked,checkingthebottomoftheformsthey’d

filled out for a name she recognized. It wasn’t uncommon for couples to come to her convinced they
wantedtohavetheirweddingattheYorkafterthey’dattendedasister’sorfriend’sweddingthere.

“Uh,no.”Rowanclearedhisthroat.“Wejustdon’thavealotoftimetopullthistogether,andwe

checkedoutyourwebsite.Thegalleryofpictureswasgreat.Sowerethetestimonials.”

Shepulledoutanotepadandpen,preparedtotakesomenotes.“Okay,let’scheckourcalendarthen.

Yousaidyou’reinabitofahurry.Whenwouldyouliketogetmarried?”

“Thesooner,thebetter,”Rowansaid,squeezingTenley’shand.
“Wewanttostartafamilyassoonaspossible,”Tenleysaid,blushingabit.
Aww,thatwassweet. Couples like this restored her faith in marriage. Just because her fiancé had

cheatedonherdidn’tmeanallmenwerecutfromthesamecloth.

“We were hoping for three or four months from now,” Tenley said before biting her lip. “Before

Rowan’sspringtrainingstarts.Isthatevenpossible?”

“Hmm,” Danielle said, pulling up the hotel’s reservations on her computer. “Since it’s the off-

season,we’renotasbusy,butI’mgoingtobehonest—we’reusuallybookedatleastayearinadvance.”

“Assumingwecanmakethiswork,you’llbeheretomakesureeverythinggoesoffwithoutahitch?”

Tenleyasked.

Danielleunderstoodherconcern.Everybridewantedsomeassurancethatherspecialdaywouldbe

perfect. “Of course,” she said, smiling. “A big part of my job is taking care of special events, like
weddings. In fact, it’s my favorite part.” As Danielle scanned their available dates, she said, “Oh, I
shouldalsomentionthatwehavesmallereventroomsavailable,sowecanalsohostothereventsleading
uptothewedding,suchasthebridalshowerorrehearsaldinner.”

Rowan’sphonerang,andheglancedatthescreen.“Uh,willyouexcusemeforaminute?Ihaveto

takethiscall.”

“No problem,” Danielle said, smiling. She was used to being put off since she dealt with a lot of

busy,high-profileclients.

When Rowan left the room and shut the door, Tenley said, “Your ring is beautiful. When are you

gettingmarried?”

Daniellestillworetheringonlybecauseshehadn’tfoundthecouragetotellherfamilythewedding

was off. She knew she was being a coward, but they’d been hoping for this for years. They would be
crushedwhenshetoldthemshewasn’tgettingmarried.

“Um, I’m not sure,” she said, hoping Tenley would let it go. “I guess I’m so busy worrying about

otherpeople’sweddingsthatIdon’thavetimeformyown.”

Tenleyfrowned,seemingsurprisedbythatanswer.“Yourfiancéisn’tpressuringyou?Rowan’sbeen

aftermeaboutsettingadateeversinceheslippedtheringonmyfinger.”

Before Danielle could respond, Rowan saved her, returning to the room with another apology for

havingtostepout.

“ItlookslikeIonlyhaveonedatewithinyourtimeframe,”Daniellesaid,makingafewnotes.“And

that’sonlybecausewehadacancellation.”

“Whenisit?”Rowanasked,pullingupthecalendaronhisphonewhileTenleydidthesame.
“ThirteenweeksfromSaturday,”Daniellesaid.“January27

.Wehavewonderfulrelationshipswith

florists, limo services, and photographers, so we can help you secure their services in time for a late-
Januarywedding,butouron-siteweddingplannercantellyouallaboutthat.Atighttimelineshouldn’tbe
aproblemunlessyou’relookingatcustomdresses.Howmanybridesmaidswillbeinyourbridalparty,
Tenley?”

“Justmymaidofhonor,”shesaid.“Wedon’twantabigweddingparty.”
“Okay,”shesaid,makinganoteofthebride’spreference.“Thatshouldmakedressshoppingalittle

easier.Onceyou’vemetwiththeweddingplannerandtheflorist,wecanmeetagaintogooverseating
arrangementsanddecor.”Shesmiled,hopingthebridewasn’tfeelingoverwhelmed.“I’msurewe’llbe
seeingalotofeachotheroverthenextfewmonths.”

“Ilookforwardtoit,”Tenleysaid,reachingforherpurse.“Infact,Ican’twaittogettoknowyou

better,Danielle.”

ChapterTwo

Walking into the restaurant, Ace looked for familiar faces. He’d waited until the night of the rehearsal
dinnertocheckintothehotel,soDaniwouldhavenochoicebuttohearhimout.

Hisheartwasinhisthroatwhenhefinallycaughtsightofher,andthecomposurehepridedhimself

on was completely lost. He felt as though he couldn’t breathe. Would she recognize him right away?
Would she scream at him or try to run? As tempting as it was to think about abandoning his plan, that
wasn’tanoption.He’dcometoofartoquitnow.

Aceapproachedherslowly,afraidtospookher.Shewasonthephone,havingwhatappearedtobe

aheatedconversation.Atfirstheassumeditwaswithasupplier,butitdidn’ttakehimlongtorealizeit
waspersonal.

“I’vehearditallbefore,Mike.Well,Iguessyoushouldhavethoughtofthatbeforeyoucheatedon

me!”Turningtofacehim,shegasped,whispering,“Ihavetogo,”beforedisconnectinghercall.

Aceknewheshouldn’t,buthemovedintoherpersonalspace.Hiseyesroamedherbody,takingin

theshimmerysilverdressthatgrazedherkneesandwascutlowinboththefrontandback.Itwaselegant,
likethewomanwearingit.

Sheopenedandclosedhermouthbeforesaying,“Iwasn’tsureyou’dbehere.”
“Rowan is my best friend and teammate.” It was difficult to think, much less speak. For so many

years,he’dimaginedwhathewouldsaytoheriftheyevercameface-to-faceagain,butthosewordsfled
inthefaceofheranguish.

“I know.” She swallowed, her eyes darting around the room. “I mean, I knew Rowan was your

teammate. Everyone knows you play for the same team. But I didn’t know he was your best friend. He
didn’ttellme.Didyouaskhimnotto?”

Shewasbabbling,somethingshealwaysusedtodowhenshewasnervous.Heknewshehadtobe

thinkingofherbrothernow,rememberingthedayhisstupiddecisionhadchangedherlifeforever.

“Forgetit,Ican’tdothis,”shesaid,steppingback.“I’msorry.Please,excuseme.”
Hedidn’tblameherforbeingshocked.Iftherehadbeenanotheroption,hewouldhavegladlytaken

it.

“Dani,”hesaidsoftly,touchingherarm.“Please…justsitdownwithmeforaminute.”Whenshe

didn’tobject,heguidedhertoafreechair.“Wouldyoulikeaglassofwater?”

“WhatIwant,”shesaidthroughclenchedteeth,“isanexplanation.Anddon’tyoudaretellmethisis

acoincidence!YouknewImanagedthishotel,didn’tyou?DidyouaskTenleyandRowantohavetheir
weddinghere?”

He sat next to her, trying to collect himself. He’d told himself he was prepared for her rage, but

whenherlightblueeyes,theexactsameshadeasherbrother’s,flashedwithfury,ittookhimbacktothat
night…whenLinchaddiedinhisarmswithhiseyeswideopen.

“It’s not a coincidence.” He cleared his throat, knowing he owed it to her to be honest. “I asked

RowantoconsidertheYork.Ineededtoseeyouagain.Totalktoyou.Toapologizeandtrytoexplain

whathappenedthatnight.”Notthattherewasanywaytojustifywhathehaddone.

“I know what happened that night,” she said, wrapping her arms around herself, a subtle tremble

givingheranxietyaway.“Youkilledmybrother.”

Hisbreathstutteredashischestachedwiththetruthofherwords.Hehadkilledherbrother.There

was no way he could deny that. “And I’ll have to live with that for the rest of my life,” he whispered,
feelingtearsstinghiseyes.“IfIhadittodoalloveragain,IswearIwouldneverhavegottenbehindthe
wheelthatnight.”

“Whydidyou?”sheasked,tearsthreateningtospilldownhercheeksasshepushedherwavyblond

hairawayfromherface.“Whatthehellwereyouthinking?”

“Iwasn’tthinking.”Heknewitwasnoexcuse,butheandDanihadgottenintoafightthatnightand

she’dthreatenedtobreakupwithhim.Thatwaswhyhehadbeenpoundingbeers,onerightaftertheother,
drinkingasifitmightbehislastnightofliving.“Iwashurting,Dani.”

He let her think about what had caused that hurt, all the while cursing himself for allowing her to

takeanyoftheresponsibility.

“Itoldhimtogohomewithoneoftheotherguys,buthedidn’twantto.Hesaidhe’dcomewithme,

hewasleavingwithme.”Aceknewthatdidn’texcusethefactthathehaddrivenoffwithLincinthecar.

“Hewasprobablyworriedaboutyou,”shesaid,sniffling.“Hecalledyouhisbrother,youknow.”
Aceswallowedthepainandtears,justashe’dbeendoingforthepastfifteenyears.“Ifeltthesame

wayabouthim.Youhavetoknowthat.Ilovedhim.Losinghim,especiallylikethat…apartofmedied
thatnighttoo.”

“Hewasmytwinbrother,”shesaid,hercryanguished.“Don’ttalktomeaboutwhatit’sliketolive

withouthim.NooneknowsthatbetterthanIdo.”Sheclutchedherflatstomach.“EverydayIwakeup
withthisdullacheandittakesmeaminutetorealizewhyit’sthere.It’sbecausehe’sgone.Youtookhim
awayfromme.Youdidthat!”

Hetoldhimselfthathearingherblamehim,allowinghertogettherageout,waswhathe’dwanted.

Itwasthereasonhe’darrangedthislittlereunioninthefirstplace,sotheycouldsaythethingstoeach
othertheyhadneverhadthechancetosayfifteenyearsago,butherwordscutdeep,makinghimbleedin
awayhehadn’tsincethecrash.

“IknowwhatIdid.AndI’msosorry.Believeme,you’llneverknowhowsorryIam.”
“Ihadafeelingyou’dbehere,”shewhispered,lookingdownatherclaspedhands.“Rowansaidhe

wasinvitingsomeofhisteammates.Icouldhaveaskedhim,butwhenIdidn’tseeyournameontheguest
list…”

“I didn’t come here to hurt you,” he said, praying she believed him. “I did this because…” How

couldhemakeherunderstand?“Iwantedtotakesomeofyourpainaway,ifIcould.”

“How are you going to do that?” she asked incredulously. “You can’t bring my brother back. You

can’tgivemyparentstheironlysonback.Sotellme,Mace,howareyougoingtotakethatpainaway?”

Ace was a baseball nickname he’d earned, but those who knew him before he made it to the big

leaguesstillcalledhimMaceonorMace.“IknowsayingI’msorryislittleconsolation—”

“Iheardyourapologyincourt.”
Shehadstayedforhisstatement,whileherparentsleftthecourtroomafterhissentencing.
“ButIwanttosaythingstoyounowIcouldn’tthen.Iwasn’tmatureenoughbackthentomakesense

ofwhatIdid.”Hethoughtofthosecountlesshourshe’dspentinajuveniledetentioncenter,planninga
lifehewasn’tevensurehedeservedtohavewhenhegotoutandrememberingthelifehe’dtakenandthe
futureLincwouldneverhave,becauseofhim.

“Youdon’tdeserveanyfacetimewithme,”shesaid,standing.

He reached for her wrist, looking up at her, his eyes pleading with her for just a few precious

minutes.“Youlovedmeonce.”

“Thatwasalongtimeago,”shesaid,herbreathcatchingonasob.
“Iknow.”Heloweredhishead,hishandstillwrappedaroundherslimwrist.“ButifIevermeant

anythingtoyou,justgivemethis.AfewminutestotellyouwhatI’vebeenwantingtotellyouforyears.”

Sheshookhimoffbeforereclaimingherseat.“Ihaveajobtodoheretonight,somakeitfast.”
“WhenIlostmyownbrother,apartofmedied.”
His brother had been fifteen years old. Not even old enough to drive. He was at a friend’s house,

messingaroundwiththeoldman’sguns,andonewentoff,shootinghiminthefaceatcloserange.He’d
neverhadachance.

“SoIdohavesomeideaofhowyoufeel.”Acewasn’tsurehewasmakingitbetterorworse,since

shenowlookedasifshewantedtospitonhim.“WhenIlostyourbrother,anotherpartofmedied.He
filledavoidinmylife,thevoidmybrotherleft.”

“Yeah?ThenIguessyouwerelucky,‘causeIneverfoundanyonetofillthevoidmybrotherleft.”

Sheflattenedherpalmagainstherchest.“MyheartisstillbrokeneverytimeIthinkabouthim.Theman
hewouldhavebeennow,thelifehecouldhavehadifhe’dbeenspared.”

“Ithinkaboutthattoo,”hesaidgently.“HelovedplayingbaseballalmostasmuchasIdid.Ireally

believehewouldhavemadeittothemajors.Maybewe’dbeplayingtogether,oronopposingteams,who
knows?”

Hereyessoftenedmarginally.“Youmightberight.Hewouldhavelovedthat.”
“Iknowhewasyourbrother,yourotherhalf.”ItkilledAcetothinkshe’dbeengoingthroughlife

feeling like half a person, because of him. “And I know he’s gone because of me, but I can give you
somethingnooneelsecan.”

“Ohyeah?”sheaskedskeptically.“What’sthat?”
“IcangiveyoubackapartofyourbrotherthroughthememoriesIhaveofhim,theknowledgethatI

haveofhim.That’ssomethingnooneelsehas.”Heknewhertwinbetterthanheknewhimself,andLinc
wouldhavewantedAcetosharethosestorieswithhissister,togiveheramodicumofpeace,ifthatwas
evenpossible.

“Whatareyoutalkingabout?”sheaskedbeforebitingherlowerlip.
“I have this box back in my hotel room. It’s a bunch of stuff: letters, pictures, videos…” Some of

Ace’smosttreasuredpossessionsofamanheneverwantedtoforget.

“Whydidyoukeepthem?Youcouldhavesentthemtous,”shesaid,foldingherarms.“Don’tyou

thinkthatwastheleastyoucouldhavedone,underthecircumstances?”

“Wouldyouhaveacceptedanythingfromme?”
Sheshrugged,lookingaway.“Probablynot.”
“That’swhyIhungontoit,becauseIcouldn’tstandtoseeitdestroyed.”Ifshewantedthatboxnow,

he’dgiveittoher.Itwouldbeoneofthehardestthingshe’deverhadtodo,butshedeserveditmorethan
hedid.

“Whyaretellingmethis?”sheasked,lookinghimintheeye.“Itdoesn’tchangeanything.Nothing

canorwill.”

“Iknow.Ijustthoughtitwould…”Whatdidhehopetoaccomplishbyshowingheranothersideof

her brother, reminding her of the kid he’d been and the man he could have been? “I don’t know. Help,
maybe?”

“Nothingyoucansayordowillmakeanydifferencenow.It’stoolate.”Thistimewhenshestood,

helether.

“Ifyouchangeyourmind,I’minroom323.Passbyanytime.Wecangothroughthestuff,andyou

can take anything you want back home with you. Hell, take it all if you want.” He didn’t know if she
realizeditwouldhavebeeneasierforhimtowriteacheckfortenmilliondollarsthantopartwiththose
mementos.

“I’llthinkaboutit…butIdon’tknowifIcan.”

ChapterThree

Ace watched Dani move through the crowd, speaking to her staff and directing the events, but all the
while,shekeptstealingglancesathim.Heknewthatbecausehecouldn’ttakehiseyesoffher.

“She’saseriouslyhotpiece,ain’tshe,man?”
That came from their starting catcher. He was one of the best in the game, with an ego and bank

accounttobackitup.ButputtinghiminhisplacewassportforAce,mainlybecauseheremindedAceof
theguyheusedtobe:arrogant,cocky,andopinionated.

Acewasstillallofthosethingsattimes,buthe’dearnedtherighttobe.Theirteamwasoneofthe

bestinprofessionalbaseball,andastheirlead-offhitterwitha.323battingaveragelastseasonand.342
post-season,Acewasabigpartofthereason.

“Watchyourmouth,Brooks.”
“Hey,hey,”hesaid,raisinghisglass.“Ididn’tknowyouwerebangingher.I’llbackoff.”
“I’mnotbangingher.Butyouwilltreatherwithrespect.IfIhearyouweregivingherahardtime,

you’llhavemoretroublethanyoucanhandle.”

“Ihearya,”hemuttered,bringinghislongneckbottletohislips.
“If you’ll excuse me.” Ace walked away without waiting for Brooks’s response. He was tired of

wastinghisbreathonakidwhoseegowasbiggerthanhisbrain.Besides,hehadmoreimportantissuesto
tendto—namelytheserverdisrespectinghisex-girlfriend.

“Maceon,”shesaid,lookingstartledwhenheapproached.“Isthereaproblem?”
“Ineedtohaveawordwithyou.”
Dani waited for the server to excuse himself before she unleashed on Ace. “What the hell do you

thinkyou’redoing?Iwashavingadiscussionwithhim.Howdareyouinterrupt—”

“Hewasundressingyouwithhiseyes.”
“Hewasnot!”
“Hewas.”Aceslippedahandintohispocket,seeinghisonechanceatforgivenessslippingaway

becausehecouldn’tkeephisbigmouthshut.“IknowbecauseI’mdoingthesamethingrightnow.”His
eyesglidedoverherbody,settlingonalltheplacesherememberedbrandingwithhistongue.

“Stop.”Sheshiveredeversoslightly,justenoughforhimtoknowhestillaffectedher,notthatshe’d

ever admit it. When she tipped her head back to look at him, her breathing was labored and her pupils
weredilated.

Heprobablyknewherbodybetterthanshedid.He’dhadcountlesshoursinthatprisoncelltorelive

everymomentthey’dspenttogether.Itwasbrandedinhismemory,andeventhoughyearshadpassed,he
feltasthoughhe’dspentalifetimethinkingaboutit.

“Whyareyoudoingthis?”
Seducing her had never been part of his game plan, but seeing her again ignited feelings that had

beendormantforyears.“You’refightingwithyourfiancé,aren’tyou?”

“Thatdoesn’tmeanI’mlookingforsomeonetotakehisplace.”

“He doesn’t make you happy. You’re with him because you think you should be. He’s a safe bet,

somethingIneverwas.”

“Youdon’tevenknowmeanymore,”shesaid.
“I know you better than you think, Dani.” He got lost in the eyes he’d seen glaze over with lust,

hunger,anddesperation.“TherewasatimeIknewyoubetterthananyone.”

“Thatwasalongtimeago,”shesaidbreathlessly.
“Maybe,butsomethingsarevisceral.Youfeelthemnomatterhowmuchyouwishyoucouldremain

numb. You want to hate me, but the part of you that swore you’d always love me can’t forget what we
had.”

“You’re crazy,” she said, her luminous eyes belying her inner turmoil. “My love for you turned to

hatealongtimeago.”

Heknewshewantedtobelievethat.Ifhewereagentleman,hemayhavelether,buthecouldn’t.

“Rememberthefirsttimewemet?”

Acecouldtellshewasthinkingaboutthewayshe’dfeltthefirsttimetheysaweachother.Thepull

wasmagnetic, as thoughthey couldn’t repelthe other even ifthey tried. Whichthey didn’t. They didn’t
haveto,didn’twantto.

“Youcantrytowalkawayandforgetyousawmeagain.Butwebothknowyou’llgobacktoyour

hotelroomtonightandlosesleepthinkingaboutme.”

“God,you’reasarrogantasIremember,”shesaid,dragginghereyesawayfromhis.
“Callitwhatyouwant,butyouknowI’mtellingthetruth.”Hereachedintohisbreastpocketand

extractedoneofthetwokeycardstohisroom.Loweringhishand,hepressedthekeydiscreetlyintoher
palm.“I’mgoingtocallitanight.Incaseyou’dliketocontinuethisconversationinmyroom…”

“Ican’ttakethis,”sheseethed.“Idon’twantit.”
Aceshruggedasthoughhewasindifferent.“Suityourself.Theinvitationstands.”

***

Danielle was sitting alone at a table, one of the last few people remaining in the restaurant, when

Rowanapproachedandpulledupachairbesideher.

“I hope everything was to your satisfaction tonight.” She forced a smile, trying to remain

professionaleventhoughshewaspissedheandhisfriendhadtriedtopulloneoveronher.

“Itwasperfect,Danielle.Thankyou.”Whenthewaiterreturnedwithwaterglassesforeachofthem,

Rowanreachedforhis.“IsawyoutalkingtoAceearlier.Howdidthatgo?”

Sheglaredathim.“Youmustknowthestory,sinceheenlistedyourhelptopullthisoff.Sohowdo

youthinkitwent?Themankilledmybrother.”

Hesighed,sinkingbackinhischair.“I’veknownhimalongtime.He’soneofmyclosestfriends.

AndIcantellyouwithoutadoubtthatyourbrother’sdeathstillhauntshimeveryday.”

She believed him. She knew Maceon would never have intentionally hurt Linc, but how could he

have gotten behind that wheel and allowed her brother to get in the passenger’s seat, knowing he was
taking both of their lives in his hands? Not to mention the other innocent lives he could have taken if
anyoneelsehadbeeninvolvedintheaccident.

“Ithauntsmetoo,”shesaid,reachingforherwaterglass.
“Haveyoueverdoneanythingsostupiditdefieslogic?”
“Sure,”shesaid,shrugging.“Haven’tweall?”
“Yeah, I think we have,” Rowan said with a sad smile. “But most of the time our stupid mistakes

don’tcostsomeone’slife.InAce’scase,itdid.”

She sucked in a breath as she imagined what he had endured while he was incarcerated. But she

couldn’tallowherselftofeelempathyforhim.Thatwouldmeanopeningthedoortoforgiveness,andif
shedidthat,herparentswouldfeelshe’dbetrayedherbrother’smemory.

“Ihatethatithappened,”shesaid,rememberingthesoundofMace’sgutturalcriesastheparamedics

covered Linc’s body with a sheet at the accident scene. After a call from a friend, she’d rushed to the
accident,prayingitwouldn’tbeasbadasshefeared.Butbythetimeshegotthere,itwastoolate.She
didn’tevengetthechancetosaygood-byetoherbrother.“Ihatethatmybrotherisgone.Ihatethatso
manyyearsofMace’slifewerewastedinprison.Ihatethatmyparentslosttheirsonandtheirheartswill
neverheal.”

“I saw a man die once,” he said softly. “On the field. In the minors. He got hit in the head by a

fastball.Hewasonlynineteenyearsold.”

“What happened?” She wasn’t sure she wanted to know. Rowan’s eyes looked haunted, and she

knewfromexperiencethatnooneshouldhavetowitnessthedeathofanother.

“Brain aneurysm,” he said, shaking his head. “It could have happened anywhere. Doctors said it

didn’thaveanythingtodowiththehit.Butthepitcherfeltresponsible,likehe’dkilledhim.”

Danielleknewtherewasastorythere.Rowanwastryingtotellhertheyweren’ttheonlyoneswho

hadn’tbeenabletogetoverlosingLinc.Maceonwasn’toveriteither.Heneverwouldbe.

“The pitcher who hit him went down a pretty self-destructive path after that. He never wanted to

playballagain.Hestoppedtraining,starteddrinking.Rumorhasithestartedtakingdrugs.”

“Whathappenedtohim?”
“Acehappened.”Rowansatforward,restinghiselbowsonthetable.“Hetalkedtotheguy,worked

withhim,helpedpullhimoutofit.Heevenpaidforhisrehabandtherapy.”

IfhewastryingtoremindherthatAcewasagoodman,hedidn’thaveto.She’doncelovedMaceon

morethananything.Sheknewbetterthanmostthatbeneathhistoughexteriorbeataheartofgold,butthat
didn’tchangeanything.

“Andnowhe’spitchingagain?”
Rowan shook his head. “No, he works in the front office now. He wasn’t good enough to go pro.

Pointis,Acecouldhavelethimcrawlinsidethatbottleandneverthoughtabouthimagain.Buthedidn’t,
becausethat’snotthekindofmanheis.Hebefriendedthiskidbecauseheunderstoodhowhefeltandhe
wantedtohelphiminanywayhecould.Ifyouaskme,that’sthemarkofamanwho’slearnedfromhis
mistakes.”

“YouthinkIshouldforgivehim?”Sheknewforherownsakesheshould.Butherparentshadnever

beenabletoletgo,andshefeltsheshouldfollowtheirleadsincetheyweretheoneswhohadlosttheir
onlyson.

“Whatdoyouthinkyoushoulddo?”Rowanasked.“Iknowitcan’tfeelgoodtocarryaroundallthis

bitternessandresentment.”

“No, it doesn’t.” She sighed. She was tired of being angry, first at Mace, then at her fiancé for

betrayingher.

“MymomdiedofcancerwhenIwasjustakid,”Rowansaid.“IwasmadatGod,madattheworld

foralongtime.”

“How did you work it out?” she asked, propping her chin in her palm as her elbow rested on the

table.

“I got into sports. Having a distraction like baseball, something I was passionate about, helped a

lot.”

Shesmiledthesad,hollowsmileshe’dbecomeaccustomedto.“AreyousayingyouthinkIshould

takeupasport?”

“Ithinkyoushoulddowhateveryouhavetodotoworkthisshitout.”Heleanedback,pullingupa

chairacrossfromhimsohecouldresthisfeetunderthetable.“Tellmeaboutyourbrother.Whatwashe
like?”

She still thought of Linc every day, but it had been a long time since someone had asked her to

describeherlatebrother.Sheimmediatelythoughtofthethingshemissedthemost.“Lincalwaysmade
melaugh.Meandeveryoneelse.Hehadagreatsenseofhumor.”

“Ihaveafeelingyouhaven’tbeendoingmuchlaughingsinceyoulosthim.Youthinkthat’stheway

hewouldhavewantedit?”

She wanted to lash out at Rowan, to tell him he didn’t understand, but he’d made it clear he did

understandhowdifficultitwastolosesomeoneclosetohim.“No,but—”

“Youfeelguilty.”Rowannodded.“Ifeltguiltyforbeinghappyaftermymomdiedtoo.Ididn’tthink

it was fair that I should be happy when she was cut down in her prime. But then I realized my mother
wouldwantmetolivefullout,becauseshecouldn’t.”

Lincwouldhavewantedthatforhertoo.Hewouldhavehatedhowguardedshe’dbecome.
“TellmesomethingelseaboutLinc,”Rowansaid,obviouslysensingthatsheneededtotalkabout

him,torememberhim.

“Hehadasweetandsensitiveside,buthewasprettybadass,soonlyafewpeopleevergottosee

that.”

Shethoughtofthemangy,flea-bittendoghe’drescuedonthewayhomefromschoolwhenhewas

thirteen. Their parents had wanted to take it to the pound, but Linc begged and pleaded with them until
theygavein.ThatdogwastheonlythingthatgotthemthroughthedaysafterLincdied.He’dlovedthat
dog,andthatmeanttheyhadtotakecareofhimthewaytheirsonwouldhavewantedthemto.Daniwould
neverforgettheirreactionthedaythevetannouncedthey’dhavetoputthedogdown.Itwaslikethey’d
lostLincalloveragain.

“SoundslikesomeoneelseIknow.”
Shedidn’thavetoaskwhohemeant.“Iguessthat’swhytheyweresuchgoodfriends.Therewerea

lotofsimilaritiesbetweenthem.”

“Aceisoneofthefewpeoplewhocanhelpkeephismemoryalive,youknow.”
She’dneverthoughtofitlikethat.
“Do you know that he set up a scholarship in your brother’s name?” When her jaw dropped, he

nodded.“Ididn’tknowaboutituntilafewmonthsago,butapparentlyitwasoneofthefirstthingshedid
whenhehadsomecoin.”

“Lincwouldhavelovedthat,”shewhispered.He’dalwayscomplainedhowunfairitwasthatsome

of their friends couldn’t go to college because their parents couldn’t afford it. He thought everyone
deservedanequalchanceatagoodstartinlife.

“Acesaiditwastheleasthecoulddotohonorhismemory.”
Sheblinkedbacktears,knowingitwasprobablypointless.
“Hecan’ttakebackthemistakehemadethatnight,Danielle.Iknowhewouldifhecould—”
“Iknowhewouldtoo.”She’dneverquestionedthat.Sheknewhewouldlikelygivehisownlifeif

hecouldbringherbrotherback.

“Ican’ttellyouwhattodo,”Rowansaid,slidinghischairback.“Youhavetodecideforyourself

what’sright.Justmakesureyouthinkitthroughbeforeyoudecide.Thismightbeyourlastchancetosay
thethingsyou’vealwayswantedtosaytoAce.Yellathimifyouneedto.Cry.Tellhimwhathedidto

you.Butdon’twalkawaywiththosethoughtslockedinside,hon.Itwilleatawayatyou,andyoudon’t
deservetobepunishedforwhathappenedthatnight.Idon’tthinkyourbrotherwouldwantthatforyou,
andIknowAcedoesn’t.”

ChapterFour

Acewasenjoyingascotchinthearmchairofhissittingroomwhenheheardherfaintknock.Heknewshe
wouldcome.Shecouldn’twalkawayanymorethanhecouldletherwalkaway.

Danifrozewhenheansweredthedoor.“Iwasn’tsureifIshouldcome.”
“I’mgladyoudid.”Hestoodback,hopingshedidn’tfeelasanxiousashedid,thoughheknewshe

hadtobe.“Comein.”

“Thankyou.”Sheslippedinside,lettingthedoorclose.Settinghiskeycardonthewritingdeskjust

insidethefoyer,shefailedtolookathim.“Idon’tevenknowwhyI’mhere.”Herbreathwasshakyasshe
finallyfacedhim.“IguessIjustfelttherewasmoretosay.”

“Okay.”Hehelduphisnear-emptyglass.“Wouldyoulikeadrinkwhilewetalk?”
Sheseemedsurprisedthathewassowillingtoacceptherexplanation.Buthewasn’tinterestedin

pushingher.Whatevershewanted,ordidn’twant,todiscussaboutthatnightandtheyearsthatfollowed
hadtobeherdecision,doneonhertimetable.He’dwaitedthislong.Hecouldwaitalittlelonger.

“Thatwouldbenice,thankyou.”Shestoodinfrontofthearmchairacrosstheroom.
Hemadehiswaytothemini-bar.“Wouldyoulikeaglassofwine?Chardonnay?”Heremembered

that was her drink of choice, but that seemed like a lifetime ago. He knew the girl she’d been, not the
womanshewas.

“Perfect,thankyou.”
Sheseemed uneasy beingalone with him,and he knew therewere a multitudeof reasons. Not the

least of which was their ever-present physical chemistry. It was still intense, even more so when they
werealone.

Takinghistimewiththedrinkssoshecouldcollectherself,hefinallyturnedandcrossedtheroom.

Passingtheglasstoher,hesaid,“Totheexcellentjobyoudidtonight.Iknowmyfriendswerepleased.”

“Thankyou.”Shetouchedherglasstohis.“I’mglad.”
“Thankyouforcoming,Dani.Forgivingmealittlemoretime.”
“Danielle.”Shebroughttheglasstoherlips.“OnlyyouandLincevercalledmeDani…andI’mnot

reallycomfortablewiththatanymore.”

“Fairenough.”Heunderstoodtoowellnotwantingtobeassociatedwiththepersonyouusedtobe.

“Andit’sAce,notMaceorMaceonanymore.”

“Okay.”Hereyestraveledtothesofa.“Idon’tknowhowlongIcanstay.Tomorrow’sgoingtobea

busydaywithlast-minutepreparationsforthewedding.”

“Let’shaveaseat,”hesaid,gesturingtowardthesofa.
“Soundsgood.”
Shewalkedaheadofhim,andhecouldn’thelpscanningherbodyfromheadtotoe.Theyearshad

beengoodtoher.Shewasevenmorebeautifulnowthanhe’dexpectedhertobe.

Danikeptarespectabledistancebetweenthemwhentheysat,remindinghimtheyweren’ttogether

anymore.Theyweren’tevenfriends.

“IhavethatboxItoldyouabout.”Hewasn’tsureifthatwastheonlyreasonshe’dcomeorifshe

wastrulywillingtotalk…andlisten.“Ifyou’rereadytoseeit.”

She took a sip of wine, followed by another. “Maybe in a minute, if you don’t mind?” She took a

deep breath, her hand trembling slightly as she set her glass on the side table. “This is just a lot to
process.Ineverexpectedtoseeyouagain,muchlesshavetheopportunitytoseeandholdnewthingsthat
hadbeenimportanttomybrother.”

“Iunderstand.”Hewentthroughthatboxatleastonceamonth,toremindhimselfofLinc,howmuch

hemissedhim,andhowimportantitwastomakegooddecisions.

“Rowantoldmeaboutthescholarship.Thatwasniceofyou.”
Hewouldneverhavebeentheonetotellheraboutthat,buthewasn’tsorrythatRowanhad.Ace

wantedhertobelievehimwhenhetoldherhe’dneverforgetherbrotherortheimpacthismistakehad
hadonhislife.“Iwasn’ttryingtobenice.Iwasjusttryingtodotherightthing.”

“Hemadeamistaketoo,gettingintothatcarwithyou.”Hereyesmethisandheldforafractionofa

second before she said, “I know that. It’s not easy to admit, because that means he was partially
responsibleforhisowndeath—”

“Hewasn’t.”Acedidn’twanthertothinkLinchadbeenonasuicidemissionthatnight.Hehadso

muchtolivefor,withabrightfutureaheadofhimanddozensofpeoplewholovedhim.“Iwasbehindthe
wheel.Itwasmyfault.”

“Butyousaidyoutoldhimtogetoutofthecar—”
“Butwhenhewouldn’t,Ishouldhavejustparkedthedamnthing.Hewastoogoodofafriendtolet

medrivedrunk.IthinkhebelievedIwouldn’tbestupidenoughtoputbothofourlivesatrisk.That’swhy
heclimbedinthecarwithme.Hethoughtthatwouldgivemeenoughreasontostay.”

“Itwouldhavebeenhisbirthdaynextweek,”shesaid,lookingintoherwineglass.
“Andyours. I haven’tforgotten.” How couldhe forget the birthdate of theonly woman he’d ever

reallylovedandthemanhekilled?

“Idon’tcelebratebirthdaysanymore,”shesaid,shakingherheadslightly.“NotsincewelostLinc.It

wouldbetoopainful.”

Hewonderedhowmanyothercelebrationswerehollowwithouthertwin:Christmaseswhereshe

andherparentsjustwentthroughthemotions,anniversaries…

“I’msorry.”Aceknewitwasstupidtothinkanapologywouldbeenough.Nothingwouldeverbe

enough to make up for the damage he’d done. “I know there’s nothing I can say or do to make you
understandhowsorryIam—”

“It’sokay,”shewhispered,coveringhishandwithhers.“Idounderstand,Ace.”
Hecouldbarelybreatheashiseyestouchedonherhand.Heneverthoughthe’dfeelthesoftnessor

warmthofherskinagain.Thevibrationthatseemedtodancefromherhandtohis,allthewayuphisarm,
waslikeashockofelectricity.

“Wasithorrible?”sheasked,hervoicebarelyaboveawhisper.“Yourtimeinjail?”Shewithdrew

herhand,shakingherhead.“ForgetIaskedthat.Stupidquestion.Ofcourseitwashorrible.”

“Itgavemealotoftimetothink.Tomature,figureoutwhatIwantedtodowiththerestofmylife.”
“IguessIdon’thavetoguesshowyougothere,”shesaid,gesturingtotheirposhsurroundings.“But

it’safarcryfromourblue-collarupbringing,youhavetoadmit.”

“Yeah.” He couldn’t believe she actually wanted to hear about his life, but he wasn’t going to

squandertheopportunity.Ifhecouldconvinceherthathewasn’tthesamedumbkidhe’dbeen,maybeshe
couldconsiderforgivinghim.Forhersake,notforhis.“AfterIgotout,Iwasdeterminedtomakeupfor
losttime.IknewIhadtalent,butIhadtoworkmyassofftogetanotherteamtogivemeachance.Itwas

alongbattle,especiallywhenpeopleheardIdidtime,butIeventuallymanagedtoconvinceeveryonethat
I’dlearnedfrommymistakeandwasn’tgoingtobealiabilitytotheteam.”

She seemed to consider what she wanted to say before she blurted, “Congratulations on your

success.I’m…proudofyou.”

“Thank you.” He was humbled by the words, mainly because he’d never expected to hear her say

them. “I had to make my life count for something.” Ace locked eyes with her, pleading with her to
understandthathe’ddoneasmuchforherandLincashehadforhimself.“Icouldn’tfigureoutwhyIwas
sparedandhedied.Istillfeelsoguiltyaboutthat.”

“Youshouldn’t,”shesaidsoftly.“Hewouldn’thavewantedthat.”
“Imetthisguyontheinsidewho’daccidentallyshothisownmother.Wesharedacellforawhile.”
Shegasped.“MyGod.Ican’timagine.Thatmusthavebeenhorrible.”
“Hewentthroughaperiodofintenseself-loathing,didalotofstupidthingstowindupinjuvie.You

see,heneverservedtimeforwhathedidtoher.Thejudgedeemeditanaccident.Butmyfriendthought
hedeservedtobepunished.”

“So he punished himself.” She licked her lips, her eyes straying around the room. “I know what

that’slike.”

Hewantedtoknowwhatshemeantbythat,howshe’dpunishedherself,buthedidn’thavetheright

toaskherpersonalquestions.“Yeah.Iprobablywouldhavedonethesame—punishedmyselfwithdrugs
and alcohol and street fights the way he did. But getting to know him made me realize I would be
dishonoringyourbrother’smemoryifIwastedmylifelikethat,thewayhewasdishonoringhismother’s
memory.”

“SoyougotyourlifetogetherasatributetoLinc?”
Aceknewitdidn’tmakesense,buteveryday,hetriedtolivehislifeinhonorofthefriendhe’dlost.

“Ithoughtaboutwhathewouldwantifhe’dbeenspared.”Heswallowed,feelingpainandgriefwelling
upinhisthroat.“Wespentalotoftimetalkingaboutallthedreamswehad,thingswewantedtodo.SoI
hadaprettygoodideaofwhathe’ddo.”

“Iknowhowmuchhelovedbaseball,”shesaid,smiling.“Thatwasthethingthatbroughtyoutwo

together,wasn’tit?”

They’dbeenonthesamebaseballteamwhentheywerefifteen.Lincconvincedhimtotransferhigh

schoolsjunioryear,andthat’swhenAcemetDani.

“Yeah.” Ace thought about the day he’d met his best friend. He hadn’t known then that their

relationship would change the course of his life forever. “And I met you just a few months later. Linc
hatedthatyouandIwereintoeachother.”

She smiled, lowering her head. “I remember. My parents weren’t too crazy about it either. They

thoughtIwastooyoungforaboyfriend.”

“Youprobablyweretooyoung.”Ifhehadadaughterthatage,hesureashellwouldn’twantherto

bedoingthethingsheandDanihadbeen.“Butthatdidn’tstopus,didit?”

“No,itdidn’t.”Shetuckedalockofhairbehindherear.“Ithinkitmademyparentsfeelbetterthat

yourdadwasacop.”Shechuckled.“Don’taskmewhy.Butthentheygottoknowyouandtheyfellin
lovewithyou,justlikeIdid.”

He got a dull ache in his chest every time he thought about her parents. They’d been his second

family, and he’d believed they’d be his in-laws one day. It was still difficult to get through the day
knowinghe’dgiventhemreasontohatehim.

“Howareyourparents?”
“They’regood.”Hewassurprisedthatshe’dasked,thoughheprobablyshouldn’thavebeen.Given

the choice, his parents would have hand-picked Dani for him. They loved her like a daughter from the
veryfirsttimetheymether.“Myoldman’sretirednow.Mymomsayshe’sturnedintoacouchpotato.”

“Mydad’sretirednowtoo,andmymomsaysthesamething.”Sheshrugged.“Theyworkedhardall

theirlives.Iguesstheyearnedtherighttodonothing,ifthat’swhattheywant.”

“Iguessso.”Hereachedforthewinebottletorefillherglass,butsheshookherhead,settingdown

hernear-emptyglass.

“Ishouldgo.Ihavetobeupearlyinthemorning.”
“Doyouwanttotaketheboxwithyou,gothroughitwhenyoufeeluptoit?”
“Um…”Shebitherlips,flatteningherhandsonherouterthighsassheleanedforward.“CanIgive

thatsomemorethought?I’vehadalottoprocesstonight,seeingyouagain,andIthinkIjustneedagood
night’ssleepandtothinkthingsthrough,youknow?”

“Of course.” He walked her to the door. There were so many things he wanted to say, so many

questionshewantedtoaskher…aboutthemansheplannedtomarry,forstarters.“IguessI’llseeyou
tomorrow then,” he said, opening the door for her. “Is there anything I can do to help prepare for the
wedding?” He knew it was a stupid question, since she probably had all the help she needed from her
staff.

“NothingIcanthinkofoffthetopofmyhead,”shesaidwithagratefulsmile.“ButI’llletyouknow

ifIchangemymind.”

“Yeah,youdothat.”Heheldhisbreathasshesteppedthroughthedoorandturnedtofacehim.
“I never thought I’d say this, but I’m glad you were here tonight. Seeing you again, talking about

Linc,it’shelpedabit.”

“I’mglad.”Ithadhelpedhimtoo,morethanshewouldknow,butthisvisitwasn’tabouthishealing.

Itwasabouthers.

***

Thefollowingmorning,Daniellewasenjoyingaquickbreakfastfromthebuffetwithherbestfriend

andassistantwhenAcewalkedin.

“Oh my God,” Rosanna whispered, leaning over the table to clasp Danielle’s hand. “That’s Ace

Phillips,isn’tit?”

“Itis,”shesaid,reachingforherjuiceashergazelandedonAce.
Ro had left early last night because of a headache, so she hadn’t met Ace. Her fiancé was a huge

baseballfanandshewenttoplentyofgames,sosheprobablyknewAce’sstatsoffthetopofherhead.
SheknewDaniellehadoncebeeninlovewithaboywho’dgonetojailforkillinghertwinbrotherina
drunkdrivingaccident,butshedidn’tknowhe’dgoneontorichesandacclaiminbaseballafterpaying
hisdebttosociety.

“OhmyGod,he’sheadingthisway,”shehissed,squeezingDanielle’shand.
Sheclearedherthroat,tryingtomentallypreparefortheemotionalonslaughtoftalkingtohimagain.

She’dgottenpreciouslittlesleeplastnightasshetossedandturned,thinkingabouthim.Tryingtomerge
thestupid,recklessboyhe’dbeenwiththeresponsiblemanheportrayedhimselfasnow.

“Goodmorning,Ace,”shesaidwithatightsmile.“Thisismyfriendandassistant,RosannaMarks.

Ro,AcePhillips.He’safriendofthebrideandgroom.”

“It’ssonicetomeetyou,”shegushed,acceptinghisoutstretchedhand.
“Youaswell.”HeturnedtofaceDanielleafterreleasingRo’shand.“Ijustwantedtomakesureyou

weredoingokayafterourtalklastnight,Dani…Danielle,sorry.”

HereyesdartedtoRo.TheliltofherbrowtoldDanielleshewascuriousabouttheirexchangebut

toopolitetoaskinfrontofAce.“I’mfine.”Itwasatotallie,buthopefullyhecouldn’treadheranymore.

“Iwashopingifyouhavealittletimelatertoday,wecouldmeetforadrink?”HeglancedatRo,

whowashangingontheireveryword.“Youknow,topickupwhereweleftofflastnight?”

“Um,I’mnotsureifI’llhavetime.IfIdo,I’llcomefindyou.”
“Fairenough.”HenoddedatRo.“Well,I’llleaveyouladiestoyourbreakfast.Enjoy.”
Danielle knew it would have been polite to invite him to join them, but she just couldn’t bring

herselftodoit.Itwasn’tsomuchthatshestillresentedhimforwhathappenedwithLinc;shejustwasn’t
quitereadytoletitgo.

“Did you just meet him last night?” Ro asked, watching Ace, who was standing at the omelette

stationandmakingsmalltalkwiththeladypreparinghisbreakfast.“’Causetheresureashellweresome
sparksflyingbetweenyoutwo.”Shefannedherfacewithherhand.“Ican’tthinkofanyonebettertohelp
youtakeyourmindoffMikethedouc—”

“Youdon’tunderstand,”Daniellesaid,sneakingapeekoverhershouldertomakesureAcewasn’t

withinearshot.“We,uh,havehistory.It’scomplicated.”

“Pleasetellmeyou’vealreadysleptwithhim.‘Causeifyouhaven’t—”
“He killed Linc.” She regretted the words as soon as they were out of her mouth. Just a few days

ago,shemighthavebeenabletosaythemwithoutthinkingtwice,butafterhearinghisapologyandfeeling
hisremorse,shecouldn’tpretendhe’dheldaguntoLinc’sheadandpulledthetrigger.“Imean,hewas
drivingthecar—”

“OhmyGod.”Roreachedforherfriend’shand,hergreeneyesshimmeringwithpity.“Hewasyour

highschoolboyfriend?Theonewhowenttojailformanslaughterfor—”

“That’s him.” Danielle withdrew her hand, before smiling at the bus boy who cleared their empty

plates.“Idon’twanttomakeabigdealofthis,okay?ObviouslyI’mshockedthathe’shere,butIdon’t
wantthistodistractusfromourwork.”

“Thiscan’tbeacoincidence,”Rosaid,tuckingastrandofwavyauburnhairbehindherear.
“It’snot.”Shetookadeepbreath,knowingshewasn’tgoingtoescapethisconversationuntilshe’d

filledhernosyfriendinoneverylastlittledetail.“AceaskedRowantohireme.Hewantedachanceto
seeme,talktome,whereitwouldn’tbesoeasyformetoescape,Iguess.”

“Howdoyoufeelaboutseeinghimagain?”Roasked,leaningin.“Ithastobeweird,right?”
“That’sanunderstatement,”shemuttered.Therewerenowordstodescribehowshefelt.“AtfirstI

wasangry,thenIwassad,nowI’m…”Sheshrugged.“Justconfused,Iguess.Iwanttogoonbeingmadat
himbecauseIfeelIshould,givenwhathappened.Butit’salotharderthanIthoughtitwouldbe.”

“Becauseyoulovedhim?”sheaskedgently.
“BecauseheremindsmealittlebitoftheboyIusedtolove…”Shesneakedapeekathimwhenhe

pulledupaseatatatableoccupiedbytwoofhisteammates.“IguessIthoughttimewouldhavehardened
him,thatjailwouldhaveturnedhimintosomeoneIdidn’tevenrecognizeanymore.”

“Butitdidn’t?”
“Asateenager,hewasprettyfullofhimself.Iguesshehadreason.Hewassexyandsmart.Hewas

agoodathlete.Allthegirlslovedhim.Everyonethoughthewasgoingsomewhere—”

“Untiltheaccident.”
“Right.”
“Butlookatwhathe’sbecome,”Rosaid,smilingwhenshecaughtAcelookingatthem.“Imean,the

guy’sworthlikeahundredmilliondollars,Danielle.Andhe’swhat,thirty-two?”

“Idon’tcarehowmuchhe’sworth,”shesaid,frowningatRo.“I’mstuckherewithhimforthenext

twodays,andIhavetofigureouthowtodealwiththat.”

“Hesaidyouguystalkedlastnight.”Roshookherheadwhentheirwaitersilentlyofferedtorefill

hercoffee.“Howdidthatgo?”

“Heapologized,naturally.Hewantedmetoknowhowsorryhewas,thathe’dneverforgottenLinc,

andwoulddoanythingtobringhimbackifhecould.”

Rostudiedherfriendforaminute.“Doyoubelievehim?”
“OfcourseIbelievehim.”Daniellehadneverbelievedhe’dintentionallykilledherbrother.He’d

justmadeanincrediblystupiddecisionwhenhisjudgmentwasimpaired.“ButI’mstillmadashellthat
hecouldhavebeensostupid.ButI’mkindofmadatLinctoo,forgettinginthatcarwithhiminthefirst
place.”Shesighed.“AndI’mmadatmyselfforgettingmadatmybrotherbecauseIlovedhimsomuchit
—”Shebitbacktherestofthewords,shakingherheadwhentearsthreatenedtofall.

“Anyone would feel the way you do,” Ro assured her. “But don’t you think this is the perfect

opportunitytodealwithallthis?Whenyouhaveacaptiveaudience?”

“Whatdoyoumean?”
“Aceisobviouslyheresoyoutwocangetsomeclosure.Iknowyou’vebeenstrugglingwiththisfor

alongtime.”Whenshewouldhaveinterjected,Roraisedherhand.“IknownothingwillbringLincback.
AndbothyouandAce,andcertainlyyourparents,willprobablybehauntedbythisfortherestofyour
lives.Butsurelylettinghimknowhowyoufeel,gettingitalloffyourchestwouldmakeyoufeelbetter,
wouldn’tit?”

“I don’t know.” Questions would lead to answers which could lead to forgiveness, and Danielle

wasn’tsureshecouldriskgoingthere.

“What are you afraid of? Really? What’s the worst thing that could happen if you talked to him

again?”Ro’sjawdroppedwhenDanielledidn’trespond.“Ohwow,you’restillattractedtohim,aren’t
you?”

She felt a fresh wave of guilt at her friend’s accusation, because she was right. She was still

attractedtohim,andshehatedherselfforfeelingthatway.“Ilovedhimonce,”shesaid,tryingtojustify
her feelings. “In my head, I know that what he did was horrible, but my heart remembers how good he
wastome.Nomanhasevertreatedmethewayhedid.”

“I know you’re bound by family loyalty. Believe me, I get that. But you can’t let your parents, or

evenyourloveforLinc,beyourconscienceinthis,girl.Youneedtodecideforyourselfwhetherthatman
deservesyourforgiveness.”

“You’reright.”Daniellestood,tossinghernapkinonthetable.“Excuseme.”Shecrossedtheroom,

gratefulforthelongskirtthathidherknockingknees.“Ace?”Sheofferedabriefnodofacknowledgement
tohiscompanions.“Ihavealotofworktodothismorning,preparingfortheweddingtomorrow,butI’ll
bebackherearoundoneo’clockforlunchifyou’dliketotalkthen?”

“I’llbehere.”

ChapterFive

Acewasnervousashellashesatatatable,nursingabeerandwaitingforDani.Shewastwentyminutes
late.He’dconvincedhimselfshe’dchangedhermindwhensherushedin,searchingthecrowdforhim.

When she spotted him, she crossed the open space quickly, tucking her leather-bound tablet under

herarm.“I’msorryI’mlate.Therewasabitofaproblemwiththeflorist.”

“No worries,” he said, standing until she’d taken a seat. “Our waitress should be back in just a

minute.”

The waitress returned to take their order, which gave Ace a few minutes to collect himself. He

pridedhimselfonbeingcalmandcollectedinmostsituations,butDanimadehimfeellikeanawkward,
inexperiencedkidalloveragain.Itwasn’tjustherbeauty.Itwasherpoise,herdemeanor,asthoughshe
wascomfortableinherownskin.Butthethingthatrattledhimthemostwasthedistrustinhereyesevery
timeshelookedathim.

“So everything’s set for tomorrow?” he asked, reaching for his beer as she reached for her water

glass.

“We’re getting there. This afternoon I have a meeting to go over the placement of the tables and

chairsintheballroomand—”Sheblushed.“Sorry,Iknowyoudon’tcareaboutthedetails.”

“I do care.” He wanted to tell her that anything that mattered to her mattered to him, but he was

afraidthatwouldspookher.“RowanandTenleyareimportanttome.Iwanttheirdaytobeperfect.”

Shesmiled,oneofthefirstgenuinesmileshe’dseenfromherinalong,longtime.“Ipromisetodo

everythingIcantomakethathappen.”

“Youlovewhatyoudo.”Itwasn’taquestion.TheDanihe’dknownthrewherselfwholeheartedly

intoeverythingshedid.

“OfcourseIdo.Iwouldn’tbedoingitotherwise.”Shescannedthelargeroom,hereyesfallingona

youngcoupletryingtofeedafussybabyperchedinahighchairtherestauranthadprovided.

Shewatchedthatyoungfamilywithsuchlonginginhereyes,hecouldn’thelpbutwonderwhathad

gotteninthewayofherdreams.“Whataboutyourownwedding?”

“That’snothappening,”shesaid,hervoicestrained.“It’sover.Ijusthaven’tfoundawaytobreakit

tomyparentsyet.”

“They liked him?” There was a time when they’d liked Ace too. They’d thought he was good for

their daughter, that he could help her realize her dreams, but now they would no doubt chastise her for
breakingbreadwiththeenemy.

“Theydo.”Shesmoothedthewhitenapkininherlap,herjawtense.“Buttheydon’tknowhimlikeI

do.They don’t knowthat he’s alying, manipulative—” She tooka deep breath,shaking her head. “No,
I’mnotgoingtodothat.I’vewastedenoughtearsonhim.”

Itkilledhimtothinkofhersoupset,thoughheknewnoonehadcausedhermoregriefthanhehad.

“Whatdidhedotohurtyou?”

“Hemademebelievehelovedme.”Sheswallowed,lookingpained.“Iguessitwasjustawayfor

himtogetingoodwithmyfather.Becausethere’snodoubtinmymindnowthathewasjustusingme.”

“Howdoyouknowthat?”Hetriedtoremainimpassiveasthewaitressdeliveredtheirsalads,but

heknewiftheguywho’dbrokenherhearthadbeensittingacrossfromhim,hewouldn’thavehesitatedto
tear him apart. Even with an audience. She’d been hurt enough. Ace had hurt her enough. The fact that
anyonewoulddaretohurtherintentionallymadehimwanttohurtthem.

“Hecheatedonme.”
Hecouldn’tpretendtobesurprised,sincehehadoverheardpartofherconversationlastnight,but

hewasencouragedbythefactthatshewaswillingtoopenuptohimaboutsomethingsopersonal.“I’m
sorry.”

“Yeah well,” she said, stabbing her Romaine lettuce with her fork. “I guess it’s better I found out

beforethewedding,right?”

“Definitely.Youdon’twanttobemarriedtoadirtbaglikethat.”
She sighed, sneaking one last peek at the young family as they deposited their baby in the stroller

before they made their way out of the restaurant. “I’m beginning to wonder whether I’m cut out for
marriageatall.”

“It’sobviousyoustillwantafamily,”hesaid,rememberingallthetimesthey’dtalkedaboutgetting

marriedandhavingkidsoncetheybothgraduatedcollege.

“Ido.”Acreasemarredherforeheadasshestudiedherplate.“ButIdon’thaveaverygoodtrack

recordwithmen,soI’mnotsurethat’sinthecardsforme.”

“Others have screwed you over?” he asked, curling his hand around his beer bottle. He imagined

what he’d like to do to every single one of those bastards who’d been too dumb to realize an amazing
womanwhentheyhadher.

She shook her head slowly, almost as though she was considering how much she should reveal.

“Onlyyouandmyex-fiancé.”Hisjawmusthavedropped,becauseshelookedamusedbyhisexpression.
“I’msureyou’vebeenaroundtheblockatimeortensinceweweretogether,butitwasn’tthateasyfor
me.IttookyearsbeforeIcouldeventhinkaboutdatingagain.”

“I’msorry.”Hefeltasifthatwasallhe’dbeensayingtoher,buthehadalotofsinstoatonefor.
“Don’tbe.Icouldhavegoneoutandstarteddatingrightaway,butIfeltlikeIneededtotaketimeto

healfirst.ThenIgotdistractedwithschool.Thenitwasmycareer.BeforeIknewit,tenyearshadpassed
andIrealizedifIdidn’tgetseriousaboutfindingsomeonesoon,thewindowofopportunityforafamily
wouldhaveclosed.”

“That’s why you hooked up with the son of a bitch who cheated on you?” he asked, leaning in.

“Because your biological clock was ticking and you didn’t want to waste time looking for a man who
wouldtreatyouthewayyoudeservedtobetreated?”

Sheglaredathimbeforedivingintohersaladasthoughsheneededthedistraction.“Whatgivesyou

therighttojudgeme?Idon’tseeyouherewiththeloveofyourlife.”

“ActuallyIam.”Hecouldhavebithistonguehardenoughtodrawbloodassoonasthewordswere

out.

But as the color drained from her face, he knew it was too late to backpedal, to claim he hadn’t

meantit.Becausehedidmeanit.Thewomansittingacrossfromhimwastheloveofhislife,evenifshe
nevergotoverhatinghim.

“Don’tlooksosurprised.Iwouldn’thavearrangedallofthis”—hegesturedtotheirsurroundings

—“ifIdidn’tstillcareaboutyou.”

“Yousaidyouwantedtoapologizeforwhathappened,tomaybefindclosure.Wasthatalie?”she

asked,narrowinghereyes.

“No.”Hewaiteduntilthewaitresshadclearedtheirplatesbeforehesaid,“I’veneverliedtoyou,

and I’m not about to start now. What happened with Linc, what I did to him and your family, has been
eating away at me every day. I did want to apologize to you, to try to make things right.” He shook his
head,knowingnothinghesaidordidcouldevermakethingsright.“No,IguessIjustwantedyoutoknow
howIfelt.Tomaybegiveyousomethingthatwouldgiveyousomepeace.”

“You’retalkingaboutthebox?”
“That,and…”Hethoughtofallthethingshewantedtosaytoherwhilehehadthechance,butwords

werehardtocomebywhenshewaslookingathimwiththosebeautifuleyes,filledwithexpectationand
wariness.“Idon’tknowifyoueverreallygotit,howmuchhelovedyou.”

Sheswallowed,lookingvisiblyshakenassheforcedasmileforthewaitresswhoreturnedtofill

theirwaterglasses.“OfcourseIknew,justasIhopeheknewhowmuchIlovedhim.”Shecoveredher
mouthwhenasobescaped.“IhatethatInevergottotellhimthat…orsaygood-bye.”

Ittookeverythinginhimnottoshifthischairsohecouldpullhercloseandofferhersomemeasure

ofcomfort,buthehadnorighttodothat.Notbeingabletotouchher,toholdher,tokissher,wasjust
anotherformofpunishmentthathe’dearned.

“He knew.” If it was the only assurance he could give her, he wanted her to know how Linc felt

aboutherandtheirparents,howgratefulhewastohavetheminhislife.“Hemaynothavetoldyouthis,
butwhenhefoundoutwewereseeingeachother,hethreatenedtobeattheshitoutofme.”Acesmiledat
thememory.“I’dneverseenhimlikethat.Youknowhoweven-temperedhewas.”

“Yeah.”Withahalf-smile,shesaid,“Theonlythinghecaredaboutwashavingagoodtime.”
“Nottheonlything.”Hemadesureshewaslookinghimintheeyewhenhesaid,“Hecaredabout

hisfamilytoo,Danielle.Youguyswerehisrock,hisfoundation.Hetoldmeahundredtimeshowluckyhe
wastohaveasolidfamilyhecouldcounton,especiallysincesomanyofourfriendshadsuchashitty
upbringing.”

“There’soneotherthingthatmatteredtohim,”shesaid,hervoicelow.“Hisfriends.Namelyyou.

He told me so many times that you were like a brother to him, that he couldn’t wait for me to make it
officialbymarryingyou.”

Justashewastryingtogiveheragift,shehumbledhimbygivingoneinreturn.“Thanks.”
“I feel like I should take some of the blame for what happened that night.” She whispered, “He

passedbymyroomwhileyouandIwerearguingonthephone.Ihunguponyou.Iwascryingandsohurt
andconfusedaboutwhattodoaboutus.ButthelastthingIdidwasmakehimpromisetolookoutforyou
thatnight.Iknewyouwerepissed,thatyou’dprobablybedrinkingtoomuch,andIwasscaredyou’dtry
todosomethingstupid.”

“Oh, God.” He hated that she’d been living with that guilt, believing she’d played a role in her

brother’sdeath.“Noneofwhathappenedisyourfault.”

Hereyeswerebrimmingwithtearswhenshesaid,“Ican’thelpbutthinkhewouldn’thavegotten

intothatcarwithyouifhehadn’tpromisedmethathewouldtakecareofyouthatnight.”

“Hemadeagrabforthekeys.”Ithadbeenyearssincehe’dspokenaboutthemomentsleadingupto

theaccident,buthehadto.Forhersake.Shedeservedpeaceandaclearconscience.“Igrabbedhisarm
and told him I’d break it if he tried to stop me from leaving. I told him to get the hell out of the car. I
reachedacrosshimandthrewthedooropen,screamingathimtogetout.Buthejustslammedthedoor
andsankdownintheseat.HesaidifIwasstupidenoughtogodownforaDUI,I’dneedsomeonethereto
bailmysorryassoutofjail.”

Shelistenedintentlyashefoughttogethisemotionsundercontrol.
“That’s the worst we thought could happen,” he said, thinking about how stupid they’d been. “A

goddamnDUI.ItneverevenoccurredtomethatI’dtakemybestfriend’slifethatnight.”

“Itcouldhavebeenyourlife,”shesaid,movingtothechairnexttohim.
Acelookedintohereyeswhensherestedherhandonhisshoulder.“Iwishithadbeenmeinsteadof

him.IsweartoGod,ifIcouldtrademylifeforhis,Iwould.”

She stunned him with a hug so fierce it sucked the air from his lungs. The pent-up emotion they’d

bothbeentryingtocontainfloodedoutastheyclungtoeachother,fightingbacktearsinthemiddleofthat
crowdedrestaurant.

“Iknowyouwould.”Tearswerestreamingdownherfacewhenshepulledbacktolookhiminthe

eye.“ButLincwouldn’thavewantedthat,andneitherdoI.”

***

Theweddingceremonywasbreathtaking,witheveryonefightingbacktearsasthebrideandgroom

exchangedthevowstheyhadwritten,butitwastheintensityinAce’sgazewhenhelookedatheracross
theaislethathadDanielle’sfullattention.

She’d been trying to avoid him ever since their lunch yesterday. Something had shifted between

them.Shecouldn’tdenyitanylonger.Itwaslikethedambrokeandallthebitterness,sadness,andhurt
she’dbeenclingingtoforsomanyyearsjustflowedaway,leavingjustthegoodmemoriesandloveshe’d
once felt for this man. She’d suppressed her feelings for him for so long, feeling guilty every time she
rememberedhim.

Butthisexperiencehadchangedher.PerhapsitwasseeingAceagainandhearinghimexpresshis

sorrow and regret. She could almost hear her brother whispering in her ear, telling her it was okay to
forgiveAceandmoveonwithherownlife,freeoftheburdenofhatredandresentment.

Bythetimethey’dmovedintotheballroomfortheweddingreception,shecouldfeelAce’seyeson

her as they welcomed the bride and groom for their first dance, encouraging the wedding party to join
themonthedancefloorforthesecondsong.

SincetheweddingpartyconsistedofonlyRowan’sbrotherandTenley’sbestfriend,Acewasfree

tomakehiswayovertoDanielle.“Beautifulceremony,wasn’tit?”

“Itwas,”shesaid,gratefulithadgoneoffwithoutahitch.“NomatterhowmanyweddingsIattend,

eachoneisspecial.”ThemaidofhonorgaveAceasadsmile,andDaniellefeltapricklemovedownher
spine.“Issheafriendofyours?”

Herubbedthebackofhisneck,lookinguncomfortable.“Shewas.Welivedtogetherforawhilelast

year.”

“Oh.”Danielleknewshehadnorighttofeelanything,buthearingaboutherexlivingwithanother

womanbroughtafreshwaveofemotionstothesurface,namelyjealousy.“Whathappened?”

“Honestly? We just weren’t right for each other. We had to try too hard, and we both knew that

wasn’tthewayitwassupposedtobe.”

Eventhoughthey’dbeenyoungwhentheydated,sheandAcehadrarelyfought.Exceptforthatone

night…theonethatchangedeverything.

“Truthbetold,Ithinkshestillhasfeelingsforherex,Tenley’sbrother.Shejustwasn’twillingto

admitittomeorherself.”

She didn’t hear any trace of bitterness in Ace’s voice, which led her to believe he hadn’t been in

lovewithTenley’sfriend.“It’snotalwayseasytogetoverpastlovers,isit?”

Helookedatheroutofthecornerofhiseye.“Areyoutalkingaboutmeoryourex-fiancé?”
“Definitely not him. I am so done with him.” She didn’t realize she had implied she wasn’t done

withAceuntilitwastoolatetotakeitback.

“Interesting.” He smirked. “But he’s not willing to believe you’re done with him? If he was, he

wouldn’thavecalledyoutheothernight.”

“He’sstubborn,tosaytheleast.”Shesighed,thinkingofallthestupidstuntshe’dpulledtotrytowin

her back since she learned of his infidelity. “But I don’t care how determined he is to reconcile. I’m
equallydeterminednotto.”

“Goodforyou.”Hesmiledwhenshelookedathim.“Awomanlikeyoudeservesamanwhocanbe

faithfultoher,who’llloveherregardlessofthetemptationaroundhim.”

“Speaking of temptation,” she said, anxious to get off the topic of her ex, “you must face a lot of

temptationinyourlineofwork.DidthatmakeyourrelationshipwithStaceydifficult?”

He lifted a broad shoulder, watching the woman in question dance with her partner. “Not really.

WhenImetStace,Iwasreadyforsomethingreal.Ithoughtshewastheone,soIwasdeterminedtodo
whateverIhadtodotomakeitwork.”

Danielle’s stomach pitched when she heard Ace refer to another woman as the one, which was

crazy.Shehadnoclaimtohimanymore.“Soyouhadnoproblembeingfaithful?”sheasked,tryingnotto
soundskeptical.

“No,Ididn’t,”hesaidfirmly.“Why?Youdon’tbelieveme?It’snotlikeIevercheatedonyou.”
“Iknowthat.”
GirlshadflirtedwithAceendlessly,evenbackwhenhedidn’thavetwonickelstorubtogether.But

now, with a multi-million-dollar contract and fame, Danielle could imagine he had countless women
comingoutofthewoodwork.

“ThenwhyisitsohardforyoutobelieveIcouldbefaithfulnow?”
“It’s not. It’s just…” Needing a distraction, she watched her assistant going over the musical

selectionwiththediscjockey.“Thingsaredifferentnow.”

“Somethingswillneverchange.Idon’tcheat.Period.WhenI’minarelationship,I’mallin.”
“Goodtoknow.”Thoughshedidn’tknowwhythatshouldmattertoher,sinceherdaysofbeingina

relationshipwithAcewereover.

“Wouldyouliketodance?”
Othershadjoinedtheweddingpartyonthedancefloor,butDaniellestillhadajobtodo.“I’msorry,

butIshouldcheckinwithRo,makesureeverythingisundercontrolbeforetheystartservingappetizers.”

“Okay.Maybelater?”
“Maybe.” She took a deep breath as she watched Ace walk away, wondering if he was going in

searchofanotherdancepartner.Chastisingherselfforcaring,sheapproachedherbestfriend.

“Thatlookedprettyintense,”Rosaid,obviouslyreferringtoherconversationwithAce.“Didyou

guyscleartheairorwhat?”

“He was telling me about his relationship with Stacey,” Danielle said, running a hand over the

professionalblackdressshe’dselectedfortheoccasion.“Apparentlytheylivedtogether.”

“Oh,wow.”Ro’seyesdriftedtothewomaninquestion.“She’sbeautiful,isn’tshe?”
“Yeah, and sweet.” Danielle had gotten to know Stacey during the planning process. She often

accompaniedTenleytoappointmentswhenRowancouldn’t.“Ilikedheralot.”

Ro giggled. “Liked? Past tense? Now that you know she lived with your ex, you don’t like her

anymore?”

“No, of course not. I still like her. Why wouldn’t I? I mean, sure, Ace and I have history. But it’s

ancienthistoryandnotthegoodkind.”

“Butthereweregoodtimes?”

Daniellehadn’ttalkedtoherbestfriendaboutherrelationshipwithAcebecauseitwastoopainful

torememberthereasonithadended.“Yeah,ofcourse.Therewerealotofgoodtimes.”

“Hewasagoodguy?Imean,beforetheaccident—”
“Yeah,hewasagoodguy.”Thebest.“Itwasprettyserious.Wewereyoung,onlyseventeen,butI

thought…”Sheshrugged.“Idon’tknow,Ithoughtwemighthaveafuturetogether.”

“Didhewanttobeabaseballplayer,evenbackthen?”
“Itwastheonlythingheeverwanted.”Asidefromme.Danielle’s eyes met Ace’s, and a flood of

memoriesaccompaniedhisintensestare.Theirfirstdate.Firstkiss.Thefirsttimetheymadelove…

“Hehadtoovercomecrazyoddstogetwhereheis,”Rosaid.“Especiallygivenwherehestarted.

Youknow,afterbeingincarcerated.Itshowshowdeterminedheiswhenhewantssomething.”

“Itdoes.”
“Andifhewantsyou?”
DanielledraggedhergazefromAcetogapeatherfriend.“Whatareyoutalkingabout?Wecan’tbe

together, not after everything that happened. It would break my parents’ hearts if they found out I was
seeinghimagain.”

“Honey,” Ro said, curling her hand around Danielle’s arm, “I know that you feel responsible for

yourparentsnowthatyourbrotherisgone,butcan’tyouseethatyoudeservesomehappinesstoo?You
can’tliveyourlifetomakethemhappy.”

“That’snotwhatI’mdoing,”Daniellesaid.Therewasnowayherfriendcouldunderstandthekind

oflossherparentshadendured.Noonecould,unlesstheywereaparentwho’dlostachild.

“Isn’tit?”Sheraisedanarchedbrowbeforecrossingherarms.“BecauseIcouldhaveswornMike

wasmoretheirtypethanyours.”

Her father had introduced her to Mike. They were both firefighters, and Danielle’s father was

Mike’scaptainatthetime.Hewentontobecomechiefbeforeheretired,makinghimherfiancé’sboss.

“That’s not fair, Ro. They introduced me to Mike because they thought we would hit it off. They

knew I didn’t have a lot of time to date because of my job, and they were just trying to help me find
someonesuitable.”

“Yeah,forthem.Notforyou.”
DanielleknewtherewasnopointinarguingwithRo.Shealwaysgotthelastword.“I’mgoingto

checkonthecake.I’llcatchupwithyoulater.”

Beforeshecouldwalkaway,Rograbbedherarm.“Don’tmakethemistakeofwritingAceoffjust

becauseyourparentshave.Thishastobeyourdecisionandyoursalone.”

Ifonlyitwerethateasy.

ChapterSix

“Where’s your beautiful bride?” Ace asked when Rowan sat down beside him at the table. They were
alone,sinceeveryonewaseitherdancingormingling.HewasstillwaitingforDanitogetabreakinher
schedulesoshecoulddancewithhim,butshe’dbeenbusyallnight.

“Shehadtorunbacktotheroomtogetsomething.”RowancurledhishandaroundAce’sshoulder.

“Thankyouforthis.Idon’tthinkweeverwouldhaveconsideredthisplaceforourweddingifyouhadn’t
suggestedit,andworkingwithDaniellemadeitsomucheasieronTenley.”

“I’mglad.”TherewasnothingAcewouldn’tdoforhisfriends,andarrangingthismeetingwithhis

exhadhelpedhimmorethantheycouldpossiblyunderstand.

“Speaking of Danielle, I saw you two talking earlier. Can I assume you got what you wanted—

closure?”

Hechuckled,runningahandoverhisface.“Man,Idon’tknowwhyIthoughtseeingheragainwould

meanIcouldlethergo.”

“Uh oh,” Rowan said, frowning. “I’m not sure I like the sound of that. You mean you’re still into

her?”

“Thechemistryisstillthere.”Butitwassomuchmorethanthat.WhenhewaswithDani,hefelta

degreeof intensity he’dnever experienced withanother woman. “But tosay we haveissues is a major
understatement.”

“Issuesyoucan’tworkthrough?”
“Idon’tknow,man.Howdoyouforgivesomeoneforkillingyourtwinbrother?That’simpossible,

isn’tit?”

“Idon’tknowthatforgivenessisimpossible,”Rowansaid,obviouslychoosinghiswordscarefully.

“Buttohavearelationshipwiththatperson…yeah,thatmightbetough.”

Ace closed his eyes. It was messed up that he could have almost any woman he wanted, yet he

wantedtheonehecouldneverhave.“Ihavetoletgo,”hesaidbeforeclearinghisthroat.“Iknowthat.
It’llbeeasieroncetheseasonstartsandIhaveadistraction.”

“Youreallybelievethat?”
“Ihavetobelievethat,”Acesaid,glancingatDani.“WhatotherchoicedoIhave?”
Rowangotup,slappingAceonthebackjustasStaceymadeherwaytowardtheirtable.
SheofferedherhandtoAce.“Dancewithme?”
“Sure.” He slipped his hand into hers, thinking about how long it had been since they’d danced

together. Their split had been amicable and they’d managed to stay friends, for which he was grateful,
giventheirconnectiontoRowanandTenley.

“IguessnowIknowwhyyoudumpedme,”sheteasedwhenhehadherwrappedinhisarmsonthe

dancefloor.“YoutoldmeaboutDani,butyouleftouthowbeautifulsheis.”

Danihadbeentheprettiestgirlinhighschool.Allthejockswantedtodateher,yetshe’dchosenhim

andhestillcouldn’tfigureoutwhy.Shemusthaveseenpastthebeaterhedrove,hisafter-schooljobata

crappypizzajoint,andhisbadattitudeashechallengedanyoneinapositionofauthority.

“You know our breakup had nothing to do with her,” he said, watching Tenley’s brother, a.k.a.

Stacey’s ex, Walker, dancing with the girl he’d brought. “I still can’t believe that guy hasn’t got a clue.
What’sitgonnatakeforhimtorealizeyou’rethebestthingthateverhappenedtohim?”

Staceykissedhischeek.“Thankyouforsayingthat.”
“I’mserious.Hewasmadashellwhenyouwerewithme.Nowthatwe’renottogetheranymore,

why the hell hasn’t he made his move?” Ace felt like telling Walker not to waste today believing he’d
havetomorrowtomakethingsright.He’dlearnedthehardwaythatnoonewasguaranteedanotherday.

“You’dhavetoaskhimthat,”Staceysaid,shrugging.“Tenleythinkshe’sscared.”
“Of what?” Ace knew if he got another chance with the girl he’d loved, he wouldn’t squander it

becauseoffear.

“Youhavetounderstandhe’sneverhadarealrelationship.Exceptforme.He’susedtobeingfreeto

dowhateverhewants,andthethoughtofhavingtoanswertosomeonescareshim.”

“Theguy’sinhisthirties,”Acesaid,unabletohidehisdisgust.“It’stimeforhimtogrowup.”
“Enoughabouthim,”Staceysaid,grippingAce’schintoturnhisattentionfromWalkerandbackto

her.“TellmeaboutseeingDaniagain.Howdidthatgo?”

“ObviouslyTenleytoldyouIwasthemastermindbehindthiswedding,thatIaskedthemtohaveit

heresoIcouldseeheragain?”

“Yeah,butwhynow?Imean,theaccidenthappenedyearsago,right?Why’dyouwaitsolongtotry

toseeher?”

He’dbeentemptedtopickupthephonesomanytimes,butheknewshewouldjusthanguponhim.

He’dhadtofindawaytogetheralonewhereshecouldn’twalkawayuntilshe’dheardhimout.“Iread
herengagementannouncementinthepaperawhileback,andIguessthatjustgotmetothinking.Ifigured
ifIdidn’tactquickly,hernewhusbandwouldbetheretoserveasabufferandI’dnevergetthechanceto
tellherhowsorryIwas.”

“Soshe’sgettingmarried,huh?Ineverwouldhaveguessedthat,seeingyoutwotogether.Ithought

maybetherewassomethingstillbetweenyou.”

Acewasencouragedthathewasn’ttheonlyonewhosawtheirobviouschemistry.“Turnsoutshe’s

notgettingmarriedanymore.Shedumpedtheguy.”

“Luckyforyou,huh?”Staceyasked,grinning.
BeforeAcecouldrespond,Daniapproached.“I’msosorrytointerrupt,butthephotographerwould

likesomepictures,andRowanandTenleyaskedmetomakesureyouwerebothapartofthem.”

“Oh, that means I have to check my makeup,” Stacey said, smiling at Dani, then gesturing to Ace.

“Couldyoutakemyplace?Ihatetoleaveaguyhanginginthemiddleofasong.”

“Oh,um,sure.”DanisteppedintoAce’sarms.“Youdon’tmind,doyou?”
“WhywouldImind?”heasked,grinningathowperfectlyStaceyhadsetherup.He’dhavetothank

herlater.“Iaskedyoutodanceearlier,remember?”

“Iknow,butyouandyourex-girlfriendlookedasthoughyouwereinthemiddleofsomething.”
“Wewere.”Hebrushedatendrilofblondhairbehindherearwhensheturnedherhead.Itwasan

intimate gesture, one he wouldn’t have hesitated over years ago, but he had to remind himself that
everythingwasdifferentnowandhehadnorighttotakelibertieswithher.“Sorry.Uh,weweretalking
aboutyouactually.Aboutus.”

“Oh.” She bit her lip as she stared at his chest. “I’m not sure I should ask what you were talking

about,butIcan’tdenyI’mcurious.”

“I’mnotsorryyouendedyourengagement,”hesaidbywayofexplanation.“Thatmaysoundcrazy,

but I’m glad I’ve had this time alone with you without having to feel guilty for feeling something for
anotherman’sfiancée.”

“Youfeelsomethingforme?”shewhispered,unwillingorunabletolookhimintheeye.
“Don’tsoundsosurprised,”hesaidsoftly,loweringhisheaduntilhislipsgrazedhercheek.“Iknow

youmusthavesensedit.Idon’tfeelI’vedoneaverygoodjobofhidingit.”

Shelookedpainedasshetippedherheadbacktomeethiseyes.“Ace,wecan’tdothis.I’mallfor

puttingthepasttorest.Iknowwehavetodothat.Forgivenessishealthy.Butasforanythingbetweenus,
itjustcan’thappen.I’msorry.”

“Becauseofyourparents?”
“No, because…” She closed her eyes when they glazed over with tears. “Given everything that’s

happened,there’sjustnoway.”

Hewatchedherwalkaway,wonderingwhyhe’dpushedsohardwhenheknewallalongthatwould

beherresponse.Maybehewasjustagluttonforpunishment…oramannotusedtogivingup.

***

DaniellehesitatedwithherhandpoisedtoknockonAce’sdoor.Itwashislastnightatthehotel,her

lastchancetoseewhatwasinthatbox.Finally,steelinghercourage,shetappedonthedoor,wonderingif
he’dreturnedtohisroomafterthereceptionorventuredintotownwithsomeofhisbuddiestofindabar
whilethebrideandgroomretiredtotheirsuite.

“Oh,hey,”hesaid,openingthedoorwithasmile.“I’msurprisedtoseeyouhere.Ithoughtitwas

oneoftheguystryingtodragmeoutwiththem.”

“I’msorry.Ishouldhavecalledfirsttomakesureyoudidn’thaveotherplans.”
“Noproblem.”Hesteppedback,invitingherin.“ItoldthemIwasn’tintogoingouttonight.Iwas

prettytired,gotalotofsunoverthepastcoupleofdays.”

Thatwasobvious.HiswhiteT-shirtshowedoffhisbronzedskin,alongwiththeinksnakinguphis

rightarm.She’dneverlookedcloselyathistattoos,butnowthatshedid,herbreathcaughtattheoneon
theinsideofhisbicep.“OhmyGod,isthat…?”Herfingertipgrazedthebeautifullyshadedportraitwith
herbrother’snameandRIPbelowit.

“It’sareminder,”hesaidhoarsely.“Ineverwanttoforgethimorwhatmystupidityandrecklessness

costthepeople—”

“Don’t,” she whispered, pressing her fingertips against his lips to prevent him from saying more.

“You’vesaidyou’resorry.Ibelieveyou.”Thescholarship,thetattoo,itwasjustmoreevidencethatshe
andherfamilyweren’ttheonlyonesstillgrieving.

Hecurledhishandaroundherwrist,drawingherfingersawayfromhismouthbeforeplantingasoft

kissonherpalmwhilehelookedintohereyes.

“Um, the box,” she said, withdrawing her hand from his. “That’s why I came, to see what you

have…”

“Right.”Hesteppedback,letherin,andclosedthedoor.“Comeonin.I’llgetit.”Hegesturedtothe

couch.“Sitdown.DoyouwantsomethingtodrinkbeforeIgetit?”

She could use a stiff drink to face not only what was hidden away in that box, but what was

happeningbetweenthem.“No,thanks.I’mokay.”Thatwasalie.Shewasnotokay,notatall.

Ace disappeared into the adjoining bedroom and returned a few minutes later with a wooden box

that resembled a standard memory box except it had intricate carvings on the lid and appeared to have
beenhand-painted.

“Linc always said he wanted to go to Italy,” Ace explained, sitting beside her on the small sofa

whileplacingtheboxonthecoffeetableinfrontofthem.“That’swhereIgotthisbox.Oneyear,during
theoff-season,IvisitedVeniceandRomeandwenttoalloftheplaceshetoldmehewantedtosee.”

SherememberedLincandAcehadtalkedaboutbackpackingthroughEuropeaftertheirsenioryear,

something they’d never gotten to do. She held her breath as she opened the lid to see her brother’s
familiar handwriting on the front of a notebook she’d never seen before. “Where did you get these
things?”

“Aftertheaccident,oneoftheguysemptiedLinc’slocker.Hewasplanningtogivethisstufftoyour

parents,butaftereverythingthatwentdown,hethoughtitmightbetoopainfulforthem,soheheldonto
it.”

AcereachedintotheboxandtookoutapictureofhimandLincwiththeirarmsaroundeachother’s

shoulders,smiling.Itlookedasiftheywereataparty,judgingbythenumberofpeopleinthebackground.

“A few years after I got out, he came to see me.” He placed the picture back in the box before

withdrawinganotherofLincandthegirlhe’dbeendatingsenioryear.“Hehadallofthisinashoebox.
HeaskedmewhatIthoughtheshoulddowithit.”

“Itneveroccurredtoyoutosendittous?”sheasked,tryingtokeepthebitefromhervoice.
“I didn’t think you’d accept it.” He swallowed. “Besides, it’s not the kind of thing you can send

throughthemail,andIknewyourparentswouldn’twanttoseeme.”

Sheskimmedthroughthenotebook,touchingtheink.Lincalwayspressedsohardwhenhewrotethat

theinkoftenbledthroughtotheothersideofthepage.“Ididn’tknowhekeptajournal.Weneverfound
onewhenweweregoingthroughhisroom.”

“I think it was something he wanted to keep private,” Ace explained, running a hand through his

black hair. “That’s why he kept it at school, so your mom wouldn’t find it when she was cleaning his
room.”

“Didhesaythatinhere?”sheasked,frowning.Theirparentshadalwaysbeenoverprotectiveand

judgmental, especially of their children’s friends, but Danielle had never doubted it was because they
lovedthem.

“He did.” Ace cleared his throat. “I felt guilty for reading all this stuff, but I was going through a

reallydarktimeandwantedtofeelsomeconnectiontohim,youknow?”

“Yeah,Ido.”Shehadbeengoingthroughadarktimeherselfsinceherengagementendedandwould

havegivenanythingtotalktohertwinbrotheraboutit.“Whatelsedidhesay?”

She leafed through the pages. She wasn’t sure she really wanted to know what he’d been thinking

andfeelinginthedaysprecedinghisdeath.She’dalwayswonderedwhyhe’dgotteninthatcarwithAce,
knowinghisfriendwasinnoconditiontodrive.Itwasalmostasifherbrotherhadhadadeathwishthat
night…

Butifshelearnedthatwasthecase,howwouldshelivewiththeknowledgehe’dwantedtoendhis

life?

“I know what you’re thinking,” Ace said, taking the notebook, “but you’re wrong. Linc loved you

andyourparents.Hewouldneverhavedoneanythingtointentionallyhurtyou.”

Closinghereyes,sherealizedshewasn’tstrongenoughtogothroughLinc’sthingsalloveragain.It

hadalmostkilledhertohelphermotherdoitthefirsttime.“Thankyouforofferingtosharethesethings
withme,”shesaid,closingthelidonthebox.“ButIdon’tthinkIreallyneedtosee—”

“Justthisthen,”hesaid,withdrawingasmallblackbinder.
“What’sthat?”sheasked,frowning.
“Didyouknowyourbrotherwrotepoetry?”heaskedwithahalf-smile.Whensheshookherhead,

hesaid,“It’shardtoimagine,isn’tit?Abigtoughguylikehimwritingpoetry?”

“Itis.”Butsheknewtherehadalsobeenasweetandsensitivesidetohertwinthathehadn’tshared

withmostpeople.Notevenhisbestfriend.

“There’sonehereIthinkyouneedtoread.”Heturnedtoapageofloose-leafhalfwaythroughthe

book. “It’s called ‘Two Hearts, One Mind.’ It’s about being a twin. I think it characterizes how he felt
aboutyoubetterthananything—”

Shecoveredhermouthtomufflehersobastearsfilledhereyes.
“Hey,”hesaid,settingthebookdownbesidehimasheputhisarmaroundher.“I’msorry,Dani.I

didn’tmeantoupsetyou.Ijustthoughtyou’dwantto…”

“It’sokay.”He’dcalledherDaniagain,evenaftershe’daskedhimnotto.Shewasn’tbraveenough

totellhimtheonlyreasonshedidn’twanttohearhimsaythatwasbecauseitwasapainfulreminderof
howmuchshe’dlovedhim.

“He wrote one about me too.” He withdrew his arm from her shoulders, easing back on the sofa.

“It’scalled‘Brothers.’Youwanttohearthatonefirst?”

“Sure.” She already knew Linc considered Ace his “brother from another mother,” as he’d put it.

He’dtoldherdozensoftimes.

Acesetthebinderuprightbetweenthemasheclearedhisthroat.
“Onedayatatimehebecamemybrother,
Everysecretsharedanddreamtoldsolidifiedthatbond.
Hetaughtmethemeaningofloyaltyandtrust,
Standingupformewhennooneelsewould.”
“Ace.”Shecouldn’tlistentoanymore.Hearingthesethingsremindedherofhowmuchherbrother

hadlovedthisman.Howmuchshehadlovedhim.“Howdoyouknowhewroteitaboutyou?”Therewas
nodoubtinhermind,yetthequestiongaveherareprievefromhearingthepotentwords.

He showed her the page. Linc had printed “Mace” in block letters in the corner of the page. Ace

flipped through the other poems to show her the names of the people who’d inspired each poem. Her
namewasonthepoemmarked“TwoHearts,OneMind.”

“Ican’t,”shesaid,shakingherhead.“I’msorry.IthoughtIcould.Ijustcan’t.”
“Iunderstand.”Heputthebinderbackintheboxandreplacedthelid.“Wedon’thavetodoanything

youdon’twanttodo.”

Theytradedalookthatcouldn’tbemistaken.Hewastalkingaboutmorethanjusttheboxnow…
“I’msoconfused,”shesaid,rememberinghowincredibleithadfelttobekissedbyhim.Noonehad

everbeenabletoturnheronthewayhedidwithjustthosesoft,full,sensuouslips.God,heknewhowto
kiss.

“Aboutwhat?”hewhispered,soundingraspy.
“You.Me.Whatwe’rereallydoinghere.”
“Iknowyoudon’twanttobe,butcanyouadmityou’restillattractedtome?”
Shenodded,knowingitwaspointlesstodenyit.Heknewhertoowell.
“Thatdoesn’tmeanyouhavetoactonit,”hesaid,clearlytryingtogiveherawayout.“JustknowI

feelthesameway.”Whensheclosedhereyesandburiedherfaceinherhands,asshetriedtomakesense
ofwhatshewasthinkingandfeeling,hesaid,“That’snotwhyIarrangedtoseeyouagain.Iswear,Dani,I
wouldneverintentionallyhurtyouortryto—”

“YoucalledmeDaniagain.”
“Sorry.”Hesmirked.“Oldhabitsdiehard,Iguess.”
“It’sokay.”Itwasstupidtobeupsetaboutsomethingsoinsignificantwhenshehadrealproblems

staring her in the face. Like how to come to terms with her feelings for the man responsible for her
brother’sdeath.“Ireallydon’tmindifyoucallmeDani.”

“Good,‘causeIcan’tseemtohelpmyself.”
Theywereskirtingtherealissue,andsheknewtheycouldn’tdothatforever.Shedidhaveoptions.

Shecouldgetup,walkoutofthisroom,andneverseehimagain.Butthatseemedimpossible,givenhow
shewasfeelingnow.

“Iwanttokissyou,”hemurmured,hiseyesfixedonherlips.“ButIknowIshouldn’t.”
“Iwantyouto,”shewhisperedback.“EventhoughIknowIshouldn’t.”
Hemovedinslightly,asthoughhewaswaitingforhertocometohersensesandstophimwhileshe

stillhadthechance.Hislipshoveredabovehers,hismintybreathteasingher.“Justsayno,Dani.”

“Ican’t.”
She closed her eyes as soon as his hand grazed her cheek, and the memories came flooding back.

He’d always gone beyond kissing to worshipping her mouth with his, and this kiss was no different. If
anything,thedepthofemotionmadeitevenmoreintense.

Assoonashistonguetouchedhers,shemoaned,wonderingifshecouldevergetenoughnowthat

he’d reminded her how sexy this simple act could be. It didn’t last nearly long enough, though she was
certainthey’dkissedforseveralminutes.

He finally curled his hands around her cheek, resting his forehead against hers. “I think we’re in

troublehere.”

“Iknowweare.”

ChapterSeven

“Have you heard from Danielle?” Rowan asked Ace as he sat on the bench beside Ace in the locker
room.

Theywerepreparingfortheirlastgameofspringtrainingandthey’dbeenonafive-gamewinning

streak,butnoneofthatmatteredwhentheregularseasonrolledaround.Theyhadtocarrythatmomentum
intothegamesthatwouldshapetheirseason,andthatmeantAcehadtokeephisheadinthegameforthe
sakeofhisteam.Theywerecountingonhimtocomethrough,andhecouldn’tletthemdown.

“No.” He’d already showered and was lacing his shoes as he tried to ignore the familiar tug of

longing that accompanied the mention of her name. It wasn’t the first time one of his buddies had
mentionedhisex.Sincetheymetheratthewedding,they’dallbeenonhimtoeitherhookupwithheror
giveoneofthemthegreenlighttocallher.Thelatterwasdefinitelynothappening.

“Whythehellnot?”Rowandemanded.“Justcallheralready.”
“It’snoteasy,youknowthat.”Ifshe’dbeenanyothergirl,hewouldhavebeenrelentlesslytryingto

build on that incredible kiss they’d shared in his suite, but he’d already hurt Dani so much. Could he
reallyriskthatagain?

“We’reheadinghometonight,”Rowansaid.“Ihaveherhomeaddress.Whydon’tyoupassbyand

giveherticketstothehomeopenertomorrownight?”

“Whydoyouhaveheraddress?”Aceasked,frowning.
“Whenshewasplanningthewedding,sheaskedmeandTenleytomeetherthereonenight.Wewere

supposedtomeetatheroffice,butshegottiedupacrosstownandsaiditwouldjustbeeasiertomeether
at home.” Rowan pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts. “Here it is.” He flashed the
contacttoAce.“Whatdoyousay?ShouldItextittoyou?”

Ace had already invited his parents to the game, and they’d have a million questions if they saw

Danithere.“Idon’tthinkthat’ssuchagoodidea.”

“Why are you doing this?” Rowan asked, staring at him. “You know you want this girl, and she’s

obviouslystillintoyouorshewouldn’thavekissedyou.”

Aceknewithadbeenamistaketotellhisbestfriendaboutthat.“HowcanIexpecthertoforgive

meforwhatIdid?”Thankfullytheywerealoneinthelockerroom,althoughmostoftheguysknewAce
haddonetimeasateenagerandthereasonforhisincarceration.“I’mnotevensureI’veforgivenmyself.
Andwhataboutherparents?She’sclosetothem,andbeingwithmewouldbringallkindsoftroublethat
shedoesn’tneedordeserve.”

“She’sagrownwoman,”Rowanargued.“Shecanmakeherowndecisions,man.Pointis,you’renot

evengivingheranoption.That’snotright.”

Acehadbeenmakinghimselfcrazy,wonderingwhethertocontacther,butintheend,he’ddecidedit

wasbestforherifhekepthisdistance.He’dsaidwhatheintendedtoatthehotel:thathewassorryand
woulddoanythingtobringherbrotherbackifhecould.Itwasbesttoleavewellenoughalone.

WhenhenoticedRowanplacingacall,Aceasked,“Whatareyoudoing?”

“Ifyou’renotmanenoughtoinvitehertothegame,I’lldoitmyself.”
“No,don’t!”Acemadeagrabforthephone,butitwastoolate.Hejumpedup,slamminghislocker

doorshutashetriednottolistentoRowan’ssideoftheconversation.Butwhenheheardhisname,Ace
gaveupallpretenseandglaredathisfriend.

“You’dliketocome?”Rowanasked.“Awesome.WoulditbeokayifAcepassesbyyourplacewith

theticketstonight?IpromisedTenleywe’dmeetupwithherbrotherswhenIgetbackintotown.Perfect.
He’ll see you in a few hours. Yeah, I look forward to seeing you too, Danielle. Believe me, it’s my
pleasure.”

“What the hell was that?” Ace demanded, throwing his hands in the air. “Are you crazy? It’s the

seasonopener,man.Ineedtohavemyheadinthegame.HowamIsupposedtodothatifIknowDaniis
there?”

“Don’ttellmeyouwouldn’thavemadeyourselfcrazywonderingifshewasathomewatching.”
Hehadhimthere.“Still,youhadnorightto—”
“I’myourbestfriend,”Rowansaid,standing.“Thatgivesmetheright.”HeslappedAceontheback

ashewalkedpast.“I’lltextyouheraddress.You’rewelcome.”

“Sonofa—”
“Iheardthat,”Rowancalledoverhisshoulder.
“Good!”Hecouldthinkofafewmorechoicenameshe’dliketocallRowan.Notthatitwoulddo

any good. The damage was already done. Now Ace just had to figure how to get in and out of her
apartmentwithoutkissingheragain.

***

Daniellehadalreadychangedherclothestwicesinceshe’dfoundoutAcewouldbepassingbywith

thetickets,whichwasridiculoussinceshe’dchangedfromonepairofjeansshortsandtanktoanother.
By the time he’d texted to let her know he was fifteen minutes from her building, she was practically
hyperventilating. It had been two months since that kiss, and she’d given up on the idea of seeing or
hearingfromhimagain.SowhatdiditmeanthatRowanhadbeentheonetoextendtheinvitationtothe
game,yetAcewastheonedroppingoffthetickets?

Shewascheckingherhairinthemirrorforthetenthtimewhenhebuzzeduptoletherknowhewas

inherlobby.

“Comeonup,”shesaid,tryingtogetareadonhismood.
Hesoundedtense.Hadhisfriendpressuredhimintothismeeting?TheAcesheknewcouldn’thave

beencoercedintodoinganythinghedidn’twanttodo,butshehadtoadmitshedidn’treallyknowhim
anymore.Peoplechanged…andheclearlyhad.

“Hey,”shesaid,greetinghimatherdoorwhenhesteppedofftheelevator.God,helookedyummyin

a pair of faded jeans and a black Henley with the sleeves pushed back to reveal his powerful, inked
forearms.

“Hey,yourself,”hesaid,grinning.“Longtime,nosee.”
“Toolong.”Thewordspoppedoutbeforeshecouldstopthem,butitwastrue.She’dmissedhim.

“Howwasspringtraining?”

“Awesome.Feelslikewe’rereallyinthegroove.Ican’twaitfortheregularseasontostart.”
Hepassedherawhiteenvelope,presumablycontainingthetickets.Heprobablycouldhaveemailed

herane-ticketorlefttheticketsattheboxofficeforher,yethewashere.Thathadtomeansomething,
didn’tit?

“Wouldyouliketocomeinforadrink?”sheasked,steppingback.
“Uh,Itrytostayawayfromalcoholduringtheseason.”
“Sweetteamaybe?Orlemonade?Asoftdrink?”Anythingtogethiminside.She’dhadalotoftime

tothinksincetheirtalk,andonethingwaspainfullyclear—shecouldn’tstopthinkingabouthimnomatter
howhardshetried.

“Uh,sure.IguessI’vegotsometimebeforeIhavetogethome.Iliketobewell-restedbeforeabig

game.”Hesteppedintoherspaciouscondo,lookinguncharacteristicallyawkwardashestuckhishands
inthepocketsofhisjeans.“Niceplace.”

“Thanks.”She’dshareditwithherex,butwhentheysplit,she’dhadthemoneysavedtobuyhim

out.“Ilikeit.”

Heglancedatthecardboardboxbythedoor.“Areyoutakingthatdowntostorage?Ifso,Icandoit

foryou.It’saprettybigbox,mustbeheavy.”

She was touched that he’d offer and hated having to admit the truth. “It’s Mike’s. He said he was

goingtopassbytomorrowtopickitup.”

“Mike?Yourex-fiancé?”
“Yup,”shesaid,leadinghimintohersmallwhitegalleykitchen.
“Hashebeengivingyouahardtime?”Aceasked,leaningagainstthecounterwhileshewithdrew

twopitchersfromthefridgetogivehimachoice.

“Ifyoumeanhashegotitthroughhisthickheadthatwe’redone,theanswerwouldbeno.”Sheheld

upbothglasspitchersandsmiledwhenhepointedatthetartlemonade.Thathadalwaysbeenhisfavorite,
whichwaswhyshe’dwhippedupabatchwhenshefoundoutheplannedtopayheravisit.

“How’dyoufindouthecheatedonyou?”Aceasked,crossinghisarms.“Hetoldyou?”
“No,myfriendBriantoldme.HewasatthebachelorpartywithMikewhen…ithappened.Brianis

alsohisfriend,soIguessMikethoughthissecretwassafe,butBriansaidhecouldn’tlivewithhimselfif
heletmegothroughwiththeweddingknowingMikehadalreadycheatedonme.”

“Soundslikeagoodfriend,”Acesaid,acceptingtheglasswithagratefulsmile.
“Heis,”Danielleagreed.“He’smybestfriendRosanna’sfiancé,actually.”Shepointedtowardthe

living room, where she had two white chairs and a pale gray sofa. Plenty of seating if he was nervous
about getting too close and repeating the mistake they’d made in his hotel room. Except she didn’t
consider that kiss a mistake and hoped he didn’t either… but with the way he was acting, she had to
wonder.“Doyouhavetimetositforabit?”

“Sure.”Hegesturedforhertoprecedehimintothelivingroom.
“Thanksfordroppingtheticketsoff.ItwasreallyniceofRowanandTenleytoinviteme.”
“Noproblem.Itwasonmywayhomeanyhow.”Helookedaroundtheopenroom,hiseyessettling

onsomeframedphotosofDaniellewithfamilyandfriends.Therewasalsooneofherwithherbrother,
takentheyearbeforehedied.“Didyouandyourfiancéliveheretogether?”

“Yeah.”Shesippedherlemonade,wishingoneofthemwasbraveenoughtomentiontheelephantin

theroom…thatdamnkiss.

“Soyoudon’tmindlivingherebyyourself?”heasked,lookingatherovertherimofhistallglass.

“Nobadmemoriesaftersharingtheplacewithhim?”

Daniellelovedallthefemininetouchesshe’daddedsincehe’dmovedout:freshflowers,brightly

coloredcushions,andfreshabstractartthatMikewouldhavehated.“No,notreally.”

Aceshookhishead,staringatthefluffywhitearearugunderhisfeet.“IknowIhavenorighttosay

this,butyoucouldn’thavelovedtheguyallthatmuch.IfI’dsharedaplacewiththewomanIlovedand
wesplit,Icouldn’tgoonlivingthere.Itwouldhurttoomuch.”

“WhataboutStacey?”Danielleasked,curlingherhandaroundthecoolglass.“Didyougoonliving

intheplaceyousharedwithher?”Heshookhishead,andshefeltasharppain.“Oh.”

“NotbecauseIwasawreckwhenwebrokeup.Itwasn’tlikethat.Wewerebothcoolwithit.The

relationshiphadrunitscourse,andIwantedtolethergososhecouldgiveitanothergowithherex.”

“Thatwasbigofyou,”shesaid,tryingnottosmile.
“Notreally.”Heshrugged.“IguessIjustwantedtoseeherhappy,andIcouldn’tmakeherhappy.”
“Whynot?”Shehadn’tintendedtopry,butshewascurious.
“IwantedittoworkwithStacey,butitdidn’ttakelongforbothofustorealizeweweretryingtoo

hard.Youshouldn’thavetoforceit,yaknow?”

“Idoknow.”HerrelationshipwithMikewasalotlikethat.He’dseemedliketheperfectguyfor

her,soshe’dtriedtoignorethefactthatsheneverfeltthoseinfamousbutterflies.Thekindshestillgot
everytimeshesawAce…

Acefrownedwhentheyheardakeyinthelock.
Onlyoneotherpersonhadakeytoherplace…
“Mike,” she said, jumping up. “What are you doing here? I thought you weren’t coming until

tomorrowtopickup—”

Acesethisdrinkdownandstood,facingMike.
“AcePhillips?”Mikeasked,hiseyebrowsdisappearingintohisauburnhair.“Whatthehell?How

doyoutwoknoweachother?”

Danielle had told her ex-fiancé about the accident that had claimed her brother’s life and that her

boyfriendhadbeenbehindthewheel,butshe’dnevertoldhimthatboyfriendhadgoneontobecomeone
ofthebestplayersinbaseball,withbothaGoldGloveandSilverSluggertohiscredit.

“Um, Ace, this is my ex-fiancé,” Danielle said, ignoring the question. She didn’t owe him any

answers.“MikeBernard.”

Ace frowned instead of offering his hand, no doubt thinking about the reason they were no longer

engaged.

“Ican’tbelievethis,”Mikesaid,slammingthedoor.HeturnedonDanielle.“Isthisthereasonyou

won’tgetbackwithme?Becauseyou’vebeenbangingthisguy?”

BeforeDaniellecoulddefendherself,Acesteppedaroundthechairhe’dbeensittingon.“Takeyour

shitandgetout.”

Mike’sjawdroppedbeforeheglaredatAce.“Whothehellareyoutotellmetogetoutofmyown

—”

“Youdon’tlivehereanymore,”Aceremindedhim.“Andweallknowwhy.SoIsuggestyougetthe

helloutofherebeforeIteachyoualessonyouwon’tsoonforgetabouthowtotreatalady.”

Daniellecouldn’tbelievewhatshewashearing.Acewasreadytostepupanddefendherhonor?

Why?

“Please,”shesaid,steppingbetweenthetwomen.“Idon’twantthistoescalate.Mike,youneedto

takeyourstuffandgobeforeIcallsecurity.”

“Howdidyoutwoevenmeet?”Mikeasked,rubbinghisforehead.“When?Wasthisgoingonwhen

weweretogether?Wereyou—”

“The fact that you could even ask her that proves that you don’t know her at all,” Ace said, his

contempt thinly veiled. He rested his hands on Danielle’s shoulders, making those damn butterflies
reappearforanencoreperformance.“Youweretoostupidtorealizeyouhaditbetterthanyoudeserve
whenDaniagreedtomarryyouand—”

“Dani?”Mikequirkedaneyebrowwhenhelookedathisex-fiancée.“Youtoldmetheonlyperson

who ever called you that was your ex-boyfriend. That you didn’t want anyone else calling you that
because…” He narrowed his eyes before shaking his head. “Wait a minute. Is that how you two know
eachother?”HelookedatAce.“Wereyoutheguy—”

“Get.Out,”Acerepeated,hisannoyancemorphingintoobviousangerashisgriponDanitightened

marginally.“Thelady’smadeitclearshewantsnothingmoretodowithyou,andwesureashelldon’t
oweyouanyexplanationafterwhatyoudidtoher.Butifyou’resmart,you’lltakemyadviceandstaythe
hellawayfromher.”

“It’s like that, is it?” he asked Danielle. “You want nothing more to do with me because you’re

honestlynaïveenoughtobelieveyoucouldhaveafuturewithaproballplayer?Comeon,Danielle.He
couldhaveanywomanhewants.Whywouldhechooseyou?”

“Listen,youlittlebastard,”Acesaid,steppingaroundDanielle.“Youdon’tknowme,andyousure

as hell don’t know how I feel about Dani. So don’t make me tell you again.” He was in Mike’s face
beforehepickeduptheboxandshoveditinMike’schest,forcinghimagainstthedoor.“Out!”

“Fine.”HelookedatDanielleoverAce’sshoulderbeforehemuttered,“Butdon’tcomecryingto

mewhenthisguydumpsyouforsomeonehotter.”

Danielle’sjawdroppedasAcegrabbedthebackofMike’sshirtandshovedhimoutthedoorbefore

slammingit.

“Seriously?”heasked,turningtofaceher.Hisragewasevidentinthehardsetofhisjawwhenhe

spit,“Youagreedtomarrythatasshat?”

Sheburstoutlaughingathisaptdescriptionofherex.Shecouldn’thelpit.Acewasabsolutelyright,

andithadonlytakenhimfiveminutestofigureMikeout.Ithadtakenhertwoyears.

“He was good to me in the beginning,” she said, shaking her head as she remembered how he’d

pulledoutallthestopstogethertogooutwithhim.“Infact,throughoutourrelationship,hewasapretty
goodboyfriend.Ifhewasn’t,Ineverwouldhaveagreedtolivewithormarryhim.”

“Prettygood?”Aceasked,lookingconfused.“Hewasaprettygoodboyfriend?Andthatwasenough

foryou?Don’tyouknowthatyoudeservethebest?”

Shewastouchedbythesentiment,butshe’dgivenupontheideaoffindingtheperfectrelationship.

Shewasn’tsuresuchathingevenexisted.“Idon’twanttobealoneforever.Doyou?”

“I’dratherbealonethansettle.”
He had a valid point, but she suspected it would be a lot easier for someone like Ace to chase

perfection than it would be for her. He had gorgeous women throwing themselves at him every day,
willingtomodifytheirbehavioruntilitsuitedhim,nodoubt.Allbecausetheywantedtobeapartofhis
world.ThewifeorgirlfriendoftheAcePhillips.

But when she looked at him, she didn’t see the famous athlete. She still saw the shy kid who’d

showedupfortheirfirstdatewithabouquetofhand-pickedwildflowersandtwentybucksforfastfood
inhispocket.

Hefrownedwhenshedidn’trespond.“What?Whatareyouthinking?”
“Iwasjustthinkingaboutourfirstdate.”Shesmiled.“Youwerethinkingfastfoodbythelake,butI

talkedyouintogoingtothedrive-in.Remember?”

Helaughed.“Ididn’thaveenoughforadmissionandfood,soyoutalkedmeintolettingyoupayfor

thesnacks.”

“Youhatedthat,”shesaid,smiling.“Becauseyouthoughttheguywasalwayssupposedtopayfor

everything.”

“Istilldothinkthat,”hesaidwithamockscowl.“NowayamIlettingmydatepickupthetabfor

anything.IfIaskherout,Ipay.”

She and Mike had split everything right down the middle in their relationship, and she hadn’t

minded.Ofcourse,Mikedidn’tearnmillionsofdollarsayear,likeAce.“Thatwouldneverflywithme,”
shesaid,returningtothesofaasshewonderedwhetherhewouldfollowortellheritwastimeforhimto
go.

To her surprise, he rejoined her in the living room and sat beside her on the sofa instead of

reclaimingthechair.“Areyousayingifweweredating,you’dembarrassmebyinsistingIletyoubuyme
dinner?”

Her lips twitched with amusement as she brought her glass to her lips. “Would that threaten your

masculinity?”

“Yes!”
Sheknewhewasteasing,soshesaid,“Goodtoknow.”
Hiseyessoftenedashelookedatherbareleg.“Butitwouldbeasmallpricetopayforachanceto

dateyouagain.”

Shesuckedinabreath,daringtoaskhim,“Isthatwhatyouwant?Achancetodatemeagain?”Did

shereallyhavethecouragetotellherfamilythatshe’dnotonlyforgivenAce,butwaswillingtogivehim
asecondchancetobeherboyfriend?

“WhatifIsaidIdid?”hewhispered.“Wouldthatbetotallyoutofthequestion?”
“I don’t know.” She’d never expected him to lay his cards on the table tonight and hadn’t been

preparedwithananswer.“Myparents—”

“Iknow,”hesaid,nodding.“They’dprobablydisownyouiftheyfoundoutyouwerespendingtime

withmeagain.”

She didn’t think they’d take it that far, but given the way they felt about Ace, there were no

guarantees.“Itwouldcauseproblemsforme.Andwecan’tpretendwecouldevergobacktowhatwe
hadbeforetheaccident.Toomuchhashappened.”

“You’reright.”Heranhisfingertipupherthigh,givingheracockyhalf-smilewhengoosebumps

accompanied his touch. “But maybe you could get to know me. The guy I am today, not the boy you
remember.I’vechangedalot,Dani.”

“I know you have.” She could see he wasn’t the same wild, reckless kid who’d gotten behind the

wheeldrunkafterafightwithhisgirlfriend.Nowhewasamanwho’dpaidhisdebttosocietyandfound
awaytogivebackinhonorofherbrother.Sheknewhewassorry.Butcouldshelearntoletgo?

“Iwantedtoseeyouagaintoapologize.”Helookedup,hiseyesmeetinghers.“Ineverexpectedwe

wouldstillhavethisconnection,notaftereverythingthathappened.Andhonestly,Idon’tknowwhattodo
aboutit.I’vealreadycausedyouandyourfamilyenoughpain.AndthelastthingIwanttodoiscausea
riftbetweenyou.”

“You’vegivenmealottothinkabout,”shesaid,knowingthiswasn’tadecisionshecouldmakeon

thespurofthemoment.Therewastoomuchatstake.

Heleanedinslightly,hismouthbarelybrushinghersashewhispered,“MaybeIcangiveyouone

morethingtothinkabout.”

Thereitwasagain.Anotheroneofthosekissesthatmadeherremember…andwanttoforget.

ChapterEight

SinceAcehadgivenhertwotickets,DaniellewassittinginthestandswithRosanna,Tenley,andofall
people,Stacey.Itwasn’tthatshedidn’tlikeAce’sex—shedid—butshethoughtitwasawkward,given
theirrecenthistory.

“I forgot how much I missed this,” Tenley said, rubbing her hands together. “Don’t get me wrong,

I’velovedhavingRowanhomewithmeduringtheoff-season,butthere’snothinglikewatchinghimout
onthatmound.”

Stacey giggled. “There’s nothing like it? Come on now. You can’t tell me that’s the mound you’d

mostliketoseehimon,giventhechoice.”

“Stop!”Tenleysaid,blushingslightlyassheelbowedherbestfriend.
Daniellesmiledatthem.TheirfriendshipremindedherofherrelationshipwithRo,andDaniellefelt

aninstantcamaraderiewiththeothertwowomen.

“Iguessit’sbeenalongtimesinceyou’veseenAceplay,huh,Danielle?”Staceyasked.
“Notsincehighschool,”shesaid,reachingforhersoftdrinkasherminddriftedtothosecarefree

daysbeforeherworldfellapart.Shehadbeeninlove,datingoneofthemostpopularguysinschool,and
believednothingornoonecoulddestroytheirhappiness.Howwrongshe’dbeen.

“I’vebeenbugginghertocometoagamewithmeforages,”Rosannapipedup.“Icouldn’tfigure

outwhyshewouldn’t.IguessnowIknow.”

Danielle knew Ro was hurt she hadn’t told her about Ace sooner, but prior to seeing him, it was

difficulttoevenutterhisnamewithoutgettingchokedup.

“Ihopeyoudon’thatemeforkeepingyouinthedarkaboutAcebeingatthewedding,”Tenleysaid,

wincing.“Ifeltsoguiltybeingdishonestwithyou,butAceandRowansworemetosecrecy.Acedidn’t
wanttoriskyoubailingifyoufoundouthe’dbethere.”

“I wouldn’t have done that,” Danielle said, thinking about how much fun she’d had planning their

wedding. It was exactly the kind of wedding she’d imagined for herself… should her day ever come.
“WorkingwithyouandRowanwasapleasure.”

“AndseeingAceagain…?”Tenleyasked,raisinganeyebrow.“Waswhat?Asmallpricetopay?”
“Seeing Ace again was…” There were no words to describe how that had made her feel.

“Confusing.” She’d thought she knew how she felt about Ace, but seeing him again stirred up feelings
she’dneverexpected.

“Doesthatmeanyoustillhavefeelingsforhim?”Staceyaskedgently.“BecauseI’mprettysurehe

neverreallygotoveryou.”

Herex-boyfriend’sex-girlfriendwasacknowledginghestillhadfeelingsforher?Thiswasbyfar

oneofthestrangestconversationsDaniellehadeverhad.

“Ace was my first love,” she said, hoping they would understand what that meant. “But after

everythingthathappened,it’snotlikewecouldjustpickupwhereweleftoffbeforetheaccident.Too
muchhashappened.”

“Ididn’tknowhimthen,”Tenleysaid,appearingthoughtful.“SoIcanonlyspeakaboutthemanheis

now.”

“He’sincredible,”Staceypipedup.“Notonlyasaboyfriend,butasafriend.”
Daniellewatchedtheplayersjogontothefield,stretchingbeforepreparingtotaketheirplacesinthe

outfieldandinfield.Theopposingteamwasuptobatfirst,whichmeantAcewaspositionedatsecond
base.Therewasnodenyinghowsexyhelookedinhistightuniform,histattoospartiallyhiddenbyalayer
ofspandex.

“Ican’tpretend,”Daniellewhispered,thenbitherlip.Shecouldn’tpretendshewasn’tstillattracted

tohim,thatapartofherdidn’twanttoforgetthepastandbelievethatAcewasadifferentmannow.

“Can’tpretendwhat?”Tenleyasked.
She hadn’t expected anyone to hear her, given the excitement of the home crowd, but when she

realizedsomeonehad,Daniellesaid,“ThatI’moverhim.I’mnot.ForyearsIhatedhim.Iwassohurtand
angry. But seeing him again reminded me that my brother loved him and wouldn’t want me to go on
punishinghim.”

“Butyou’reworriedabouthowyourparentswouldhandleitiftheyfoundoutyouwereseeinghim

again?”Tenleyasked,leaningintobeheardovertheapplauseastheplayerswereannounced.

Daniellesighed.“Iknowhowthey’dreact.They’dbecrushed.Theyalreadylostmybrother.How

couldIdothattothem?”

“Soundstomelikeyou’vespentalotoftimetryingtomakeyourparentshappytocompensatefor

yourbrother’sdeath.”BeforeDaniellecouldinterject,Tenleysaid,“Didn’tyoutellmethatyouonlywent
onthatfirstdatewithyourex-fiancébecauseyourparentsthoughthe’dbeperfectforyou?”

As their friendship evolved over the course of planning a wedding, Danielle had eventually come

cleanwithTenleyaboutherengagementandthereasonshe’dbrokenupwithMike.“Wellyeah,but—”

“Maybe they don’t know what’s best for you,” Tenley said, touching Danielle’s forearm. “I know

theymeanwell,butshouldn’tyoubetheonetodecidewhoyoudate?”

Tenleywasright,buthowcouldDanielletellherparentstobackoffwithouthurtingtheirfeelings?

“Iguess.”

“CanIaskyouapersonalquestion?”TenleyaskedwhileStaceyandRosannacheeredthefirststrike

Rowanthrew.“Feelfreetotellmetomindmyownbusiness,but—”

“Just ask.” They’d developed a good rapport while they were working together because they both

hadanaffinityforstraightshooters.“Ifit’snoneofyourbusiness,youknowI’lltellyou.”

“Whatadvicedoyouthinkyourbrotherwouldgiveyou…aboutseeingAceagain?”
“Goodquestion,”Daniellesaid,applaudingwhenAcecaughtalinedrivetothrowtherunneroutat

firstbase.“I’vebeenaskingmyselfthatalotlately.”

“And?”
“He’dtellmenottoletanyonerunmylifeandthatIhavetomakemyowndecisions,nomatterthe

fallout.”BecausenomatterhowmuchLinclovedandrespectedtheirparents,he’dalwaysdancedtohis
owntune,evenifnooneelsecouldhearit.

“Iknowyou’reclosewithyourparents,”Tenleysaid.“I’lladmit,Ican’trelate.ButIamclosewith

mybrothersandIknowhowharditwouldhavebeenifoneofthemdidn’tlikeRowan,soIkindofget
whereyou’recomingfrom.”

“Imagineiftheyhadalegitimatereasonforhatinghim,”Daniellecountered,determinedtomakeher

newfriendunderstandherperspective.

“Ihearyou,”Tenleysaid,nodding.“Ido.Butletmeaskyouahypotheticalquestion.”
“Okay,”Daniellesaid,sensingitwouldn’tbeaneasyonetoanswer.

“ImaginetodayisthelastdayyoueverseeAce.”Shepointedathimonthefield.“Fromnowon,you

canonlyseehimfromthisfaraway,oronTV.Howwouldthatmakeyoufeel?”

Daniellewasgratefulforthesunglassessheworewhenshefelttheprickleoftearsstinghereyes.

“Thatwouldsuck.”

Tenleysmiled.“ThenIthinkyouhaveyouranswer.Youneedtopursueyourfeelingsforhim.”She

touchedDanielle’sarm.“Yourparentsloveyou,honey.Theywantyoutobehappy,right?”

Unabletoanswer,Daniellethought,Ifonlyitwerethateasy.

***

AcewasstandinginthelobbyofDani’sbuilding,questioninghissanity.She’dleftimmediatelyafter

the game, telling the girls she had an early morning meeting the next day. Yet there he was. He’d been
halfwayhomewhenhefinallyacknowledgedhecouldn’tgoonwonderingwhetherforgivenesswasinthe
cardsforthem.Hehadtoknowforsure.

Hepunchedinthethree-digitcodethatwouldconnecthimtoherapartmentandtookadeepbreath,

wonderingwhethershewouldanswer.

“Hello?” Her voice sounded sexy and raspy, confirming she’d fallen asleep shortly after returning

home.

“Dani,I’msorrytowakeyou,butIneedtoseeyou.CanIcomeup?”
“Ace?” She cleared her throat, and he could imagine her sitting up in bed. “What are you doing

here?”

“Weneedtotalk.Please.Buzzmeup?”
Shesighed,makingitsoundasthoughshewasfacingthesameinternalstrugglehewas.“Fine.”
He quickly hung up the phone and made it through the glass door as it opened. He hurried to the

elevator,gratefulthehallswereempty.Hedidn’tfeellikesigninganyautographstonight.Hewasusually
able to go anywhere during the off-season, but once the regular season geared up again, baseball fever
sweptthecityandalltheplayersonhisteamweretreatedlikecelebritiesagain.

Acecheckedhisphoneinsidetheelevator,tryingnottofixateonwhathewouldsayordowhenhe

sawDani.He’dbeenthinkingaboutherallday.He’dalmostcollidedwithateammateonaroutinepop
flyintheinfieldbecausehisheadhadn’tbeeninthegamewhenheshouldhaveheardthecallfortheball.
Thankfully the Skip hadn’t reamed him out, because Ace had made up for the error with a single run
homerunandtwoRBIstoleadtheirteamtoa5-4victory.

Likelasttime,shemethimatherdoorsohedidn’thavetoknock.Butthistime,herattirewasvery

different…

Hismouthwentdryatthesightofher.Herlonghairwastousled,andshewaswearingacropped

blacktankwithspaghettistrapsandcottonsleepshortsthatshowedoffhertonedlegs.

“Hey,”hesaid,soundinggruff.Hiseyestraveledoverherbodybecause,well,therewasnowayhe

couldtakehiseyesoffherinthatget-up.

“Hey,yourself,”shewhispered,reachingforafistfulofhisshirtbeforehaulinghimbackintoher

apartmentandslammingthedoor.

Beforeheknewwhathithim,hertonguewasinhismouthandhewasliftingherup,turningherback

torestagainstthecloseddoor.Withinseconds,clotheswereflyingandhewaskissingbareskin.

“Dani…”
“Sssh,” she responded, gripping his hair as he kissed her neck. “No talking. Not tonight. I just

want”—shegrindedagainsthim,raisingherbreastssotheywerelevelwithhismouth—“youtomakeme

forget.”

He knew this was a mistake. Sex wouldn’t solve their problems, but there was no way in hell he

couldturnherdown.Hecarriedherdowntheshorthallway,kissinghertheentireway.Hetossedherin
themiddleofherqueen-sizebed,smirkingwhenshebouncedjustenoughtomakehimevenharder.

Ace took off her shorts and eased her thighs apart before gliding a finger over her silk panties.

“Haveyoubeenthinkingaboutthisallnight?Fantasizingaboutallthethingsyouwantmetodotoyou?”
Sheclosedhereyesashestrokedherthroughthethinfabric.“Tellmewhatyouwant.”Whenshedidn’t
respond, he said, “Let yourself go, Dani. It’s just you and me, sweetheart. Anything you want, you just
needtotellme.”

“Kissme,”shewhisperedsoquietlyhebarelyheardher.“Likeyouusedto.”
Acecouldtellhimselfshewasjustasweetmemorywrappedupinanirresistiblepackage,butthe

truthwasmuchmorefrightening.Shewasremindinghimofthethingshehadnobusinessremembering,
triggeringfeelingshe'dbelievedhadbeendeadandburiedforyears.

Heturnedherfacetowardhisasheslippedafingerinsideherpantiesandstrokedher.Histongue

slidinsidehermouth,andhefeltitthroughouthisbody,hisnerveendingshumming.Hedeepenedthekiss
asheeasedafingerinsideher,followedbyanother.Hewasdeterminedtomakeherexplodeagainand
againtonight,becausetherewasnotellingwhattomorrowmightbringforthem.

Histongueswirledaroundhers,revelinginhertaste.SinceDani,kissinghadonlybeenaprelude

forhim.She’dalwaysmadeitanexperience.Shedidn’tjustkisshim;shereacheddeepinside,touching
placesonlyshecould.

Moaning into his mouth, she forced him to move his hand from between her legs as she straddled

him. She ran her fingers through his hair, tugging lightly as she teased his tongue with hers. She was
getting crazy, which turned him on to no end, grinding against him and using the friction of the material
betweenthemtogetherselfoff.

“That’sit,baby,”hewhispered,kneadingherbottom.“Letmewatchyou…”
Shewasstillthemostbeautifulthinghe’deverseen.Somethinginhischesttightenedatthesightof

hercomingapartinhisarms.Hetriedtoignoreit,butwhenatearsliddownhercheek,thefeelingonly
intensified.

Heknewshewasquestioningwhatshewasdoing,sohesaidwhatsheneededtohear.“It’sjustyou

andmetonight.Nothoughtsofanyoneoranythingelse.”Whenshehesitated,hemurmured,“Justgiveme
that.Please.”

Shetrembledasshekissedhimagain.“Whydoesbeingherewithyoufeelsoright?”
Hewantedtotellheritwasbecausetheybelongedtogether,butinsteadhesaid,“Don’tquestionit.

Justenjoyit.”

Acescoopedherup,knowingifhedidn’t,therewouldbemorequestions,morehesitancy.Hisjob

wastomakeherfeelandforget,untilhecouldmakeherrememberallthegoodtimesthey’dshared.

He kissed his way down her body, and she moaned when he tickled her with the tip of his tongue

before dipping inside her. She was delicious and so responsive. She was like a raging inferno as his
tongueglidedoverher,savoringthetasteofher,thefeelofher,everythinghe’dmissedabouther.

“Ace…”
Forthefirsttimesincehe’dadoptedthenickname,hewantedhisoldnameback.Hewantedherto

bemakinglovetohim,tobemoaninghisname.

“Youtastesosweet,”hewhispered,forcingbackanypangofregretasheblewonher.“Icoulddo

thisallnight.”

“Hmmm…yes…”Shegrippedthesheetinherfistsasshedugherheelsintothemattress.“Don’t

stop.Ineedmore.Ineedyou.”

Ineedyou.Hehadn’trealizedhowmuchhewantedtohearhersaythatuntilshedid.Hecravedit,

justashealwayshad.Thingsweregettingcomplicated.Shewasdrawinghiminagain,andanycontrolhe
thoughthehadwasquicklyslippingaway.

“I’m not stopping, sweetheart. Don’t worry.” He stroked her with his tongue, basking in the gasps

andcriesthattoldhimhewasgivingherexactlywhatsheneeded.

“OhGod,I’mgoingto…”
Without giving her a moment to catch her breath after her climax, he made his way slowly up her

body,lickingapathtoherbreasts.

“Ace,please,”shewhispered.
“Sssh.”Hekissedeveryinchofskin.“Justletmeloveyou,baby.”
Shewhimpered,liftingherhandsaboveherheadwhensherealizeditwaspointlesstofighthim.He

swirledhistonguearoundhernipplesbeforehenippedthem,followedbythebrushofhislipstodistract
herfromthesting.

“Yes,justlikethat,”shesaid,archingherback.“Oh,God.”
When he was satisfied he had her primed for another orgasm, he reached into his pocket for a

condom.Hehatedthathehadtowearit.Hewantedthatprimitiveconnectionwithherthattheyusedto
share,butheknewasmartwomanlikeherwouldn’thaveunprotectedsex.They’dbeenkidsthen,dumb
enoughtothinkapillwasenoughtoprotectthemfromanything.Nowtheyknewbetter.

“Please,”shewhispered,takinghismouthandgivingasgoodasshegot.“Ineedyou.”
Those words again. Only three others would please him more, and he was starting to crave those

almostasmuchasherbody.Withoutevenrealizingit,shewasthrowinghimwayoffcourse.Ormaybe
theywerejustchartinganewcoursetogether…

Acewastednotimesheddinghisclothesandsheathinghimself.Hecouldn’twaittoplungeinside

her, to touch her in places she hadn’t been touched in years. He knew he could give her the kind of
pleasurenooneelsecould.Hiseyeslockedwithhersashepushedbackherlegs.Heenteredherinone
deepthrustandtippedherkneestojusttherightangletomaximizeherpleasure.

“Oh my God,” she cried, gripping his biceps. “That feels incredible.” She sighed. “Yes, deeper,

harder…”

“Harder, faster, deeper” had been her mantra back in the day. He was thrusting so hard the

headboardwasbeatingastaccatoagainstthewall,probablywakingthepeoplenextdoor.Buthedidn’t
careaboutthem.Hecaredaboutherandherpleasure.Thatwastheonlythingthatmatteredtohim.Not
hispleasureorhisorgasm.Onlyhers.

“Comeforme,sweetheart.”
“Hmmm,Ican’tcomelikethis.”Sheliftedherhips,invitinghimtorubher.“Ineedmore.”
“Yes,youcan.Justletgo.Getoutofyourheadandfocusonhowgooditfeels.”He’dproventoher

thatshecouldgetoffthisway,andtalkingdirtyalwaysdiditforher.“FocusonthewayIfeel…filling
you, stretching you, driving into you so hard, so fast, so deep…” He prayed she would let go soon
because he didn’t know how much longer he could last. He’d been without her for too long, and it had
beenyearssincehe’dbeensoturnedon.

“OhGod,I’mgonna…”
“Yes,that’sit,angel.”Heguidedherthroughherclimax,givingherpressurewheresheneededit,

lettingherscalethepeakbeforeleadingherbackdown.“You’resobeautiful.”Heleanedintokissher.
He didn’t know when he would get another chance to love her, if ever, and as aroused as he was, he
wasn’treadyforittoend.

“Thatwasamazing,”shewhisperedintothecrookofhisneck,kissinghimasshewrappedherarms

andlegsaroundhim.“Ihaven’tfeltlikethisin…solong.”

Hisheartswelled.Hehadbeenconvincedthathisself-loathingmadeitimpossibleforhimtofeel

what he was feeling—bliss in the arms of a woman. Sex had been meaningless since prison, just
satisfyinganeed.ButwithDani,itwaswhatithadalwaysbeen—asoul-deepconnection.

Whenshetippedherheadbacktokisshim,lockingeyeswithhimasshedid,hefellalittledeeper.

Hefeltasifheweresinkinginquicksandwithnolifelinetohangonto,butstillhekissedher.Heslowed
hispacetomakelovetoher,reveringherbodyinawaythatsatisfiedhissoul.

Theykissedforages,theirbodiesandmouthsmovinginperfectharmonyuntilhefeltanotherorgasm

building inside her. He sensed it in her breathing, her rapid heartbeat, and the way she clenched him.
Whenhefelthersqueezehimasthefirsttremorsshookher,heletgo,freefallingwithherandtrustingher
tocatchhim.Ithadbeenalongtimesincehe’dtrustedanyone,butaftereverything,shestillinspiredthat
inhim.

He laid still on top of her, careful to support his weight as their breathing returned to normal. He

kissedhercheek,thenherhair.Hedidn’twanttolethergo.Hewantedtostaywrappedinthiscocoon,
satiated and enjoying the afterglow with this amazing woman. He feared as soon as the reality of what
she’ddonesetin,she’dbegone.

ChapterNine

DaniellerolledoverandsmiledatthesightofAcesprawledoutacrossherbed.He’dstayed.Shewasn’t
surehewould.She’dfearedhe’dwakeupinthemiddleofthenight,plaguedwithindecision,andsneak
outsohecouldavoidthetalk.Itwascoming.Afterwhathadhappenedlastnight,theyhadtotalkabout
whatitmeant,aboutwheretheycouldpossiblygofromhere.

“Morning,beautiful.”
She’dbeensolostinherthoughtsshedidn’trealizehewaswatchingher.“Hey,”shesaid,resting

herhandonhisbarechest.“Sleepwell?”

Hepickedupherhandandkissedit.“BetterthanIhaveinyears.You?”
“Same.”TherewassomethingsocomfortingaboutbeingwrappedinAce’sbig,strongarms.He’d

alwaysmadeherfeelasthoughhecouldprotectherfromanything…excepttheeffectsofalcoholandan
oldcar.

Hepulledhercloserandkissedherontheforehead.“I’mgladIstoppedbylastnight.ButIhaveto

know…anyregrets?”

Shehadsomanyregrets,butnotaboutwhathappenedlastnight.“No.”
Shefelthislipscurveintoasmileagainstherskin.“Good.”
Daniglancedattheclock.Shehadtoshowerinafewminutes.“What’sontheagendaforyoutoday?

Gametonight,right?”

“Yup.Ihavetobeattheballparkaroundfour.I’dliketogetinsomeextrabattingpracticebeforethe

game.Thehittingcoachishelpingmeworkoutsomethingswithmyswing.”

“Lookedlike you wereswinging the batpretty well last night,”she said, tippingher head back to

lookathim.

“Iguess,butIusuallygetofftoaslowstartearlyintheseason.Ittakesmeawhiletofindmygrove.

I’mafreeagentafterthisseason,andI’dliketoatleastbeonpacetodothisyearwhatIdidlastyearby
theAll-Starbreak.”

“Thinkyou’llgetthenodfortheAll-Starteamagain?”Eventhoughithadbeentoopainfulforherto

followthegameshe’donceloved,she’dheardallaboutAce’sillustriouscareerfromradioandsports
newssoundbitesovertheyears.

“Whoknows?”hesaid,absentlyrunninghishandupanddownherarm.“I’msurprisedandhonored

everytimeithappens.”

“Stillhumble,Isee.”He’dalwaysbeenhumbleabouthistalent,believingitwasGod-givenandhis

onlyjobwastobegratefulandnevertakeitforgranted.Hebelievedthatworkinghardwashiswayof
honoringhisblessing.

“You gotta stay humble,” he said, running his hand through her hair when she laid her head on his

chest.“Iseetoomanyguysinthisgamegetcocky,thinkingthey’reindispensable.That’sthebeginningof
theendforthem.”

Danicouldn’tbelievetheyweretalkingaboutbaseballwithsomuchatstake.Butmaybeitwastheir

wayofdelayingtheinevitable,continuingtoliveintheirwarm,safebubbleineachother’sarmsforjusta
littlewhilelonger.

“Canyoumakeittothegametonight?”
“No,sorry.It’smyfather’sbirthday,andmymother’smakinghimaspecialdinner.Ican’tmissit.”
Hesuckedinabreath.“Howarethey?Really?”
Shedidn’tknowhowtoanswerthat.Onthesurfacetheyseemedokay,butthelossoftheironlyson

neverleftthem.Itwaslikeachronicachethey’dlearnedtolivewith,tryingtheirbesttoignoreitsothey
couldlivesomesemblanceofalife.“They’reokay,Iguess.”

HerfatherwatchedtoomuchTV,accordingtohermother.Hermothervolunteeredtoomuchofher

timeinanefforttostaybusy,accordingtoherfather.Insteadoffindingsolaceineachother,they’dboth
lookedelsewhere,makingthemvirtualstrangersexceptfortheircommonpain.

“Howdoyouthinkthey’dreactifItriedtoapologize?”
Sheclosedhereyes,tryingtoimaginehowthatscenewouldplayout.Herfatherwouldshout,her

mother would cry, and Ace would leave feeling even worse about her brother’s death, if that was
possible.“Idon’tthinkthat’sagoodidea.”

“TheyneedtoknowhowsorryIam.”
They’re too bitter and resentful to believe you. “I should get ready for work. I have an early

meetingwithoneofmyclientsandhermother.”

Hegrabbedherwristbeforeshecouldgetup.“WhencanIseeyouagain?”
“Um,I’mnotsure.”
“Dani, please don’t tell me after what happened between us last night that you’re still questioning

me.”

“You have to understand how hard this is for me,” she whispered, fighting back tears. “I know

you’resorry.Iknowyou’dbringmybrotherbackifyoucould.ButI’mallmyparentshaveleft.Ifthey
foundoutI’mseeingyou,itwouldfeellikeaslapinthefacetothem,likeI’ddishonoredLinc’smemory
somehow.”Shehatedtheflashofpainthatcrossedhisface,butshehadtobehonestwithhim.

“Sowhatareyousaying?Wheredowegofromhere?”
“I’mnotsure.Ijustneedalittletimetothink.Canyougivemethat?”
“Yeah,sure.”Hesatup,givingherhisback.“Takeallthetimeyouneed.”

***

“Here you go, chica,” Ro said, handing Dani a cup of tea as soon as she walked into Dani’s

receptionarea.

“Youareanangel.”DanifrozewhensherememberedAcecallingherthatlastnightwhentheywere

makinglove.

“What’swrong?”Rosannaasked,frowning.
“I’mjustalittletired,Iguess,”shesaid,walkingintoherofficewithRohotonherheels.
“Didn’tsleepwell?”RosannasatattheconferencetableinthecornerofDani’soffice,settingdown

hertablet.

“Isleptlikeababyactually.”ShedebatedwhethertotellRosannaaboutwhathappened,butinthe

end, she decided she needed advice from someone who cared to help her through this. “But I wasn’t
alone.”

Rosanna’sjawdropped.“Pleasetellmeitwasn’tMike.Yousaidhewascomingbytopickuphis

things.Didheconvinceyou—”

“No! God, no!” Dani shook her head. “How can you even think I’d be stupid enough to take him

back?”

“I’msorry.Ijustknowhowvulnerableyou’vebeensinceAce…”Aslowsmilespreadacrossher

face.“ItwasAce,wasn’tit?That’swhoyouwerewithlastnight?”

Danishookherheadslowlyascolorbloomedonhercheeks.“AmIcrazyorwhat?”
“No,you’renotcrazy.”Rochuckled.“Ifyouaskme,you’dbecrazytoturnaguylikethatdown.”
“Buthe’snotjustanyguy,”Danisaid,sittingacrossfromherfriend.
“Iknowthat,honey.”Rosannasighed.“Butyoudeservetobehappy.IsayifAcemakesyouhappy,

youshouldgoforit.”

“It’snotthatsimpleandyouknowit.IfmyparentsfoundoutIwasseeingAce,itwouldcrushthem.”
“Iknowyoudoyourbesttolookoutforyouparents,butyouhaveeveryrighttoliveyourownlife

anddowhatmakesyouhappy.”Shetookasipofhercoffeebeforeasking,“Sothequestionis,doesAce
makeyouhappy?”

“Yes.”Healwayshad,butcouldshereallyjustforgiveandforgeteverythingthathadhappenedand

ask her parents to do the same? “But talk about baggage, Ro. How the hell are we supposed to work
through everything that happened? It seems impossible.” She rubbed her forehead. “It’s exhausting just
thinkingaboutit.”

“Relationships are never easy, you know that.” A tap on the door made Rosanna jump up. “Hey,

Mom,I’mglad you’rehere.I needyouto helpmeconvince Danito givethishot newguyin herlifea
chance.”

Danihadn’ttoldAcethatherclientmeetingwaswithRosannaandhermother,mainlybecauseshe

didn’twanthimtoaskhertoreschedulesoshecouldlingerinbedwithhimalittlelonger.Themoretime
theyspenttogether,theharderitwasforhertodenythetruth—shewasfallingforhimalloveragain.

“Hey,Deb,”Danisaid,gettinguptogivehersecondmotherahugandakiss.“Don’tlistentoher.

We’reheretotalkaboutyourdaughter’swedding,notmylovelife.”

“Ihavetimeforboth,”DebrasaidwhenRosannalefttheroomtogethermotheracupofcoffee.“So

tellme,whoishe?”

DebrawaseverythingDani’smotherwasn’t:positive,energetic,fun-loving.Sheexudedgoodvibes

andpeoplesensedit,makingthemgravitatetoher.

Danigroaned.“Youdon’twanttoknow.Istillcan’tbelieveitmyself.”
When Ro returned with the coffee, Debra said, “Thanks, honey.” Then she turned back to Dani,

taking a seat between the two ladies and slipping off her pink cardigan to reveal a floral dress. “Well,
don’tkeepmeinsuspense,Danielle.Tellmewhoheis.”

When Dani didn’t say anything, Rosanna piped up. “Ace Phillips! Can you believe it? Dad’ll go

crazywhenyoutellhim.”

“AcePhillips?”Debrarepeated,lookingatDaniforconfirmation.“Howdidyoumeethim?”
“Actually,wekneweachotherbackinhighschool.”Shetookadeepbreath.“Hewasmybrother’s

bestfriend.”

“Yourbrother’sbestfriend?”Debrafrowned.“ButIthoughtyousaidyourbrother’sbestfriendwas

drivingthecar…”HereyeswidenedwhenDaninodded.“Ohmy.”

“Yeah,”Danisaid,sinkingbackinherchair.“Sonowyouseemydilemma.Myparentswouldnever

forgivemeiftheyfoundoutIwasseeinghimagain.”

“Theirfeelingsaside,”Debrasaid,leaninginasshecurledherhandsaroundherpurplecoffeemug,

“howdoyoufeelabouthim?Imean,haveyougottenpasteverythingthathappened?Haveyouforgiven
him?”

Debra was a religious woman who often preached to Dani and her family about the power of

forgiveness,andwhileDaniknewtherewasmerittothehealingpowerofforgiveness,shedidn’tthink
herparentswereopen-mindedenoughtobelieveit.

“I’mworkingonit,”Danisaid.“It’sgoingtotakesometime.”Shehadnodoubtsthey’dhavetheir

setbacks.Arguments.Tears.Hurtfeelings.Butshewasatleastwillingtotry.

“Of course it will, honey,” Debra said, patting her hand. “But all solid relationships take time to

build.Onedayatatime.”Shesmiled.“It’sthesameasonebrickatatime.”

“You really think it’s possible?” Dani asked, needing confirmation from someone she trusted. “To

getpastsomethinglikethat?Imean,IknowAcedidn’tsetouttointentionallykillLinc,but—”

“Hisnegligentactionscontributedtohisdeathjustthesame.”Shenodded,pursingherlips.“What

hedid,whathappenedthatnight,wasaterribletragedy.Aceshouldhaveknownbetter.Theybothshould
haveknownbetter.”

“That’s also what I’m struggling with,” Dani said, looking into her cup as she brushed her thumb

back and forth over the handle. “Linc’s responsibility in his death. It’s not something I was willing to
considerbefore.ItwaseasiertojustblameAce.”

“Butnowthathe’sbackinyourlifeandyouseehowsorryheis…”
“Ican’tgoonhatinghim.”Tearsfilledhereyes.“Ijustcan’t.Ilovedhimtoomuch.Iknowhe’sa

goodman…whomadeareallybaddecision.”

“Thenletitallgo,”Debrawhispered,rubbingDani’sback.“Youmightbesurprisedwhatitleaves

roomfor.”

***

Danifelttheoppressiveweightofgloomassoonasshewalkedintoherparents’house.Itclungto

everysurface,decoratingthewallsintheformofoldpicturesofLinc,grippingthefurnituretheyrefused
topartwithbecauseLinchadsatonit,stickingtooldcraftshe’dmadeandgiventotheirmother.Itwas
likeadepressingshrinetoalifehalf-lived.

“Hey,” she called, trying to inject some enthusiasm into her voice. This was supposed to be a

specialoccasion,butsheknewitwouldjustbeanotherreminderthatLincwasn’ttheretocelebratewith
them.

“There you are,” her mother said, pursing her lips as she rounded the corner from the kitchen.

“You’relate.”Sheconsultedherwatchtobesure.“Iwasworriedthechickenwasgoingtodryout.”

“Sorry,”Danimuttered,kissinghermother’scheekasshehandedherthepresentshe’dselectedfor

herdad.Awatch.Eventhoughhehadn’tmarkedthepassageoftimeinyears.“Igotcaughtupatwork.”

ShelookedaroundDani,scowling.“Where’sMike?Whyisn’thewithyou?”
Daniknewthiswastheeveningshe’dhavetotellherparentsaboutherfailedengagement.“He’snot

coming.”

“Whynot?Didn’tyoutellhimthatwe’dbeexpectinghim?”
Herparentsbelievedeveryonewasresponsibleforbendingtotheirwill.“He’snotcomingbecause

we’renolongertogether.”

Herfatherwalkedupbehindhiswifeandrestedhishandonthesmallofherback.“What’sthisall

about?”

“Ididn’twanttodothistonight.”Danisighed.“It’syourbirthday.We’resupposedtobecelebrating,

notdissectingmyfailedrelationship.”

Her father frowned as he stepped back. “Don’t tell me—you broke up with Mike? Why the hell

wouldyoudothat?You’renevergoingtofindanyonebetter!”

“Really, Dad? ‘Cause I’m pretty sure I can find a man who’ll be faithful, who won’t cheat on me

withthefirst…”Shetookadeepbreath,refusingtoallowthisdownwardspiraltocontinue.Justbecause
theychosedespairdidn’tmeanshehadto.“It’sover.That’sallyouneedtoknow.”

“Hecheatedonyou?”hermotherasked,shakingherhead.“ButIdon’tunderstand.Whywouldhedo

that?Weren’tyou…keepinghimhappy?”

If she’d slapped Dani across the face, it would have hurt less. “So you think this is my fault? I’m

responsibleformyfiancécheatingonme?”

“Wedidn’tsaythat,”herfathersaid,hisvoicetight.“We’rejustaskinghowthishappened.”
“No,you’reaccusingmeofdoingsomethingtocausethis,”shesaid,flatteningherpalmagainsther

chest.

“Well, maybe if you’d set a wedding date sooner, he would have believed that you were serious

aboutmarryinghim,”hermothersaid,pursingherlipsagain.

“Idon’tbelievethis.”Danibackedupastep,knowingtherewasnowayshecouldstaywithoutthis

eveningendingwithmorehurtandanger.“I…”Shelookedatherdad,wishingshecouldseesomesignof
thejovialmanwho’draisedher,buthisblueeyeswerelifeless.“I’msorry,Ihavetogo.Ican’tdothis
tonight.”

“Youcan’tleave!Imadeyourfather’sfavoritedinner.It’shisbirthday!”
“Iknow.”Shebackedupanotherstep,feelingclaustrophobicasshestruggledtobreathe.“I’msorry.

Ijust…Ican’tbehere…notwithyou.Nottonight.”

***

AcewaswalkingoutofthestadiumwhenhisphonebuzzedwithatextfromDani.
I’mintheparkinglot.SectionA13.
He frowned as he looked up at the signposts marking the various subsections of the lot that

accommodated thousands of vehicles. It was near-empty now, the fans who’d cheered them on tonight
longgone.

Grabbingmycar.Meetyoutherein5.
Heknewshe’dhaddinnerwithherparents,sothefactthatshewaswaitingforhiminadeserted

parkinglotasmidnightclosedinindicatedthatsomethingwasreallywrong.HejumpedintohisEscalade
and turned the music down as the engine roared to life. He tried to convince himself that she’d had a
pleasant dinner with her family and just wanted to see him on her way home, but he knew better. If
everythingwasfine,shewouldhavecalledortextedhiminthemorning.

HerolledupbesideherlittlesilverBMWandloweredthewindow.“Hey,gorgeous.What’sup?”

Hisstomachtookanosedivewhenherealizedshe’dbeencrying.Hejumpedoutofhistruckandopened
herdoor,reachingforher.

Shesteppedintohisarms,layingherheadonhisshoulder.“I’msorry,Iknowyou’reprobablytired.

ButIneededtoseeyou.”

“It’s okay,” he said, stroking her hair. “You never have to apologize for wanting to see me,

sweetheart.Whatisit?What’swrong?”

Shereleasedashudderingbreathbeforeshesaid,“Myparentsareso…cold.”
Hetightenedhisgripwhenhethoughtofherdrivinginthiscondition.Ifsomethinghadhappenedto

her…“Cuttheengine.I’mtakingyouhome.”

“ButIhaveworkinthemorning.”

“I’ll take you.” Tonight had been their last of three home games before they hit the road for four

days,buthe’dhavetimetogethertoworkandgethercarbacktoherbeforehehadtoleavewithhis
team.“Don’teventhinkaboutarguingwithme,Dani.You’renotdrivinginthiscondition.”

“I feel so stupid for even coming to you like this,” she said, swiping at her tears. “You have your

ownproblems.Youdon’tneedtodealwithmine.”

He had a feeling he was the biggest problem she was dealing with. “Don’t worry about me, I’m

good.”Oratleasthewouldbeassoonashefiguredouthowtohelpher.Hesetherasidegentlybeforehe
reachedintohercarandpushedthebuttontoshutitdown.“Youhaveyourkeys?”

“Yeah.”Shesniffledasshereachedintoherpursetolockthedoor.
Ace walked her around to the passenger’s side of his truck and waited for her to get inside. He

watchedherfastenherseatbeltbeforehekissedhersoftly.“I’mreallygladyoucametometonight.”He
wantedtobetheonesheturnedtoeverytimeshehadaproblem.Justliketheolddays.

Shetouchedhisface,asadsmileonherlips.“Ididn’tevenconsidergoinganywhereelse.Ineeded

you.”

Hewrappedhishandaroundthebackofherneck,touchinghisforeheadtohersashebreathedin

thosewords.Ineededyou.“Let’sgo.Iwanttohearallaboutwhat’sbotheringyou.”

He rounded the back of the vehicle and jumped in, reaching for her hand before he put the car in

drive.

“Iheardyouwontonight,”shesaid,lookingoutthewindow.“Congratulations.”
“Thanks.”Anhourago,thatwinhadbeenthemostimportantthingonhismind,butseeingheragain

madethatseemlikeadistantmemory.“Acoupleofwinsisalwaysagoodwaytokickofftheseason.”

“Andyou’releavingtowntomorrow,right?”Hergriponhishandtightened.“I’llmissyou.”
Hesmiled.Threemorewordshe’dnevertireofhearing.“I’llmissyoutoo,babe.ButI’llonlybe

gonefourdays.Thenwe’rebackforthree.”

“Doyouevergettiredofthetravel?”sheasked,restingherheadagainsttheleathercushion.
“Notreally.”Thoughhesuspectedbeingawayfromherwouldbehard.“Itgoeswiththeterritory.”
“Itmustbetoughfortheguyswithwivesandkidstobeawayfromthemsomuch.”
HethoughtofhowdifficultRowanhadclaimeditwastoleaveTenleyforalongstretch.“Itis.But

theygetanicelongbreakaftertheregularorpost-season,soIguessthatmakesupforit.”

“You’reluckytobeabletoplayinyourhometown.Notmanyguysgetthatopportunity.”
He’dbeentradedtwiceinhiscareer,buthehopedtobeabletocloseouthisplayingdaysinthecity

he’dalwayscalledhome.“Yeah,Inevertakethatforgranted.IhopeaslongasIcontinuetoplayhard,
thebrasswillwannakeepmearound.”

“Everthinkaboutwhatwillhappenifyoudogettradedafterthisseason?”sheasked,rubbingher

thumbagainsthispalm.

“Itrynottodwellonit.Ifithappens,ithappens,Iguess.”ThoughifthingsprogressedwithDanithe

wayhehopedtheywould,leavingher,evenforpartoftheyear,wouldbedamnnearimpossible.

“IguessyouandIaredifferent,”shesaid,staringattheglowinglightsonhisdash.“Ilikecertainty,

stabilityinmylife.Iliketohaveaplan.”

Hewantedtoknowifhewaspartofherplan,butitwaswaytoosoontoask.“Nothingwrongwith

that, as long as you can adapt.” He slowed at a yellow light on the verge of turning red. “Things don’t
alwaysworkoutthewayweplan,dothey?”

“No.”Sheturnedherheadtolookathim.“Lookatwhathappenedtoourplans.We’dplannedtoget

married,haveafamily…”

Thoughthey’dbeenyoungwhentheydated,they’dtalkedaboutforeverallthetimeandfantasized

aboutwhattheirliveswouldlooklikewhentheywerefinallyabletocalltheirownshots.

“Iwishthingscouldhavebeendifferent,”hewhispered,swallowingthesadnessthataccompanied

that statement. In an ideal world, he and Dani would be married with a couple of kids and her brother
wouldbehangingoutattheirhouse,tippingbackafewbeerswithhimastheytalkedaboutthegamethey
loved.

“Iknow.SodoI,Maceon.”
Hesmiled.Itfeltgood,hearinghersayhisgivenname.Acewaswhohe’dbecome,butMaceonwas

thepartofhimselfhe’dleftbehind.Theparthemissedsometimes.“Tellmewhathappenedtogetyouso
upsettonight.”

“ItoldmyparentsMikeandIaren’tgettingmarriedafterall,”shesaidwithabitterchuckle.“And

you know what they said?” She clenched his hand. “They implied that his cheating was my fault! They
saidifI’dbeenwillingtosetaweddingdatesooner,maybehewouldn’thavehadtolookelsewhere.Can
youbelievethat?”

Ace tried to put Dani’s fiancé out of his mind, but he knew Mike was never far from hers. Their

breakup was too recent to be a distant memory. For all he knew, Ace could be her rebound guy. “That
musthavehurt,butmaybetheyjustneedalittletimetoadjusttotheideaof—”

“That’sjustit,”shecried.“Theydon’twanttoadjust!Theydon’twantanythingtochange.They’d

ratherliveinatimewarpwherenothingeverchanges,wheretheypretendtheirsonisstillaliveand…”
Tearsstreameddownhercheeksasshetoreherhandfromhis.“I’msorry.You’rethelastpersonIshould
betalkingtoaboutthis.”

Hecheckedhisrearviewbeforeputtinghissignalonandslammingonhisbrakes.Heparkedonthe

outeredgeofastripplaza,notingafewlightsandvehiclesthatprobablybelongedtothecleaningcrew.

“Youneedtogetitallout.”HeputthetruckinParkandshiftedtofaceher,restinghishandonthe

headrest.“Saywhateveryou’rethinking,whateveryou’refeeling.Don’tworryabouthowit’llaffectme.”

“Iknowtheymisshim,”shesaid,doublingover.“Idotoo.Butit’sliketheyforgettheystillhave

me.AssoonastheylostLinc,Iceasedtomatter.”

“I’msorry.”Heknewhe’drippedafamilyapartthatnight,butheneverimaginedthedamagewould

beirreparable.“God,I’msosorry.”

“It’s not your fault.” She squeezed her eyes shut as tears continued to leak out. “People face

tragediesallthetime.It’sawful,buttheyfindawaytocope,tomoveonwiththeirlivesandbehappy
again.It’slikemyparentsdon’tevenwanttotry.”

“Maybetheyfeelguilty,”Acesuggested.“Couldbetheyfeeltheydon’thavearighttoliveiftheir

soncan’t.”

“And they don’t think I have a right to live either,” she whispered, pressing her fist against her

mouth.“Theydon’tthinkIdeservetobehappy.Ithinkthat’swhytheywantedmetomarryMike.They
couldseethathedidn’tmakemehappy,notthewayIwaswithyou.But…”Sheshookherhead.“Noneof
thatmattersnow.”

Acewasstilltryingtoprocesswhatshe’dsaid.She’dneverexperiencedthekindofjoywithher

fiancé that she did with him. But could they ever get that back with the dark cloud hanging over them?
They’dneverbecarefreeteensagain,andthey’dneverbeabletothinkofthepastwithoutremembering
Linc.“Haveyoutriedtalkingtothem?Tellingthemhowyoufeel?”

“Theycan’thearme.”Sheclosedhereyes.“It’slikethey’regonetoo.They’rehere,butthey’renot.

NottheparentsIknew.SometimesIwishIcouldjustleave,movefarawayandcutallties.”

But she couldn’t do that. She was a good daughter who would never do anything to enhance her

parents’sadnessandloss.ThatwaswhatscaredAcethemost,knowinghewasaskingtheimpossibleof

her.

“Iknowyoufeellikeyouowethemeverything,”Acesaid,choosinghiswordscarefully.“Butwhat

aboutyou?Don’tyouoweittoyourselftodowhatfeelsright?”

“Idon’tknowanymore.”Sherubbedhereyes.“I’mjustsoconfused.Ican’teventhinkstraight.”
Aceknewthisconversationwasn’tover.There’dbenoeasyresolution,buthehopedwitheveryday

thatpassed,theirfearandpainwouldsubsidealittlemoreuntiltheonlyremainingmemoriesweregood
ones.

“Iknow,baby.Iknow.”Heleanedintokisshercheek,hisheartachingashersaltytearscaressed

his lips. “We don’t have to figure anything out tonight. Let’s just get you home so you can get a good
night’ssleep,okay?”

“Ace?”
“Yeah?”
“CanIspendthenightwithyou?”
Hewouldn’thaveitanyotherway.“Ofcourse.”Hekissedherhand.“Anytime,sweetheart.”

ChapterTen

Dani woke up to the sound of Ace’s breathing as she stared at the ceiling. He’d helped piece her back
togetherlastnight.He’dmadelovetoherslowly,whisperinghowgladhewastohaveherbackinhislife
andhowmuchhe’dmissedher.

She rolled to her side so she could watch him sleep. His dark eyelashes dusted his cheek and the

stubble covering his jaw was thicker. His black hair was mussed, both from sleep and her wandering
hands, she suspected. He was gorgeous. Always had been, but seeing him like this now, after so many
years without him, made her even more aware of how striking he was. How perfect. If only they could
wipetheslatecleanandpretendthataccidenthadneverhappened.

“Hey,”hesaid,openingoneeyeasherolledtohissidetofaceher.“Feelbetter?”
Shenodded,tuckingherhandsunderhercheek.
“I’mglad.”Hebrushedherhairoverhershoulder.“IhatelikehellthatIhavetoleaveyoutoday.I

wish we’d reconnected during the off-season, when we had more time to talk, to work through things
withoutallthetravel.”

“Afewdaysapartmightbegoodforus.Giveussometimetothink.”
“Isthatwhatyouneed?”heasked,lookingconcerned.“Timetothinkaboutwhetherthisisagood

idea?”Whenshedidn’trespond,hesuckedinabreath.“Look,ifI’mgoingtocomebacktoyoutellingme
thatyoucan’tdothis—”

“Please,”shewhispered,closinghereyes.“Idon’twanttodothisnow.Ihavetogetreadyforwork

soon,andyouhavetogettotheairport.Can’twejustenjoytheselastfewminutestogetherwithouttalking
aboutanythingheavy?”

“Justknowthatthisisgettingrealforme,Dani.”Heclosedhiseyes.“Reallyreal.”
It was getting real for her too. But she didn’t know what that meant for the future. “Don’t worry

aboutmycar.I’llaskRototakemetopickitupatlunch.”

Heopenedhiseyes,staringather.“That’swhatyou’rethinkingaboutrightnow?Yourcar?”
“No,but—”
“Oryou’rejusttryingtoavoidtalkingaboutwhat’shappeningbetweenus?Youthinkwecangoon

likethisindefinitely,nottalkingaboutourfeelingsorourplansorwhetherweevenwanttobeacouple?”

Itdidn’tmatterwhatshewanted.Whatmatteredwaswhetheritwasevenpossible.“Beingwithyou

againhaschangedmeforthebetter.”Shestrokedhischeek.“You’remakingmefeelthingsagain,things
thatIhaven’tfeltinareallylongtime.AndIlovethat.”

“But?”
“Wecan’tliveindenial.Wecan’tpretendthatweliveinabubbleandouractionswon’timpactthe

peoplewelove.”

“Iknow,but…”Heshookhishead.“Look,Iknowthisisanimpossiblesituation.”Herolledonto

hisback,brushinghishairbackwithhishand.“ButIdon’twantittobe.Iwantustofindaway.”

“Iknow.Idotoo.”

“Butcanwe?”
“Idon’tknow.”Andthatscaredhermorethananything.

***

Danihadneverbeenmoregratefulforherwork.Itkepthermindoccupiedsoshecouldn’tdwellon

the things she couldn’t change. But when Ro popped her head in the door around lunch time, Dani was
readyforabreak.

“Canyoudomeafavor?”Daniasked.
“Anything.”
That was what Dani loved most about her best friend. She was always willing to help. “Can you

takemetogetmycar?IleftitintheparkinglotafterAce’sgamelastnight.”

“Ididn’tknowyouwenttothegame.Ithoughtyousaidyouhadabirthdaythingforyourdad?”
“Idid,butitdidn’tworkout.ImetAceatthefieldafterhisgame,thenwewentbacktohisplace.”
“And?”RolaughedwhenDanirolledhereyesassheshutdownhercomputer.“Comeon,youcan’t

leavemehanginglikethat.I’llbeanoldmarriedwomansoon.I’llhavetolivevicariouslythroughyou.
Sexwithahotproathlete?Itdoesn’tgetmuchbetterthanthat.”

“No,Iguessitdoesn’t,”Danisaid,smilingasshereachedforherpurseandkeys.“Buthonestly,I

haveahardtimethinkingofhimthatway.Tome,he’sjustMaceon.Myfirstlove.”

“Andthefactthatyoucanlookathimandseehimforwhoheisisprobablyoneofthemanythings

thatmakesyousoappealingtohim.Canyouimaginehowmanygroupieshehastofightoffeverynight?”

DanihadthoughtshewashungryuntilRoremindedherofyetanotherobstacleintheirrelationship.

“No,butthanksforremindingmeofthatrightbeforeheleavesonaroadtrip.”

“Youguysaresleepingtogether,right?Youdon’tthinkhe’dsleepwithanyoneelse,doyou?”
“How the hell should I know?” Dani snapped. God, she was starting to sound like her mother,

snappingandgrowlingatpeople.“Ididn’tthinkMikewouldcheatonmeeither,sowhatdoIknow?”

“He was an ass,” Rosanna said, throwing her arm around Dani’s shoulders as they walked to the

door.“Andifyouaskme,you’rebetteroffwithouthim.”

“IknowIam.”Danismiledatafewemployeestheypassedontheirwaytotheelevator.“Buthow

canItrustsomeoneafterthat?”sheasked,loweringhervoice.

“Howcanyounot?”Rosannachallenged,crossingherarmsafterpunchingthebuttontotakethem

fromthetopfloorthathousedtheofficestothegroundfloorparkinggarage.“Thealternativeistoletthat
bastard win, let him steal any chance you have at a solid relationship with a man who loves you and
wouldnevercheatonyou.”SheheldherhandupbeforeDanicouldinterject.“I’mnotsayingAceisthat
guy.Butmaybeheis.Whoknows,right?”

Daniwasbeginningtofeeltherewassomuchshedidn’tknow,andsolittleshedid.

***

DaniwassurprisedtofindAcestandingbesidehercarwhentheyarrived.“HowdidheknowIwas

—”

“Itextedhim.”Rosannagrimaced.“Don’tbemadatme.Hecalledtheofficeearlierandgavemehis

numberincaseIeverwantedtotalktohim.”

“Why would he do that?” Dani was uncomfortable with the idea of her best friend and lover

conspiringbehindherback.

“BecausehecaresaboutyouandsodoI.”Shepointedatthedoorhandle.“Nowgetoutandtalkto

theman.Puthimoutofhismisery.”

“ButIdon’tknowwhattosay.”
“You’llfigureitout.”
“Whataboutlunch?Ithoughtweweregoingtostoponthewayback.”
“I’llgrabsomethingforusfromthehotelkitchen.Wecanmeetbackinyourofficeandyoucanfill

mein.”

BeforeDanicouldargue,Aceopenedherdoorandleanedin.“Thanksfortextingme,Rosanna.”
“Mypleasure.”Shewinkedathim.“Justmakesureyouhitoneoutoftheparkformetonight.”
“I’lldomybest.”HetookDani’shandandhelpedheroutofthecarbeforeheslammedthedoorand

watchedRospeedoff.“Ihopeyoudon’tmindthatI’mhere.IneededtoseeyoubeforeIleft.Ididn’tfeel
goodaboutwhereweleftthingsthismorning.”

They’d kissed and hugged, but it had felt perfunctory and was definitely laced with fear and

uncertainty.“No,I’mgladyou’rehere.”

“I’msorryifI’mbeingtoopushy.”Hesteppedback,pushinghissunglassesupontopofhishead.“I

don’tmeantobe.It’sjustthatbeingwithyouagainfeelsreallygood,andIdon’twanttolosethat.”

“Idon’teither.”Inthedaysandweeksafterlosingherbrother,she’dfeltnumb,butassoonasshe

was able to feel again, grief and sadness had consumed her. And not just because she’d lost her twin.
Becauseitfeltlikeshe’dlostherentirefamilyandhersoulmate.

“Youdon’t?”Hetippedhisheadtotheside.“Yousure?Becausethismorning,itseemedlikeyou

werehavingsecondthoughtsaboutus.”

“I won’t deny I’m still confused.” She readjusted the purse strap on her shoulder. “About a lot of

things.Youcamebackintomylifeattheworstpossibletime.”

“Becauseofwhatyourfiancédidtoyou?”Hetippedhisheadback,blowingoutabreath.“Istill

can’t believe anyone would be stupid enough to cheat on you, but I get why you’re gun-shy. You have
plentyofreasons.”

Shetookhishands.“RothinksI’dbegivinghimtoomuchpowerifIrefusedtotrustanotherman

becauseofwhathedidtome.”

“She’sright,youknow.”
“I know.” But she’d trusted Ace too, and he’d let her down. She’d trusted him to keep all of his

promisestoher,tomakealloftheirdreamscometrue.Hewasgoingtogetabig-leaguecontract.Shewas
going to finish school, maybe travel with him for a bit. They were going to have the big white church
wedding,acoupleofkids,andlivethegoodlife.

“Butthisisn’tabouthim,isit?It’saboutme.”
“Apartofmediedalongtimeago,”shesaidquietly,hergazehittingthepavementbeneathherhigh

heels.“Ican’tevergetthatback.I’mnotthesamegirlIwaswhenyoulovedme.”

“Iknowthat.”
“Doyou?”Shetippedherheadbacktolookhimintheeye,tryingtofigureoutwhetherhewastrying

torekindlearelationshipwithhertoeasehisguiltandshameoverthepast.

“OfcourseIdo,Dani.YouthinkI’mthesameegotistical,self-centeredkidwhothoughthehadthe

worldbythetail?I’mnot.”Heshookhishead.“Thatpartofmediedrightalongwiththepartofyouthat
died.Neitheroneofuswilleverbethesame.Howcouldwebe,right?”

Shenodded,feelingherheartbreakalloveragainforeverythingthey’dlost.Includingthethingshe

didn’tevenknowaboutyet.

“Butchangeisn’talwaysabadthing.Sometimesitcanbegood.IliketothinkthatI’vechangedfor

thebetter.I’mmorehumblenow.Idon’ttakeanythingforgranted.”

“Icanseethat.”
“Can you?” He scrutinized her closely. “Can you really look at me and see that I’m not the same

dumbkidwhobrokeyourheart?”

Shefelttearswellupasshewhispered,“Yes.”
He framed her face with hands that made people compare him to a superhero because of the

incredibleplayshemadeonthefield.“Imaynotbetheboyyoufellinlovewith,butI’dliketobethe
manyoulearntolovealloveragain.”

Love.Itwasaterrifyingwordbecauseitcamewiththepotentialforheartache.Butitalsocamewith

thepromiseofahappyending,somethingshe’dalwayssecretlywishedfor.Shewrappedherarmsaround
him,holdinghimtight.“I’llbecountingtheminutes‘tilyoucomebacktome.”

“SowillI,baby.”

***

There was no feeling in the world like playing in front of a roaring crowd, even when they were

cheering for the opposing team. The crunch of a breaking bat brought the crowd to their feet, but Ace
silencedthemwhenhejumpedseveralfeet,robbingtheirdesignatedhitterofanRBIastheballlandedin
hisglovewithasatisfyingthud.

Thiswasthegameheloved,hisreasonforhaulinghisassoutofbedmostmornings,andtherewas

nothinghe’dratherdowithhislife.

HewatchedRowanthrowtwoballs,followedbytwostrikes,ashevisualizedanotherballheaded

inhisdirection.Partofbeingatop-notchballplayermeantseeingtheplayevenbeforeithappened,and
hewasanexpertatthat.Hehadasixthsense,almostasthoughhecouldseewheretheballwasgoing
basedonthebatter’sstancealone.He’dlearnedhowtoreadpeople.Toobadhecouldn’treadDanias
easily.

Heshookhisheadwhenapictureofherpoppedintohishead.Shewaslyingunderhim,hernails

skimminghisbackasshewhisperedhisname.Nothere.Notnow.Onthefield,hehadtostayfocused.
Especiallywithadangeroushitterandafullcount.Theirteamwasuptworunsatthebottomoftheeighth
with a man on third, and he refused to be the reason they went back to the hotel with one in the loss
column.

Acewatchedtheballsailoverhisheadasheheardtheirrightfieldercallforit.Twomenstranded,

oneonfirstandoneonthird,astheyendedtheinningandjoggedintothedugout.Rowanwasstillpitching
after eight strong innings with only eighty-nine pitches logged. That meant he had a good chance of
pitchingacompletegame,hisfirstoftheseason.

“Nicejoboutthere,”Acesaid,tappinggloveswithRowan.
“Thanks,youtoo,man.Ithoughtforsurethatballwasgone.”
“Yeah,sodidIforaminutethere.”
They sank down on the bench, both reaching for their water bottles as they watched the bottom of

theirbattingorderpreparetohopefullywidentheirlead.Theywipedsweatofftheirforeheads,lettingthe
towelshangovertheirheadsastheydrainedtheirbottles.

“Nicehomerinthefirst,Ace.”
Itwasatwo-runlead-offhomerthattooktheraucousfansoutofthegameearly,soitwasabigone.

“Thanks.Awinheretodaymeanswetakefirst.Iknowit’searlyintheseason,butitalwaysfeelsgoodto
beontop.”

Rowanchuckled.“Notalways.”
AcethoughtabouthowgooditfelttohaveDaniontopofhim.“Yeah,Iguessyou’reright.”
Ace could hear the boys around them talking shop. The opposing team had called in their second

relieveralready,andtheycouldseetheiropposition’shotshotcloserwarmingupinthebullpen.Thatwas
theonethinghelovedmostaboutbaseball—therewerenoguarantees.Oneswingofthebatcouldturnthe
tideintheotherdirection.

“SoyouandDanielle?How’sthatgoing?”
Ace kept his eyes on their batter, groaning inwardly as he struck out. Two runs weren’t enough to

taketheedgeoff.Notwhentheywereplayinglastyear’sWorldSerieschampions,thesameteamwho’d
stolentheringfromthemintheseventhgame.

“It’sgoing,”Acesaidfinally,itchingtogetanotherturnatbat.TheirSkiphadbeenplayingaround

withtheline-uplately,soAcehadstartedtheseasoninthelead-offspot,butgottenshifteddowntothird
whentheirregularrightfielderendedupontheDLwithacalfstrain.

Rowanlookedathimsideways.“That’sallyou’regonnagiveme?”
Acechuckled.Heneverthoughthe’dhaveanotherfriendlikeLinc,whofeltlikemoreofabrother,

butRowanprovedthatsometimesitwaspossibletomoveonandforgenewbonds.“Whatdoyouwant
metosay,man?I’mintoher.”

“Literally?”
Acescowledbeforerubbingthetoweloverhisface.“Shutthehellup.”
“Protectiveofher,huh?Iwasjustmakingsurethatyou’reseriousisall.”
“You have to ask that after everything I went through to get another shot at talking to her?” He

grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds, popping one after another in his mouth before he leaned over to
spitouttheshells.“MeandDani,we’vealwaysbeentherealdeal.”

“Yeah,Igotthatfromwhatlittleyou’vetoldmeabouther.”
Aceclappedonceasthepitcherwalkedtheirnextbatter,adrenalinerushingthroughhisveinsasthe

chance of widening their lead improved. “I’m just trying to take it slow. Give her time to think things
through,comearoundonherown.”

“Youthinkthat’ssmart?”Rowanasked,lookingskeptical.“Couldbeifyouletherover-analyzeit,

she’lltalkherselfrightoutofbeingwithyou.”

“WhatotherchoicedoIhave?”Aceasked,feelingfrustrated.“Ican’tforcehertobewithmeifshe

decidesthat’snotwhatshewants.Wehavehistory,alotofbadhistory.”

“Maybethat’stheproblem.She’stoocaughtupinthepast.Sherememberstheguyyouwereandthe

onestupidmistakeyoumade.Showheryou’renotthatguyanymore.”

“WhatthehelldoyouthinkI’vebeentryingtodo?”
“Let her into your world. Take her to some charity events, the children’s hospital, show her how

muchyoudotogiveback.Lethergettoknowyourfriendsandteammates.Hearingfromyouthatyou’ve
changedisonething,buthearingitfromthepeoplewhoknowyoubestisanother.”

Atthispoint,Acewaswillingtodojustaboutanythingtogaingroundwithher,becauseiftherewas

onethinghehateditwasspinninghiswheels.“I’llthinkaboutit.”

“Tenley’shavingabirthdaypartyforStaceywhenwegetback.Youshouldcome,bringDanielle.”
“You really think it’s smart to bring her to my ex-girlfriend’s birthday party?” Ace asked,

consideringhowhe’dfeelifsheinvitedhimtoherex’sparty.

“Hey,youandStacearejustfriendsnow.She’stryingtoworkthingsoutwithTen’sbrother.What

harmcanitdo?MaybeStacecanputinagoodwordforyou.”

AceandStaceyhadendedtheirrelationshipongoodtermsbecauseitwasobvioustohimthatshe

wasstillinlovewithherex,somethinghecoulddefinitelyrelateto.“I’llthinkaboutit,man.”

“Just don’t think about it too long. You need to get some skin in the game, Ace. I get the feeling

Danielle’salotlikeTenleywaswhenwefirstmet.She’dbeenburnedbeforeanddidn’twanttolether
guarddownagain.”

That was precisely the problem. “So how’d you convince Tenley you weren’t like the other guys

who’dhurther?”

“Iwasthereforher,provedtoheronedayatatimethatshecouldtrustme.Iletherintomyworld

soshecoulddecideforherselfwhethershewantedtobeapartofit.Idevelopedarelationshipwithher
brothers.”RowanwincedashelookedatAceoutofthecornerofhiseye.“Sorry,Iknowgettingingood
withherfamilyisn’tanoptionforyou.”

“That’sthething,”Acesaid,grabbingbothendsofthetowelwrappedaroundhisneck.“Herparents

arenevergoingtounderstandwhyshe’dbewillingtogivemeanotherchance.Theyhateme,andrightly
so.SohowcanIhaveafuturewiththisgirl?”

“You’re right,” Rowan said, nodding. “You should cut your losses and move on. Find someone

else.”

“I don’t want anyone else!” Ace cleared his throat when a few of his teammates turned to look at

him. The bases were loaded now, and the pitcher was down three and one. He was on the verge of
walkinginanotherrun.Acehadtogethisheadbackinthegame,whereitbelonged.

“Thenquitwhiningaboutthethingsyoucan’tchange.Forgetaboutthepast.Focusonthepresent.”
“Yeah,butthat’seasiersaidthandone.”

ChapterEleven

Daniopenedherdoor,expectingtofindAceontheotherside.Hewasfinallyhomefromhisawaygames,
andaftertalkingtohimeverynight,shecouldn’twaittoseehim.

“Mike.Whatareyoudoinghere?Howdidyougetin?”sheasked.He’dgivenbackherhousekey

andthepasskeyfortheexteriordoors,andhehadn’tcalledup.

“Iliveherenow.”Hebracedahandonherdoorframe.“Don’tlooksosurprised.YouknowIalways

lovedthisbuilding.Aone-bedroomcameupforsaleonthethirdfloor,soIsnaggedit.”

Great, just what she needed. Her ex as a neighbor. “Why would you do that? We’re both trying to

moveonand—”

“Youmaybetryingtomoveon.I’mnot.”
She walked away from the door, knowing she had to take a few minutes to set him straight.

HopefullyAcewasrunninglate.“It’sover.Youmadethatdecisionwhenyoucheatedonme,”shesaid,
watching him enter and close the door. “So if you think there’s a chance in hell that I’ll take you back,
you’redeludingyourself.”

“Yourfathercametoseemeatthestationtoday.”
“What?”Herheartbeatfasterassheimaginedwhattheytalkedabout.“Why?Whatdidhesay?”
“Hesaidyoutoldhimaboutthebreakup,thereasonforit.Naturallyhewaspissedatfirst,butItold

himhowsorryIwas,thatI’dmadeonestupidmistakeanditwouldneverhappenagain.Thenhetoldme
nottogiveuponyou.”

“Well,that’snothisdecisiontomake,isit?”
He narrowed his eyes, looking smug. “After I met Ace Phillips here the other day, I did a little

digging.Iknewhewasahometownboy,butIdidn’tknowyouandhewenttothesamehighschool.Atthe
sametime.”

“Sowhat?”sheasked,tryingtoplayitoff.
“Hewastheone,wasn’the?”
Shedidn’thavetoaskwhathemeant.Itwasobvious.“It’snoneofyourbusiness.”
“You’reactuallythinkingaboutgettingbacktogetherwiththeguywhokilledyourbrother.Areyou

reallythatdesperate?”

Ragebubbledupinsideherassheglaredathim.“I’mtheonewho’sdesperate?You’retheonewho

bangedastripperatabachelorparty,remember?”

“Doyourparentsknowyou’reseeinghim?”Hesmirked.“Ofcoursetheydon’t.”
“Andyou’renotgoingtotellthem.”
He stepped closer, crowding her. “Why wouldn’t I? What’s in it for me? Why should I keep your

dirtylittlesecret?”Hepickedupastrandofherhairbeforesheswattedhishandawayandsteppedback.
“AndwhyshouldIkeephis?”

“Whatareyoutalkingabout?”sheasked,losingherbreath.
“Everyonethinkshe’sahero.Thepeopleofthiscitylovehim.Buthowdoyouthinkthey’dfeelif

theyfoundouthe’dkilledamanwhiledrivingdrunk?”

“Youwouldn’t—”
“Whywouldn’tI?”Helickedhislips,givingherathoroughonce-over.“Idefinitelywould.Unless

youcangivemesomeincentivenotto?”

“Youreallyareabastard,”shesaid,hervoicebreaking.“Idon’tknowwhatIeversawinyou.”
“Oh,butyoudoknowwhatyousawinaguywhokilledyourtwinbrother?That’sforgivable,but

cheatingisn’t?Whatthehell’swrongwithyou,Danielle?”

Herphonerang,threeshortringstoindicateshehadavisitor.“That’sAce.Youhavetogo.Hecan’t

findyouhere.”

“Fine,I’llleave.ButyouneedtothinkaboutwhatIsaid.”Hewalkedbackwardtothedoor.“This

can’tendwell.Foryouorforhim.ButyougettodecidehowmuchdamageIcandowiththeinformation
Ihave.”

***

Ace could tell Dani was off. She was jumpy and seemed distracted. They were supposed to be

watchingamovie,butshekeptcheckingherphoneandchewingonherlipasthoughshewasexpecting
somethingtogodown.

“Waitingforacall?”heasked,gesturingtoherphone.
“What?Ohno.”Shesetitontheendtablebesideher.“Sorry.”
“How’swork?”heasked,grabbingahandfulfromthebowloftrailmixshe’dsetonthetable.
“Busy, as always.” She forced a smile. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way. When I started

managingthehotel,wewentthroughamajorreno,tryingtoappealtoayoungercrowd.That,combined
withsomeinnovativenewmarketingideas,hashelpedusreachadifferentdemographic.”

“Youreallylovewhatyoudo,huh?”Acewatchedher,tryingtogetareadonhowtiedshewasto

her job and this city. He knew she felt responsible for her parents and would find it difficult to leave
them, but his career could take him anywhere next year. He needed to know if there was even a slim
chanceshe’dgowithhim.

“Yeah, I do.” She smiled as she tucked her legs under her, looking relaxed for the first time all

evening.“WhenIoriginallydecidedtostudytourismandhospitality,Iimaginedworkingatsomefancy
resortontheothersideoftheworld.Butthere’salottobesaidforstayingclosetohome.”

“Soyouthoughtaboutleavingthen?”heasked,reachingforhisbottledwater.Thatsurprisedhim.

Hewouldhavethoughthishometowngirlhadneverthoughtaboutleaving.

“OfcourseIthoughtaboutit.”Sheheldherthick,wavyhairoffherfacewithherhand.
“Andiftherightopportunitycamealong,youwouldhavetakenit?”
“I probably would have jumped at it,” she said quietly, staring at a patterned cushion resting

betweenthem.“Foralongtime,Iwantedtoescape.”

“Escape?”
“Myparents.Theheavyweightofobligation.Theirsadnessanddepression.Thememories.”
Heunderstoodwantingtoescapebadmemories.Whenhe’dreturnedtotownafteryearsaway,he

couldn’tdrivedownthestreetwheretheaccidenthappened.Hetookatwenty-minutedetourjusttoget
homefromtheballparkwherehehelpedrunacampforat-riskkidswhowantedtoplaybaseball.

“Idon’tknowifIcanbehappywiththeminmylife,Ace.”
Hedidn’tknowhowtorespondtothat.He’dalwaysbeenprettytightwithhisparentsandcouldn’t

imaginenotwantingthemaround.

Danicontinuedasthoughshedidn’tnoticehissilence.“Theythinktheyknowwhat’sbestforme,but

theydon’t.TheyimposetheiropinionsonmeandactlikeIoweittothemtodowhattheyexpectmeto
do.”

“Suchas?”Hesuspectedhealreadyknewwhatherparentshadbeenpressuringheraboutasoflate.
“MyfatherwenttoMikeafterItoldthemthathe’dcheatedonme.Theydidn’tseemtocare.LikeI

toldyou,theyblameditonmefornotsettingaweddingdatesooner.”

Hewouldn’tdefendherparents,buthewouldn’tslamthemeither.Heknewtheylovedtheirkidsand

onlywantedwhatwasbestforthem.“Howdoyouknowyourfathertalkedtohim?Hetoldyou?”

Sheshookherhead,lookingglum.“No,Mikedid.”
“Yousawhim?”Aceshiftedsotheywerefacingeachother,andheremovedthecushionbetween

them,tossingitaside.“When?Where?”

“Hestoppedbyrightbeforeyougothere.”
“Isthatwhyyou’vebeenofftonight?”Whenshedidn’trespond,hegrippedherchin,forcingherto

lookathim.“Whatthehelldidhesaytoyou?”

“Hedoesn’twantustobetogether.”Shesighed.“Andhe’swillingtodowhateverittakestomake

surewe’renot.”

“YouthinkIgiveashitwhathethinks?”Acecouldtellshewastorn,anditpissedhimofftothink

shemighthaveresidualfeelingsforherexafterwhathedidtoher.“Butyouobviouslydocare.”

“No,”shesaid,lookingpanicked.“It’snotlikethat.You’vegotitallwrong.”
“Thentellme,whatisit?”
“He’s living in my building now,” she said, looking miserable as she glanced at the movie they’d

lostinterestinwatching.

Ace got the impression her ex would do anything to get closer to Dani, which concerned him. He

was away a lot and he didn’t know much about this guy, aside from the fact he was an amoral dirtbag
who’dcheatedonthewomanheclaimedtolove.“Sincewhen?”

“It’s a recent thing, I guess.” She closed her eyes. “I don’t really care about that. Sure, it’ll be

awkward, running into him in the elevator or at the mailbox, but it is what it is. I can’t stop him from
livinginthisbuildingifhewantsto.”

WhileAcewasn’tthrilledwiththeideaofDanirunningintoherex,shewasright;therewasnothing

theycoulddoaboutit.“ButIgetthefeelingthere’sanotherreasonwe’retalkingabouthim.”

“Heputtwoandtwotogether,figuredoutyou’retheex-boyfriendwho…”
“Killedyourbrother?”Heknewthosewordswerenoeasierforhertohearthantheywereforhim

tosay.

“He’sthreateningtousethatinformationtohurtyou…andme.”
HewasmoreconcernedabouthowMikeintendedtohurther.Hecouldtakecareofhimself.“What

didhesayexactly?”

“He just implied that he could expose your secret. Go to the press, I guess, or post the story on

social media. Nowadays it’s so easy for something to go viral. You have to admit, this would be a big
story.”

“Sure,itwould.Forafewdays.Untilthenextbigstorycamealong.”Aceknewbeinginthepublic

eye meant taking the risk that this could come out eventually, but he wasn’t the only ball player with a
criminalrecord.Theteamwouldn’ttradehimoverthis.Hehoped.

“But it would affect the way people view you,” she said, reaching for his hand. “I’ve done my

homework,Ace.Iknowyou’vedonealotofgoodwork,especiallyforkids.Ifwordaboutthisgotout,it
wouldhurtyourcareer,yourimage,nottomentionyourendorsementdeals.Andthat’snotfair.You’renot

thesameguynowyouwerebackthen.You’vegrownup,matured,paidyourdebttosociety.”

Heinchedcloser,tuckingalockofhairbehindherear.Hewastouchedbyherconcernforhim,but

hehadtoknow…“Howaboutyou?HaveIpaidmydebttoyouyet?”

Her eyes roamed his face before resting on his lips. “Nothing will bring my brother back,” she

whispered,touchinghisjaw.“AndI’llprobablythinkabouthimeverydayfortherestofmylife.”

“JustknowthatIwilltoo.”
“Idoknowthat.”Sheleanedinandkissedhimsoftly.“You’renotindebtedtome.Youneverwere.I

understandthatitwasaterribleaccident.Youmayhavemadeabadcallthatnight,butyouweren’tthe
onlyone.Lincdidtoo.”

“Sowheredowegofromhere?”Hewantedhertotellhimtheykeptmovingforward,butheknew

thatmaybewishfulthinkingonhispart.

“Mikethreatenedtotellmyparentsaboutus.”
“Thatsonofabitch.”Hecouldhandlethebacklashifpeoplefoundout,buthewasn’tsosureshe

could.“Youwantmetotalktohim?Tryto—”

“Theystoppedliving,”shesaidquietly.“AndIthinktheywantmetoaswell.Theydon’ttakerisks

anymore,andthey’vemadeittheirmissiontoinstillthatsamefearinme.Joyisforeigntothemnow,and
theydon’twantmetobehappyeither.”Shedrewadeepbreath.“Idon’tknowifit’sbecausetheydon’t
thinkanyonehastherighttobehappynowthatLinc’snolongerwithus—”

“Youknowthat’snottrue,eveniftheythinkitis,don’tyou?”Hebrushedherside-sweptbangsout

ofhereyes,wishinghecouldtakeawayherpain.“Youdeservetobehappy,evenifit’snotwithme.”

“Wealldeservetobehappy,”shesaid,takinghishand.“Iknowthat’swhatLincwouldwantforme.

They’renothonoringhismemorybylivinghalfalife.”

“I’mnotscared,youknow.”He’dspentalotoftimethinkingaboutwhatwouldhappenifthetruth

threatened to come out, and he had a plan. “I’ll own what I did. I’ll apologize for it and look for
opportunitiestohelpcausesthattrytopreventdrunkdriving.Ifthey’llletme,IcanMCeventsforthem.”
Heshrugged.“Maybeevenbecomeaspokesperson,whoknows?”

Shesmiledasshetouchedhisface.“You’vebecomethemanIalwaysknewyouwouldbe.”
That sounded too final to make Ace feel at ease. “I appreciate that.” Even if she let him go now,

makingpeacewithherwasgivinghimasenseoffreedomhehadn’tknownsincetheaccident.“Soare
yousayingyoudon’tthinkweshouldseeeachotheranymore?”

Hereyesfelltohisknee,whichwasgrazinghers.“Ithinkthatshouldbeyourdecision.You’rethe

onewiththemosttoloseifeveryonefindsout.”

“That’snottrue,Dani.”Hetippedherchinup,staringintohereyes.“Youcouldstandtoloseyour

parents.IalreadytookLincfromyou.Ican’tberesponsibleforyoulosingthemtoo.”

“Sowhatareyousaying?”sheasked,hereyeswidening.“Youdon’twanttobewithme?”
Thatwasthelastthinghewantedtosay,butheheardhimselfwhisper,“Maybethisisforthebest.

Fornow.”

***

Acewasathisex-girlfriend’sbirthdayparty,wishinghecouldhavehelpedDanicelebratehers.But

as he watched Stacey cozy up to her ex-boyfriend while he tried to pretend that his life didn’t suck, he
knew a birthday gift from him would only have reminded Dani that her brother would never be able to
celebrateanotherbirthdaywithher.Thankstohim.

“Hey,” Tenley said, bumping shoulders with him. Though for her that meant her shoulder hit his

bicep.“Gladyoucouldmakeit.”

“Wouldn’t have missed it,” he lied. He hadn’t planned on coming, but Rowan had stopped by and

draggedhimoutofthehouse,refusingtoallowhimtostayhomeandfeelsorryforhimself,asheputit.

“Rowan told me what happened with Dani,” Tenley said, linking her arm through his. “I’m sorry,

honey.Thatreallysucks.”

Heclearedhisthroat.“Iknewitwasrisky.Wehavealotofhistory.Mostofitbad.Itwasboundto

comebackandbiteuseventually.”

“Ifmostofitwerebad,youwouldn’thavewantedherbackatall.You’renotstupid.”
“You’reright.”Hebroughthiswaterbottletohislips.“Mostofitwasgood.Therewasjustthatone

badnight,butitwasbadenoughtoovershadowallthegooduptothatpoint.”

“Yetshewaswillingtogiveyouanotherchance.”
“Yeah,that’ssomethingIdon’tthinkIeverreallyexpected.Iwantedtoseeheragain,toapologize

and share with her some things that belonged to her brother.” He watched couples slow dancing and
wonderedwhatDaniwasdoing…whoshewaswith.“ButIneverthoughttherewasahopeinhellthe
chemistrywouldstillbethere.”

“Butitwas.”
“Yeah,itwas.”Hebithislip.“Itmaysoundcrazy,butallthosefeelingsI’dhadforher,theonesI

thoughtI’dburied,allcamebacklikenotimehadpassedatall.Withher,Iamstillthatcarefreekidwith
hiswholelifeaheadofhim.Theonewhobelievesthatanythingispossible.”

“Thenwhylethergo?Whynotfightforthat?”
“It wouldn’t be fair to her. She’s already been through so much because of me. I couldn’t put her

throughanymore.”

“DoyouknowhowI’dfeelifIwereDani?”Tenleyasked,lookingupathim.
“How?”
“I’dfeelasthoughyoudidn’tcareenoughtofightforme.I’dthinkIwasn’tworththeeffort.”
“That’snottrue.Sheknowsthat’snottrue.”
“Youknowwhattheysay,Ace.Actionsspeaklouderthanwords.”

ChapterTwelve

“God,Ihatehimforwhathe’sdoingtoyou.Itwasn’tbadenoughhecheatedonyou?Nowhehastotryto
ruinthebestthingthat’shappenedtoyouinyears?”

Daniwascheckingtomakesuretheirlargestballroomhadbeensetupaccordingtothebrideand

groom’sspecifications.Rohadtaggedalongto…talkaboutAceapparently.

“Ican’tthinkaboutthisnow,”Daniwarned.“We’rebookedsolidthisweekend,withthiswedding

andthatconference—”

“You’rejusttryingtoavoidtalkingaboutitbecauseyou’rehurt.Ifyouaskme,you’vegivenhimtoo

muchpower.TellyourparentsaboutAce,thenyouwon’thavetoworryaboutwhetherMikewillspillthe
beans.”

“I’m honestly beyond caring about how my parents will react to my life choices.” She’d had two

weekstothinkaboutitsinceMikeissuedhiswarning,andshe’ddecidedherparentscouldsupporther
decisionsornot.Shewastiredoflivingherlifeforthembecausethey’dalreadyenduredsomuch.

“Then what’s the problem?” Ro asked, spreading her hands. “Call Ace and tell him you’ve had a

changeofheartandyou’rewillingtoseehimagain.”

“Thisisn’taboutme,”shesaid,tryingtomaintainhercomposure.EverytimeshethoughtaboutAce,

she felt sad and frustrated. She wanted to be with him but couldn’t. And it didn’t seem fair. Fate had
broughthimbackintoherlifeonlytotakehimawayagain?Why?Itdidn’tmakesense.“ThisisaboutAce
andhiscareer.He’sworkedtoohardtoshedhispasttohaveitbroughttolightnow.Hedoesn’tdeserve
that,andIwon’tbethereasonhehastosuffer.”

Rosannasteppedinfrontofher,grippinghershoulders.“Youreallycareaboutthisguy,don’tyou?”
Rosanna hadn’t been with Dani during the Ace phase of her teen years. She couldn’t possibly

understandhowmuchhe’dmeanttoher.

“Youknowhowitiswithfirstlove.Theyalwayshaveapartofyourheart,right?”
She rolled her eyes. “Not my first love. He had a mop of curly hair, braces, and acne.” She

shuddered.“Ihavenofondmemoriesofthattime.”

Danismiled,hugginghertablet.“IguessIwasluckythen.Acewassweet,sexy,smart,athletic…he

wasjust…everything.”

“Uh,Idon’tknowifyou’venoticed,buthestillisallofthosethings.Andmore.”
“I’venoticed.”EverytimeDanitriedtoconvinceherselflettinghimgowasforthebest,shegotan

achedeepdownthatremindedherthere’dneverbeanotherMaceon.Hewasmorethanherfirstlove.He
feltlikeherdestiny.

“You once told me a part of you died when your brother did, but not just because you’d lost him.

Becauseyou’dlostyourboyfriendtoo.”

“I remember.” They’d been having a girls’ night, and after a few glasses of wine, Dani confessed

thatshe’dneverreallylovedherfiancéthewayshedidherfirstboyfriend.

“Honey,”Rosaid,puttingherarmaroundDani,“youcan’tbringyourbrotherback,asmuchasyou

might wish you could. But you can have Ace back. He’s right there for the taking. And I just can’t
understandwhyyou’relettinghimgoagain.Itdoesn’tmakeanysense.”

“Itmakessensetome,”shesaid,steppingback.“I’mdoingitforhim.”

***

AcewassurprisedtofindRosannawaitingforhimwhenheshowedupatthestadiumtogetalittle

extrapracticeinbeforetheirgame.

“Hey,”hesaid,givingheraone-armedhug.“Whatareyoudoinghere?IsitDani?Issheokay?”
“She’sfine,”Rosannaassuredhim,touchinghisarm.“ButsheisthereasonI’mhere.”Shegestured

tohercar.“Doyouthinkyoucouldsparemeafewminutestotalk?”

“Inyourcar?”heasked.“Wecouldgoin—”
“I’dratherhavesomeprivacy.”
“Okay.Idon’thavealotoftimethough.”ButifitwasforDani,he’dmakethetime.
OncetheywereseatedinherlatemodelHonda,sheasked,“How’veyoubeen?”
“Okay, I guess.” He stared straight ahead, drumming his fingers on his leg. “Trying to keep busy.”

Whichwasn’thardtododuringtheregularseason.Ifhe’dlosthislastchancewithDaniduringtheoff-
season,hewouldhavebeenamesswithtoomuchtimeonhishands.

“Yeah,samegoesforDanielle.Butthat’snotworkingoutsowellforher.Icantellthisiskilling

her.”

Acecurledhishandintoafist.“IfI’dknownIwasgoingtohurtherlikethis,Iwouldhavestayed

thehellaway.I’vealreadydonetoomuchdamage,costher—”

“That’syouranswer?”Rosannaasked,soundingincredulous.“Younevertakethechance?Howdid

yougetwhereyouarewithanattitudelikethat?”

Hewasn’tusedtobeingchallenged,sohesimplystaredatherbeforeherealizedshewaswaiting

foraresponse.“Itwasdifferentwithbaseball.Ididn’thaveaPlanB.IknewifIdidn’tpursuethat,I’d
havenootheroptions.”

“But love came easily for you? You’ve had plenty of girls in your life you could see yourself

marryingandhavingafamilywith?”

He immediately thought of Stacey. He’d loved her, but he hadn’t been in love with her. When he

thoughtoftheirfuturetogether,hecouldn’tseemarriageandkids,nomatterhowhardhetried.Thatwas
whyhelethergototrytoreconcilewithherex,becausehehopedsomeoneelsecouldgivehermore.“I
didn’tsaythat.”

“Ohreally?”Rosannatippedherheadasshelookedathim.“Soyou’resayingDaniwasspecial?”
“Ofcourseshewasspecial.Whatkindofquestionisthat?”
“Alegitimateone.”Sheturnedtofacehim.“Youwenttoalotoftroubletoseeheragain,fromwhat

I understand. Why? Was it to clear your conscience? Give her peace? Or because you wanted another
chancewithher?”

“Youalreadyknowtheanswertothat.”
“No,Idon’t.”Sheshookherheadslowly.“IthoughtIdid,butthenyoujustgaveupandIfiguredI

musthavebeenwrong.IfitwasreallyDaniyouwanted,youwouldhavefoughtforanotherchancewith
her.Youwouldn’thaveletanythinggetinthewayofthat.”

“Ro…”Acesighed,tippinghisheadbacktolookthroughhersunroofatthesunpeekingaroundthe

clouds.“Youdon’tknowwhatitwaslikeforher.Losingherbrothernearlykilledher.”

“Youknowthatbecauseyouwerethere?”Shefrowned.“No,youweren’tthere.Youweresittingin

somejailcellfeelingsorryforyourself.”

“It wasn’t myself I was worried about,” he argued, feeling the sting of her accusation. “I was

worriedaboutwhatI’ddonetoDaniandherfamily.Ihatedmyselfforthat.”

“Sothat’swhyyouneverreachedouttotrytoapologize?Becauseyouhatedyourself?”
“Wellyeah,andIdidn’tthinkshe’dwanttohaveanythingtodowithmeafterwhatI’ddone.”
“Sothen,likenow,youassumeyouknowwhat’sbestforher?”
“Itdoesn’ttakeageniustofigureitout.Wouldyouhavewantedanythingtodowiththemanwho

killedyourbrother?”

“If I were Dani, I would have had questions,” she said quietly. “Questions only you could have

answered.LikewhydidLincgetintothatcar?Whatdidhesayinhisfinalminutes?Didheknowhewas
goingtodie?Washeinpain?Didhehaveamessageforhisfamily?Washealonewhenhetookhisfinal
breathorwereyoutherewithhim?”

Acefelthisstomachclenchasthatnightcamefloodingback.Everysingleminuteassaultedhimin

slow-motion.HecouldhearLinc’svoiceringinginhisears,feelthegrabhemadeforthewheelwhen
Acerealizedhewasfallingasleep.Thejerkoftheover-correctionbeforetheyhitthattree…

“Shehadquestions,”Rosannawhispered.“Andshedeservedanswers.Itwasn’tfairforyoutojust

cutheroffbackthen.Andwhatyou’redoingnowisn’tfair.”

“I’m doing this because I lo—” He closed his eyes. There was no point admitting the truth to

Rosanna. It wouldn’t change anything. “I don’t want her to lose her family because of me. I’ve already
takenherbrotherfromher.Iwon’tberesponsiblefortakingherparentstoo.”

“Don’tyouthinkthatshouldbeherdecisiontomake?”
“Shemightsayshe’sokaywithnothavingtheminherlife,buteventuallyshe’dwindupresenting

me.Iknowshewould.”

Rosanna glared at him. “You don’t know jack. You think you know everything, but in reality, you

knownothing.”

“Fine,enlightenme.”
“Youdon’tknowwhatit’sbeenlikeformetostandbyandwatchmybestfriendgoingthroughthe

motions,agreeingtomarryamanwhodoesn’tloveher,forcingherselftosmile,livinghalfalifebecause
thelifeshereallywantedwassnatchedfromheryearsago.”

“Whatareyoutalkingabout?”
“I didn’t put the pieces together until I saw her with you. Until I saw the way she was when you

wereapartofherlife.Youwerethemissingpartofher.”

“Idon’tfollow.”Buthedid.Hefeltittoo.
“Shealwaysseemedsosad,butIsawpastthat.Iknewshehadagoodheartandreallycaredabout

people.That’swhywebecamefriends.Ialwayschalkedhersadnessuptolosingherbrother.Butitwas
morethanthat.Itwaslosingyoutoo.”

“Youdon’tknowthat.”Asmuchashewantedtobelieveit,hecouldn’tlethimselfthinkhehadthe

powertohelpDaniputherlifebacktogether.

“I do know that, because I know her. I saw her smile when she saw you or thought about you or

watchedoneofyourgames.Itwasarealsmile,notoneofthosefakeonesI’dbeenseeingforyears.”

Hefeltguiltythathe’dbeenabletofindhappinessinhislifewhensheclearlyhadn’t.“Iknowabout

losingabrother.Ilostmine.Thepainnevergoesaway,butovertime,you’reabletothinkaboutthemand
rememberthegoodtimeswithoutfeelingsosad.”

“And don’t you think Dani’s able to do that too? It’s been a long time since Linc died. Unlike her

parents,shehasn’tbeenstucklivinginthepast.”

“ButI’mtheguyresponsible.”Aceswallowed.“Ifitweren’tforme,he’dstillbehere.Youdon’t

thinkshecarriesthatwithhereverytimeshelooksatme?Howlongbeforesherealizesshecan’tgoon
makinglovetothepersonwhotookherbrotherfromher?”

“Ididn’tknowLinc,”Rosannasaid.“Youdid.Soyoutellme,whatkindofadvicedoyouthinkhe’d

giveDaniaboutyouifhewerehere?”

“Lincwasallaboutlivinginthemoment,”Acesaid,smilingashethoughtofhisbestfriend.“Ifhe

didn’tdowellonatest,hedidn’tdwellonit.He’dgetoveritandstartplanningforthenextone.Ifagirl
brokeupwithhim,he’dshrugitoffandaskanotheroneout.”

“Sohedidn’tgetcaughtupworryingaboutthepast?”
“No,definitelynot.”
“Washeforgiving?”
“Yeah, absolutely.” Linc had the biggest heart of anyone Ace had ever known. That was why Ace

loved him like a brother, because being around him made him feel like a better person. “He believed
people were entitled to their mistakes…” He knew what Rosanna was getting at, but he couldn’t let
himselfoffthehook.

“DoyouthinkLincwouldforgiveyou?”sheasked,reachingforhishand.“IfithadbeenDaniellein

thatcarwithyouinsteadofhim,wouldheforgiveyouforlettinghistwindie?”

HisbreathingstutteredashetriedtoimagineaworldwithoutDani.“He’dforgiveme.He’dbethe

onetoconvincemetoforgivemyself.”

“Sounds like a smart man.” Rosanna patted his back. “Ace, you’ve been living with this secret a

longtime.Maybeit’stimetobringittolight,don’tyouthink?”

Hewasn’tafraidofthepublicbacklash.Hecoulddealwiththat,buthedidn’twanttohurtDanior

herfamilyanymorethanhealreadyhadbydrawingunwantedattentiontothem.Heknewthepresscould
be relentless. They’d camp out on their doorsteps, begging for photos and a statement. “That’s the last
thingherparentswouldwant.AndwhataboutDani?Youreallythinkshe’dappreciatebeingthecenterof
thatkindofattention?”

“WhatIthink,”Rosannasaid,slowly,“isthatyouallneedclosure.Youneedtounburdenyourself,

notjustforDanielle’ssakebutforyourstoo.Itcan’tfeelgood,livingwiththissecret.”

“No,itdoesn’t.”
“You’ve been through so much,” she said, curling her hand around his. “Everyone loves a good

come-backstory,andIreallydon’tbelievepeoplewouldhateyoubecauseofoneterriblemistakeyou
madewhenyouwereateenager.”

Acewasn’tworriedaboutstrangershatinghim.Hewasworriedabouthurtingtheonepersonhe’d

doanythingtoprotect.

“Partofthereasonyou’renotwithDaniisbecauseshe’stryingtokeepyoursecret.Letherknow

shedoesn’thavetoanymore.”

***

Acecouldn’tgetRosanna’sadviceoutofhishead,soafterthegame,hewasstillinthelockerroom,

sittingonthebenchwithhisheadbowedashetriedtofigureoutwhattodo.

“Hey.”
Acelookeduptoseetheirsecondbaseman,ChaseMiller,comingoutoftheshowerswithtowels

aroundhiswaistandneck.

“Whatareyoustilldoinghere?Ithoughteveryonewenthome,”Chasesaid.

Afteradisappointingone-runloss,mostoftheteamhadbeenanxioustocallitanight,butAcehas

morepressingproblemstodealwith.“Ineededalittletime.”

Chasesmirked.“Isthatyournot-so-subtlewayoftellingmetoleaveyoualone?”
“Youevermakeamistakethatchangedthecourseofyourlife,man?”
Chase’sever-presentsmileslipped,andAceknewhe’dstruckanerve.“Yeah,sure.”
“Butyoudon’tfeelliketalkingaboutit.”Aceknewthefeeling.
Chasegavehimalong,hardlook.“Iletmycareerbecomemoreimportantthanmyfamily.Ilostmy

wifeanddaughterbecauseIwastoobusychasingabigfatpaycheckandthering.”

Chasehadalwaysbeenprettytight-lippedabouthispast,andsinceAcehadhisownskeletons,he’d

respectedhisteammate'sprivacy.

“Youevergetachancetotellyourexyouweresorryforthewaythingswentdown?”IfAcewas

gratefulforonething,itwasthathe’dhadanopportunitytomakeamendswithDani.Evenifheneversaw
heragain,thatgavehimsomepeace.

“Are you kidding?” Chase rolled his eyes. “Jayda hates my guts. She barely looks me in the eye

whenIgotopickupourdaughter.”

Ace could hear the pain lacing his friend’s words and knew he wasn’t the only one living with

regrets.“Soifyouhadittodooveragain,youwouldn’thavecomehere?”

“Man,somethingsaresacred.”Chaseshrugged.“Iloveplayinghere.I’veneverbeenonatighter

team,oronewithmoretalent.Butwhenallofthisisgoneandmycareerisover,I’llbealone.That’sa
toughpilltoswallow.”

Their team had gone all the way to the seventh game in the final last year, and everyone believed

they’d take it this year, the big prize every ball player waited his whole life for. Like Chase, Ace’s
teammateswerehisfamilybecausetheyspentsomuchtimeworkingtowardacommongoal.ButChase
wasright.Whenitwasover,itwasover.Teammatesremainedfamilyonlyaslongastheyworethesame
uniform.Afterthat,itwaseverymanforhimself.ButChasewasthirty-threeandoneofthefittestguyson
theteam.Uppermanagementwantedhimaroundforagood,longwhile.

“You’vegotafewyearslefttofigureitout,right?”
“Idon’tknowaboutthat.”Chaseopenedhislockerandlookedatapictureofhimselfwithalittle

angelrestingherchinonhisshoulder,hertinyarmswrappedaroundhisneckassheplantedakissonhis
cheek.“Weallthinkwehaveplentyoftime.Thenbeforeweknowit,we’resittingaroundinsomebar,
washed-uphas-beensboringpeoplewithstoriesaboutourglorydays.”

Aceconsideredwhatwouldhappentohimattheendofhiscareer.UnlikeRowan,hedidn’thavea

goodwomantogohometoorthepromiseofafamilytolookforwardto.Hehadanemptyhouseandtoo
muchtimeonhishands.

“Sohere’sthedeal,”Acesaid,needinganobjectiveopiniontohelphimdecideifhewasaboutto

makethebiggestmistakeofhislife.“You’veprobablyheardIdidtimeformanslaughterbackintheday.”
Itwasn’tasecretamongsthisteammatesormanagement,butnooneevertalkedaboutit.

“Yeah,Iheardsomethingaboutthat,”Chasesaid,reachingintohistoiletriesbagforacomb.“ButI

figureditwasnoneofmybusiness,soIdidn’task.”

Ace appreciated his friend’s attempt to respect his privacy, but keeping the secret no longer felt

right.“Iwasadumbasskiddrivingdrunk,andmybestfriendhoppedinthecarwithmeafteraparty.”

“I’mashamedtoadmitI’vebeenthere,”Chasesaid.“Iwasdraftedoutofcollege.Thoseweresome

crazydays.”

Itfeltgoodtoknowhewasn’ttheonlyonewho’dmadethatmistake,butnothingwoulderaseAce’s

guilt.Itwasapartofhimnow.“Needlesstosay,wecrashedandmybuddydied.”

“I’msorry,Ace.”
Acehunghishead.Noonecouldeverbeassorryashewas.“Hewasn’tjustmybestfriend,”he

said,thenclearedhisthroat.“Hewasmygirlfriend’stwinbrothertoo.”

“Thatsucks.”
“Yeah, it did.” Ace stared straight ahead at the closed locker doors. “My life changed that night.

Noneofmyplansmatteredanymore.I’dtakenalife.Ididn’tfeelIdeservedtohaveoneofmyown.”

“What happened to change your mind?” Chase slipped into a button-down shirt after combing his

damphair.“Imean,youhadtofighttogethere.Wealldid.Sohow’dyougetthewilltofightback?”

“IguessIrealizedIowedittoLinctoatleasttrytolivethedream.”Chaserubbedhispalmwithhis

thumb.“Baseballwashisdreamtoo.Hewantedtobeheremorethananything.Sosittinginthatjailcell,I
realizedIhadtwochoices:pissmytalentawayormakeitcountforsomething.”

“Iheardaboutthescholarshipyousetup,”Chasesaid.“Thatwasforyourfriend?”
“Yeah.”
But suddenly it wasn’t enough. Ace wanted people to know Linc’s name, to hear his story. He

wantedtotalktohighschoolkidswhomightmakethesamemistakeheandLinchadmadethatnight,to
maybereachthembeforeitwastoolate.HewantedLinc’sfacetoflashacrossahugescreeninsomegym
sokidscouldseehim,hearhisstory,andknowthathehadbeenjustlikethembeforehemadethatone
mistake.

“I’mgoingtogopublicwithmystory.TalkaboutthefactthatIdrovedrunk,didtime,andwhatit

costthevictim’sfamily.”HenolongerneededtoaskChasewhetheritwastherightcall.Heknewitwas.

“That’s a brave thing to do. You gonna talk to management before you plan a press conference

though?”

“Yeah,I’lltellthem.”Buttherewasnothinganyonecouldsayordototalkhimoutofit.Itwastime

forAcetofacehispast.

ChapterThirteen

Daniwassittingwithabowlofpopcornbetweenherlegs,watchingherfavoritesitcom,whenherphone
rangtoletherknowshehadavisitor.Shestaredathercordless,debatingwhethertoanswer.Itwasafter
teno’clockandshedidn’tfeellikecompany,butshereachedout,sensingshe’dregretitifshedidn’t.

“Hello?”
“Dani.”
Herhearthammeredasshesetthebowlonthetable.Shehadn’theardhisvoiceinweeks,butshe’d

knowitanywhere.“Ace?”

“CanIcomeup?Weneedtotalk.”
“Sure.”
DanipushedthebuttononherphonetograntaccessasshereachedfortheremotetoturnofftheTV.

Lickingherlips,sheboundedoffthecouchandrantotheantiquemirrorhangingbyherdoor.

“Oh God,” she moaned, running her hands through her hair before swiping at the streaks of liner

smudgedunderhereyes.“I’mamess.”

Beforeshehadtimetorunintothebedroomandchangeoutofhercut-offsweatsandpinktank,he

wasknockingonherdoor.

“Damnit,”shewhispered,takingadeepbreathasshesquaredhershoulders.
As soon as she opened the door, he said, “Hey, I’m sorry to stop by so late. We had an afternoon

gameandIhadtohangbacktotalkto—”

“Noworries,”sheblurted,swallowingasshesteppedbacktoinvitehimin.“Iwasjusthangingout,

watchingsomeTV.”

Hesteppedinside,crowdingherwhenshedidn’ttakeastepback.“I’vemissedyou,Dani.”
Sheclosedhereyes,inhalinghispainfullyfamiliarscent.“Imissedyoutoo.It’sgoodtoseeyou.”

Evenifshehadnoideawhathewasdoingthere.

“How’veyoubeen?”Hisvoicewasahuskywhisperashecontinuedinvadingherpersonalspace.
Shethoughtoflying,butheardherselfadmitthetruth.“I’vebeenbetter.”
“Metoo.”
Shefoundthathardtobelieve,sincehisteamwasonaseason-highwinningstreakthathadallthe

sportsanalyststalkingabouttheirchancestowintheWorldSeriesthisyear.

“So…”Shebitherlip,lookingupathimasshetriedtogaugewhetherhewantedtokissherasmuch

asshewantedtobekissed.“Whatbringsyouby?”

Heglancedathersofa,hiseyesskimmingthethrowshe’dlaidacrossherbarelegstocounteractthe

airconditioning.“Canwesitdownforaminute?Iwon’tstaylong.”

Iwishyouwould.Allnight,maybe?“Sure,comeonin.CanIgetyouadrinkor—”
“No,thanks.I’mgood.”
Shedecidedtotakethecouchafterhesettledinanarmchair.“Youguyshavebeenplayingsowell.

Congratsonthewinningstreak.”

“Thanks.”Hesmiled.“You’vebeenwatchingthegames?”
“EverychanceIget.IforgothowmuchImissedit.”
“Anytimeyouwanttickets,justletmeknow.”
“Thanks.”Theyweremakingsmalltalkwhenitwasclearhehadsomethingheavyweighingonhim.

“ButI’msureyoudidn’tcomeheretotalkbaseball.”

“No.”Heleanedforward,claspinghishandsbetweenhisknees.“Uh,I’vedecidedtocallapress

conferencetomorrow,andbeforeitallgoesdown,Iwantedyoutoknow.”

Shehadafeelingsheknewwhatheplannedtoreveal,butshehadtohearhimsaythewords.“Ifit’s

abouttheaccident—”

“It’s about the stupid mistake I made that night,” he said, looking her in the eye. “It’s about the

people I hurt and the lives I changed. People think I’m some hero, and I’m not. It’s time they know the
truth.”

“You don’t have to do this,” she said, grabbing his forearm. “You’ve done the time, Maceon. You

don’toweanyoneanything.”

“Yes,Ido.”Helookeddownatherhand.“Ioweyouandyourparentsapublicapologyfortaking

Lincfromyou.Ioweittoeverykidwholooksuptome.Ioweittoeveryhighschoolorcollegekidwho
eventhinksaboutgettingbehindthewheelafterthey’vebeendrinking.”

Ifshe’dhadanydoubtsthatAcehadlearnedfromhismistakes,thiswouldhaveobliteratedthem.

But she knew his motive wasn’t to impress her. He was serious about making amends and making a
difference,ifhecould.

“Ithinkwhatyouwanttodoisveryadmirable.Butmaybeyoushouldwaituntiltheoff-season.You

don’tneedthiskindofdistractionduringtheregularseason,andneitherdoyourteammates.”

“I’ve thought about that,” he said, nodding, “what this will do to them, but those guys are my

brothers.Ihonestlybelievethey’llsupportmeifIdothisnow.”

“IsthisbecauseofMike’sthreats?”
“HejustgavemethepushIneededtocomeclean.”
Daniwouldneverforgiveherex-fiancéforusingapainfulchapterofherlifetoblackmailherand

someoneshecaredabout.“Ihatethathe’swinning,”shesaid,sinkingbackintothecushionswithasigh.

“He’s not winning. We are. Or at least I am. I get to unburden myself finally. I get to publicly

apologizetoyouandyourfamilyandhopefullyhelpsomeotherpeopleintheprocess.Idon’texpectyour
parentstoforgiveme.IjustwantthemtoknowhowsorryIam.”

“I really admire what you’re doing.” She couldn’t believe how far they’d come since Rowan and

Tenley’swedding.Then,she’dneverwantedtoseehimagain.Now,thethoughtofnothavinghiminher
lifewasscaryashell.

“Iappreciatethat.”
“So,um,whatdoesthismeanforus?”Whenhedidn’trespond,sherushedon.“I’msorry,thatwas

presumptuous,wasn’tit?It’snotthatIthinkyou’redoingthisforusorme—”

“You’reareallybigpartofthereason.”Hereachedforherhand.“Idon’twanttoseeyougethurt.

Byanyone.Iknowthatifhewenttoyourparents,they’dneverforgiveyouforseeingmeagain.”

“You’renottheonlyonewho’shadtimetothink,youknow.”Ithadbeenalongtimesinceshe’dlaid

herheartontheline,butsincehewasriskingsomuch,shefeltitwasonlyfairshedothesame.“Ihave
too.I’vethoughtabouthowmuchI’veletmyparentsinterfereinmylife.”

“You’rejusttryingtobeagooddaughter.Icanunderstandthat.AfterwhathappenedtoLinc—”
“It must be terrible to lose a child,” she said, raising her hand to stop him. “I get that. I’m not

diminishingwhatthey’vebeenthrough.ButI’mtiredoflivingmylifeforthem.”

“Idon’tunderstand.”
“Yes, you do.” She’d always been the good girl, while her brother had been the wild child who

alwayschallengedtheirparents.“Ineverwantedtoupsetthemorgivethemcausetoworryaboutme.I
didastheyaskedandneverstoppedtoaskmyselfwhatIwanted.Untilrecently.”Shelookedhiminthe
eye,terrifiedhewouldtellheritwastoolate.“Iwantyou.”

Heblewoutaslowbreathbeforerunningashakyhandoverhishead.“Wow,Ididn’texpectthat.”
“Iguesstheonlyquestionishowyoufeel.”Sheinchedforwardonthesofa,holdingherbreathas

shesilentlyprayedhewouldreachouttoher.“Doyouwantmetoo?”

“YouknowIdo.But…”
Herentirebodytensedasshewaitedforhimtolistallofthereasonsitcouldneverwork.
“Irefusetobethereasonyou’remiserable.”
“How can you think that?” she asked, rubbing her forehead. “Haven’t you heard a word I said? I

wantyou—”

“That’swhatyousaynow.Buthowareyougoingtofeelafewyearsfromnowwhenyourparents

aren’tspeakingtoyouandyougetacallfromsomehospitallettingyouknowthatoneofthemhasbeen
takeninwithsomeemergency?”

She understood his concern, but he didn’t seem to understand that she had a mind of her own and

wasdeterminedtomakeherownchoices,nomatterwhoagreedordisagreedwiththem.“Thatwouldbe
horrible,butitdoesn’thavetobethatway.Theycouldstillhavearelationshipwithme,iftheychoseto.”

“But you know they won’t want anything to do with you if you’re seeing me. They’ll see it as a

betrayal.”

“Thenthat’stheirproblem,isn’tit?”Shewantedtoshakehim,tomakehimseethattheycouldbe

incredible together, even better than before, if they were brave enough to let their past and all of the
peopleholdingthemback…go.

“Itwouldbeyourproblemtoo,Dani.Let’sbehonest.Youneedthemjustasmuchastheyneedyou.”
She considered whether that was true. Her parents had always been a part of her life, with the

exceptionofthepastmonth.They’dneverfoughtbecauseshe’dneverchallengedthem.Earlyon,they’d
taughthertherulesandshe’dalwaysfollowedthem.

“Idon’twanttoplaythegameanymore,”shesaid,thinkingcarefullyabouttherepercussionsofher

actions.“Notbytheirrules.Iftheywantarelationshipwithme,they’llhavetoacceptthatI’manadult
withthefreedomtomakemyownchoices.AndIintendtotellthemthat,firstchanceIget.”

“Please,”hesaid,leaningforwardandcaressingherface,“don’tdothisforme.Icouldn’tlivewith

myselfifIcostyouarelationshipwithyourparents.”

She held his hand against her face, relishing the physical contact. “The only thing you’ve done is

helpmefindmyway.You’vehelpedmetomakedecisionsIshouldhavemadeyearsago.”

“They’ll accuse you of being disloyal.” He looked tortured as his eyes moved over her face as

thoughhewaslookingforsomesignofindecisiononherpart.“Ofchoosingmeoverthem.”

“Then they would be wrong,” she said, smiling to reassure him. “I’m choosing to have a life.

Something they seem unable or unwilling to do. Who knows? Maybe seeing me happy will make them
realizeit’spossibleforthemtoo.”

“Youdon’thonestlybelievethat,doyou?”Heshookhishead.“Idon’tseehowyoubeingwithme

couldbeapositivethingforyourparentsinanyway.”

“Theylovedyouonce,”sheremindedhim.“Theycalledyoutheirotherson.”
Hegrimaced.“That’swhathurtssomuchaboutthis.I’vegiventhemreasontohateme.”
“Theychosetohateyou,”shesaid,grippinghischinandbringinghiseyesbacktohers.“Theycould

havemadeadifferentchoice.Forgiveness.”

“Isthatwhatyoucanhonestlygiveme?Forgiveness?”
“Youwouldn’tbeherewithmenowifIhadn’tforgivenyou.Iwouldn’thavemadelovetoyou,and

Isureashellwouldn’thavespenteverywakingmomentofthepastseveralweeksmissingyouifIhadn’t
forgivenyou.Ace,Iwantyouinmylife.Iwanttoleavethepastbehindus.It’sassimpleasthat.”

Hebrushedhislipsacrosshers.“There’snothingsimpleaboutthis,andyouknowit.”
“We’llneverforgetmybrother.”Shebrushedherthumboverhislowerlipashergazetrackedthe

action. “We’ll keep his memory alive. We’ll talk about him, laugh about the crazy things he did, and
commemorate the special events, like his birthday.” She smiled in an attempt to diminish his sadness.
“Justbecausehe’sgonedoesn’tmeanwehavetostoplovinghim,right?”

“Right.”Heloweredhishead,hissofthairgrazingherface.
“And he loved both of us. That’s how I know he’d want us to be happy… together. He’d hate

knowingthathisdeathtoreusapart.”

“Therewasnowayforustogetpastitbackthen.”Hehauledherintohislapbeforeburyinghisface

inthecrookofherneck.“Therewastoomuchhurt,toomuchangerandblame.”

“Andweweretooyoung.”Shethoughtofeverythingshe’dlostduringthattime.ThelossAceknew

about,andthelosshedidn’t.“Tooimmaturetoworkthroughthosekindsofrawemotions.Butwe’renot
now.”

“It’snotgoingtobeeasy,youknow.”Hishandmovedupherthigh.“Thingsarestillgoingtocome

up.Therewillbealotofresidualfeelingsthatwehavetoworkthrough.You’reprobablystillgoingto
wanttolashoutatmefromtimetotime.”

“Are you saying you don’t have any lingering anger toward me?” She curled her hand around his

neckwhenhelookedather.“I’mnotblamelessinallofthis.Iinstigatedthefightwithyouthatnight.I
toldmybrothertolookoutforyou.Thenafterward,Icutyouoff,refusedtotalktoyouorseeyououtside
ofthatcourtroom.Ididn’tgotothehospitaltocheckonyouorcallyourparentstotellthemhowsador
sorryIwasthatyou’dhavetospendyearsinprison.”Herheartstillhurteverytimeshethoughtofhis
parents and how close she’d once been to them. “They’d already lost one son. Then they had to lose
another,atleastforalittlewhile.Theywerelikefamilytome,andIcutthemoff,justlikeIcutyouoff.
You’renotangryaboutthat?”Sheknewinhisposition,shewouldhavebeen.

“I never blamed you for a damn thing,” he whispered, his voice harsh and laced with frustration.

“Andneitherdidthey.”

“Doyouthinkthey’dbewillingtoseeme?”
Hisheadsnappedbackashecurledhishandaroundhers.“Why?”
“Ihavesomeunfinishedbusinesswiththem.IfI’mgoingtobeintheirson’slifeagain,IfeellikeI

shouldexplainmyselftothem.”

“Youdon’thavetoexplainanythingtothem.Whathappensbetweenusisbetweenus.Endofstory.

MyparentswillsupportanydecisionImake.”

Andsheenviedhimsomuchforhavingparentswhowouldloveandsupporthimnomatterwhathe

saidordid.

“If my parents do disown me for this,” she said, feeling the pain that accompanied that very real

possibility,“Imayneedasetofsurrogates.”Shesmiledtolethimknowshewasteasing.Shedidn’tknow
iftheirrelationshipwouldeverbeseriousenoughforhisparentstoofficiallybecomeherfamily.

“Youknowthey’dlovethat.”
“ThenIcangoseethem?”
“Ofcourseyoucan.Butyoudon’thaveto.”

“Aretheystillinthesamehouse?”
Hesmirked.“Yeah,theyrefusedtoleaveevenwhenIofferedtobuythemoneofthosefancynew

placesonthegolfcourse.”

Shelovedthathewantedtotakecareofhisparents,justashe’doncetriedtotakecareofher.“Do

youwantmetobeatthepressconference?”

Hestaredatherindisbelief.“Youwouldhonestlyconsiderthat?”
“Of course I would.” She kissed him, smiling against his lips. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for

you.”

“Dani…”Heheldherfaceashereleasedashakybreath.“Itmaybewaytoosoontosaythis,but

I’mfalling—”

She kissed him, cutting off his declaration. She felt the same way, but until they came clean about

everything,shedidn’tfeelconfidenthearingorsayingthosethreelittlewords.

ChapterFourteen

Acehadsatinfrontofdozensofreporterscountlesstimesinhiscareer,butalwaystotalkaboutbaseball.
Andneverwiththewomanhelovedsittinginthebackoftheroom.HecouldhavetoldDanithetruthlast
night—thathe’dneverstoppedlovingher—buthewantedtoeaseherintoitinsteadofscaringheraway
byadmittingtheintensityofhisfeelingsforher.

She’dconfessedthatsheintendedtovisitherparentsandhisafterthepressconference,tohopefully

wipetheslatecleansotheycouldstarttheirnewrelationshipwithnosecrets.Headmiredhercourage,
butheprayedherparentswouldn’tmakeitimpossibleforthemtofindhappiness.

“Thankyouallforcoming,”Acesaid,adjustingthemicrophone.“Iknowyou’reprobablyexpecting

metotellyouthatwe’veworkedoutmycontractextension.”

Whenheandhisteamhadn’tbeenabletocometotermspriortotheregularseason,he’dtoldthem

he didn’t want to negotiate until after the post-season. But reporters had been speculating, given the
season he was putting together, that he was trying to add more zeroes to his paycheck by delaying the
contracttalks.Thatcouldn’tbefurtherfromthetruth.Hewantedadealmorenowthanever.

“But I’ve asked you all here to talk about something of a personal nature.” He looked around the

room.Therewerenonew,freshyoungfaces.Heknewallofthesepeople,hadbrokenbreadwiththem,
and maintained a friendly and conciliatory relationship borne of mutual respect. He hoped they would
understandthathewasabouttodooneofthehardest,scariestthingshe’deverdoneinhislife.“WhenI
wasateenager,Imadeamistakethatwouldchangethecourseofmylife.”

Ace’seyesmetDani’s,andhecouldfeelherloveandsupportacrossthefeetthatseparatedthem.

They’dspentthenighttogetherlastnight,makingloveandreinforcingtheirbond.Hewasgratefulforthat
now,whenheneededherstrengthmorethanever.

Hisagentnodded,encouraginghimtocontinue.WhenAcehadtoldtheteambrasswhatheintended

to do, they’d been shocked but ultimately told him to do what he felt was right and they would stand
behindhim.

“Idrovedrunk.”Awaveofshockmovedthroughthesmallgroupbeforeheadded,“AndItookmy

bestfriend’slife.”Heallowedtheroomtoquietbeforehecontinued.“Iwaschargedwithmanslaughter
andlockedup.RecordsweresealedbecauseIwasajuvenile,ifyou’rewonderinghowthishasremained
asecretforsolong.

“I’velivedwithshameandguiltandpaineverydaysinceithappened,butthat’snothingcompared

towhatIputLinc’sfamilythrough.Theylostasonandabrotherthatday,andnothingIsayordohere
todaywillbringhimback.IknowIcan’tmakeupforwhatIdid,butstartingascholarshipinLinc’sname
wasonesmallwayformetokeephismemoryaliveandgivesomedeservingkidsachanceatabetter
life.”

Whenhandsflewuparoundtheroom,Acenoddedathisagent,indicatingthathewasreadytotake

questions.

“Ace,whyareyoutalkingaboutthisnow?”askedalong-timesportsreporterwithoneofthelocal

dailynewspapers.

“It’s time.” His eyes landed on Dani again, who gave him a slight, reassuring nod. “Time to take

ownership. Time to stop living with this secret. Time to apologize to the people I hurt. Time to try to
preventothersfrommakingthesamemistakeIdid.IfIcan.”

He wasn’t naïve. He knew high school and college kids would always feel invincible. They’d

alwaysbelievetheyweretheexceptiontotherule.Theonewhowouldn’tgethurtorcaught.Butifhis
storycouldtouchonekid,makehimorherthinktwiceaboutgettingbehindthewheelafterdrinkingor
gettingintoacarwithsomeonewhohadbeen,itwouldbeworthit.

“Whydidn’tyouwait‘tiltheoff-seasontotalkaboutthis,Ace?”anotherreporterasked.
Hecouldn’twaitanothersixmonthstosaythethingsheshouldhavesaidyearsago.“LikeIsaid,

thisfeltliketherighttime.Idon’twantthistodetractfromourseasoninanyway.Theguysareworking
hardtomakethisourbestseasoninfranchisehistory.Butthisisimportanttoo,thismessage.”

“Whatmessageisthat?”aprettyblondreporterasked.
“Callacab.Walk.UsepublictransitoryourUberapp.”Heknewitsoundedsimplisticanditwasa

messagevariousorganizationshadbeentryingtogetoutforyears.Heonlyhopedhisvoicecouldreach
thosekids,orevenadults,inawaytheothershadfailed.“Sleepitoff.Whateverittakes.Justdon’tdrive
drunkorrideinacarwithsomeonewhois.”

“Ace,” a young reporter asked, “are you worried about the effect this announcement will have on

yourcontractnegotiationsattheendoftheseason?”

“I’mnotthinkingaboutthatnow,”hesaidhonestly.“I’mhopingtobeabletostayhere,butobviously

ifthatdoesn’tworkout,I’llgowhereverI’mwantedorneeded.Themostimportantthingtomeisbeing
abletoplaybaseball.”

HemadeeyecontactwithDaniandhecouldtellshewasprocessinghiswordsatthesametimehe

was.Hehadn’tintendedtomakeitsoundlikehiscareerwastheonlythingthatmatteredtohim,butthat
wasobviouslyherassumptionashewatchedherslipoutthedoor.

***

Danirangherparents’doorbell.Forthefirsttimeinherlife,shewasn’tsureshe’dbeawelcome

guest.

Herfatherscowledwhenheopenedthedoor.“IguessIdon’thavetoaskwhatyou’redoinghere.”
“MayIcomein?I’dliketotalktoyouandMomaboutwhathappenedtoday.”
Hesteppedback,holdingthedooropenforher.“Yourmotherisinthekitchen.Baking.Youknow

that’swhatshedoeswhenevershe’supset.”

Whichexplainedwhybothofherparentshadgainedfortypoundssinceherbrother’sdeath.
“Hi, Mom.” Dani stood in the door of the kitchen, remembering casual family dinners around that

table. This house was still the hardest place for her to be, the home of most of her memories with her
twin.“Doyouhaveaminutetotalk?”

“Whyhaven’tyoucalled?”sheasked,narrowinghereyesasshewipedherdamphandsontheapron

tiedaroundherwaist.“Wethoughtyouwerestillmadatus.”

“I’mnotmad.Ineverwas.Iwasjustfrustratedandconfused.”Shestillwas.EspeciallyafterAce’s

pressconference.“Ineededsometimetothink.Ithoughtmaybeyouguysdidtoo.”Shesatatherusual
spotatthevintagewoodentableandfoldedherhands.

“Idon’tknowwhyyoustormedoutofhereonmybirthday,”herfathersaid,stillscowlingashesat

attheheadofthetable.“Whatgotintoyou?”

Daniknewsheshouldn’tbesurprisedtheytriedtomaketheirargumentherfault.That’swhatthey

alwaysdidwhentheydidn’twanttoacceptresponsibilityforaproblem.“Mymessageisthesamenow
asitwasthen,Dad,”shesaid,lookinghimintheeyeasshetriedtobreathe.“Mylifeismyown.Igetto
makemyowndecisions,whetherornotyouagreewiththem.IfImakemistakes,sobeit.I’lldealwith
theconsequences.”

HermotherproppedafistonherhipassheturnedtofaceDani.“Youmeanlikebreakingupwith

Michaeljustbecause—”

“No, that wasn’t a mistake,” Dani said. “In fact, that was one of the best decisions I could have

made.Noregretsthere.”

“Idon’twanttorehashthat,”herfathersaid,raisinghishand.“Yousaidyoucametotalkaboutwhat

happenedtoday?”

“Idid.”Sheknewthiswouldbe,byfar,thehardestpart,butshewasdeterminedtostandherground.

“Idon’tknowifyousawit,butIwasatAce’spressconference.Iheardeverywordhesaid,andforthe
record,Ibelievedhim.”

Hermothergasped,flatteningherhandagainstherheavingchest.“Youwerethere?How?Why?”
“Heinvitedme.”Shesatcalmly,waitingforthequestionstostartflying.
“Heinvitedyou?”herfatherasked,leaningforward.“You’renottellingmethatyouandhe…that

you two…” He shook his head, paling. “No, you wouldn’t do that to us. You wouldn’t disrespect your
brother’smemorythatway.”

Dani knew they would eventually find a way to make her feel guilty about Linc, but she’d come

preparedtocombattheirargument.“Mybrotherwouldwantmetobehappy.Ijustdon’tunderstandwhy
youdon’twantthatforme.”

Herparentsopenedtheirmouthsbeforesnappingthemclosedalmostsimultaneously,glaringather.
“Howcanyousaythat?”hermotherasked.“We’velovedandsupportedyouallyourlife.Andthis

isthethanksweget?”

Justbreathe.Inthroughthenose,outthroughthemouth.“You’velovedandsupportedmeaslong

as I was playing by your rules. As soon as I stopped doing that, I realized how conditional your love
was.”

“Is he the one filling your head with these crazy ideas?” her dad asked, slamming his hand on the

table.“Itwasn’tenoughhetookoursonaway?Nowhehastotakeourbabygirltoo?”

Tears filled Dani’s eyes, but she was determined to say her piece before she lost her nerve. “It

doesn’thavetobethatway.Unlessyou’redeterminedtomakemechoosebetweenyouandbuildingalife
formyself.”

“Wouldthislifeincludehim?”hermotherasked,standingbehindherhusband’schairasshefolded

herarms.

“Idon’tknowyet.Itmight.”
“Then get out,” her father said, curling his hand around his wife’s when she placed it on his

shoulder.

Danigapedatthem.“Youwouldseriouslycutalltieswithmebecauseofthis?”
“Ifyouwouldevenconsidersleepingwiththatmanagain,”hermotherseethed,“afterwhathedidto

this family, you deserve to be on your own. And you will be, you know. All alone. Because there’s no
chancehe’dstickaround.Youheardwhathesaidinthatpressconferencetoday.He’llsellhissoultothe
highestbidder,Danielle.Andwheredoesthatleaveyou?Outinthecold.He’lldoexactlywhathedid
before,leaveyoualone…andpregnant.”

***

“Areyousureyou’reokay?”Roasked,dippingherhandintothehalf-emptypopcornbowlasthey

watchedthepost-gameanalysis.“You’vebeenkindofquietallnight.”

“Sorry,IwarnedyouIwouldn’tbegreatcompany,”Danisaid,reachingforherwineglass.“Butyou

wantedtostay.”

“You’remybestfriend.WhereelsewouldIbewhenyou’reinthemiddleofacrisis?”
“Iwouldn’tsaythisisacrisis,”Danisaid,tryingtoquashherrisingpanic.
“Howcanyousaythat?”sheasked,settingthebowlonthecoffeetable.“Yourparentsbasicallytold

youtheyneverwanttoseeyouagain.Yourboyfriendtoldthepressthathecouldbeleavingthecityina
fewmonths—”

“Aceisn’tmyboyfriend.”Ifhewas,hewouldhavetalkedtoherabouthiswillingnesstoleavetown

insteadofblurtingitoutlikethattoaroomfulofstrangers.Sheandeveryotherbaseballfaninthecity
knew he would be a free agent at the end of the season, but she just assumed he’d want to stay…
especiallynowthattheywereseeingeachotheragain.

“Ifthatweretrue,youwouldn’thavesacrificedyourrelationshipwithyourfamilyforanothershot

withhim.”

“ItoldmyparentsaboutmeandAceafterthepressconference,remember?Ididn’tdoitforhimor

ourrelationship.Ididitbecauseit’stimeformyparentstorealizetheydon’tgettomakeallmydecisions
forme.Iftheycan’tdealwiththat,I’mbetteroffnothavingtheminmylife.”

“Sweetie,thinkaboutwhatyou’resaying,”Rosannaargued,grippingDani’sshoulder.“They’reyour

parents.Theonlyfamilyyouhaveleft…”Shesmiledtosoftentheblow.“Asidefromme.Doyoureally
wanttopickthisbattlewiththem?”

“Yes.” Dani couldn’t pretend their disapproval didn’t hurt. It did. A lot. But that didn’t mean she

regrettedherdecision.Shehadwalkedoutofherchildhoodhomewithherheadheldhigh,readytoput
herpastandallofthebadmemoriesthathadbeendraggingherdownbehindher.

“Okay,sowhatnow?”
“I don’t know.” She hadn’t had time to think about her next step, though she knew living in limbo

untiltheendofthebaseballseasonwasn’tanoption.

Dani’sphonebeeped,andRosannalungedforit.“It’sAce.Hesayshewantstostopbylater.”
“Tell him…” Dani wasn’t sure what to tell him. She wanted to see him. She knew they needed to

talk,butshedidn’tknowwhattosay.

“Done.”
“Hey!”Danisaid,snatchingherphonesoshecouldreadthetextherfriendhadsentonherbehalf.

“Whydidyoudothat?I’mnotsureI’mreadytotalk.”

Ro rolled her eyes. “I know you. You’ll analyze this to death before deciding you can’t have a

relationship with a guy who may not stick around. Even though you’re crazy about him.” Between
munchesofpopcorn,sheadded,“Eventhoughhetattooedhisnameonyourassyearsago.”

“Hedidnot!”
Ro laughed, slapping Dani’s knee. “He may as well have. He made you his back then, whether

you’rewillingtoadmititornot.”

Insteadofdenyingit,Danichewedtheinsideofherlip.“I’mnotsurehe’sgoodforme.I’mnotsure

we’regoodforeachother.”

“Whydoyousaythat?Hemakesyouhappy,doesn’the?”
Healsohadthepotentialtomakehermiserable.“Ineverexpectedanothershotwithhim.”

ShestaredattheTVscreen,listeningtothecommentatorsdiscussthereasonsAcewascommanding

morezeroeswitheachpassingweek.He’dmadesomeincredibledefensiveplaystosaverunsinrecent
games.Hewasonanunprecedentedhittingstreak…

“Whatifheleavesagain?”shewhispered,givinglifetoherbiggestfear.“Iknowhehadnochoice

lasttime,buthedidleavemeallalonewith—”

“Ababy.”
Dani’seyesflewtoherfriend’s.Asidefromherparents,Rowastheonlypersonwhoknewabout

hermiscarriage.Shehadn’tnamednameswhentheydiscussedthefather,butRoknewtheboywhogot
herpregnantwasherhighschoolboyfriend,thesameonewho’dgoneawayforkillingherbrother.

“Hecanneverknowaboutthat.”Dani’seyesfilledwithtearsassherelivedthepainofsittinginthe

hospitalemergencyroomallalone,cramping,bleeding,andscaredtodeath.

“Whynot?Maybeifyoutoldhimaboutthebaby,he’dunderstandwhyyouneedhimtoputyoufirst

thistime.”

“Ican’taskhimtodothat,”shesaid,shakingherhead.“Baseballishislife.Italwayshasbeen.”
“It’snotlikeyou’reaskinghimtogiveitup.Justfindawaytostayhere.”
“That’snothisdecisiontomake.”
“That’s bullshit, and you know it. They’d give anything to keep him here. The only question is

whetherornottheycanaffordhim.Hecanholdoutforthebigpaycheck,orhecanputthisinperspective
andrealizethathe’salreadymademoremoneythanhe’lleverspend.”

Dani had never known Ace to be money-hungry or greedy, but perhaps he had reasons she didn’t

understandforentertainingotheroffers.“Iwon’taskhimtoconsidermeinhisdecision.Ican’t.Hehasto
dowhathefeelsisrightforhim.”

“Whyareyoudoingthis?”Rodemanded,uncurlingherlegsassheperchedontheedgeofthesofa,

facingDani.“Whyareyouintentionallysabotagingthisrelationship?”

“I’mnot.”
“Likehellyou’renot!”Sheclosedhereyesbeforeblowingoutabreath.“It’slikeyou’retryingto

drivehimaway.Why?”

NoonehadeverhurtherthewayAcehad,andshewasn’tsureshewasstrongenoughtoendurethat

kindofpainagain.“Iknewtheboyheusedtobe.Idon’tknowthemanheis.”Shewaswaitingforher
friendtocallbullshitagain,butwhenshedidn’t,Daniadded,“Backthen,Iwouldhavetrustedhimwith
mylife,butthingsaredifferentnow.He’sdifferent.”

“Why? Because he’s some hotshot baseball player with a big-ass contract and groupies throwing

themselvesathimineverycity?”

“That’spartofthereason.”Before,he’djustbeenherMaceon.Whenhetoldherhelovedher,she

believedhim.Whenhepromisedshecouldtrusthim,shehadnoreasontoquestionit.She’dbeenyoung
andinexperienced,unawareofthepainhecouldcauseher.

“Tellme,whatelseisholdingyoubackthen?”
“Nothing.”Shepulledherkneesuptoherchest,curlingherarmsaroundherlegs.“Everything.”
“Gee,thanksforclearingthatup.”
“AfterAcewentaway,IsworeI’dneverletanyonehurtmelikethatagain.”Sherestedherheadin

thecircleofherarmsasshestaredatRo.“IpromisedmyselfI’dnevergiveamanthatkindofpower
again.”

“That’swhyyouwentforMike,becauseifheliedtoyouorcheatedonyouorwalkedaway,you

wouldn’tbecrushed?”

“I was crushed.” When Ro’s look challenged her, she said, “Okay, maybe I wasn’t crushed. But I

was—”

“Relieved,that’swhatyouwere.Itgaveyouawayout,andthatwaswhatyou’dbeenlookingfor.

Youdidn’twanttomarryhimbecauseyoudidn’tlovehim.Butyoudidwantsomeonetomakeyoufeel
safe,someoneyoucouldbelongto,whowouldbelongtoyou.”

“That’s not true.” Dani looked around her small condo. It wasn’t much, but she’d worked hard to

earnit,justlikeeverythingelseinherlife.“Ididn’tneedhim—”

“That’stheproblem,”Rosaidquietly.“Youdidn’tneedhim.Ifyouloveandtrustsomeoneenoughto

marrythem,you’resupposedtoneedthem.Yourheartissupposedtohurtwhenyouthinkaboutnothaving
theminyourlife.”

Dani closed her eyes as she tried to picture life without Ace. It wasn’t hard. She’d had plenty of

practice.“You’reright,”shesaid,feelingatearslipdownhercheek.“I’mdifferentwithhim.Better.”

“Iknowthat.”RocurledherhandaroundDani’sforearm.“That’swhyI’mbeggingyoutogivehima

chance.Idon’twanttoseeyougobacktothewayyouwere,justgoingthroughthemotionsandnotreally
livingorgivingloveachance.”

Danihuggedherfriend.“Thanksforalwaysbeinghereforme.”
“Hey,Icouldsaythesametoyou.”

ChapterFifteen

Ace talked to his parents, who told him Dani hadn’t come to visit them as planned. Something had
happened to change her mind. He just didn’t know if it was the meeting with her family or his press
conference.Orboth.Eitherway,ashestoodinfrontofherdoor,poisedtoknock,hewasterrified.He
couldn’tstandthethoughtoflosingheragain,butfeareditmaybeoutofhishands.

Afterknocking,heheldhisbreath,wonderingifhe’dbeenafooltothinktheystoodachanceafter

everythingthey’dbeenthrough.Theyhadn’tbeentwostupidkidswhosimplydriftedapart.He’dtornher
worldapartandtakenoneofthemostimportantpeopleinherlifeawayfromher…forever.Howcould
heaskhertoforgivehimforthat?

“Hi,Maceon.”
Everytimeshesaidhisname,hefeltafloodofemotions,alongwithmemories,thatremindedhimof

thegirlhe’dfalleninlovewith.She’dwhisperedhisnamelikethatthenighthetookhervirginity,attheir
prom when she told him she loved him, when she’d agreed to wear his ring on a chain and be his
girlfriend.

“Howdidyougetinwithoutringingup?”
“Islippedinbehindsomecouple.Theguywasabigbaseballfan.Isignedanautographforhimand

tookacoupleofselfieswiththem.”

“Huh.Somuchforthebenefitsofasecuritybuilding.”
Heignoredthedigandwhispered,“Iwasworriedaboutyou.”Hestrokedhercheekandnotedthe

trackofdriedtears.“CanIcomein?”

“Sure.”Shesteppedback,thenhepulledherintohisarms.
Heheldherforthelongesttime,inhalingdeeply,prayingthiswouldn’tbethelasttimehefelther

armsaroundhim.“Imissedyouatthegametonight.”

“SorryIcouldn’tmakeit.Ihadalotonmymind.”Shepushedagainsthischest,forcinghimtolet

hergo.“Congratsonthewinthough.”ShegesturedtowardtheTV.“Wewatchedit.Itwasagoodgame.
Youplayedgreat.”

“We?”Helookedatthetwoemptywineglasses.“Youhadcompany?”
“Ro.”
Hewasgladshehadn’tbeenalone.Thoughhedidn’tknowRosannaaswellashe’dliketo,itwas

obviousshelovedDaniandonlywantedthebestforher.“Ihopeshedidn’tleaveonmyaccount.”

“No. Her fiancé was going to be home soon. She had to get going.” She closed the door before

wanderingtothecouch.“Youwantaglassofwineorsomething?”

“No,I’mgood.”Thatwasthefirstliehe’dtoldher.Hewasn’tgood.Hewasterrible.“Thanksfor

beingatthepressconferencetoday.Havingyoutherehelped.”

“Itseemsallthepresssincethenhasbeengood,”shesaid,offeringhimaforcedhalf-smile.“Imean,

itdoesn’tseemlikeanyone’sholdingwhathappenedagainstyou.”

“Itfeltgoodtogetitout.”Herolledhisshoulders,wishinghecouldclaimhisloadwaslighter.It

wasn’tandwouldn’tbeuntilheknewheandDaniwereonsolidground.

“Ibetitdid.”
Shestillhadn’tinvitedhimtojoinheronthesofa,sohesatonachair,tryingtorespectherspace.

“Um,Ididn’tgetachancetotalktoyoubeforeyouleftthepressconference.Orbeforethegame.”He’d
triedcallingherhalfadozentimesanditwenttovoicemaileverytime.Histextswentunanswered,with
theexceptionofthelastone.

“Sorryaboutthat.”Shesighed.“LikeIsaid,Ijustneededsometimetothink.”
“Okay.”Hewantedtoaskhowthingshadgonewithherparents,butjudgingbyherdemeanor,itwas

obvious. He wanted to touch her, hold her hand, hug her, something, but she seemed closed off and he
didn’twanttopush.

“Iwenttoseemyparents.”
Finally,theywereacknowledgingtheelephantintheroom.“Howdidthatgo?”
“Like I expected, I guess.” She stared at the TV screen, which was still tuned to the station the

baseball game had been on. “There’s no room in their hearts for understanding or forgiveness.” She
lookedathim,tearspoolinginhereyes.“I’msorry.”

“You’re sorry?” He moved to the sofa slowly, afraid she’d retreat if he got too close. “Babe, you

havenothingtobesorryfor.”Herestedhishandonherleg.“Ididthis.I’mtheonewhoshouldbesorry.”

“Ireallythoughtiftheysawhowmuchyoumeanttome,they’dbewillingtoatleasttrytoputthe

past behind us.” She stared at his hand on her leg. “But I should have known better. With my parents,
thingsareblackorwhite.Goodorbad.There’snoroomforcompromisewiththem.”

Hewasalmostafraidtoask,buthehadtoknow.“Sowheredidyouleavethingswiththem?”
“Wecan’tmoveforward,nottogetherasafamily.”Shetuckedalockofhairbehindherear,refusing

tolookathim.“There’sjustnoway.”

“I’msosorry,Dani.”Itkilledhimtoknowhe’dcontributedtoherpainagain.Itseemednomatter

howmuchhelovedher,itwouldneverbeenoughtomakeupforthehurthe’dcaused.“MaybeIshould
justgo.”

She finally looked at him while inching back and breaking physical contact. “That’s what you do,

isn’tit?Youleave.”

“What?”Shewaslookingathimasthoughhewasastrangershewasafraidtoknow.“Ithoughtyou

wantedmeto—”

“Iwantyoutostay.Evenbackthen,whenIwasangryandhurtandconfused,Istillwantedyouinmy

life.Butyouleftme.Youleftmeallalonetodealwiththeirbitternessandangerwhiletryingtofigureout
howtogoonwithoutthelifeyou’dpromisedme.Withoutyou,withoutmybrother.Ihadnoone,Maceon.
Noone.”

Hefelttheairleavehislungsasheprocessedherwords.“Ithoughtyouwantedmeoutofyourlife,”

hesaid,runningatremblinghandoverhishead.“AfterwhatItookfromyou—”

“Youtook more thanmy brother,” shesaid, running her fingerover the pendantthat hung from her

neck.

Thatwasthefirsttimehe’dspottedit.Thegarnetpendantencasedinalargegoldteardrop,which

he’dgivenherforherseventeenthbirthdaywhenhesworethey’dbetogetherforever.Itwasafewmonths
beforetheaccident,whennothingseemedinsurmountable.

“Ican’tbelieveyoukeptthat,”hesaid,staringatthesimplepieceofjewelryhe’dsavedformonths

tobuybecausehewantedtogivehersomethingspecial,somethingshe’dbeproudtowear.

“Youaren’ttheonlyonewhokeptmementosfromthepast.”Shecurledherdark-red-paintedtoesas

shewrappedherarmsaroundherself.“Ikepteverygiftyouevergaveme,everyletter.”Herexpression

waspained.“EvenyourT-shirt,theoneIusedtosleepin.”

He’d assumed she’d forced herself to forget the good times as her pain and rage eclipsed those

memories.“Ihadnoidea.”

“Because you never asked.” She turned away from him as her tanned skin paled. “There were so

manythingsyoudidn’tknow,somanythingsIwantedtotellyou.Butyounevergavemethechance.You
justcutmeoff,cutmeoutofyourlifelikeIdidn’tevenmatter.”

“IthoughtIwasdoingwhatyouwanted.”He’dlaidonthattwincot,onamattressthatfeltlikeabed

of nails, night after night, thinking about her and desperate to talk to her. “I didn’t want to hurt you any
morethanIalreadyhad.”

“I stayed in that courtroom hoping to make eye contact with you,” she said, sounding miserable.

“Thinkingwithoutmyparentsthere,you’dlookatme,seewhatIwasthinkingandfeeling.”Shesniffled.
“Ithoughtyou’dbeabletoreadmymind,thewayyoualwayshad,andseewhatwasinmyheart.”

Hehadn’tlookedatherbecausehe’dbeenafraidtoseethehatredheexpected.Hehadn’twanted

thattobehisverylastvisionofher.“IguessIwasn’tmanenoughtohandleit,whateveritwas.”

“Whydidyouwanttoseemeagain?”
“Whatdoyoumean?”
“WhydidyouaskTenleyandRowantohavetheirweddingatthehotel?”
“Itoldyou,Iwantedtoapologize,togiveyouachancetoseeLinc’sbox,soyou’dunderstandhow

muchyoumeanttohim.”

Theskingatheredaroundhereyes,herstarepained.“Soyoudidittoeaseyourownconscience?”
“What?No.”Hecouldfeelthingsspirallingoutofcontrol,buthedidn’tknowhowtostopit.“Idid

it for you, because I thought it would help you. Give you some sense of peace or closure or…” He
shruggedwhenhecouldn’tfindthewordstomakeherunderstand.“Idon’tknow.IjustknewIhadtosee
youagain.”

“Whydidyousleepwithmeagain?”
Damn. Her questions weren’t getting any easier. “Because I wanted to. I thought that’s what you

wantedtoo.Areyouregrettingitnow?”

“Afteryourlittleannouncementtoday?HowcanInot?”
“My announcement?” He was tired, drained mentally and physically, but he couldn’t recall saying

anythingthatwouldwarranthermood,except…“Areyoutalkingaboutthepossibilityofmesigningwith
anotherteamattheendoftheseason?”

“Don’tyouthinkweshouldhavetalkedaboutthatbeforeweslepttogether?Thefactthatyoucould

beleavingagaininafewmonths?”

Hewasaprofessionalbaseballplayer.Itwascommonknowledgethathewasafreeagentattheend

oftheseason.Thebaseballanalystshadbeentalkingaboutitsincespringtraining.Ifshethoughthewas
tryingtokeepsecretsfromher,thatwasjustabouttheworst-keptoneinprofessionalsports.“Maybewe
shouldhave.I’msorry,Ididn’tmeanto—”

“Makemefallinlovewithyouagain?”
His breath got trapped in his throat as he stared at her. He knew he loved her, but he’d never

imaginedshecouldfeelthatwayabouthimagain.“Youloveme?”

“Don’tlooksosurprised.Imadelovetoyou,didn’tI?Didyouthinkthatwasjustsexforme?”
“No.”Giventheirhistory,therewasnowayeitherofthemwouldhavewalkedthroughthatbedroom

door if a physical release was the only objective. “I knew it was more than that. But we had so many
issuestoworkthrough.Iwasn’tsureitwasevenpossibleforusto—”

“Buildalifetogether?”Shewatchedhimcarefully,waitingforhisresponse.“Orisafuturewithme

evensomethingyouwant?”

Heinchedclosertoheronthesofa,knowingherbackwasagainstthearmrestandshehadnowhere

togo.“Iwouldgiveanythingforanotherchancewithyou.Arealchanceatthelifewecouldhavehad.
Butyou’dbegivingupsomuchtobewithme.HowcanIaskyoutodothat?”Hewasn’tevensurehis
consciencewouldlethim.

“Howcanyoueventhinkaboutwalkingawayfrommeagain?”Anothertearslippeddownhercheek

asshestaredathim.“That’swhatIkeptaskingmyselftoday.ButthenIthoughtabouthowhardyou’ve
worked.Youlovebaseball.Youshoulddowhat’sbestforyouandyourcareer.Logically,Iknowthat.But
—”

“Icanplaybaseballhere.”Ifshewereaskinghimtogiveupthegameheloved,thatwouldbetough,

butshewasn’t.Shewasaskinghimtotakeachanceonthemandstickaround.Thathecoulddo.“Iputmy
contract negotiations on hold during the season because I didn’t want to be distracted. That’s the only
reason.Ilovebeinghere.It’smyhome,andI’mdamnluckythatIgettowearouruniformandrepresent
ourstate.”

“You’renotaftermoremoney?”sheasked,raisinganeyebrow.“Thereportershavebeensayingif

youkeepplayingthewayyouhavebeen,you’lldriveyourpricehigherandthat’swhyyouhaven’tsigned
anewcontract.”

Hechuckled.“WouldIturndownmoremoney?No,obviouslynot.Butitwasmoreabouttheterms.I

wantfiveyears,andtheywereonlywillingtogivemethree.”

“Oh.”
“FiveyearswouldmeanIcouldfinishoutmycareerhere,andthat’swhatIwant.Especiallyifwe

work out. I don’t want you to uproot your life to follow me across the country, but I couldn’t stand to
leaveyoueither.”

Shesmiled.“I’msohappytohearyousaythat.Aftertoday,Iwasn’tsurewhatyouwerethinking.”
It wasn’t until he saw her smile that he finally felt he could breathe. He pulled her into his arms,

kissingthetopofherhead.“Iknowit’salottoask,butIneedyoutotrustme,sweetheart.Iwouldnever
intentionallyhurtyouagain.”

“It would kill me if you left again,” she whispered, burying her face in his neck. “I don’t think I

couldhandlethat.”

“Youwantmetosignthatcontract?Iwill.I’llwalkintotheofficetomorrowandtellthemtohandit

over.”Hisagentwouldhaveaconniptionfit,buthedidn’tcare.AcewoulddoanythingtomakeDanifeel
safeandsecureinwhattheywerebuilding.

“Ican’taskyoutodothat,”shesaid,lookingupathim.“Thatwouldn’tbefairtoyou.”
“Youwannatalkfair?”Hebrushedhislipsacrosshers.“It’snotfairthatyoudon’tgettohaveyour

familyinyourlife.It’snotfairthatthey’remakingyouchoosebetweenthemandme.Ihatethat.”

“They’re not making me choose between them and you, Ace.” She sighed as she rested her cheek

againsthischest.“They’remakingmechoosebetweenthepastandthefuture.Ichoosethefuture.”

Heranhishandoverhersilkyhair,wishinghecouldsayordosomethingtomakethiseasierforher.

“We can take this as slow as you want to, you know. I’m not going anywhere. Just tell me you believe
that.”

She tipped her head back to look at him as a smile spread across her face, easing the knot in his

stomach.“Slowisoverrated,don’tyouthink?”

Ace had always been a proponent of slow in relationships. The only exceptions had been with

StaceyandDani.WithDani,he’dbeendesperatetoholdontoher.WithStacey,he’dgrowntiredofbeing
alone.

“Slow is definitely overrated.” He kissed her, releasing every ounce of the fear and anxiety he’d

beencarryingallday.“Butanytimeyouneedtopumpthebrakes,youjustletmeknow,okay?”

Shesmirkedasshelookedathislap.“Um,I’dmuchratherpumpsomethingelse.Yougame?”
“Baby,I’malwaysgame.”

***

AcewokeupthenextmorningwithDaniinhisarms,knowingexactlywhathehadtodo.Hefired

offatexttohisagent,askinghimtoarrangethemeetingandinstructinghimnottoaskanyquestions.He’d
madehisdecision.

Hewatchedhersleepasasmilestretchedhislips.Eveniftheteamwasonlywillingtogivehim

threemoreyears,thatwouldgivehimandDanimorethanenoughtimetobuildthekindofrelationship
nothingcoulddestroy.

Lastnighthadbeenincredible.They’dtalked.Laughed.Madelovemultipletimesbeforetheyfinally

fell asleep as the sun was creeping through her bedroom blinds. Thankfully, she had the day off and he
didn’t have to meet with the team brass for a couple of hours. After that, he had to prepare for the last
game in a four-game series before they hit the road for seven. He didn’t want to leave Dani, but away
gamesweresomethingthey’dbothhavetogetusedto.

As long as he knew he was coming home to her, he could handle being away. Before, he’d come

hometoanemptybedandalonelyhouse.Noonetotalktoorlaughwithorshareamealwith.Danihad
changedallthat.She’dchangedhislife.

“Morning,”shewhispered,rollingintohisarms.Shekissedhischest.“Haveyoubeenawakelong?”
“JustlongenoughtoremindmyselfhowluckyIam.”Hebrushedhislipsacrosshercheek,smiling

whenshecurledherhandaroundhisjaw.“It’snotlikemetogetallsappy,butgettingasecondchance
withyouismorethanIeverexpected.”

“Speakingofsecondchances,thinkyourparentsmightbewillingtogivemeone?”
Hisparentscouldn’twaittoseeheragain,andhewantedtobetherewhentheydid.“Noquestion.

Youknowtheylovedyou.”

“I loved them too.” She sighed as she rolled onto her back. “But something happened between us

afteryouwentaway.I’mnotsureiftheytoldyou?”

“No.”Helookeddownatherasherestedhisheadinhispalm.“Whathappened?”
“Theytriedtotalktomeincourt,butIcouldn’t.Ijustwalkedaway.I’vealwaysfeltbadaboutthat.”
“Youshouldn’t.I’msuretheyunderstoodthatyouandyourfamilyhadalottodealwith.”
“Haveyouhadachancetotalktothemaboutus?”sheasked,wrappingherhandaroundhiswrist.
“Itoldthemwe’vereconnected,butIdidn’tknowhowmuchmoreIshouldtellthem.IthoughtI’dlet

youdecidethat.”

She pursed her lips as her eyes drifted toward the ceiling. “I know they were expecting me

yesterday.Ihopetheyweren’ttoodisappointedthatIdidn’tshow.”

“I’m sure they’ll understand.” He still had questions about yesterday, but he was hoping she’d

volunteertheinformationwithouthimhavingtoprobedeeper.“MaybewhenIgetbackfromthisnextroad
trip,wecanhavethemovertomyplace.It’llgiveyouguysachanceto—”

“DoyoumindifIseethemonmyown?”
“No,but wouldn’t yourather I bethere?” He knew Danicould handle herselfand that his parents

wouldneverbecrueltosomeonehecaredabout,buttheirrelationshipwasstillsonew.Hedidn’twant
totakeanyunnecessaryrisks.

“Ithinkthedinnerisagreatideawhenyouhaveadayoff,”shesaid,turningontohersidetoface

him.“Butwehavesomeunfinishedbusiness,andIthinkI’dratherdealwiththatfirst.”

“Whateveryouwant,babe.”Hekissedherforehead.“IthinkI’llgrabashower.I’vegotameeting

inabit,andIcan’tbelate.”

Shegrabbedhisarmwhenheswunghislegsoverthebed.“Ace?”
Helookedatheroverhisshoulder.“Yeah?”
“Ireallydoloveyou.”
He grinned, thinking those were just about the sweetest words he’d ever heard. “I love you too,

sweetheart.”

ChapterSixteen

Danistoodonthedoorstepofthehousethathadbeenhersecondhomegrowingup,wonderingwhatshe
shouldsaytothepeoplewho’dlovedherliketheirowndaughter.Beforeshelosthernerve,shetooka
deepbreathandrangthebell.

“Theresheis!”
Ace’s father was a slightly shorter, thicker, graying version of his son, and just seeing him again

madeDani’seyesburnwithtears.“Hey,Charles.”

“Bet,comeonouthere!”heyelled,pullingDaniintoabearhug.“It’ssogoodtoseeyou,honey.”
“It’s good to see you too.” She laughed, still choking back tears. “I’m sorry I couldn’t make it

yesterday.”

“Noneedtoapologize.”hesaid,takingoffhissilver-rimmedreadingglassesandsettingthemona

nearbyhalltable.“You’reherenow.That’sallthatmatters,right?”

“Ohmygoodness!”ElizabethPhillips,knownasBettoherfamilyandfriends,roundedthecorner,

hereyeswideassheopenedherarmstoDani.“Oh,howI’vemissedyou.Youdon’tknowhowhappyI
waswhenMaceontoldmeyou’dbepayingusavisit.”

“Youlookwonderful,”Danisaid,handingoverthebouquetoffresh-cutflowersshe’dpickedupat

theflorist.

“Thankyou.”BetwrappedherarmsaroundDani.“Sodoyou,honey.”
TheyearshadbeengoodtoBet.ShewasasslimasDaniremembered,withthesamekindsmileand

warmhazeleyes.Shewaspetite,afullheadandahalfshorterthanherstrappingson,butshemorethan
madeupforitwithherbigpersonality.

“Come in here and tell us what you’ve been up to,” Bet said, linking her arm through Dani’s.

“Charles,wouldyoumindputtingthoseinsomewaterformeandgrabbingthattrayIleftonthecounter?”

“Surething,sweetness.”
ObviouslyAce’sparentswereashappyandinloveasthey’dalwaysbeen.ItmadeDani’shearthurt

evenmoreforherownparents,whoweremissingoutonthelifeandlovetheycouldhavebeensharing.

“Mysontellsmeyou’remanagingTheYorknow,”Betsaid,beamingatDaniastheysatdowninthe

livingroom.“Goodforyou.I’veheardwonderfulthingsaboutthathotel.”

Danilookedaroundtheroom.Somethingshadchanged,likethefurniture,TV,andlamps,butmany

ofthepictureswerethesame,aswasthefurnitureplacement.Sherememberedsittinginthisroomwith
Acewhilehisparentswereout.They’dtalked,madeout…andplannedtheirfuture.

“I love it there,” Dani said, trying to focus on the present. “It’s steeped in rich history, but we’re

tryingtokeepupwiththetimestoo.Infact,theRussiantearoomwillbeundergoingarenovationsoon.
I’mprettyexcitedaboutthat.”

“Speakingoftea,”Betsaidwhenherhusbandreturnedcarryingahugetray,“Ihopeyou’restillatea

drinkerlikeme?”

They’d had some wonderful talks over tea while Dani waited for Ace to return from baseball

practice.DanihadneverconsumedacaffeinatedbeverageuntilBetintroducedhertotea.

“Of course I am.” She admired the spread of fine china cups with a hand-painted tea pot and

homemadebiscuitswithpatsofbutter.“Thislookswonderful.”

“Imissthis,”Betsaid,pouringteaintotwocups.“Havingteawithyou.Catchinguponwhat’sbeen

happening in your life.” She looked at her husband and smiled when he curled his hand around her
shoulder.“We’vebothmissedyou.”

“I’vemissedyouguystoo,”Danisaid,clearingherthroatasshetriedtoblinkbacktears.
ThePhillips’hadlosttheiroldestsonacoupleofyearsbeforeDanimetAce.Andwhileshewould

have expected them to be sullen and withdrawn, they’d been anything but. They were warm and
welcoming,oftentellingherhowmuchAce’solderbrotherwouldhavelikedher.

“I’mjustgoingtogobrewacupofcoffeeformyselfwiththatfancycontraptionoursonboughtus.”

HewinkedatDani.“Berightback.”

“Charleslookswonderful,”Danisaid,watchinghimleave.Herfatherwasapproximatelythesame

ageasCharles,buthelookedtenyearsolder.

“Retirementagreeswithhim,”shesaid,smilingasshesetthetrayonthecoffeetablebetweenthem.

“Hewasreluctantatfirst.Helovedhisjobwiththecity,butMaceontalkedhimintoretiringafterhepaid
offourhouseandboughtusalittlevacationpropertyinBocaRatonforourfortiethweddinganniversary.”

“That’ssweet,”Danisaid,thinkinghowniceitwasthatAcewantedtotakecareofhisparents.Not

thatshewassurprised.He’dhadauniquerelationshipwiththem.Whilemostteenswererebelling,Ace
wasalwaysrespectfulofhisparentsandtheirrules.Exceptthatonenight.“I’mgladyouguysaretakingit
easynow.Youdeserveit.”

Bet laughed. “I don’t know that we’re taking it easy. We’re busy with golf, gardening, volunteer

work,andfriends.Infact,Ithinkwe’rebusiernowthanwewerewhenwewereworking.Butatleast
nowwe’redoingwhatwewanttodo,sowe’regratefulforthat.”

DanismiledatCharleswhenhereturnedandsatbesidehiswifeonthetwo-seaterloveseat.“I’m

glad Maceon got the opportunity to do what he wanted to do too,” she said, knowing it was time to
addresstherealreasonforhervisit.“Theoddsmusthavebeenstackedagainsthimwhenhegotout.”

“Theywere,”Charlessaid,hisvoicebreaking.“Buthewasdetermined.”
“I’m sorry that I refused to talk to you in court that day,” Dani said, forcing herself to make eye

contactwithbothofthem.“Thatwasinexcusable.”

“Nonsense,”Betsaid,frowning.“Youwerestillreeling.Anyonewouldhavereactedthewayyou

did.”

“Bet’s right,” Charles said, stretching his arm out behind his wife. “We understood completely.

Therewereneveranyhardfeelings,sweetheart.Atleastonourpart.”

Danisethercuponacoasterwhensherealizedherhandswereshaking.“Iknowmyfathercalledto

tellyouIwaspregnant.”

Her parents had been livid when they found out she was carrying Ace’s baby, and her father had

calledthePhillips’house,rantingandravingabouthowtheirsonhadnotonlytakenLinc,buthe’dstolen
anychanceDanihadofafuturetoo.

“Wegaveitalittletimebecauseweknewhowdevastatedyourparentswere,butweshowedupon

their doorstep one day demanding to see you.” Bet leaned forward to touch Dani’s hand. “You were
carryingourgrandbabyafterall.Wehadtomakesureyouwereokay.That’swhentheytoldusaboutthe
miscarriage.”

“They tried to convince me it was for the best,” Dani said, biting her lip as she felt pain slice

throughherasifithadjusthappenedyesterday.“ButIwasalreadysoinlovewiththatbaby.Iwasalmost

twelveweeksalongand…”Sheclosedhereyes,shakingherhead.“Thebabywasalreadyapartofme.”

“Thatmusthavebeensodifficultforyou,”Betsaidquietly.“I’msorrywecouldn’thavebeenthere

tohelpyouthroughit.I’msorryMaceoncouldn’thavebeenthere.Youknowhewouldhavebeen,hadhe
known.”

“Whydidn’tyoutellhimaboutthebaby?”Thatwastherealreasonforhervisit,tounderstandtheir

motivesforkeepinghersecret.

“Weweregoingto,”Charlessaid,“butwedecideditwasyourplacetotellhim,notours.Thatwas

anotherreasonwewenttoseeyouthatday,toencourageyoutoreachouttoMaceon.”

“Iwouldhave,”shesaid,linkingherhandsassheleanedforward.“IwantyoutoknowIwouldn’t

havekeptitfromhim,ifthepregnancyhadprogressed.AsangryandhurtasIwasaboutwhathappened,I
wouldn’thavepreventedhimfrombeingafathertohischild.”

“I’mgladtohearthat,”Betsaidwithasadsmile,“butweneverthoughtyouwouldhave.Weknow

youlovedoursontoomuchtohurthimthatway.”

“Youmusthavebeenshockedwhenyoufoundoutwewerebacktogether,”Danisaid,reachingfor

oneofthehomemadebiscuitsshe’dlovedsomuchasateen.Shewasn’thungry,butsheneededsomething
todowithherhands,soshesetoneonaplateandslathereditwithbutterwhileBetandCharlesdidthe
same.

“Notreally,”Betsaid,breakingoffapieceofawarmbiscuit.Shepoppeditintohermouthwitha

satisfiedsmile.“You’retheloveofhislife.I’vealwaysbelievedyoutwowouldfindyourwaybackto
eachothersomehow.”

“Really?” Dani asked, wishing she felt as certain about her relationship with Ace as his mother

seemedto.“Evenaftereverythingthathappened?”

“WewatchedMaceonmovethroughalotofrelationshipsovertheyears,”Betsaid,reachingfora

floralpapernapkin.“Thoughherefusedtointroduceustomostofthegirls.Iknewthatwasbecausehe
wasn’tseriousaboutanyofthem.”

“ExceptforStacey.”ThoughTenley’sfriendseemedlikeasweetheart,itstillstungknowingshe’d

sharedapartofAce’slifethatDanineverhad.“Thatmusthavebeenserious,orhewouldn’thavemoved
inwithher.”

“I think they were just two people who were tired of being alone, to be honest,” Charles said.

“Stacey was a lovely girl, but it was obvious, to us at least, that she and Maceon were better off as
friendsthantryingtomakeitworkaslifepartners.”

Danididn’tknowwhattosay,soshesatbackwithherplateinhand,waitingforthemtoexplain.
“Shecameintohislifewhenheneededsomeone,”Betexplained.“Ithinkthesamewastrueforher.

Shewascomingoffadifficultbreakup,andMaceonwasadistraction.”

“Soyoudon’tthinkhestillhasfeelingsforher?”DanihatedherselfforevenaskingthatafterAce

hadassuredherhewascompletelyoverStacey.

“Goodness,no,”Betsaid,laughing.“Thatshiphasdefinitelysailed.”
“We understand you were engaged recently,” Charles said, wiping biscuit crumbs off his fingers.

“I’msorrythingsdidn’tworkout.”

She didn’t ask how they knew. Either Ace had told them or they’d read the announcement in the

paper.Eitherway,itwasasubjectshe’drathernotdiscussbutknewshehadto.“Weweren’trightfor
eachother.IthinkIknewthatfromthebeginning,butIletmyparentsconvincemewewouldsomehow
growtogether.”Itsoundedridiculousnow,butherparentshadmadeitseemsological,asthoughevery
couplehadtoworkonbeingcompatible.

“I guess it’s true what they say,” Bet said. “Everything happens for a reason. Maybe your

relationship with your fiancé and Maceon’s relationship with Stacey didn’t work out because you two
weremeanttobetogether.”Hereyessparkledasshewaitedexpectantlyforconfirmation.

“Honey,”Charlessaid,pattinghiswife’sleg,“don’tyouthinkyou’regettingaheadofyourself?We

don’tknowwherethingsstandbetweenDaniandMaceon.”

Betlaughedself-consciously,touchinghercheek.“Iknow,I’msorry.YouprobablythinkI’mbeing

silly,butDani,Ialwayshopedyou’dbeourdaughter-in-lawoneday.WhenIheardyoutwoweredating
again,well,IguessIjustletmyimaginationrunwild.”

Daniwastouchedthataftereverythingthathadhappened,theystillthoughtsohighlyofher,butshe

didn’twantthemtogettheirhopesup.ThingsbetweenherandAcestillfeltsouncertain,evenafterlast
night.

“Ace isn’t the boy I used to know,” she said, hoping she could make them understand. “He’s

changed. So have I. We’re both a little more cynical now, and it’s sometimes hard to believe a happy
endingwouldevenbepossibleforus,especiallygiventhedemandsonhim.”

“Onethingyouneedtoknowabouthim,”Charlessaid,raisinghisindexfinger.“Familycomesfirst.

Italwayshas.Helovesbaseball,butheloveshisfamilymore.”

“Iknow,but—”
“Letmefinish,”Charlessaid,givingherakindsmile.“Ifmysonmakesacommitmenttoyou,that

willbehistoppriority,Icanpromiseyouthat.That’sjustthekindofmanheis.”

Shedidn’twantAcetobewithheroutofsomesenseofobligationthough.Shewantedhimtobe

withherbecausehecouldn’timaginehislifewithouther.

“And Dani,” Bet said, leaning forward, “if you two were to have children together, he would be

wonderful to them. I just know it. I’ve seen him at some of those camps he helps with during the off-
season,andthosekidsjustadorehim.”

Daniwouldliketowitnessthatforherselfsomeday.“Whydidn’tyoutellhimaboutthepregnancy?I

mean,afterImiscarried?”

“Weconsideredit,”Charlesadmitted.“Butitseemedcrueltolaythatonhimwhenhewaslocked

up.Asitwas,hewasdoingeverythinghecouldtojustgetthroughtheday.Iguesswewereafraidgetting
newslikethatwouldsendhimintoadeeperdepression.”

“Adeeperdepression?”Daniasked,almostafraidtohearthedetailsaboutAce’sincarceration.
“Hewasinconsolableforthefirstyear,”Betconfirmed,withaslightshakeofherhead.“Wethought

we’dnevergethimback.Butheworkedwithanincrediblecounselorinthatfacilitywhoslowlyhelped
himpiecehislifebacktogetherandmakesenseofwhathappened.”

“Ididn’tknow,”Danisaid.Therewassomuchshedidn’tknowabouttheirtimeapart.
“Hedoesn’tliketotalkaboutthattime,”Charlessaid.“Justknowthatitdidchangehim.Hewentin

aboywho’dmadeacolossalmistake.Buthecameoutamanwho’dnotonlydonehistime,butwho’d
donetheworktomakethemostofhislife.Hewantednothingmorethantocontributesomethingtothe
world,inhonorofyourbrother.”

“Iknow,”Danisaid,thinkingabouttheconversationthey’dhadthefirstnighttheyreconnected.“He

toldmeaboutthescholarship.”

“Butit’ssomuchmorethanthat,”Betsaid.“It’sthewayhelivesnow.He’smoreconsciousofevery

choicehemakesandhowitwillaffectthosearoundhim.He’snotrecklessorwildanymore.Hedoesn’t
takestupidrisks.”

“Goodtoknow,”Danisaidwithasmile.Acecouldstillgetalittlewild,buthisparentsdidn’tneed

toknowthat.Thatcouldbetheirlittlesecret.

“We’renotsayinghe’sperfect,”Charlessaid.“Farfromit.Truthis,hestillmakesmistakes.Take

thatnewcontract,forexample.Hisagenttoldhimtowait‘tiltheendoftheyeartosign.Butwhatdoeshe
do? He disregards the man’s advice even though that’s what he pays him for.” He shook his head.
“SometimesIswearI’llneverunderstandthatboy.”

“Wait,”Danisaid,leaningforward.“Areyousayinghesignedanewcontract?He’sstayinghere?”

Aftertheirtalklastnight,shebelievedAcehadnointentionofleavingherbehind,butshehadn’texpected
himtotakeimmediateaction.

“You haven’t heard?” Bet asked, looking amused. “Why, it’s been all over the TV and radio all

morning.ProbablyallovertheInternettoo.”

Danihadbeentoobusytoevencheckhersocialmediafeedonherphonebeforeshesneakedaway

fromworktopayAce’sparentsaquickvisit.“No,Iwasinmeetingsallmorning.Ican’tbelievehedidn’t
sayanythingtomebeforeheleftthismorning.”Sheblushedwhensherealizedshe’djustadmittedtohis
parentsthatthey’dspentthenighttogether.

Hisfatherchuckled,makingherblushevendeeper.“It’sokay,Dani.You’renotteenagersanymore.

Whatyouandmysondoisyourbusiness,nooneelse’s.”

“Iappreciatethat,”shesaid,standing.“Andthankyouforeverything:thetea,biscuits,talk.Itwas

wonderful,butIreallyhavetogetbacktoworknow.”

Theyfollowedhertothedoorbeforeembracingher.
“I’m so glad we had a chance to visit,” Bet whispered in Dani’s ear as they hugged. “Don’t be a

stranger.Promise?”

“Ipromise.”Danireachedforthedoorhandlebeforeturningbacktofacethem.“Um,thereisone

morething.IplantotellAceaboutthemiscarriage,butI’mnotsurewhen.Youknowhe’sbackonthe
roadfor—”

“Honey,”Betsaid,grippinghershoulders.“Wehaven’ttoldhim,andwedon’tintendto.That’syour

decisiontomake,notours.Anddon’tworryaboutwhen.You’llknowwhenthetime’sright.”

ChapterSeventeen

Dani was lying on her couch later that night, curled up in a throw, talking to Ace on the phone. It was
crazy, but she missed him already and he’d only been gone ten hours. “How do you feel now that you
knowyou’regoingtobestayinghereforatleastthreemoreyears?”

“Relieved.”
Shesmiledathisresponse.Atfirstshe’dfearedhe’dsignedthecontracttoassuageherfearsabout

thembeingapart,buthe’dassuredheritwaswhathewanted.“Good.SoamI.Howdidyourteammates
reactwhenyoutoldthem?”

“Alotofthemhadalreadyheardbythetimeweboardedtheplane.Itoldthosewhohadn’t.They’re

allstoked.We’vegotahellofateamrightnow,andnoonewantstolosethespark.Sometimeswhenyou
messwithaline-up,itthrowseverythingoff.”

Dani knew how much a World Series ring would mean to Ace, and she wanted that for him more

thananything.“Thisisabigseriesforyou,huh?Ifyoumanagetosweepthem,you’llhaveasolidleadon
thesecond-placeteaminyourdivision.”

“It’s too early in the season to get too excited about standings, but yeah, it’s always nice to be on

top.”

“Always?”sheteased.“Youweren’tsayingthatlastnight.”
Hegrowled.“Don’ttalktomeaboutlastnightwhenI’mathousandmilesaway.That’snotfair.”
“Ican’twait‘tilyougethome.Imissyou.”
“Imissyoutoo,baby.”Therewasabriefsilencebeforehesaid,“Speakingofhome,yourplaceor

minewhenIgetback?”

“Whatdoyoumean?”
“I’llonlybebackhomeforfourdays.IwanttospendasmuchtimewithyouasIcan.Iwashoping

wecoulddoasleepover,ifyou’regame?”

“Asleepover,huh?”Sheknewshewasgrinningfromeartoear,butshecouldn’thelpherself.“You

mightbeabletotalkmeintothat.”

Someoneknockedonherdoor.
Danisatupstraight,pullingtheblankethigher.“Someone’satmydoor,”shewhispered.
Hisvoicewasgruffwhenhesaid,“It’saftereleven.Whothehellisit?”
“Idon’tknow.”Shegotupoffthecouch,thecordlessphonepressedtoherearasshelookedthrough

thepeephole.“Damn,”shesaid,steppingback.“It’sMike.”

“Tellhimtogotohell.”
Shesighed.“Ishouldprobablyseewhathewants.Maybeheleftsomethingbehindhereor—”
“You’re not seriously thinking about answering the door, are you? After the shit he pulled the last

timeyousawhim?He’sluckyyou’renotfiringshotsthroughthatdoor.”

“Don’tberidiculous,”shesaid,rollinghereyes.“Idon’townagun.AndevenifIdid,Iwouldn’t

useittotakeoutmyex.”

“Ididn’tsayyouhadtotakehimout.Justscarehimalittle.Webothknowhedeservesit.”
Shecouldn’targueMikeneededsomeonetosethimstraight,buttheharshtruthshouldbemorethan

effective.“I’llcallyouback,okay?”

“Jesus, Dani, don’t answer that door. What if he’s drunk and tries to force himself on you or

something?”

Mikehadneverbeenmuchofadrinker,withtheexceptionofthatbachelorpartythatmarkedtheend

oftheirrelationship.Still,Danipeekedthroughthepeepholeoncemoreasheknockedagain.“Helooks
sobertome.Nowletmedealwiththis,andI’llcallyourightback.Unlessyouwanttogetsomesleep?I
knowyouhaveagametomorrow.”

“Areyoucrazy?YouthinkI’llbeabletosleepaslongashe’sinyourapartment?”
“Fine,I’llcallyouback.”Knowinghowupsethewas,sheadded,“Don’tworry,babe.I’llbefine.

Loveyou.”

“Loveyoutoo.Justremember,I’llbesittingbythisgoddamnphonewaitingforyoutocallmeback.

IfIdon’thearfromyouintwenty,I’mcallingbackanditbetternotgotovoicemail.”

“Gotit.”
As soon as she disconnected the call, Mike knocked again. “Come on, Danielle. Open up. I know

you’reinthere.Icanhearyourvoice.Please,weneedtotalk.”

Shetookadeepbreath,steelingherselfbeforesheopenedthedoor.“Whatdoyouwant?”sheasked,

glaringathim.

“Ijustneedaminute.”Helookedoverhershoulder,presumablytomakesureshewasalone.“CanI

comein?”

Sheshouldslamthedoorinhisface,butshehadn’thadthechancetosayherpiecetohimsinceshe

andAcehadsolidifiedtheirrelationship.“Ionlyhaveaminute.IwastalkingtoAcewhenyouknocked.I
promisedI’dcallhimrightback.”

“Yeah, I uh, knew he was away tonight,” he said, shoving his hands into the pockets of his dark

jeans.“Ithoughtitmightgiveusachancetotalk.Inprivate.”

Daniwalkedtothesofaandwrappedherselfintheblanketshe’dleftbehind.Shewaswearingblack

leggings and a fitted white hoodie without a bra. While he’d seen her naked plenty of times, she didn’t
feelcomfortablebeingexposedtohimnow.

“Fine,sayyourpiece.ThenI’llsaymine,”shesaid,noddingatthechairacrossfromher.
They’d selected the furniture together, and seeing him sitting in that chair brought back a rush of

memories.Whilehemaynothavebeenhersoulmate,shehadlovedhim.Andresentinghimmadeherfeel
likeherparents—stuckinthepastandweigheddownbyhateandanger.

“IheardAcetalkedabouttheaccidentyesterday.”
“Yeah,hedid.”Shenarrowedhereyes,lettinghimknowshewasn’tpleasedthathe’dbackedthem

intoacorner.“Hedidn’thavemuchchoice,didhe?AguylikeAceisn’tgoingtoletsomeoneintimidate
himwiththreatsandblackmail.”

“Iknow.”Hesighed,tippinghisheadbackasheclosedhiseyes.“Itwasstupidtocomeatyouthe

wayIdid.Iwasjustsohurtandconfused.Icouldn’tbelieveitwassoeasyforyoutomoveonlikethat.
Likewedidn’tevenmatter.”

“Iwasn’ttheonewhodecidedtomoveon,”shesaid,clenchingtheblanket.“Youcheatedonme.”
“Iknow.”Hecoveredhisfacewithbothhands.“God,thatwasthestupidestthingIcouldhavedone.

Onegoddamnnightwithsomerandomstrangerandmylife’sgonetohell.”

“AmIsupposedtofeelsorryforyou?”sheasked.“AmIsupposedtotellyouthatit’sokay,thatwe

all make mistakes? Because it’s not okay. You made a commitment to me. I was wearing your ring. We

wereplanningalifetogether.”

“Werewe?”Hestaredather,unblinking.“Werewereallyplanningalifetogether,orwereyoujust

withmetogetyourparentsoffyourbackaboutsettlingdown?”

Ouch.“Honestly?Idon’tknow.WhatIdoknowisthatIlovedyou,andithurtlikehellwhenIfound

outyou’dsleptwithsomeoneelse.”

“AtleastIdidn’tfallinlovewithsomeoneelse.”WhenDani’sjawdropped,hesaid,“It’sobvious

hefeelsthesamewayorhewouldn’thavebeeninsuchabighurrytosignthatcontractallofasudden.”

“Acelovesithere,”Danisaid,annoyedwithherselffordefendinghisdecision.“Thisishishome.

Hisparentsarehere,andhisteammatesarelikehisfamily.Beside,they’rerealcontenders.Whywould
hewanttogoanywhereelse?”

“Especiallysinceyou’rehere,right?”
Dani shook her head. “What do you want me to say? That I’m sorry he’s back in my life and he’s

heretostay?I’mnot.”Whenhewinced,shesoftenedhervoice.“I’mnottryingtogetbackatyouorhurt
you. As mad as I was with you, first for cheating on me and then for trying to blackmail me, I’m not
interestedincarryingallthatangeraroundwithmeforever.”

“Areyousayingyouforgiveme?”heasked,wide-eyed.
“What choice do I have? I’ve seen what holding onto bitterness can do. I don’t want to be that

person.”

“Speakingofbitterness,howdidyourparentstakethenewsthatyouandthebaseballplayerwere

backtogether.”

“Notwell.”
“I’msorry.”
“No,you’renot.”
Hegaveherahalf-smileasheshookhishead.“You’reright,I’mnot.”
Shepursedherlipstokeepfromsmiling.“You’reajerk,youknowthat?”
“SoI’vebeentold.”Hiseyesscannedherfaceashissmilereceded.“Ireallyamsorry,youknow.I

hatewhatIdidtous.”

“Maybe we just weren’t meant to be.” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “If we were, you

wouldn’thavecheatedonme,andIwouldhavebeenmoreanxioustosetaweddingdate,right?”

“Iguessso.”Heleanedforward,wipinghispalmsonthelegsofhisjeans.“Anyway,sincewe’re

neighborsandall,Ithoughtweshouldcleartheair.We’llnodoubtrunintoeachotherfromtimetotime,
andIdon’twantthingstobeweirdbetweenus.”

She stood when he did and walked him to the door. “I’m actually glad you stopped by. You were

right.Weneededtotalk.”

Heopenedhisarmstoher.“Friends?”
She quirked an eyebrow incredulously. “Don’t push your luck. I didn’t punch you in the face for

beinganasslasttimeyoustoppedby.Consideryourselflucky.”

Hethrewhisheadbacklaughing.“Ireallyamgoingtomissyou,Danielle.Youknowthat,right?”
Shethoughtoftheyearsthey’dspenttogether.Thegoodandbadtimes.Hewasapartofherpast,

andwhileshecouldn’tclaimshe’dremembertheirrelationshipfondlyafterthewayitended,shewasn’t
sorrytohavelovedhim.

“Justbegoodtothenextgirl,”shewarned,pokinghischest.“Don’tlietoher.Don’tcheatonher.

Andwhenyou’reinvitedtoabachelorparty,justsayno.”

Hesmiled.“CanIgiveyouapieceofadvicenow?”
“No.”

“I’mgoingtoanyways.Don’tholdbackwithhimthewayyoudidwithme.”
“What?”
“Youdeservetobehappy.I’mnotsureyoueverreallybelievedthat.Ididn’tknowifitwasbecause

of the way your parents were or losing your brother, but I always got the sense you were afraid to be
happy.Whywasthat?”

“BecausethelasttimeIwastrulyhappy,Ilosteverything.IguessIwasafraidthatwouldhappen

againassoonasIletmyguarddown.”Daniwasshockedbytheanswerthatspilledfromherlips.

Henoddedasthoughthatwastheanswerhe’dbeenexpecting.“Iguesswebothmademistakesthen,

didn’twe?”

ChapterEighteen

Acewasglaringathisphoneashisteammatesorderedsnacksanddrinks.He’drushedoutofhisroomto
jointhemassoonashefoundoutDaniwasalonewithherex.Morethantwentyminuteshadpassedand
hewastemptedtomakegoodonhisthreattocallher,buthewantedhertokeepherpromisetocallhim.
Besides,hewantedtoprovethathetrustedher.

“What’syourproblem?”RowanaskedasheliftedhischinatAce’sphone.“Youhaven’ttakenyour

eyesoffthatthingsinceyousatdown.”

Chasechuckled.“He’snoworsethanyou,man.YouandTenleyarelikeacoupleofteenagerswith

yourstupidkissy-faceemojis.”Hescruncheduphisfaceandair-kissedRowan,makingtheirteammates
laugh.

“You’re just jealous,” Rowan said, smirking. “’Cause we all know the only love you’re getting is

fromyourhand.”

The guys all chuckled, shoving and shouldering Chase, who rolled his eyes. One of the perks of

beingaprofessionalathletemeantnoshortageofopportunitiestogetlaid,andChase’scontract,coupled
with his endorsement deals, made him one of the best-paid players on their team. Which made him a
sweettreatforthegroupieswhofollowedthem.

Acewasn’tinthemoodtolistentotheirgood-naturedribbingtonight.Hehadbiggerproblems.He

downedhalfhisdrinkandsaid,“Ishouldprobablyheaduptotheroom.I’mkindoftired.”

“Bullshit,”Rowansaid,eyeinghim.“Youlooklikeyou’vegotenoughadrenalinecoursingthrough

yourightnowtorunfivemiles.Youhaven’tstoppedfidgetingsincewesatdown.”HepointedatAce’s
phone.“Sowhatgives?Youwaitingforacallorwhat?”

Since these were not only his teammates but his best friends, and he could use some advice, Ace

said, “Dani’s ex-fiancé stopped by her place when I was talking to her earlier. She said she’d call me
backwhenheleft.”Heheldhisphoneup.“Nomissedcallsandit’sbeenhalfanhour.Whatthehellcould
theybetalkingaboutallthistime?”

Theircenterfielder,Ethan,wiggledhiseyebrows.“Whosaysthey’retalking,man?”
Aceglaredathim.“Doyouwantmetojumpoverthistableandbeattheshitoutofyourighthere?”
Ethanlaughedashehelduphishands.“Relax,Ace,Iwasjustkidding.Youneedtochill,dude.”
“HowthehellamIsupposedtochillwhenmygirlfriendisholedupinherapartmentwithherex”—

heglancedathisphoneagain—“andit’salmostmidnight.Whatthehell?Whatgives?”

“Didn’tyousayhecheatedonher?”Rowanaskedbeforedraininghisglass.
“Yeah,”Aceresponded,runninghisthumboverthescreenofhisphone,willingittoring.“Allthe

morereasonsheshouldn’twantanythingtodowithhim.Nottomentionthefacthetriedtobreakusup.”

“Whathappened?”Chaseasked,frowning.
Heleanedback,sighing.“Apparentlyherdumbassexputtwoandtwotogetherafterhemetmeand

figuredoutIwastheguywho”—hiseyesshiftedaroundthetable—“wasdrivingthecarwhenherbrother
died. Needless to say her parents hate me. This guy threatened to tell Dani’s parents we were back

togetherandgotothepresswithmystory.”

“So you decided to beat him to the punch,” Ethan said, tapping his temple with his index finger.

“Smart.”

“That may have been the kick in the ass I needed,” Ace said, rubbing his tired eyes with his

fingertips,“butIshouldhavedoneitalongtimeago.MaybenowIcangetoutthereandtalkaboutit.You
know, visit a few schools in the off-season, talk to kids about the dangers of drinking and driving.” He
shrugged.“Idon’tknowifit’llmakeadifferencetoanyofthem,butI’dliketotry.”

“It’ll make a difference,” Chase said, wiping away the condensation on the side of his tall glass.

“Likeitornot,ahellofalotofkidslookuptous.Theywanttobelikeuswhentheygrowup.Mostdays
itfeelslikeaheavyload,havingyoureverymovescrutinized,butinacaselikeyours,itcouldbeagood
thing.” He gave Ace a half-smile before raising his glass. “I’m proud of you, buddy. Not all of us are
braveenoughtorightourwrongs.Kudostoyouforhavingtheballstodoit.”

Acetappedhisfriend’sglasswithhisastheireyesmet,andheknewChasewasthinkingabouthis

ex-wifeanddaughter.Hewishedhecouldgivehimsomeadvice,encouragehimtofightforthemifthat
waswhathewanted,butAceunderstoodhowparalyzingfearandregretcouldbe.

“Whydon’tyoujustcallherifyou’resoworriedaboutwhatshe’suptowiththeex?”Ethanasked,

smilingataprettybrunetteatthebar.Hewasengagedanddidn’tmessaround,butheclaimedflirtingwas
harmless.

“DidIsayIwasworried?”Aceasked,glaringathim.“I’mnot.ItrustDani.It’shimIdon’ttrust.”
“Didn’tyoutellmethathelivesinherbuildingnow?”Rowanasked.
TheotherguysgroanedinunisonbeforeEthansaid,“That’sjustaskingfortrouble,givenhowmuch

we’reontheroad.Whydon’tyoumovethegirlinwithyou?Getherawayfromtemptation?”

“Whywouldshebetemptedbysomedouchebagwhocheatedonher?”Acewantedtobelievethat

wasn’tevenpossible,butDaniandherexhadsomehistory.AndifshecouldforgiveAcefordrivingthe
carthatkilledherbrother,shecouldforgiveanyoneanything.

“Youeverthinkaboutitthough?”Rowanasked.“MovinginwithDani?”
“It’swaytoosoontothinkaboutthat.”Notthathehadn’tthoughtaboutit.Alot.“She’sgoingtobe

hangingoutatmyplaceforafewdayswhenweheadbackhomethough.We’llprobablykeepitlikethat
fornow,andseewhereweareattheendoftheseason.”Heknewwherehe’dlikethemtobe—packing
upherplacesoshecouldmoveinwithhim,preferablywithhisringonherfinger.

“Butyouthinkthisgirlisitforyou?”Ethanasked,lookinguncharacteristicallyserious.“You’dbe

readytogoallinifshewasgame?”

Acedidn’tevenhavetothinkaboutit.“ItfeelslikeI’vebeeninlovewiththisgirlallmylife,”he

said,shakinghishead.“Whichiscrazy,becauseupuntilrecently,Ihadn’tseenherinyears.Butshewas
kindofthestandardforme,yaknow?Allothergirlskindafellshort.”

“Iknowwhatthat’slike,”Chasemuttered,lookingathisownphone,whichwassittingonthetable

betweenhishands.“Itsucks.”

“Soyouguysdon’tthinkI’mcrazy?”Aceasked,lookingaroundthetableathisclosestfriends.“You

know,gettinginsodeep,sosoon?”

“TheonlythingIthinkiscrazy,”Ethansaid,“isthatyou’resittingheretalkingtouswhenyoushould

beonthatdamnphonefindingoutwhatyourgirlisdoingwithhera-holeex.”

BeforeAcecouldrespond,thephonerang.Dani’sfaceflashedacrossthescreen.
“Damn, she’s hot,” Ethan said, leaning over to get a better look. “Well? What the hell are you

waitingfor?AnsweritbeforeIdo.”

Acecouldn’tbelievehewasnervoustofindoutwhathadhappenedbetweenDaniandherex.What

ifshe’ddecidedtoforgivehimandthey’dagreedtobefriends?Couldthatleadtoareconciliationdown
theroad,orwashejustbeingparanoid?

After connecting the call, he held the phone to his ear. “Hey, baby.” He stood, reaching into his

pockettocoverhisshareofthetabwhenRowanwavedhimoff.

“Canyoutalk?”sheasked,soundinghesitant.
“Uh, yeah.” He waved to the guys and backed out of the bar/restaurant, away from the crowds. “I

wasjustgrabbingaquickdrinkwiththeboyswhileIwaitedforyourcall.How’ditgo?”

“Surprisinglywell.”
Hepunchedthebuttonfortheelevatoralittleharderthannecessary.“Ohyeah?Tellmeaboutit.”
“Hewantedtoapologize.”
Ofcoursehedid.“Forwhat?Cheatingonyou?Breakingusup?Orthreateningtosellyouout?”He

feltitimportanttolistherex’ssins,incaseshewasfeelingsentimentalaftertalkingtohim.

“Maceon,”shewarned.
Hearing her say his name usually made him smile, but not tonight. “What? You can’t tell me that

you’reactuallythinkingaboutcuttinghimslackaftertheshithepulled?”Hesteppedontotheelevatorand
pressedthebuttonforhisfloor,gratefulhewasaloneanddidn’thavetocensorhimself.“BecauseIknow
you’resmarterthanthat.”

“Somepeoplemightquestionmyintelligencefordatingyou.”
Hepulledthephoneback,staringatitashetriedtoprocesswhatshesaid.“Excuseme?”
“I’msorry,Ididn’tmeanthat.Ijustmeantbecausesomanygirlswanttogetwithyou…”Shesighed.

“Look,Idon’twanttofight.IjustcalledtotellyouIloveyouandtosaygoodnight.Ihavetogetsome
sleep.Ihaveanearlymorning—”

“Wait,”hesaid,steppingofftheelevatorashepulledhiskeycardfromhispocket.“Youstilldidn’t

tellmewhathewanted.”

“Justtocleartheair,Ithink.”
Hedidn’tlikethesoundofthat.Especiallysinceshedidn’tsoundpissedthathe’dtriedtosmooth

thingsover.Shesounded…atpeace.Somethinghedefinitelywasnot.“And?Whatdidyousaytothat?”

“Ace,youhavetounderstandsomething,”shesaidquietly.“Formetomoveonwithmylife,Ihave

toleaveallthebadshitthathappenedinmypastbehindme.Withyou,myparents,Mike,allofit.”

He sort of understood that. “So that’s it? You’re just going to forgive him and make nice?” He

scowledasheswipedhiskeycard.HehatedtheideaofDanibeingfriendlywithherex,aguywhowas
clearlystillinlovewithherandwantedherback.

“We’reneighbors,remember?”
“Yeah,aboutthat.”Hetossedhiscardonthesmallwritingdesktuckedawayinthecorner.“Maybe

youshouldthinkaboutmoving.”

Shelaughed.“WhywouldIdothat?Ilikeithere.”
“Youreallywanttoriskrunningintohimeverytimeyouleaveyourapartment?”
“Aftertonight,I’mfinewithrunningintohim.Webothhadachancetolayitalloutthere,andwe’re

okay.Honestly.”

“You’reokay?Whatthehelldoesthatmean?”Acekickedoffhisrunningshoes,sorelytemptedto

throw them across the room. “Will you be going out for coffee with the guy or inviting him up to your
placeforadrinkthenexttimeI’moutoftown?”

“Don’tberidiculous,”shesaid,soundingindignant.“Areyousayingyoudon’ttrustme?”
“No,I’mnotsayingthatatall.ButhowwouldyoufeelifStaceyandIlivedinthesamebuilding?”
“YouandStaceyhavethesamefriends!Howdoyouthinkthatmakesmefeel?Youseeherallthe

time!”

Aceknewthisdiscussionwasgettingoutofhand,butlikearunawaytrain,hecouldn’tseemtostop

it.“Yeah,butshe’sbackwithherex-boyfriend.We’rejustfriends.”

“AndMikeandIaren’tevenfriends.Weneverwillbe.Hejusthappenstoliveinmybuilding.”
“Didhetellyouhestilllovesyou,thathewantsyouback?‘Causewebothknowthat’swhathe’s

after.”

Dani’sbriefhesitationmadeAce’sstomachclench.Ofcoursehetoldherhewantedherback.Why

elsewouldhegotosomuchtroubletomakeamends?

“Hesaidheregretswhathappened,butImadeitclearhowIfeelaboutyou.Heknowsthere’sno

chancetogoback.I’monlyinterestedinlookingforward,Ace.Withyou.”

Heclosedhiseyesashesankontotheendofhisbed.Heshouldjustleaveitatthatandbegrateful

thathewastheguyshe’dchosen,butthemasochisticpartofhisbraincouldn’tletgo.“I’mnotgonnalie,I
don’twanthimanywherenearyou.”

“Youhavetolearntotrustme,”shesaidquietly.“JustlikeIhavetotrustyou.Youthinkthisiseasy

for me, knowing you’re thousands of miles away, holed up in some hotel room, with dozens of women
downstairswho’dprobablylovetowarmyourbed?”

“That’snevergoingtohappen.”Thisconversationfelteerilyfamiliar.Inhighschool,he’dhadgirls

throwingthemselvesathim,tryingtocomebetweenhimandDanibecausetheycouldseehewasonthe
fasttracktothebigleagues.Ithadalmostbrokenthemupatimeortwobackthen,andhecouldn’tletthat
happennow.“Butifyou’reworriedaboutit,youcouldmarryme.”

“What?”
Hecouldn’tbelievehe’dsuggestedthat.Itwasn’tthathedidn’twantDanitobehiswifesomeday;

he did. But he’d just told his friends it was too soon for them to consider living together, yet he was
suggestingmarriage?Whatthehellwaswrongwithhim?“Nevermind,forgetIsaidanything.”

“Easiersaidthandone,”shemurmured.“It’snotlikemarriageisaguaranteeoffidelity.Besides,are

youreallythatinsecureaboutusthatyou’dbewillingtorushtothealtarjusttoensurewedon’tmakeany
morestupidmistakes?”

Was he? “You can’t blame me for being concerned. We’ve got a hell of a lot working against us.

Yourparents,mycareertakesmeawayhalftheyear—”

“Thenyoudon’tthinkwestandachanceofmakingthiswork?Weshouldjustgiveupnow?Isthat

whatyou’resaying?”

“No!God,no!Howcouldyoueventhinkthat?”Hehadn’tjumpedthroughasmanyhoopsashehad

tomakethisworkonlytorisklosinghernow.

Hecouldhearherfrustrationwhenshesaid,“Look,thisisn’taconversationweshouldbehaving

overthephone.We’rebothtired.It’sbeenalongday.Whydon’twetalkwhenyougetback,okay?”

“Wait,doesthatmeanyoudon’twanttotalktomeuntilIgetback?”Hecouldfeelherpullingaway,

andhehadtofindawaytomakethingsrightbeforeshelethimgo.“Becausewecan’tfixthingsifyou
won’teventalktome,Dani.”Herushedon,tryingtopersuadeher.“Andyoucan’texpectmetofocuson
winningballgameswhenyou’resittingathomemadatme.That’snotfair.”

“I’mnotmadatyou.”
“Thentellmewhatyou’rethinking.”
“I’mjustscared.”
“So am I, baby.” Every day his feelings for her grew more intense, which meant he stood to lose

everythingifshecuthimloose.Butthatdidn’tmeanhewasn’twillingtotakethechance.“Butyou’vegot
totalktome.Tellmewhatyou’rescaredof.”

Lasttimethey’ddated,they’dbeenimpulsivekids.Theyrarelyfought,butwhentheydidthey’dyell,

cry, hang up on each other, get mad, and get drunk instead of talking their problems out. Ace couldn’t
affordtomakethesamemistakeswithheragain.

“Youknowwhat?”hesaid,thinkingfast.“Letmecallyourightback.”
“Why?”
“IneedtoseeyourfacewhenItalktoyou.”
“Okay.”
Hehungupandbroughthercontactupinhisphone,hittingFaceTimeasheheldhisbreath,hoping

shewould answer. Whenhe saw herbeautiful face, he smiled.“Hey. See, isn’tthat better?” He inched
backonthebed,leaningagainstthepillowsbehindhim.

Shesmiled,nodding.“Muchbetter.Imissyou.”
“Imissyoutoo,sweetheart.Sotalktome.Tellmewhatyou’reafraidof.”
Daniclosedhereyesbriefly.“Itjustfeelsso…intense.Youandme.Italwayshas,butthistimeit’s

different,yaknow?”

“Idoknow.”Theyweren’tkidsanymore.Theywereadultswithdemandingcareersandlives,who

couldn’t afford to be irresponsible. They knew that one stupid mistake could cost them everything, and
theywereterrifiedofbeingtheonetomakeit.“Ifeelthesameway.”

“Youdo?”sheasked,wide-eyed.“Ithoughtyouweresosureofeverything,ofusand—”
“Iamsureaboutus.IsignedthecontractbecausethisiswhereIwanttobe,andyou’reabigpartof

thereasonforthat.Sweetheart,you’rethepersonIwanttobewith.You’vealwaysbeentheone.”

Hereyesfilledwithtearsasshebitherlip.“Ifeelthesamewayaboutyou.”
“Weknowthisisn’tgoingtobeeasy.Rightnowitfeelslikeeverythingisworkingagainstus.”He

thought of his friends, the ones who’d figured out how to have a baseball career and a healthy
relationship.“Butwecanmakeitwork.Ihonestlybelievethat.”

“It’shardbeingawayfromyou.It’sonlyafewdaysthistime,butyouhavelongerstretcheslaterin

theseason,right?”

“I do.” There were times he’d be away for almost two weeks at a time. And she was right, that

wouldsuck,butthey’dgetthroughitaslongashecouldseehergorgeousfacebeforehewenttosleep
every night. “But at least we won’t have to face longer stretches apart like we would have if I’d been
traded.”

“That’strue,”shesaid,pushingherhairawayfromherface.“I’msogladyousignedthatcontract,

butIhatetothinkyoudiditforme.Whatifthingsdon’tworkoutbetweenusandyou’restuck—”

“Firstofall,Irefusetoentertaintheideathingswon’tworkout.I’mdeterminedtomakethemwork.

Aren’tyou?”

“Ace, I love you. You know that. But our lives are so different. I have a nine-to-five job, while

you”—sheshookherhead—“liveandbreathebaseballsevenoreightmonthsoutoftheyear.Youcan’tgo
anywherewithoutpeoplestoppingyouforselfiesorautographs.”Shestaredstraightintoherscreen.“You
don’tthinkIknowhowmanywomenwouldliketotradeplaceswithme?Wegetintoafightwhileyou’re
ontheroad,howamIsupposedtoknowthatyou’renot…thatyouwouldn’t…”Sheclosedhereyesona
softsigh.“YouknowwhatImean.”

Hewashurtthatshe’dquestionhisfidelity,buthetriedtoputhimselfinherposition.Inhighschool,

they’dfoughtandhedidsomethingtotallyoutofcharacter—drinkinganddriving.Howcouldshebesure
hewouldn’tmakeanotherbadcallthatwouldchangeeverythingforthem?

“Youdon’tknow,”hesaid,tryingtobereasonable.“Notyet.ButIhavetobelievetimewillprove

to you that you can trust me. I’m in the same position you are, you know. You’re living in the same

buildingasyourex,aguywho’smadeitclearhe’sstillinlovewithyouandwantsyouback.”

“ButyouknowIwouldnever—”
“WhatIknowisthatyouandIhavealong,complicatedhistory.I’vehurtyoumorethananyoneever

has. I have to earn your trust again, to make you believe in me and in us. I know that can’t happen
overnight.Butitwillhappen.Ihavetobelievethat.”

“Whenyousuggestedwegetmarried,wheredidthatcomefrom?”
He tipped his head back as he chose his words carefully. “It’s not that I don’t think about what it

wouldbeliketobemarriedtoyou,Dani.Ido.Alot.ButIknowwe’renotthereyet.Wheredidthatcome
from?Metryingtonailyoudown,Iguess.”Hesmirked,hopingshe’dappreciatehishonesty.“Ifyou’re
wearingmyring,everyotherguywouldhavetobackoff.”

Shesmiled.“Andifyou’rewearingmyring,everyothergirlwouldhavetobackoff.”Shetapped

herfingeragainstherlips,pretendingtoconsiderthepossibility.“Hmm,mightnotbeabadidea.”

Hechuckled.“ButyouandIbothknowthat’snottherightreasontogetmarried.”
Herfeaturessoftenedwhenshesaid,“You’reright.Icanthinkofplentyofreasonstomarryyou,but

Idon’twantthattobeoneofthem.Ifthetimecomes,IwanttomarryyoubecauseIcan’tstandtolive
withoutyou.BecauseIwant…”Sheglancedawaybeforesheadded,“Tohaveafamilywithyou.”

Hewantedtobelievethey’dgetthereeventually,aproposalforalltherightreasons,insteadofone

borneofdesperationandfear,butsomethinginhergazemadehimquestionher.“Youdowantthat,right?
Imean,I’mnotinthisrelationshipbecauseI’mtryingtofigureoutwhetherthisisright.Ialreadyknowit
is.”

“Of course I want to build a life with you. I wouldn’t be going through everything that I am if I

didn’t.”

Hefeltguiltyforallthathe’dputherthrough,butheintendedtodoeverythinginhispowertogive

herthefamilyhe’dtakenfromher.Hisparentsalreadylovedherandwouldembraceheraspartoftheir
familywithoutquestion.Histeammateswerehisextendedfamily,likehisbrothers,andwouldaccepther
gladly,ifshemadeAcehappy.Andhewantedtogiveherchildrensomeday,afamilyofherown.

“Yourememberhowweusedtotalkaboutgettingmarriedandhavingkids?”Hesmiledatthesweet

memoryofthoselate-nighttalksonthephone,whenoneorbothofthemwouldfallasleepandwakeup
withthephoneinthecrookoftheirneck,beepingintheirear.

“OfcourseIdo,”shesaidsoftly.
“Backthen,wedidn’tknowwherelifewouldtakeus.Westillhadcollegetoworryabout,andwhat

ImightdoifIdidn’tgetthatprocontractIwantedsobadly.”

“Butyoudidgetit.”Shesmiled.“Yougoteverythingyouwanted…incaseIhaven’tsaiditbefore,

I’mreallyproudofyou.”

“Thanks.” He’d heard those words before—from his parents, coaches, friends—but they’d never

meantmoretohimthantheydidcomingfromher.“Nowwedon’thavetoworryaboutwherelifemight
takeus.We’reset.Youinyourcareerandmeinmine.”

“Yeah…”Shelickedherlips.“Set.”
“NowthatI’vesignedthatnewcontract,wedon’thavetoworryaboutmemovingaway.Wecanjust

focusonthefuture.Ourfuture.Together.”Hestaredatherimage,waitingforhertosmile,forhereyesto
lightup,somethingtogivehimtheimpressionshewasasexcitedaboutthatpossibilityashewas.

“There’ssomuchmorewehavetotalkabout,butnottonight,okay?Whenyougetback.”
He felt a tightness in his chest when he realized there were still issues to resolve, things standing

betweenthem,andhedidn’tknowwhattheywere.“Uh,okay.Yougonnagivemeahintwhatyouwantto
talkaboutwhenIgetback?”

“I can’t.” Her stare was pained, as though she was thinking about something she’d rather forget.

“JustknowthatI’llbethinkingaboutyoueveryminuteuntilyougetback.Iloveyou.”

“Iloveyoutoo,babe.”Hedrewadeepbreath,knowingtryingtosleeptonightwouldbefutileand

hecouldn’taffordtobeoffhisgametomorrow.“Uh,TenleyandRowanhaveasparekeytomyplace.I’ll
fireoffatexttoletherknowyou’llbepickingitupfromher,okay?IwantyoutobeatmyplacewhenI
gethome.Idon’twanttowaitanylongerthanwehaveto…totalk.”

“Okay,I’llseeyouthen.”Sheblewhimakissbeforehisscreenwentblank.

ChapterNineteen

Dani passed by Tenley’s house to pick up Ace’s key a few hours before he was due home. She was
nervous but knew she couldn’t put it off any longer. He had to know about the miscarriage before they
couldmoveforward.

“Hey,”Tenleysaid,welcomingDaniwithahug.“It’ssogoodtoseeyou.Comeonin.”
“Thanks.”Danihadpassedbytheirhouseafewtimesduringtheweddingplanningstages,topick

somethingupordropsomethingoff,butthatwasbeforesheandAcewereacouple.Thingsfeltdifferent
now.

“CanIgetyouaglassofwine?”
Danihadastrictpolicyagainstdrinkinganddriving.Ever.“Uh,nothanks.Acoffeewouldbegreat

though.Ifit’snottoomuchtrouble?”

“Ofcoursenot,”Tenleysaid,smiling.“ComeonintothekitchenwhileImakeit.”
DanisatatthebreakfastbarwhileshewatchedTenleypreparecoffee.“YoumustmissRowanwhen

he’saway,huh?”

“Ugh,youhavenoidea.”Shegiggled.“Especiallynowthatwe’retryingtohaveababy.Sometimes

hisscheduledoesn’tworkwithmine,ifyouknowwhatImean.”Shewinkedassheplacedthecreamand
sugarontheislandinfrontofDani.“Whichsucks,becauseitmeanswehavetowaitanentiremonthtotry
again.NotthatI’mcomplainingallthatmuch.Thepracticeisalwaysfun.”

Danilaughed.“Ibetitis.”
“Youmustbeexcitedtoo,”Tenleysaid,settingthefirstmugofsingle-brewcoffeeinfrontofDani.

“NowthatAcesignedthatbigfatcontract,itmeanshe’snotgoinganywhereforawhile.”

“Iamexcitedaboutthat.”Danipreparedhercoffee,givingthetaskmoreattentionthanitwarranted

asTenleystaredather.

“Sowhydon’tyouseemexcited?”
“We’rejust…”ShelikedTenleyandconsideredherafriend,buttheproblemthatwasweighingon

herwentbeyondthecasualfriendship.EspeciallysinceTenley’sloyaltynodoubtlaywithherhusband’s
bestfriend.“Figuringthingsout.AlothappenedbetweenmeandAcebackintheday,andit’sgoingto
takesometimeforustoworkthroughit.”

“That’sunderstandable,”Tenleysaid,leaningagainstthecounterasshetookatentativesipofher

black coffee before blowing on it so she could take another. “But at least you guys are making strides,
right?Movingintherightdirection?”

“Ithinkso,but…”Shedidn’tknowhowmuchsheshouldreveal.ShewantedtogetTenley’stakeon

thelittlebombshellshewasabouttodroponAce,soshecouldgetanideafromoneofhisfriend’son
how he might react, but she was scared. She didn’t want Tenley to think she was a terrible person for
keepingthesecretfromAceforsolong.

“But what?” Tenley frowned when Dani didn’t respond. “I hope you know that I consider you a

friend,Dani.Anythingyousaytomeinconfidencewillremainbetweenus,Ipromise.Iwouldn’tbetray

youbytellingAceorRowan.”

That was all Dani needed to hear before she blurted, “After the accident, I found out I was

pregnant.”Shedidn’tbothertolookupatTenleybeforesheadded,“Acedoesn’tknow.”

“Whathappened?”Tenleyasked,settinghermugontheisland.“Didyouhaveamiscarriageor—”
“Imiscarried.”Shebitherlip,tryingtoholdbackhertears.“Myparentsdidn’twantmetohavethe

baby, but putting it up for adoption or terminating the pregnancy weren’t options I’d consider. I was
young,butIwantedthatbaby.”Shereleasedatremblingbreathasshewrappedhercoldhandsaroundthe
warmmug.“IhatedAceforwhathedid,butIstilllovedhimtoo.IguessIwantedtokeepapartofhim,
evenifIcouldn’thavehim.Havinghisbabywouldhavegivenmethat.”

“Wow,”Tenleywhispered.“Youreallylovedhim,didn’tyou?”
“Youhavenoidea.”DanilookedupatTenley,tryingtofindthewordstodescribehowshe’dfelt

about her first love. “He was a part of me. He’d infiltrated every part of my life, and that’s the way I
wantedit.Hisfriendsweremyfriendsandminewerehis.”

Tenleynodded.“Iknowsomethingaboutthat.IhadaboyfriendwhenIwasyoung,onewhowasa

hugepartofmylife.”

“He’dpickmeupfromwork,hangoutatmyhouse.Atschoolwewerealwaystogether.Weekends,

weeknights,everyminutewecouldsneakaway,wewould.”

“Losinghimmusthavebeenterribleforyou,”Tenleysaidsympathetically.“Ican’timagine.”
“That’s what people don’t understand. It wasn’t just losing my twin brother that did me in. It was

losingMaceonatthesametime.Allofasudden,twoofthemostimportantpeopleinmylifewere”—she
snappedherfingers—“gone.Justlikethat.IknewI’dneverseeortalktoeitheroneofthemagain.”

“I’msosorry,Dani.”
Shetookasipofhercoffeeandsetitdown,staringintothemug.“IwasactuallyhappywhenIfound

out I was pregnant.” She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I know it sounds crazy, since I was so
young.ButIthoughtGodwasgivingmesomeoneelsetolove,someonetoreplacethepeoplehe’dtaken
fromme.”

“Butthenyoulostthebabytoo.”Tenleywinced.“God,thatmusthavebeenawful.”
“It was.” Dani nodded. “And the worst part was that I couldn’t openly grieve for my baby. My

parents were relieved that I’d miscarried. They thought it was for the best, that I should be grateful I
didn’thavetoworryaboutthatproblemanymore.ButIneversawmybabyasaproblem.Isawitasa
blessing.”

“I’msureAcewouldhavetoo,”Tenleysaid,leaningovertotouchDani’shand.“Ihaven’tknown

himallthatlong,butIknowhe’sastand-upguy.Ifhe’dfoundouthewasgoingtobeafather,hewould
havelovedthatbabyanddonewhateverhecouldtoprovideforthemwhenhegotout.Ihavenodoubt
aboutthat.”

“I’msureyou’reright.”Danilickedherlips.“Ihavetotellhimtonight,aboutthemiscarriage,and

I’msoafraidofhowhe’llreact.”

“I’msurehe’llbeshockedandmaybehurt.”TenleytippedherheadasshelookedatDani.“Youhad

your time to grieve the loss all those years ago. You’ll probably have to give him some time to do the
same.”

SheknewTenleywasright,butshehopedhewouldn’tshutheroutwhilehegrievedovertheirloss.

“Ijusthopehedoesn’thateme,andhisparents,forkeepingitfromhim.”

“Theyknew?”Tenleyasked,soundingsurprised.
“Yeah, my parents told them. When I made it clear I intended to raise the baby, they thought his

parentsshouldknow,sotheycouldhelpwithmedicalexpensesandeverything,Iguess.”

“I’msurprisedtheydidn’ttellAce.Theyseemlikeareallytight-knitfamily.”
“They are, but I guess they didn’t see any reason to tell him after I miscarried. He was already

dealingwithenough,beinglockedup.Iguesstheythoughtfindingoutaboutthemiscarriagewouldonly
makeitworse.”

“Makessense,Iguess,”Tenleysaidbeforetakinganothersipofhercoffee.
“CanIaskyousomething?”Daniasked,knowingshewasprobablywayoutofline.
“Ofcourse,anything.”
“AceandStacey…”
Tenley smiled. “I wondered when you’d get around to asking me about them.” She rounded the

islandwithhercupandsatnexttoDani.“Theymetatatimewhentheywerebothlookingforsomething,
someone,tomakethemforget,Ithink.Staceywastryingtogetovermybrother,andAcehelpedherdo
that.”

“DidsheloveAce?”Daniasked,notsureshewasreadytoheartheanswer.
“Shedid.”Tenleysmiled.“Butsomethingyouneedtounderstandaboutmybestfriend,shegivesher

lovefreely.Unlikeme.I’malotmorecautious.Ittakesawhileformetogivemyhearttosomeone.”

“Icanrelate,”Danisaid,wonderingifshe’deverreallygivenMikeherheart.
“At the time, I didn’t know what Ace was trying to forget, but I sensed there was something… or

someone.WhenIfoundoutaboutyou,Iunderstood.”

“Istillcan’tbelievehetalkedyouintohavingyourweddingatthehoteljustsohecouldreconnect

withme,”Danisaid,rollinghereyes.“Youguyswentaboveandbeyondinthenameoffriendship.”

“There’snothingRowanwouldn’tdoforhim,whichmeansthere’snothingIwouldn’tdoforAce.

Wesawourfriendhurting,sonaturallyiftherewassomethingwecoulddotohelphim,wewantedto.
Besides,itwasn’texactlyahardship.Youguysgaveustheweddingofourdreams.”

“I’mglad,”Danisaid,squeezingTenley’sarm.“Youtwodeservedit.”
“ButyouaskedmeaboutStaceyandAce.”Tenleysetherelbowontheisland,restingherchininher

hand. “Were they in love? Yes, I think so. Was it a forever kind of love? No, definitely not. Will they
always be friends? Yeah, I’m pretty sure they will.” She grinned. “Any more questions, or did I cover
everything?”

“Youreallythinkthathe’soverher,thathe’sreadytomoveon?”
Tenleylaughed.“God,yes.LikeIsaid,Dani,itwasn’tthekindoflovethatstayswithyouforever.

Notlikewhatyouandheseemtohave.”

“Is she over him?” Dani hated herself for asking that question, but if she didn’t, she’d always

wonder.

“She is one hundred percent, head over heels in love with my brother and only wants the best for

Ace.”

“Goodtoknow,”Danisaid,relieved.
Tenleyreachedacrossthecounterandgrabbedakeyringwithacrystalheartonit.“ThekeytoAce’s

house.”

“Thanks,”Danisaid,curlingherhandaroundit.“I’llgiveitbacktoyou—”
“Noneed,”Tenleysaid,smiling.“Ihaveafeelinghe’llwantyoutokeepit.”
Daniwasn’tsosure.Aftertheirtalk,hemaynotwanthertosetfootinhishouseagain.

***

AcesmiledashepulledintohisdrivewayandsawDani’scar.Damn,itfeltgoodcominghometo

thewomanheloved.Ifonlyhecouldconvincehertomakeitapermanentarrangement.

“Onestepatatime,Phillips,”hemutteredashejoggedupthesteps,leavinghissuitcaseinthetrunk.

“Hello,”hecalledasheturnedthedoorknob.

“Hey,”Danisaid,jumpingupoffthecouch.Shemadeabeelineforhim.“Thereyouare!Imissed

you.”

She launched herself at him, wrapping her legs around his waist, and he laughed as he stumbled

back.He’dbeennervousabouttheirtalk,butherzealousgreetingconvincedhimtheyweregoingtobe
fine.

“Imissedyoutoo,babe.”Heleanedagainstthewall,needingthephysicalsupportsohecouldkiss

herthewayhewantedto.Whentheyfinallybrokeapart,hesaid,“God,Ineededthat.”

“Me too.” Her eyes were glazed as she focused on his lips. “It feels like I’ve thought about you

constantly.Madeithardtogetanyworkdone.”

“I feel like I should apologize,” he teased, setting her down. “But I’m not going to. I love that I

distractyou.”

Shelinkedherhandthroughhisastheywalkedintothelivingroom.“Ihopeyoudon’tmindthatI

mademyselfathome.”Shegesturedtothebottledwateronthetable.

“Micasaessucasa.”Howhewishedhishousewasherhouse.
“Doyouwantanything?”sheaskedshyly.“Ifeelsillyevenaskingyouthat.Itisyourhouse,after

all.”

Sheseemednervous,whichmadehimmoreanxioustohearwhatwasonhermind.“Nah,I’mgood.”

Hesatdown,draggingherdownwithhim.

Shesettledinbesidehim,herlegsrestingoverhis.“Soitwasagoodseries,huh?Twogamesoutof

threeagainstyourdivisionrivals.Can’taskformuchmorethanthat.”

“Sure, I could,” Ace said, grinning. “I could ask for a sweep, but I’ll take two of three without

complaining.”Whenhersmileslipped,hetuckedastrandofhairbehindherear.“Iknowyoudon’treally
wannatalkbaseball,sotellmewhat’sonyourmind.”

Hersighwaslabored,asthoughshecouldbarelybreatheasshesqueezedhishand.“God,thisisso

hard.Idon’tknowhowyou’llreact.JustknowthatInevermeanttohurtyou,Maceon.”

Nowhewastheonehavingtroublebreathing.Ifshewasplanningtobreakupwithhim,hewouldn’t

makeiteasyforher.Hefinallyhadtheonlywomanhe’deverreallylovedbackinhislifeandwouldn’t
lethergowithoutonehellofafight.“Justtellme.”

“Youknowhowwhenweweretogetherbefore…”
“Yeah.”
“Well,wewerealwayscareful,right?Imean,Iwasonthepill—”
“Dani,whereareyougoingwiththis?Whatdoesthismatternow?”Hewatchedherpalewhileher

eyes darted around the room. “Were you… did we…?” He couldn’t even form the words as his gaze
driftedtotheflatstomachconcealedbyherblackcottonsundress.

“Igotpregnant,”sheblurted,airgushingfromherlungsonawhoosh.“Ididn’tfindoutuntilafterthe

accidentandbythen…”Atearsliddownhercheekwhileanotherclungtoherlashes.“Itseemedtoolate
totellyou.”

“Oh my God.” He tipped his head back while his mind reeled, trying to process what her words

meant.“Whathappenedtothebaby?Pleasetellmeyoudidn’t—”

“Ihadamiscarriage,”shesaidquickly,curlingherhandaroundhiswrist.“Justshyofthreemonths.”
Heclosedhiseyes,feelingthelossasthoughithadjusthappened.“Idon’tbelievethis.”
“I would have told you.” She bit her lip, her voice shaky as tears continued to glide down her

cheeks.“Imean,ifI’dmadeittoterm,Iwouldhavetoldyou.Iwouldhavewantedyoutobeapartofour
baby’slife.Youhavetobelievethat.”

He wanted to believe her, but she’d hated him then. Would she really have wanted to risk him

influencingtheirchild?“Whoelseknewaboutthis?”

Shewincedassherubbedhertempleswithherfingertips.“Atthetime?Justyourparentsandmine.”
He felt as if she’d sucker-punched him. “My parents knew you were carrying my baby and they

didn’ttellme?”

“Pleasetrytounderstand,”shesaid,restingherhandonhischest.“Theywantedto,buttheythought

that was up to me. And they probably knew that the first trimester is risky, especially with a first
pregnancy. You were already going through hell, having to be in that place and dealing with everything
thathappened.Theywerejusttryingtoprotectyou,becausetheylovedyou.”

Hemovedherlegsoffofhimasheleanedforward,restinghisheadinhishands.“Idon’tevenknow

what to say right now.” He knew he should have a million questions but his brain and mouth couldn’t
worktogethertoformevenone.Hewasinshock.

“Say you don’t hate me for not telling you sooner,” she whispered, setting her hand on his back.

“Please.Ijustneedtohearyousaythat.”

Helookedatheroverhisshoulder,feelingnumb.“Icouldneverhateyou,Danielle.”Hewantedto

know why she hadn’t told him as soon as they re-connected, but her response would probably lead to
angerandtears,whichwouldonlyservetowidenthesuddenriftbetweenthem.

Lookingmiserable,shenodded.“Butyou’rehurtandangryandconfused,right?”
“Yeah,allofthosethings.”Sheknewhimtoowell.“Ijustneedsometimealonetothink.”Hedidn’t

wanttoleavethingslikethis,butifshestayed,hemightsaysomethingheregretted.

Soundingpanicked,shesaid,“Pleasedon’tkickmeoutyet.Can’twetalkfirst?Ineedyoutoknow

whatIwasthinkingandfeelingwhenIfoundoutIwaspregnant…beforeyoudecidehowyoufeel.”

Thatwasthelastthingheneededtohearrightnow.Hearinghersayshe’dactuallywantedhisbaby

wouldonlymakehispainandlossmoreunbearable.“Weshouldprobablybothtakesometimeto−”

Asthoughshehadn’theardhim,shewhispered,“Iwassoscared.ButIwasexcitedtoo.”Shefinally

lookedhimintheeye.“Iwantedthatbaby.Don’teverdoubtthat.”

“I don’t.” Being so young would have made it impossible for most, but he knew Danielle would

havebeenanamazingmom.

“Howdoyoufeel?”
“Idon’tknow.”Heshookhisheadashefoughtbacktears.“IjustknowIcan’tdothisrightnow.I

needtimetofigurethisout.Onmyown.Please.I’llcallyoulater,okay?”

Hecouldtellshedidn’twanttoleave.Shewantedtostay,todemandtheytalkitout,butinsteadshe

leanedintokisshischeekbeforeshereachedforherpurseonthefloorbesidethesofa.“Justremember
thatIloveyou,okay?Ididn’tkeepthisfromyoutohurtyou.IonlydiditbecauseIthought—”

Hehelduphishand,shakinghishead.“Don’tsayanymore.Notrightnow.Ican’t.Ijustcan’thearit

rightnow.Ineedtimetoprocessallthis.”

“I understand.” She walked slowly to the door before she looked over her shoulder at him. “This

doesn’thavetobetheendofus,doesit?”

Shelookedsosadthatallhewantedwastomakeherfeelbetter.“Idon’twantittobe.”

***

AcehadalreadydownedfivebeersbythetimehisdoorbellrangacoupleofhoursafterDanileft

himalonetohisthoughts.

“Whatareyoudoinghere?”heasked,scowlingatChase.
“Youleftthisonthebus,”Chasesaid,holdingupAce’siPodwiththeearbudswrappedaroundit.

“Thought you might need it for your morning workout or whatever.” He shrugged. “I was on my way
home,soIthought,whatthehell?”

“Thanks,”Acemuttered,grabbingit.“Youwannabeer?”
“Uh, you do know we have a game tomorrow, right? Since when do you drink the night before an

afternoongame?”

“Sincemygirlfriendjustdroppedabombonme.”
Chase followed him inside, closing the door. “Uh oh, what happened? She’s not getting back with

herex,isshe?”

“No,nothinglikethat.”Acesupposedthingscouldbeworse.Shecouldhavetoldhimshewasdone

withhimandgoingbacktothejerkwho’dcheatedonher.Hesankdownonthecouchbeforereachingfor
hisbeer.“Youwantone?”heasked,raisinghisbottle.

“No,I’mgood.”Chasesatontheleatherarmchairacrossfromhim.“WhatIwantistoknowwhat

happenedtoputyouinthismood.”

“Shewaspregnant.”
“Was?”Chaseasked,lookingwary.“Whatdoesthatmean?”
“Whenwewereteenagers,shegotpregnantanddidn’ttellme.”
“Shit,”Chasemuttered.“Thatsucks.”
“Yeah,itdoes.Andyouwannaknowtheworstpart?Myownparentsknewanddecidedtokeepitto

themselves.Idon’tknowwhotobemorepissedat,themorher.”

“Didthishappenbeforeoraftertheaccident?”
Acedownedtherestofhisbeerbeforeslammingthebottleonthetable.“Shegotpregnantbefore,

obviously,butdidn’tfindout‘tilaftertheyputmeaway,Iguess.”

“Thatmusthavebeenroughforher,”Chasesaid.“Tryingtodecidewhattodo.”
He tried putting himself in Dani’s position and knew what she’d gone through couldn’t have been

easy,buthewashavingtroublebelievingthatshewouldhavetoldhimeventually.Whathurtthemostwas
believingshewouldhavelethiskidgrowupwithouthimbecauseshedeemedhimunfittobeafather.

“It’s not like either of us were ready to be parents,” Ace said, scowling at the empty bottle. “We

werejustkidsourselves.That’swhywetookprecautionstopreventit,yaknow?”

“Iknowallaboutthat,”Chasesneered.“MyexandIthoughtwewerebeingcarefultoo.Turnsout

condoms aren’t fail-proof. Not that I’m complaining. Becoming a dad was the best thing that ever
happenedtome.”

Ace’s gut twisted painfully when he thought about the baby he and Dani could have had together.

Wouldithavebeenaboyoragirl?God,howoldwouldtheyhavebeennow?Hedidalittlementalmath
andrealizedtheywouldhavebeenfourteen.Hewouldhavehadateenager…

“Youmustmissher,”Acesaid,lookingupathisfriend.“Yourdaughter.”
“Everydamnday.”Chasesighed.“Hermothertoo,ifI’mbeinghonest.”
“Why’dyoudivorceherthen?”
“Ididn’thavemuchofachoice,”hesaid,leaningforward,shouldersslumped.“AfterIdecidedto

comeherewithoutconsultingher,shesaidIwasaselfishassholeandshewasdonewithme.Ithoughtshe
wasjustupset,thatwe’dhaveachancetoworkthingsoutwhenIwenthomeduringtheoff-season,but
she served me with divorce papers a couple of weeks into spring training. I knew there was nothing I
coulddotofightit.She’dmadeuphermind.”

“Didyoueventry?”Aceasked.“Tofightthedivorce?Didyoutrytellingheryoustillwantedtobe

marriedtoher,thatyouwantedtobeafamily?”

Chase swallowed. “It all happened so fast. One minute I was happily married, and the next I was

staringatdivorcepapers.Inhindsight,Ishouldhavefoughtharder,butIjustdidn’twanthertohateme
morefordraggingitout,yaknow?”

Aceknewallaboutgivingupwhenheshouldhavefoughtharder.He’dassumedDaniwouldnever

wanttoseeortalktohimagainafterherbrother’saccident,sohehadn’teventried.Nowondershe’dfelt
aloneandabandoned.

“Well,Ishouldgetgoing,”Chasesaid,standing.“Youokay?”
“Iwillbe,man.Thanks.”Heknewitwouldtakesometime,butaftertalkingtoChase,heknewwhat

hehadtodo.

ChapterTwenty

Acewalkedintohisparents’housebeforepracticethenextday,tryingtocorralhisemotions.Hewasstill
devastatedbythenewsheandDanihadlostababyhehadn’tevenknownabout,andhewashurtthatthe
peoplewhoclaimedtolovehimhadkeptitfromhim.Buthehadtogivethemachancetoexplain.

“Hey,sweetie,”hismomsaid,lightingupwhenshemethiminthefoyer.“Thisisanicesurprise.

Butyouhaveagametoday,don’tyou?Icouldhaveswornwhenyourdadcheckedthescheduleearlier,he
said…”Shefrownedasshereachedforhishand.“Whatisit?What’swrong?”

“Weneedtotalk,”hesaid,soundinggruffashewithdrewhishand.“Where’sDad?”
“Uh,he’soutbackwateringthegarden.I’llgethim.”Shegesturedtothelivingroom.“Haveaseat.

I’llmakesomecoffee.”

Hedidn’twantcoffee.Hewantedanexplanation,buthedidashewastold,needingafewminutes

to collect himself anyway. He wandered around the room as he waited, too tense to sit, and looked at
familypictures.Hepickeduponeofhimandhisbrotherwhentheywereaboutthirteenandfifteen.

“That was always one of my favorites,” his dad said, watching him from the doorway. “You guys

werebestfriends.”HepointedatthepictureinAce’shand.“Andthatpicturesaiditall.”

They had their arms wrapped around each other’s necks as they leaned into the camera, smiling.

Havinglosthisbrother,Acehatedknowingthathe’dtakenanothersonandbrotherfromhisfamily.

“Igetwhytheyhateme,”Acesaidandsighedashesetthepicturebackonthetable.“ButIdon’t

knowwhatIcandotomakesthingsright.”

“You’retalkingaboutDani’sparents?”
“Yeah.”Acehadn’tintendedtotalktohisfatheraboutthistoday,butitwasoneoftheissuesstill

weighingheavilyonhim.Eventhoughhewaspissedathisparentsforkeepinghiminthedark,hisold
manalwaysgavegoodadvice.

“Haveyoutriedtalkingtothem,tellingthemhowsorryyouare?”
“Areyoukidding?”Acerolledhiseyes.“They’dprobablyslamthedoorinmyface.”
“Maybe,butatleastthey’dknowyoucaredenoughtoputyourselfoutthere.”
Ace’sjawdropped.“Dad,youknowhowmuchIcare.I’veneverbeenabletoforgivemyselffor

whatIdid.”

“Maybe that’s part of the problem,” his dad said, pointing at him. “You’ve never been able to

forgive yourself. That’s why you keep sabotaging your own happiness, because you don’t think you
deservetobehappy.”

“Whatthehellareyoutalkingabout?I’mhappy.”
“Are you?” His father narrowed his eyes. “Dani called to warn us that you may be stopping by

today,andthatyouwouldn’tbehappy.Shetoldusthatyoukickedheroutlastnightandshehasn’theard
fromyousince.Isthathowwetaughtyoutosolveyourproblems?”

“Youdon’tgettolectureme,”Acesaid,raisinghisvoice.“Youtaughtmethatbeingamanmeant

beinghonestandfacingyourproblems.Sowhyweren’tyouhonestwithme?Whydidn’tyougivemea

chancetomanupwhenDanifoundoutshewaspregnant?WereyouafraidIwouldn’t?”

Ace’smomreturnedwithcoffee,whichshedistributedbeforesittingonthesofaandwatchingthe

twomensheloved.

“Iwasafraidyou’donlymakethingsharderforDani,”hisfathersaid,glaringathim.“Whetheryou

canseeitornot,shewasavictiminallthis.Sheneveraskedtoloseherbrotherorherboyfriend.And
it’snotlikeshewantedtogetpregnant.Shehadtolivewithherparents’condemnationand−”

“I—”
“Shutupandlistenforonce.”Hisfather’sfaceturnedaruddyshade,whichletAceknowhewas

about to erupt. “We stood by you when you let us down because you needed us. You were our son and
we’dneverturnourbacksonyou.ButDanididn’thavethatsameunconditionalloveathome.Herparents
made it clear that if she chose to let you back into her life, they were done with her and would have
nothingtodowiththebabyshewascarrying.”

Ace sank onto a chair as his father continued to stand, scowling at him. Ace had come here to let

them have it, but he should have known his parents would demand their say. Now he was glad he’d
followed his old man’s advice and kept his mouth shut. He needed to hear the reasons they’d made the
choicestheyhadbackthen.

“Wetalkedaboutlettinghercometolivewithusifherparentsreallydidkickherout,”hismother

said softly. “But we decided to wait and see how it all played out. They’d already lost their son. We
didn’twanttoseethemlosetheirdaughterandgrandbabytoo.”

Acesethiscoffeedownbeforedroppinghisheadinhishands.“Inevermeanttotaketheirsonaway

fromthem.”

“Weknowyoudidn’t,honey,”hismotherwhispered.“Itwasaterribletragedy.”
“Thathappenedbecausehewasirresponsible,”hisfathercutin,exchangingalookwithhiswife.

“Let’scallitwhatitis.”

Acecouldn’tbreatheashelookedathisfather.Itfeltlikethatdayalloveragain,whenhe’dstared

upathisfatherfromhishospitalbedandhisparentssharedalookthatsaidtheirliveswouldneverbethe
sameagain.

“Youdon’tthinkIknowthat?”Aceasked,feelingtheburnoftearsinhiseyes.“Youdon’tthinkI’ve

workedatbeingabettermaneverydamndaysincethataccident?”

“Weknowyouhave,”hisfathersaid,nodding.“Andwe’reproudofallthatyou’veaccomplished.

Butyouwannaknowwhatmakesmethemostproud?”

Aceshookhishead,expectinghisfathertociteoneofhiscareeraccomplishments.
“WhenIwatchedyousitinfrontofaroomfullofreportersandopenupaboutwhatyoudidallthose

years ago. You didn’t know what the fallout would be. It could have ended your career, but you did
somethingincrediblybraveandmaybeyourdecisiontoopenupaboutyourpastwillhelpsomeoneelse.”

“Don’tmakemeouttobeamartyr.Ihadtocomeclean,Dad,”Acesaid,lookingatthefloor.“Ihad

tomakethingsright,forDani’ssakeandformine.”

“Yetyouhaven’tgonetoseeherparents,”hisfatherremindedhim.“Why?”
“Youknowthey’dnevergivemeachancetoapologizefacetoface.Thatpressconferencewasthe

onlywayI’lleverbeabletoapologizetothem.”Heshrugged.“Idon’tknow,maybeIcouldsendaletter
oranemailor—”

“Letmeaskyousomething,”hisdadsaid,foldinghisarmsoverhisbroadchest.“Howwouldyou

feelifwegotanemailfromyourbrother’skillertomorrow?Doyouthinkthatwouldbeenough?Would
you be okay with that? Would you expect us to be? Or would you at least want him to have the guts to
apologizetousinperson?”

Acerubbedthebackofhisneckashefelthisthroatclosingup.“Whatthehell?Icameheretofind

outwhyyou’dkeptDani’spregnancyfromme.Howdidyoumanagetoturnthetablesonme?”

Hisdadchuckledasheswipedahandoverhisface.“Wemayhavebeenwrongforkeepingitfrom

you, son, but we did it for the right reasons. We put the girl you loved and your unborn child first. We
knewthat’swhatyouwouldhavewantedustodo.Werewewrong?”

“No,youweren’twrong,”Acemuttered,knowinghe’dbeenoutmatchedbyanexpert.
“AndI’mnotwrongaboutyougoingtoseeDani’sparentseither.”Hetappedhiswatch.“You’vegot

agamelater,soyoubestgetamoveon.”

“Youwantmetogoseethemnow?”Aceasked,scrubbinghishandsoverhisface.
“I’dsayit’slongoverdue,wouldn’tyou?”
Inhisheart,Acehadalwaysknownthisdaywouldcome.Hedidn’texpecttheirforgiveness,buthe

knewifhewantedtolethisbestfriendrestinpeace,hehadtotellLinc’sparentsthewholeuglystoryand
expresshisregret.

***

Acecouldbarelybreatheasherangthedoorbellandwaited.Whensheopenedthedoorandspotted

him,Dani’smothergasped,allcolordrainingfromherface.

Ace was shocked at how much she’d aged in fifteen years. She didn’t even look like the same

person.Thatwaswhenherealizedhehadn’tjusttakenLinc’slife.He’dtakentheirstoo.“Mrs.Kipling,I
knowI’mthelastpersonyouwanttosee,butcanwepleasetalk,justforafewminutes?”

“Ihavenothingtosaytoyou.”
She tried to slam the door, but Ace wedged his fingers between the door and the frame. He was

riskingaseason-endinginjuryifshecrushedhisfingers,buthehadn’tcomeallthiswaytoletherturnhim
away.“Thenjustlisten.Please.”

“My husband will call the police if he sees you,” she warned. “He’ll have you cited for

trespassing.”

“I’m willing to risk it.” He was willing to risk just about anything to get inside and get just five

minutesalonewiththepeoplehe’doncecalledhissecondparents.

Shesighedheavilyassheopenedthedoorslowly.“Whynow?Afteralltheseyears?Isitbecause

you’redatingourdaughteragainor—”

“It’sbecausemyfathersaidsomethingtometodaythatmademerealizeI’vebeenrunningfromthis

fortoolong.Iwaswrongnottocometoyousooner.”Hehadtobebrutallyhonestwiththem,tolayitall
ontheline,ifheexpectedthemtoreallyhearanythinghehadtosay.

Shesteppedback,andAcetookthatasasilentinvitationtoenter.
Dani’sfatherroundedthecorner,hisshouldersslumpedasheshuffledforward.Ittookhimaminute

torealizetheyhadcompany,butwhenhedid,hepointedashakyfingeratAceandgrowled.“Yougetout
ofmyhouse,boy!”

Ace’sheartbrokeashelookedbetweenthem.Alllifehaddrainedfrombothofthem.Theywerejust

shadowsofthepeopleheremembered.They’dapparentlygivenuponlifeasthelastbreathseepedfrom
Linc’sbody.

He shook his head. “There are no words.” He swallowed as he flattened his hand against his

poundingheart.“Inmymind,Iknowthat.”

“Thenwhyareyouhere?”Mr.Kiplingasked,leaningonthebanisteratthefootofthestairs.“You

haven’t done enough damage, taking our son and now our daughter from us? You had to come here and

twisttheknifealittledeeper?”

“Ididn’ttakeDaniellefromyou,”Acesaid,whisperinghername.“Iwouldneverdothat.”
“We trusted you,” Mrs. Kipling said, her voice breaking “When Linc was with you, we always

assumedhe’dbesafe,thatyou’dlookoutforhim.”

Finally,theyweregettingtotheheartoftheirhatred.
“I should have.” Ace hung his head. “I let him down, and I let you down. I’m sorry.” He forced

himself to look into their eyes, but he knew his apology was just empty words to them. They held no
meaning.

“You didn’t just let us down,” Mr. Kipling argued. “If you’d let him leave with someone else,

someone who’d been driving drunk, that would have been letting us down. But yo-you killed him! You
werebehindthatwheel—”

“Iknow,”Acesaid,tryingtobreathe.“There’snoexcuseforwhatIdid.I’llhavetolivewiththat

for the rest of my life, knowing that I was responsible for my best friend’s death. But I’m not the same
dumbkidIwasbackthen.Isweartoyou.”

“Weknowyou’reabaseballplayernow,”Mr.Kiplingsaid,shakinghishead.“Thateveryonelooks

uptoyoulikeyou’resomedemi-god,butweknowwhatyoureallyare.”

“WhatamI?”Aceasked,lookingintohiseyes.“Whatdoyouseewhenyoulookatme?Doyousee

amurderer?Doyouseeamanwhowouldintentionallykillyourson?”

Mrs.Kiplingsankbackonthebottomstep,restingherfaceinherhandsasshecriedsoftly.
Herhusbandlookedatherasheopenedandclosedhismouth.“Iseeaspoiled,entitledexcusefora

manwho’snevereventriedtotakeresponsibilityforhisactions.”

Acecouldarguethathe’ddonehistimeandtriedtohelpthecityheloved.Hecouldtellthemthat

he’d been a good role model for the kids who looked up to him, that he’d even set up a scholarship in
Linc’sname.Butnoneofthatwoulderasethefactthathe’dwaitedtoolongtofacethemwithanapology.

“YouhatemeforwhatIdid,”Acesaid,restinghisshoulderagainstthewallforsupport.“Igetthat.

Youhaveeveryrighttofeelthatway.ButIthinkyoualsohatemebecauseyouthinkI’mlivingthelife
yoursonshouldbeliving.Playinginthebigleaguesthewayhewouldhavewantedto.”

“Thewayhedeservedto,”Mr.Kiplingsnapped.“Ihavenodoubthewouldhavemadeit.”
“NeitherdoI.”AceturnedhisarmoverwhilepullinghisT-shirtsleeveuptorevealhistattoo.“You

thinkwhathappenseverleavesme?Itdoesn’t.He’swithmeallthetime.”

Mrs.KiplinggaspedasshestaredattheportraitofhersononAce’sarm.“OhmyGod,itlooksjust

likehim,doesn’tit?”

“Itdoes.”Acebrushedhisthumbovertheink.“Theartistwasamazing.Shedidn’tjustcapturehis

smile,buthisspirittoo,don’tyouthink?”

Mrs.Kiplingnoddedasshestaredatit.“Hiseyesseemtosparkle…justlikeIremember.”
“You think just because you show us some tattoo that all will be forgiven?” Mr. Kipling asked,

slicinghishandthroughtheair.

“No.”Acepulledhissleevedown,shovinghishandinthepocketofhisjeans.“Idon’texpectthe

tattootomeanmuchtoyou.Butitmeanseverythingtome.Itremindsmeofmymistakes.Itmakesmewant
toliveinawaythathonorsLinc’smemoryeveryday.Itmakesmewanttobethekindofballplayerhe
wouldhavebeen,thekindofrolemodelhewouldhavebeen.”

“Youwerelikeasontous,”Mr.Kiplingsaid,tearsfillinghiseyesashisvoicecracked.“Andyou

betrayedus.”

“Iknow.”Ace’shearttwistedpainfully.“IbetrayedDanielletoo.”
Mrs.Kipling’seyesraisedtomeetAce’s.“Isthattherealreasonyou’rehere?Didsheaskyouto

come?”

Heshookhishead.“Lastnight,Ifoundoutaboutthebabyshelost.”
Danielle’s mother closed her eyes and folded her hands, resting her elbows on her knees. “We

haven’ttalkedaboutthatinyears.”

“Wereyousadwhenshelostthebaby?Ordidyouthinkitwasforthebest?”Aceknewpickingatan

oldscabwasn’tthewayforittoheal,buthehadtoknowwhatthey’dbeenthinkingandfeelingbackthen.

“She was young,” Mrs. Kipling whispered. “So young. And we were all still grieving. At first I

thoughtababywouldbemorethananyofuscouldhandle.”Shelookedupatherhusband.“Butwhenwe
foundoutshe’dmiscarried,Ilockedmyselfinmyroomandcriedfordays.DaniellethoughtIwascrying
forherbrother.AndIwas.ButIwascryingforhertoo…andforusandthatsweetbabywe’dneverget
tomeet.”

“Daniellecouldhavemorechildrensomeday,”Acesaid,wonderingifhewascrossinganinvisible

line.“Wouldn’tyouliketobeapartoftheirlives?”

“Ifnotforyou,she’dbemarriedbynow,”herfathersaid,glaringatAce.“Toamanwholovedher,

whowouldhavebeenagoodhusband—”

“A good husband wouldn’t cheat on her.” Ace met Mr. Kipling’s determined stare with one of his

own.“Iwouldnevercheatonher.”

“Youexpectmetobelieveanythingyouhavetosay?”
“Lookatme,”Acechallenged,pushingoffthewallashesteppedtowardthemanwho’dtaughthim

howtofacehisfears.“I’mstillthesamekidyouusedtosayyoulovedlikeason.”

A sob escaped Mr. Kipling’s lips before he covered his mouth. “No. That isn’t true. I don’t even

knowyouanymore.”

“You could get to know me,” Ace whispered. “If you gave me a chance, you’d see I’m not the

monsteryouthinkIam.”WhenMr.Kiplinglookedathiswifeinsteadofresponding,Acebentdownon
oneknee,lookingintohereyes.“Ican’tgivebackwhatItookfromyou.Iknowthat.”

Fistingherhandoverhermouthastearsstreamedsteadilydownhercheeks,shewhispered,“Itstill

hurtssomuch.”

“Iknow.”Hegraspedherfreehand.Itwasicecold,butatleastshedidn’tpullaway.“AndI’mso

sorryIhurtyou.”Helookedupatthemantoweringoverhim.“I’msosorryforthepainIcausedbothof
you.ButI’mbeggingforachancetomakethingsright.Please.Canyougivemethat?”

“How?”Mrs.Kiplingasked,swipingatherdampcheeks.“Howcanyoudothat?”
“Youstillhaveadaughterwholovesyouandneedsyouinherlife.”
“Wedomissher,”Mrs.Kiplingsaid.“Ihatethisriftthat’sdevelopedbetweenussince…”
“Shestartedseeingme.”Acereleasedherhandasheinchedback.“Onlytimecanprovetoyouhow

muchIloveyourdaughterandthatmakingherhappyistheonlythingIwant.”

“Doessheloveyou?”Mrs.Kiplingasked.“Hasshetoldyoushelovesyou?”
Acenodded.
TheKiplingsexchangedaglancebeforeDanielle’sfathersaid,“We’renotgoingtostandintheway

ofherhappiness.”

Hewasn’texactlyendorsingtheirrelationship,butAcefeltthey’dmadeprogress.Itwassomething

theycouldhopefullybuildon.Hestood,debatingwhethertoofferhishandtoMr.Kipling.

“Thankyou,”Acesaidfinally,steppingback.
“Wedidn’twanttohateyou,”Mrs.Kiplingsaid,standing.“Ourpastortolduswehadtoforgiveyou

sowecouldmoveon.ButuntilIsawyouagain,Ididn’tseehowthatwaspossible.”

Mr.Kiplingputhisarmaroundhiswife.“Pleaseaskourdaughtertocalluswhenyouseeher?We

needtotalk.”

“Of course.” Ace only hoped that by the time he was able to talk to her, she’d still be willing to

listen.

ChapterTwenty-One

WhenTenleytextedandinvitedhertoAce’sgamethatnight,Daniwasn’tsureshecouldgo.Shehadn’t
heard from him since he learned about her pregnancy. Twenty-three hours, and each one seemed longer
thanthelast.Butintheend,shedecidedgettingoutofherapartmentwasheronlyhopeofnotgoingoffthe
deepend.

Theyagreedtomeetatthestadium,andTenleysaidshe’dleaveaticketforDaniatthefrontoffice.
Daniarrivedatthestadiumandapproachedtheboxofficewindow.
“Hey,”Tenleysaid,joggingup.“I’msogladIcaughtyou.IwasgoingtotextyoutoletyouknowI

was running a bit late, but my phone died.” She held up the device with a blank screen. “I left my car
chargerinRowan’svehiclelasttimeIdroveit.”

“Noworries,”Danisaid,givingherfriendahug.“Thanksfortheinvite.Ineededtogetoutofthe

house.”

“I’mguessingthingsdidn’tgowellwithAcelastnight?”Tenleyasked,handingtheirticketstothe

gatekeepersoshecouldscanthemwhileauniformedsecurityguardcheckedtheirpurses.

“Uh, about as well as expected, I guess. He was shocked. Not that I blame him. I feel like I

blindsidedhim,butnottellinghimaboutitdidn’tfeelrighteither.”ShetuggedonTenley’selbowtobring
her to a halt as people continued moving around them. When Dani realized they were about to be
trampled,shepulledTenleyofftoasidecounterwhereavendorwassellingteammerchandise.“Doyou
thinktellinghimwasamistake?ShouldIhavekeptittomyself?”

“No,itwasn’tamistake,”Tenleysaid,shakingherhead.“Whathappenedisapartofyou.You’ll

neverforgetit.”ShecurledahandaroundDani’sforearm.“Thinkaboutit,sweetie.IfyouandAcegot
married and pregnant again, you’d be experiencing that for the second time. Only you couldn’t tell him
that.Wouldyoureallybeabletolivewiththatkindofliebetweenyou?”

“No.” Dani bit her lip as she watched two pretty girls, both with Ace’s last name and number on

theirbacks,pass.“Ijustdon’twanthimtohateme.Itfeltlikewewerefinallygettingtoagoodplace,and
nowhewon’teventalktome.”

“Justgivehimtime,”Tenleypromised.“He’llcomearound.”

***

Itwasthebottomoftheninthinning,oneout,andthepitcherhadjustwalkedthelead-offbatter.Ace

hadhadaperfectnightsofar:awalk,asingle,andadouble.Itwashislastatbat,andDanifoldedher
handsinherlap,silentlyprayinghecouldgivehisteamthewinningrun.

Both starting pitchers had gone deep into the ball game and the bullpens came in for two solid

inningsofrelief,makingitaone-rungame.IfAce’steamlostthisgame,they’dbetiedforfirstplacein
theirdivision.Thoughitwasstillfairlyearlyintheseason,Daniknewthedefendingdivisionchampions
wouldhatechasingtheiropponentsinthestandings.

Tenleygaveherareassuringsmile.“Don’tworry.He’sgotthis.Ihaveagoodfeeling.”
Daniwishedshecouldsaythesame.She’dfeltterribleallnight.EverytimeAcesteppedontothe

field,shegotanacheinherchest,wonderingifshe’deverbeabletotouchhimagain.

Fansaroundthemroared,mostjumpingtotheirfeet,stompingandchanting“MVP,”thehonorhe’d

earnedlastseason.Thesoundwasdeafening,butDaniwastoozeroedinonAcetocare.Shewatched
himtakeaballlowandinside.Thenextonethatcrossedtheplatewasquestionable,butcalledastrike,
whichpromptedAcetoshakehisheadindisgustattheumpire.

ThepitcherknewAcewasdangerous,sohewascarefulnottogivehimanythingtohit.Hepitched

away from his power, mostly fastballs, outside. With the exception of one curveball that landed in the
sweetspot.Thecrackoftheballhittingthebatcouldbeheardoverthescreamingfansaseveryoneheld
theircollectivebreath,waitingtoseeifitwouldstayfairorcurvefoul.

“Hedidit!”Tenleyscreamed,jumpingupanddownasshehuggedDani.
Danibeamedassheclappedandwhistledalongwiththerestofthecapacitycrowd.
Thenextbatterhitintoaground-out,resultinginadoubleplaythatendedthegame.
Aspeoplestartedfilingoutofthestands,Danilaughed.“Wow,thatwasexciting.It’salwaysway

betterbeingherethanwatchingitonTV.”Shegrabbedherpursefromtheground.“Thanksagainforthe
invite,Tenley.”

“Wait,”Tenleysaid,clutchingherpursestrap.“You’renotleavingnow,areyou?Don’tyouwantto

seeAce?”

Shewantedtoseehimmorethananythingbutfeltthedecisionshouldbehis.“IthinkI’llwaititout,

lethimcallmewhenhe’sreadytotalk.”

“Screwthat,”Tenleysaid,grabbingDani’shandandhaulingherdownthestairs.“Sometimesthese

guysneedapushintherightdirection.”

“But—”
“Nobuts,”Tenleywarned.“I’mnotlettingyouleavehereuntilyouseehim.”
Tenley showed the guard her pass and was led to a waiting area just outside of the locker rooms,

wheresomeoftheotherplayers’wivesandgirlfriendshadgathered.

“I don’t feel right about being here,” Dani said, turning her back to the locker room door. “Ace

doesn’tevenknowI’mhere.Whatifhedoesn’twanttoseeme?”

“You’llneverknowifyouhightailitoutofhere,willyou?”
Dani knew Tenley was only trying to help, but forcing Ace to see her before he was ready would

onlypushhimfurtheraway.BeforeDanicouldargueanymore,Tenleyledhertoanearbyrestroomunder
theguiseofcheckingtheirmakeup.

They reapplied their lipstick as Tenley eyed her in the mirror. “If he didn’t call you, would you

reallylethimgo?Justlikethat?Youwouldn’tevenfightforhim?”

Sinceitwasasemi-privatewashroom,accessibleonlytothosewithspecialprivileges,Daniwas

prettysuretheywerealone.Shesighedasshedroppedherlipstickintoherpurse.“Itwouldn’tbeeasy,
butifhedecidedhedidn’twanttobewithme,whatchoicewouldIhave?”

“Danielle,”Tenleysaid,steppingintoherpathwhenDanistartedmakingherwaytothedoor,“we

alwayshaveachoice.Fightforwhatwewantorgiveup.I’vehadtofightforeverythinginlife,andI
wouldn’thavehaditanyotherway.Learningtofightmakesyoustronger,moreconfident.”

Easy for Tenley to say, since she was a skilled martial artist, had a supportive family, and was

marriedtotheloveofherlife.Herdaysofhavingtofightalonewereover.

“Iappreciatewhatyou’resaying,”Danisaid,shakingherhead.“Butyoucan’tforcesomeonetobe

withyou.Thatwouldneverwork.EitherAcewillcometomeonhisownorhewon’t.Butconfronting

himinfrontofhisteammatesdoesn’tfeelright.I’mjustgoingtoheadout.”

Tenleygaveheraquickhug.“Iwanttobegyoutostay,butIcanseethatyou’vealreadymadeup

yourmind.”

“Thanks for everything,” Dani said, squeezing her hand. “I’ll call you soon. Maybe we can do

lunch?”

“I’dlikethat.”
Danihesitatedatthedoorbeforeopeningit.“Uh,canyoudoaquickspotcheckbeforeIslipout,

makesureAceisn’toutthere?”

Tenleyrolledhereyesbeforemakingherwaytothedoor.“Sure.”Shepeekedoutbeforewhispering

toDani,“Coastlooksclear.”

“Cool,thanks.”
Dani almost made it to the exit before she heard him calling her name. Damn. If she’d wanted to

blendin,maybesheshouldhavethoughttwiceaboutwearinghisjersey.Sheturnedslowly,knowingshe
hadnochoicebuttofacehimnow.

“Hey,”Acesaid,jogginguptoher.“Ididn’tknowyouweregoingtobeheretonight.”
“Um, Tenley invited me.” She pointed over his shoulder to where Tenley and Rowan stood, their

armsaroundeachotherastheywatchedthem.

Heglancedattheexit.“Andyouwerejustgoingtosneakoutwithoutseeingme?Why?”
“Ijustthoughtmaybeyouneededalittlemoretimetofigurethingsoutbeforewetalk.”
“Iwasgoingtocallyouafterthegame,”hesaid,steppingcloser.“I’vetakenallthetimeIneed.”
“Oh,okay.”Sheclosedhereyeswhenhebrushedthebackofhishandagainsthercheek.
“Followmebacktomyplace?”
“Um,I,uh,havetoworktomorrow.Maybeweshould—”
“Please, Dani. This is important.” His lips grazed her cheek as he cupped the back of her head,

sinking his hand into her hair. His eyes held hers as he whispered, “I can’t spend another night not
knowingwherewestand.”

Lastnighthadbeenmiserableforhertoo.She’dbarelyclosedhereyesbeforeimagesofAcefilled

hermind.Memoriesandfantasiesblendedtogether,provokingtearsthatcoveredthepillowsshe’dshared
withhim.

Shelickedherdrylips.“Fine,I’llfollowyou.”She’dfollowhimanywhere,butshewasn’tsurehe

wasreadytohearthat.

***

AcecouldtellDaniwasstillguarded,butashewelcomedherintohishome,hehopedthiswould

bethenighttheycouldputtheirfearstorest.“CanIgetyouadrink?”

“Nothanks.”
Hebroughtherhandtohislipsastheysettledonthesofa.“Ilikeseeingmynameonyou,”heteased,

tugging on her jersey. It was on the small side, and she was wearing it over a low-cut white tank top,
makingitlooksexierthanthemanufacturershadprobablyintended.

“Justtryingtoshowmysupport.”Shesmiled.“Youweregreattonight,bytheway.Congratsonthe

win.”

“Thanks.”Hewasamazedthathe’dbeenabletomaintainhisfocusonthefield,sinceeverytimehe

tookthebench,histhoughtsdriftedtoDaniandwhathewouldsaytoherwhenhehadthechance.“Um,
about last night…” He threaded his hand through hers. “I’m sorry if I didn’t react the way you hoped I

would.Iwasjuststunnedand—”

“Youdon’thavetoapologize,”shesaid,shakingherhead.“Igetwhyyouwereupset.Youhadevery

righttobe.Youmusthavefeltlikeyouwerekeptinthedark,theonlyonewhodidn’tknowwhenyou
shouldhavebeenthefirstpersonItold.”Shelookedintohiseyes.“I’mtheonewhoshouldbesorry.You
hadeveryrighttoknowaboutourbaby.AndIwouldhavetoldyou.IswearIwouldhave.”Shelifteda
shoulder,sighing.“Ijustdidn’tgetthechance.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through that alone, sweetheart.” He’d spent a lot of time trying to put

himselfinDani’sposition,imagininghowscaredandaloneshemusthavefelt.

“I’ve made my peace with it, Maceon,” she said softly. “It took a long time, but I’m okay with it

now.Somethingsjustaren’tmeanttobe.”

“ButyouandI…we’remeanttobe,Dani.Ireallybelievethat.Don’tyou?”
Herlipsquirked.“Fatewouldhavetobeacruelbitchtobringusbacktogetheronlytotearusapart

again,don’tyouthink?”

“Everything is out in the open now,” he said, admiring the necklace he’d given her nestled in her

cleavage.“Nomoresecrets,right?”

“Nomoresecrets,”sherepeatedasshestaredattheirjoinedhands.
“Butforgiveness,that’sawhole‘notherstory,isn’tit?”
“Iforgiveyouforgettingbehindthewheelthatnight.”Hervoicewassosoft,hehadtostraintohear

her.“JustlikeIforgivemybrotherforgettingintothecarwithyou.”Shelookedupathim.“Youwere
responsibleforyourchoice,andhewasresponsibleforhis.”

In his mind, he’d always claimed all of the responsibility for the accident, even though Linc had

beentheonetograbthewheelwhenAcefelthimselfdriftingoff.“I’mnotaskingyoutoletmeoffthe
hook.”

“That’snotwhatthisisabout,isit?’sheasked,lookingupathim.“It’saboutlettinggo.We’vealllet

those few awful moments and one bad decision shape our lives. If redemption weren’t possible, our
justicesystemwouldn’tletcriminalsbackoutonthestreet,wouldthey?”

“Iguessnot.”
“You’rehuman,”shesaid,touchinghisface.“Youmadeamistake.Forgiveyourself.”Shepresseda

kisstohischeek.“Please.Forme.ForLinc.Forthesakeofourfuture,forgiveyourself.”

Herealizedinthatmomentthatshe’dalreadyforgivenhim.Nowhejusthadtoletgo.“Iwenttosee

yourparentstoday.Theyaskedmetohaveyoucallthem.”

“They called me,” she said, tracing her thumb around his All-Star championship ring. “We had a

longtalk,andtheytoldmeifIwanttobewithyou,theywon’tstandinmyway.”

“Wow.”Heranahandthroughhishair.“Knowingthatyoucanstillhavearelationshipwiththem,

evenifyouchoosetobewithme,isahugeweightoffmyshoulders.Youhavenoideawhatitdidtome,
thinkingthatImayberesponsiblefortearingyourfamilyapart.Again.”

“My parents are responsible for their actions, just like I’m responsible for mine. Would I have

walkedawayfromthemforachancetobewithyouagain?Yes.”Sheheldherhandupwhenhestartedto
speak.“Andnotforthereasonsyouthink.I’mtiredofbeingmireddownintheirsadnessandnegativity.If
they can’t find a way to build a decent life for themselves, in my brother’s memory, then I can’t help
them.”

“I apologized to them for what happened,” he said while his palm grazed her bare thigh. “I’m not

sureifithelpedthem,butIknowithelpedme.Ishouldhavedoneitalongtimeago,butIdidn’thavethe
gutstofacethemagain.”

“Youdidwhatyouhadtodo.”Shedrewadeepbreath.“AndI’vedonewhatIhadtodo.I’vetaken

astandwithmyparents,toldyouthetruthaboutmypregnancy…sowheredoesthatleaveus?”

“Youtellme.”Heknewithadtobeherchoice.Aftereverythingthathadhappened,heneededherto

cometohimwillinglyandforonereason…becauseshedidn’twanttolivewithouthim.

“Iloveyou,”shewhispered,herchestrisingandfallingashereyesmethis.“Iloveyousomuch

morenow.Before,wewerejustkids,planningalifebasedonsomefantasy,believingnothingbadcould
evertouchus.Butwedidfacesomeunspeakablethings,andIthinkwebecamestrongerpeoplebecause
ofit.”

“I agree,” he said, knowing that he wouldn’t be half the man he was if she and her family hadn’t

touched his life. He’d do anything to protect her from pain, but he knew that wasn’t possible.
Experiencing pain was a part of life, but at least he could promise to be by her side from now on, no
matterwhat.

“IthoughtIwasinlovewithMike,butIwasn’t.Notreally.”Shebitherlipasherfingertracedthe

RIPetchedonhisbicep.“I’veonlyknownrealloveinmylifeonce.Withyou.”

“I feel the same way.” Everything else he’d experienced paled in comparison to what he felt for

Dani.

“And real love endures, doesn’t it?” Her arched brows drew together as she lifted her head. “It

enduresanythinglifecanthrowatit:death,destruction,mistakes,miscarriages,trades,moves—”

“Whatareyoutryingtosay,Dani?”
“That I’ll follow you anywhere. No matter what happens, I’ll be there. Just like I know you’ll be

thereforme.”

Hedrewherintohisarms,breathinginhersweet-smellinghairasheletherwordsfinallyhealhim.

“Iwill,youknow.”

Heframedherfacewithhishands,notingthesubtlechanges.Shewasn’tawide-eyed,innocentgirl

likeshe’dbeenthefirsttimehepromisedtobewithherforever.Nowshewasanexperiencedwoman
who’dsurvivedlosswithahealthydoseofsympathyandunderstanding.

“You’ve made me a better man. You need to know that.” He touched his forehead to hers. “I’m

strongerbecauseofyourstrength.I’vefacedmypastandfoundthecouragetobegformercybecauseyou
mademebelieveitwaspossible.”

Shecurledherhandaroundhisneck,restinghercheekagainsthis.
“Iwantyoubymysideeverydayfortherestofmylife,Danielle.”
Shepulledbackashereyesdartedaroundhisface.“Whatareyousaying?”
“ThatIwantyoutobemywife.”Hehadn’tintendedtoproposetonight,butsolidifyingtheirfuture

now seemed right. He couldn’t wait to see his ring on her finger. “We don’t have to get married right
away.Wedon’tevenhavetotellpeopleuntilyou’reready.Ijustneedtoknowthatwecanstartbuildinga
lifetogether.Now.Idon’twanttowaitanylonger.”

“Neither do I,” she whispered, a smile teasing her lips as she rested her palm against his cheek.

“I’vealreadywaitedalmosthalfmylifetobecomeMrs.MaceonPhillips,andIdon’twanttowaitany
longer.”

Hekissedhertenderly,feelinghertearsfallontheirlips.“Iloveyou,Danielle.Andyouhavemy

wordthatIwon’tmakeanotherdecisionwithoutthinkingabouthowitwillaffectyou…andus.”

“Youdon’thavetosaythat,”shewhispered.“Ialreadyknow.”
Herfaithinhim,especiallyafterallthey’dbeenthrough,humbledhim,butheintendedtospendthe

restofhislifemakingsurehewasworthyofhertrust.

AbouttheAuthor

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ThankYou

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Document Outline

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
About the Author
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