Page 47 of Shielding His Heart

“That’s good.” Tana pulls Paisley back into her arms, her eyes falling closed as they embrace. I don’t know if she realizes that her body goes soft, curving around Paisley. Her expression does, too, like she’s holding onto something she didn’t know she was missing. “And you don’t need to apologize. We’re all doing the best we can. I don’t blame you for having a hard time.”

Paisley tightens her hold on Tana, and they sway there, holding each other for a long time. My heart swells looking at the two of them, and for the first time since the accident, it feels almost whole again. The only thing missing is Tana promising to be in my bed every night until they tear us out of it.

When Paisley finally lets go and straightens, wiping her eyes, Gemma is on third base, having been walked through the next two batters. Mom herds Paisley back to her chair with a knowing wink in my direction.

I turn back to Tana with pleads, promises, and okay, a little begging on my lips, but she’s throwing herself into my arms before I can utter a word. Her lips capture mine as she presses her body against me. My hands go around her waist to hold her up, and I swear I’m never going to let her go.

Somewhere in the distance, a cheer goes up over the crowd, followed by guffaws of laughter and shouts. Vaguely, I hear someone shouting Gemma’s name, but it takes me a minute to pull myself away from the heaven of Tana’s lips. When I manage to, I find Gemma’s coaches yelling at her and Gemma running away from third, off the field, through the dugout, and around the bleachers. Her face is red underneath her helmet, and tears are streaming down her cheeks.

She sprints to us and throws herself into our embrace, and Tana is laughing, her arms squeezing tight around us. Then Mom and Paisley are slamming into us too until it’s one big pile of women with me at the center.

And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Amidst it all, I say to Tana, “So does this mean you’re coming home?”

She reaches up with her free hand and lays it on my cheek. “If you’ll still have me.”

I can’t stop the responding grin. The relief I feel is overwhelming. I look at the girls who are clutching each other and smiling so big I’m pretty sure I can count all their teeth. “What do you say, girls?”

“YES!” they shout simultaneously.

Then, as the game continues around us and the girls start hugging and jumping up and down, I kiss Tana again, and it feels like the first time all over again.