Throwing Love #5 (The Throwing Love Romance Series - Book #5) (6 page)

We both laughed and embrace one another. I hugged Bennett
tighter than I've ever hugged anyone in my entire life. I was just so happy. We
parted our hug and kissed each other softly on the lips. It was a perfect
moment.

Epilogue

One Year Later...

The day was hot and humid, but I couldn't have been happier.
I was sitting in the stand at a home game for a professional baseball team
called the South Carolina Stingrays. It was my father's team, and there is no
better time to watch his team than now. I was focusing intently on the game; it
was, after all, my job now. Instead of classes, this particular semester I was
interning at the stadium of my father's team with hopes of securing a
sportscaster position when I graduated from college. My father couldn’t have
been happier that I wanted to intern for his team more than any other team. And
of course I would, where else would I be? I wanted nothing more than to be a
part of my father's team in a way that benefited my career, not necessarily as
a means of taking the reins once my father retired.

I reveled in being around baseball. I was having so much
more fun now than I did in any classroom atmosphere had a college. That was the
best part of being an intern; you got to be part of the action finally. It is
not so much about what you learned in the textbook, it was more about having a
hands-on experience doing the one thing you loved. And I truly loved every
moment of it.

I was talented enough myself that I had no doubt that I
would be able to secure a position with the team after I graduated college. I
knew exactly what I was doing and I was really good at it. I was there on that
particular day to cover the game. I sketched out the play by play as I sat in
the stadium with a beer in my hand. Did I happen to mention that I loved my
job? But it was more than that, so much more. It wasn't just about this
particular game with this particular team. I had a lot more invested in the
team's wellbeing that extended far beyond my sportscaster duties.

I loved baseball, there was no denying that, and as a
sportscaster, I would probably try to remain as close to baseball as possibly
could because it held a special place in my heart. I love so many things about
it, and I couldn't really see myself loving any other sport more.

Watching the game, I could tell it was a close one, and the
Stingrays were going to go up to bat next. But I was hopeful they could pull
out a win, they had some extraordinary talent.

There was my father, standing off to the side overseeing the
game as he always did. As I watch the batters get up, I took in the sight of my
father enjoying every bit of it. Being at the hospital had been scary, but he
had recovered fully and was healthier than ever.

I love to watch my father work; he poured his heart and soul
into the game as he always did. That was why he was a legend, after all. He was
watching the game just as intently, maybe more, as I was. He loved it just as
much as I did. And we had an excellent team that year; we couldn’t have asked
for better players. They were going to take our team as far this it had ever
been. My father beamed with pride as he watched his players come closer and
closer to winning the game.

It was hard to believe how different things had been a year
ago. My father being in the hospital after a heart attack and the relationship
between Bennett and I almost ending before we realized we would do just about
anything not to lose each other. We were so close to losing each other, until
we both came to our senses and realized that love really was more important
than anything else. I couldn't imagine where my life would have been right now
I'd I lost Bennett. Would I have met somebody else? Would I have always missed
him? Would I be dating yet another baseball player? Life had been basically
hanging in the balance back then, when my father suffered his heart attack. It
had come so very close to being a bad situation for him, and I was oh so glad
that he pulled through it. He had changed his diet and some of his bad habits
so that he could live a healthier lifestyle and be a part of all of our lives.
Considering everything that had happened since his heart attack, it was scary
to think how close he had come to not being part of any of it. The very thought
of it brought tears to my eyes and I was overcome with a feeling of
thankfulness, thankfulness for my father being in my life. To experience all
the joy that has been brought into my life and this past year. I had never been
happier and I was glad my father was there to see it all come around.

Just then, my attention was torn away from my father and
brought back to the field. A new batter was coming up to the plate almost out
of nowhere. He stood there strong and ready, waiting for that ball to be thrown
his way. He hit a fantastic home run. It's actually the first home run this
player has hit in his entire major league career. I beamed with pride as I
stared down at him as he ran from plate to plate. There are two other players
on plates ahead of him and both my father and I stand up excitedly with the
rest of the fans. I could even see the excitement on my player’s face. He knew
he had done really, really well. And that was what a professional career was
all about – making sure that you did your best at every game to take your
team to the top. I looked over at my father and grinned, reading the look on
his face. We were both very proud of our players and of the team in general. As
we watched the play ensue before us, the batter and the other two players made
it home, pulling out into a solid lead against the other team.

That wasn't just the only great play of the game. After the
home run, the team went ahead and scored a couple more good runs. Things were
getting close, and it was starting get hard to tell who was going to win.

When the third batter struck out, I knew that the team was
going to have to fight to keep their win and not plunge the game into overtime.
Overtime was always a tricky place to be in, if you took your team there, there
was a chance you could lose everything. My father and I did not want an
overtime game. We wanted our team to win and win fast. I smiled as I saw
Bennett Thomas take the field. He looked strong and sexy as he walked out. I
beamed with pride as I saw him. Just the sight of him made me get to my feet
once again and cheer excitedly for him. That was my man, after all. I had all
the faith in the world that he was going to turn this game around for us. The
crowd cheered loudly, roaring with excitement.

Just as he had done his AAA team, Bennett had become very
comfortable with the major leagues quickly and it was no big surprise that he
had learned how to ensure a win for his team. And that was exactly what my
father and I were counting on. It didn’t take Bennett long to strike out the
first three batters that come out onto the field, winning the game for the
Stingrays. The crowd jumped to their feet, going wild all around me, and I could
not stop smiling as I watched it all go down. I couldn’t have been prouder as I
watched Bennett being cheered on by everyone around us. My father was clapping
loudly as he stared out onto the field at Bennett. My man had made it to the
major leagues and having him on the Stingrays made it just that much better.
Now I could spend most days with him and still do my job.

I wasn't about to wait another moment to see Bennett. I got
out of my seat and made my way down to the field. I could see Bennett standing
there amongst his teammates, getting all the congratulations he deserved. I ran
across the field towards him and just as he turned around to face me I jumped
right into his arms. I was grinning like an idiot and there was a smile on his
face, as well.

“Oh, baby, what are you trying to do, kill me?” he asked as
he hugged me tightly. We pulled apart briefly so that we could kiss. The thing
I loved about Bennett and his kisses was that he knew how to kiss me so very
passionately. The guy knew what he was doing when it came to kissing. When we
finally pulled apart, I turned around and noticed my father standing close by
and clapping loudly.

“Thatta boy! That's one way to celebrate a win. Good job,
son, I couldn't be more proud of you.”

I ran over to my father and embraced him, hugging him
tightly. Bennett came over and I grabbed both my father and my boyfriend and
gave a large hug. The three of us hugged so tightly, we were all just bound
together like family. No matter what happened in my life, there was nothing that
would be able to take away the feeling of completeness that I had in that very
moment. The feeling that I had having both my father and Bennett in my life and
knowing everything had just worked out just as it was supposed to. In that
moment, all was right in the world.

Nella’s
new series,
Steamed
, comes out June
13th

Click here to read Throwing Love #1

Click here to read Throwing Love #2

Click here to read Throwing Love #3

Click here to read Throwing Love #4

Click here to get an email
when my next book is released

Get a
free copy of my never released book Collide

Click
here to get your free book

This
book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are
products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not
to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual
events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

Copyright
© 2015 Nella Tyler