Play Along(30)

A small smile plays on his lips. “Married life is fun, isn’t it?” He cups the back of my head.

“Now get out there and score some runs and maybe she’ll forgive you.”

“She doesn’t give a shit about that.”

“Well, score some runs and maybe I’ll forgive you for getting so fucked up you got married. I swear to God that you, Kai, and Miller better be housing me in my old age for all the stress you three have put me through over the years.”

“Aw, Monty,” I coo, throwing an arm over his shoulders. “You want to grow old with me?”

“Get your ass on the field, Rhodes.”





Chapter 10


Kennedy


Dean: Apparently our parents are in town for business and we’re doing dinner tomorrow night after the game.

Me: Sounds terrible. Have fun with that.

Dean: By “we” I mean you and me. You’re in Atlanta. You’re not leaving me alone with them.

Me: No one told me about it, so I’m going to keep pretending I know nothing.

Dean: I’ll be sure to remind your mother to call you, then.

Me: Don’t you dare.

Dean: Then I’ll see you there. Besides, I need you to drop the bomb that you got married so maybe for once, my father won’t focus on what a disappointment I am that I decided to play a game for a living instead of taking over the family business.

Me: Oh, yes. Such a disappointment that his son is playing in the majors. Is Mallory going to be at this family dinner?

Dean: I don’t see why she’d be here. My father is in town closing some investment deal.

Me: I’ll think about it.

Dean: See you at the field tomorrow. And don’t think we’re not going to have a very serious conversation about your terrible taste in men.

Me: Shut up.

Dean: First Connor and now Isaiah Rhodes? I swear to God, Kennedy, I almost jumped on a plane to kick his ass when you told me the two of you got drunkenly married.

Me: You know Connor wasn’t my choice.

Dean: But Isaiah was?



Staying towards the back of the line, I wait for the players and coaches to grab their room keys from the table by the front desk.

Hotel check-ins would be a nightmare with how many people we travel with if it weren’t for the team coordinators who have everyone’s hotel keys ready and waiting for us as soon as the buses pull up outside.

The crowd ahead of me disperses until it’s my turn.

Searching the table lined with key cards, I look for the paper sleeve with my last name. There’s only a handful of rooms left, and none of them are mine.

I look around, trying to find one of the team travel coordinators to inform them they forgot a room, only to find Isaiah leaning on a pillar in the lobby, too knowing of a smile on his lips.

He’s the only player still down here. Everyone else has gone up to their rooms.

It’s been a week since Opening Day and things have been better between us around the clubhouse. He hasn’t gone off on my boss again. In fact, he’s swung in the opposite direction. Now, he’s bordering on too professional. He hasn’t once publicly hit on me the way he had for the past three years.

I kind of miss it.

I wheel my luggage towards him. “My key is miss—”

Isaiah holds up a single room key with “I. Rhodes & K. Rhodes” clearly printed on the sleeve.

“K. Rhodes better be referring to your brother, because there’s no way in hell I’m sharing a room with you.”

“Guess again.”

“No,” I hear myself say.

Isaiah chuckles. “I’m a cuddler, Ken. Are you a snorer? I hope not, but then again, I’ll probably snuggle you so hard you won’t be able to breathe anyway.”

My eyes narrow. “Was that supposed to be romantic? Telling me you’re going to suffocate me?”

“But in a loving way. I’m going to suffocate you in a loving way.”

I shake my head in disbelief. I married this guy. Drunkenly, yes, but still.

“We’re not sharing a room. No one else shares a room.”

“No one else is married either.”

Frantically, I look around the lobby, finding Glen, our main travel coordinator, speaking with Reese.

I take my luggage with me to sort this out.

“I book our hotels as soon as the schedule comes out,” he explains to her. “They typically fill up, and we were lucky this year . . .” He spots me waiting to speak to him. “Oh, hey, Kennedy, I was just telling Reese how lucky we got that you and Isaiah are sharing a room this season, so I was able to give your hotel room to her.”

Shit.

“Oh.” My tone is too high, too forced. “That’s . . . perfect. I just wanted to check in with you and make sure it was okay for Isaiah and me to share a room?” Please say no. “I wasn’t sure with the team rules . . .”

“My grandfather gave the approval,” Reese cuts in.

Fucking fantastic.

“Well, isn’t that . . . thoughtful of him.”

Glen chuckles. “You two are newlyweds. Even if I booked you two separate rooms, you’d just end up in one anyway. Man, with how long you guys were sneaking around, you two could have saved us a lot of money by just rooming together the whole time.”