Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 88456 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88456 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
I had to duck to miss Ty Sr.’s arms, which were currently flailing about.
“Dad, maybe you should step away from Bryson,” Kaylee said as she took his elbow and tried to lead him away from us.
“Kaylee, it’s Bryson Robinson. This kid once hit a grand slam. He’s a pitcher, and he hit a grand slam. Do you remember that?” Ty Sr. asked me as he looked back at me.
I nodded. “I do, indeed, sir.”
A wide smile erupted on the older man’s face. “Did you hear that? He called me sir. You can call me Ty. Better yet, you can call me Granddad!”
Rose groaned, and Josh laughed.
“Okay, then,” Kaylee said as she guided Ty Sr. away.
“Moving on,” Rose stated in a deadpan voice. “This lovely woman is my Aunt Timberlynn, who is Nathan’s mother and Uncle Tanner’s wife.”
I nodded and smiled as Timberlynn said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Bryson.”
“Pleasure is all mine.”
“Then you have my Aunt Lincoln.”
Another beautiful woman in her mid-forties smiled and waved. “Nice to meet you, Bryson.”
“Mrs. Shaw.”
“Oh no, please call me Lincoln.”
“Will do,” I said as I tipped my head in her direction.
Rose pointed at one woman who held a baby in her arms. “That is Georgiana, and she is holding…”
Georgiana looked down at the baby. “Um, Rhett.”
“No, you’ve got Ryder. I’ve got Rhett,” a guy around my age said as he looked down at the baby he held.
“No. I have Rhett. You have Ryder, Blayze.”
“Georgie, I have Rhett.”
“Okay,” Rose interrupted them and pointed at Blayze. “Obviously, that is Blayze.”
Blayze stood and made his way over to me. He reached his hand out, and I shook it. “It’s a real honor to meet you, Bryson. Do you like babies?”
“I…um…” I looked down at the baby in his arms and smiled. He wore a Seattle Mariners outfit. “I for sure like this one.”
Everyone in the room laughed. Then Blayze held the baby out for me to hold.
“Blayze!” Rose and Georgiana said at the same time.
“What?” he said, glancing back at his wife. “I want to take a picture of Rhett being held by Bryson Robinson in his little baseball shirt.”
“You have Ryder!” Georgiana exclaimed.
My head spun, and the next thing I knew, I was holding a baby and getting my picture taken.
“Oh my God. That is so cute. I think my ovaries exploded,” Rose said as she snapped a photo with her phone.
“Same,” said three other women in the room.
“Good Lord. Did I not raise you all better than this,” the older woman, whom I was guessing was Stella, Rose’s grandmother, said as she walked up to us. “Get that baby right now, Blayze Shaw.”
Blayze expertly took the child from me. “Yes, ma’am.”
Stella stopped in front of me and gave me a once-over. She lifted her hand and pointed at me.
“Oh dear,” Rose whispered.
“Now you listen here, young man.”
“Oh my God! Mom! Grammy is about to yell at Bryson Robinson! Make her stop!” Josh cried out.
“Grammy,” Rose started to say before her grandmother cut her off.
“This is my precious Rose. She is mighty and fierce, but her heart is fragile.”
“Huh?” Rose stated from beside me.
“Rose? Fragile?” Josh added in a totally confused voice.
“If you so much as make her shed one tear, I will hunt you down, and you’ll never play baseball again.”
Josh and Nathan, and I’m pretty sure a few other people in the room, gasped.
I let out a nervous chuckle. “Good thing I just retired.”
Rose turned and faced me, using her hand and waving it in front of her. “Oh no, don’t kid with her.”
“Wait, you retired?” Nathan shouted from across the room, then bellowed out, “Nooooo!”
“Sweet. This means you can give me private lessons, right?” Josh said as he elbowed me in the side.
“What? Oh my God, shut up, Josh! Mom, make Josh shut up!” Rose said, reminding me of a young girl fighting with her sibling.
“Josh, hush. Stella, maybe you can threaten the handsome baseball player another time,” Kaylee said as she guided Stella across the room.
I leaned into Rose and whispered, “Your mom thinks I’m handsome, huh?”
Rose rolled her eyes. “Please, every woman in the room thinks you are.”
Clearing her throat once again, Rose went on with the introductions. “Over there in the corner tucked away is Hunter and his wife, Kipton. They’re newlyweds, so they’re always hanging on one another.”
I laughed as Hunter walked up and shook his hand. “It’s a real honor to meet you. Big fan of yours.”
“Thank you, I appreciate that.”
Kipton shook my hand. “We met once. You probably don’t remember.”
Staring at Kipton for a few moments, I recognized her. “Kipton Howse! Wow, it’s great seeing you. I guess you’re Kipton Shaw now?”
She chuckled. “Yep!”
Rose looked back and forth between us a few times, then smiled. Had that been a hint of jealousy in her eyes?
“How did you guys meet?” Hunter asked.