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Chapter 51

After the game, we planned to gather at the restaurant to celebrate our team's win. Donnie asked me to stay and wait for him outside the locker room. I watch the rest of the team walk out, their faces beaming with excitement and the adrenaline still pumping through their veins.

A few minutes later, Donnie emerges, looking slightly disheveled yet incredibly happy. His hair is still damp from the shower, and his face is flushed from the exertion of the game. When he sees me waiting for him, his eyes light up, and he walks over to me with a big smile, showing off his dimples.

He is wearing stone-colored joggers and a loose, short-sleeved Nike shirt. He strolls toward me confidently, moving with a hint of swagger as he wraps his arm around my lower back and pulls me closer. I can feel the warmth from his body, and his scent is still fresh from his shower.

As he draws me close, I have to steady myself by placing my hands on his hard chest. Our eyes meet, and I feel a jolt of electricity running up my spine.

The things that Donnie makes me feel and how my body reacts to him leave me sexually frustrated. It makes me want to take him back to the locker room and have my way with him.

"Hey," he says, still grinning. He leans in, his lips soft and gentle as he plants a lingering kiss on mine.

I can"t help but let out a soft, barely audible whimper. He chuckles deeply, the sound rumbling from deep within his chest.

He pulls away and drapes his arm over my shoulders. I feel his weight shift as he hoists his bag onto his other shoulder. "Come on," he says, his voice low and soothing.

"You played a great game," I tell him with pride as we walk down the hall and back toward the field.

He gives me a side eye and smiles.

We exit the hallway and walk toward the dugout, where his team leaves from before a game. I furrow my brows. "What are we doing?" I ask. "We have dinner plans with the fam," I remind him.

"I know," is all he says.

When we reach the dugout, he releases my hand and drops his bag on the bench. He unzips it, pulls out two mitts and two baseballs, and hands me one of the mitts. I feel a sense of frustration bubbling up inside me. The only thing I ate today was a freaking fruit salad, and I"m starving.

"Um, I"m really not in the mood to play," I say, trying to hold back my irritation.

He turns to face me, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Follow me," he says and takes my hand.

With a playful gesture, he rolls his eyes and chuckles softly. "Don"t worry, it won"t take long," he assures, crossing his heart with a smile.

I scowl at him. Glad to know one of us finds this amusing.

"Fine," I relent and trail him toward the field. I"m glad I opted for my Nikes instead of the heels Tia suggested earlier.

The grassy terrain stretches out endlessly in front of us, and the sun is beginning to set.

He points his mitt toward the pitcher"s mound and says, "Go stand over there, and I"ll be the catcher."

I put my hands on my hips and gave him a sassy look. "Go?" I say, annoyed that he just told me what to do.

He shakes his head, laughing. "Please," he says with a mocking tone that makes me smile despite my frustration.

"You"re lucky I like you," I say as I walk toward the mound. "And stop looking at my ass!" I holler over my shoulder.

"Can"t help it when your hips make your ass do a little dance," he calls back.

Donovan

Her ass is amazing.

Not that it wasn't before she was pregnant. But knowing that my three babies made her even more beautiful sends all the blood rushing to my dick, begging me to ram it inside her.

Standing tall on the pitcher"s mound, Shorty turns to face me with a look of annoyance swirling in her eyes. The gentle breeze playfully dances with her long hair that frames her face.

My gaze falls on her body, admiring her beauty. She"s wearing my jersey, with the hem tied in a knot, accentuating her new curves. Her dark jeans hug her legs perfectly, and she wears her favorite pair of Nike shoes.

With one hand confidently resting on her hip and the other tapping the mitt on her leg impatiently, Shorty looks at me with an expectant gaze, as if eager to know why we"re here.

My girl is full of sass and looks like she's ready to throw the ball between my legs. Tia has always reminded me not to mess with a hungry Latina. She turns into a lioness, and I'm her prey. But I can't help it. It makes the sex even more exciting. It's what I love most about her. Pushing her until her Spanglish comes out and she unleashes her voodoo magic on me. I am so gone for this girl that I would do anything she asked of me.

Asking Shorty to be my wife has been on my mind for the past year. My parents advised me to wait until we both graduated from college, but the hell with that. I can't bear the thought of waiting any longer. She is the mother of my children, and we're already living together. Why should we wait a few more years for something that feels so right? I want her to have my last name. I want her to be my wife before I make it to the pros.

I"m not going to lie. Asking for her hand in marriage won't be easy, knowing how protective her brothers are, including Seb and the guys.

I still smile when I think about the night when everything fell into place.

I sat outside Javi"s backyard with Ash, Jo, Seb, Gio, and Max. We were all gathered there to watch the Brewers game, and to my surprise, the TV was set up outside. During the last inning, I couldn"t help but feel nervous and anxious about asking Shorty"s brothers for their blessings to marry her. With each passing moment, my heart pounded harder and harder, as if it was trying to escape from my chest. I wiped my clammy hands on my pants, feeling the beads of sweat that had formed on my forehead. Ash kept glancing at me with a look that begged, "Are you going to do it?"

Anxiety and uncertainty crept in because I feared their rejection. But I knew one thing for sure—I couldn"t imagine my life without her, Sophia, and my babies. Their presence brought so much joy and meaning to my life that the mere thought of losing them made my heart ache.

Shorty and I hadn"t discussed marriage, but it was implicit in our unwavering commitment to each other. I knew she was forever mine, and I wanted nothing more than to give her the life she deserved—a life full of happiness, love, and light. Every moment spent with her was blissful, and I couldn"t wait to make her mine forever.

"You alright, man?"

Jo"s voice broke through my racing thoughts, bringing me back to reality. I turned to look at him, seated a couple of seats down. He took a swig of his beer, and I realized I had been zoning out.

"Yeah," I replied, trying to sound casual, but my body started to break out in a fever sweat. "Are you sure you"re alright? You look like you're about to pass out," Seb said, his voice laced with concern.

"Yeah, I just..." I trailed off, swallowing hard. I wanted to blurt out that I wanted to marry Shorty, but the words stuck in my throat.

Why was this so difficult?

"D," Ash spoke softly, reassuringly, letting me know he was by my side.

Finally, I gathered the courage and blurted out the words weighing on my mind. "I want to ask Shorty to marry me," I said, my heart galloping in my chest like a racehorse. "At my last game," I added.

The room went silent.

Gio and Max, who had previously been hollering at the TV, stopped in their tracks.

Jo"s beer paused midway to his lips.

Seb leaned back in his chair with a content grin, and Javi stood frozen beside Jo.

Seb"s deep voice broke through the silence. A happy smirk played on his lips as he spoke, his tone tinged with a hint of amusement. "It"s about damn time," he said, his words carrying an air of unsurprised expectation.

I looked around at the men who had been Shorty"s constant support system since she was a little girl. They took my place and wiped her tears, held her close when the world became too much for her, and became her heroes in every sense of the word.

These were her kings.

"Yeah!" the guys whooped and hollered, punching their fists in the air. Seb was the first to approach me, offering his support with a bro hug and a smile. Gio and Max followed suit, and I was left facing Jo and Javi.

Jo twisted his hat backward and stood imposingly before me, his beer in his hand. His eyes met mine, and he seemed to be searching for something. I felt a lump forming in my throat and tried to steady myself, waiting for him to speak. After a few moments, his eyes softened, and a faint smile appeared. "You have my blessing, hermano," he said, his voice deep and reassuring. Without warning, he pulled me into a tight embrace. "Take care of my sister," he whispered, his breath warm on my neck. "Make her happy, and never fail her." He pulled back, his hand resting heavily on my shoulder. "You take care of my sister," he repeated, his voice stronger now. "Make her happy, and never fail her." His tone was a warning, and I could feel the weight of his expectations. "Because if you hurt her," he added, his eyes narrowing, "it will be the last thing you will ever do." With that, he patted me on the shoulder and stepped back, his eyes never leaving mine.

I gave him a nod.

Message received.

Don"t break Shorty"s heart or die.

Got it.

Javi stayed rooted in place. He crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head to the side, studying me blankly. "I knew from the first day we met that you would always be there for Sadie, no matter what," he said. "You were the missing piece in her life, the one that had been absent for so long. You are a perfect match for her, and I can see how much you would do anything for her. Even if you had to take a bullet for her."

He walked over to me. His large hands encircled my neck, and his piercing gaze bore into me. At first, I felt a sense of panic, thinking that I was going to get choked, but soon I realized that it was a symbolic gesture. I could sense his intention, and I knew that he was giving me his blessing."Take care of my sister and remind her how special she is and how worthy she is to be loved, cared for, and the first person on your mind when you wake up," he said with sincerity.

The depth of his love for her was evident in his words, and I knew that he would go to great lengths to protect her happiness and well-being.

"I have no doubt you will do right by her," he said. "You love her daughter as if she were your own, and you will be an amazing father to your children."

I nodded, trying to read the emotions vividly reflected in his whisky-colored eyes. It was a mix of love, adoration, and a strong sense of protectiveness toward Shorty.

These men will move mountains for her and our children.

"You have my word."

Shorty"s gentle voice in the wind brings me back to reality. I turn to look at her and forget about my previous thoughts.

I reach for the ball I prepared for this moment, the one with the words "Will you marry me?" written in bold black Sharpie. I take my position, and with a deep breath, I throw the ball toward her. Her face lights up with joy as she catches the ball effortlessly, her pearly white teeth displayed in a wide smile. I have seen her take that same pitcher position countless times before, and I know she is ready to throw the ball back to me. But before she can, I stop her with a raised hand and say, "Wait. Read it first." I gesture to the ball in her mitt.

She looks at me, puzzled, and then at the ball. Her eyes widen, and her mouth falls slightly open. Her eyes are fixed on the message.

This is it.

This is the moment I have waited for, and I hope the outcome will be that I will soon see her wearing a wedding dress and walking down the aisle to me.

She lifts her head, her tears glistening in the light. Her lips curl up slightly. She opens her mouth to give me the answer, but I hold my hand up. "Stop. Don"t answer. Not yet."

I reach down to the ground and grab two small balls, one labeled "Yes" and the other labeled "No." My heart pounds in my chest as I toss them to her one by one. "Just throw the ball that has your answer," I say.

I bend my knees and lower myself so I am close to the ground. Leaning forward slightly, I hold my mitt out, my fingers twitching with anticipation. My gaze is fixed on Shorty, waiting for her to make her decision.

She takes her time, glancing back and forth between the two balls in her hand. My heart pounds as I watch her, my mind racing with questions. Has it been more than five minutes? What is taking so long?

My belly cramps with anxiety, and I feel the sweat beading on my forehead. I try to keep my breathing steady, but it is getting harder by the second.

And still, I wait.

Minutes pass like hours as she weighs her options. Finally, she tosses one ball to the ground and looks up at me. Our gazes lock, and time seems to stand still.

I can't look away. Shorty"s presence is magnetic, drawing me in with an irresistible force.

At last, she decides and throws the ball of her choice. It hurtles toward me, and I reach out to catch it. My heart skips a beat as I look down to see which ball she threw.

Yes.

She said yes!

The world falls away slowly when I stand up, toss the ball and glove on the ground, and approach my future bride.

Shorty drops her mitt and runs at me full speed, and I catch her in my arms.

"Shorty, will you marry me?" I say breathlessly.

Tears well up in her eyes as she looks at me with love and adoration. "Yes," she whispers, her voice filled with emotion.

I pick her up by her ass and twirl her around, eliciting a squeal from her lips. As I set her down gently on her feet, I cradle her face and look deeply into her eyes. "For real?" I ask, my voice breaking.

She nods against my hands, her face breaking into a luminous smile. "For real," she confirms.

I softly kiss her lips. When I pull away, I grab her hand in mine, and we start walking toward the dugout. I reach into my bag and pull out the baseball-shaped ring case. I open it to reveal a stunning one-carat pear and round cut princess black diamond ring.

Shorty"s eyes widen in disbelief as I drop to my knee, my heart beating so fast I can barely keep my composure.

"Oh my God, Donnie, it"s beautiful," she says, her voice barely above a whisper.

I take a deep breath, steadying my shaking hands. "Black diamonds are rare and unique, just like our love. It represents strength, resilience, and the depth of my feelings for you."

As I look into her tear-filled eyes, I feel overwhelmed by my love for her. "Like a phoenix from the ashes, you have risen up," I say, my voice quivering. "Your unwavering spirit and courage inspire me every day. I am honored to love you and want to make you my wife."

Her body trembles as she cries.

"I hope I didn't strike out after having the balls to ask you to be my wife." I give her a sheepish smile, and she laughs.

"You didn"t strike out," she says, followed by, "because you hit a home run."

As I look at her, her eyes glimmer with tears of joy. I kiss her finger, stand up, and take her in my arms, kissing her lips tenderly.

There was a time when I gazed up at the sky and wished upon a star, asking to watch my Shorty from afar. Even if the stars were eight years too late, I finally found my Shorty.

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