“Just a couple of months,” Gavin said, stepping up to the plate as the machine shot a fastball at him. He missed that one, but sent the next pitch right down into the corner, a shot impossible to field.

“Jesus!” Pete could hardly contain himself, but he sobered quickly and looked at the young ballplayer before him. “Look, I appreciate your ambition. But you got the rest of your life ahead of you. I don’t want to see you get hurt again. You’ve got to let that thing heal.” He gestured to his knee.

“I agree. That’s why Jess ordered this.” Stepping out of the range of the pitching machine, Gavin rolled up a pant leg. A flexible brace covered the injured joint, providing stability while encouraging healing.

“I’ll be damned.” Pete’s eyes met Jake’s, and the shortstop nodded enthusiastically.

“He’s been hitting consistently for weeks now. And I agree, we don’t want to see him hurt again. Jogging the bases is probably not a good idea. But what about utilizing him as a pinch hitter? That way he can get some game time, develop his teaming skills, and when he’s ready, he’s good to go.”

“I like it.” Pete chomped on his gum thoughtfully. “I want to start real slow with this, see how that joint reacts with some pressure on it. But if we can begin to work with him now, by the end of the season he could be right back where he was.”

“Love the sound of that,” Gavin said enthusiastically while Jake grinned.

“Yep. And it’s not like we don’t need some help. We’re losing too many games. We don’t want to let the season get away from us,” Jake added.

“Okay, we’ll try it tomorrow. But I want you checking in immediately with Jessica. She’ll see it if you are stressing the leg in any way. When it comes to this, I want her all over you.”

Gavin tried not to grin as Jake burst out laughing. “I don’t think that’s a problem.”

—

As they left the batting cage, no one saw the Sonics fan save his video, and then tweet it on social media.

Within seconds, the world became aware that Gavin King was back.

When they returned to the locker room, Chase called Gavin and Jake over. “You want in on a prank?”

Jake’s grin was broad and knowing, while Gavin smiled, intrigued. He was also very pleased to be included; while Jake had embraced him as a friend, the rest of the team had remained a little distant. With Chase, he had realized a long time ago it was nothing personal, it was just his intensity. He was thoughtful and focused on his game. But with the other guys, he was definitely in the wait-and-see category.

And Gavin understood that. After all, he was a California transplant in New Jersey. The other guys had made some assumptions about him, and he hadn’t been able to prove them wrong since he wasn’t able to play yet. So Chase’s invitation meant a lot more than another hand contributing to a joke.

It meant acceptance.

“Sure,” Gavin said, as Jake glanced toward the other players. “Who and what?”

“Your buddy Roger,” Chase said, his blue eyes twinkling with humor. “We’ve decided we are sick of his crap, but we don’t want to cause harsh feelings. You in?”

“Abso-fucking-lutely,” Gavin said emphatically, while Jake high-fived.

“It’s about time,” Jake said enthusiastically. “I was just thinking the same thing myself. How about filling his locker with chicken feathers? He’s pretty good at mouthing off, but backs down if someone calls him on it.”

“We’ve got something better,” Chase confided, his normally serious expression lit up with laughter. “You know how he thinks he’s a stud, and how particular he is about his cologne? Brian’s wife brought home a bottle of perfume from a tag sale, and they both hated it. He says it smells like a two-dollar hooker, and since it’s oil-based, it won’t come off for hours. She was going to throw it out, but it occurred to us that it would be the perfect ingredient to add to Roger’s aftershave.”

“Love that.” Jake chuckled, and he turned to Gavin. “Especially since we’re going out later. I can just see lover boy trying to hit on the girls while smelling like one. What do you think?”

“I think it’s perfect,” Gavin said. “And after all the trash talk he’s said about Jess? I volunteer to fill the bottle.”

“Hang out tonight after everyone’s gone.” Chase lowered his voice as a couple of the guys began to go out the door. “It’s locker number forty-one. Apparently, he hasn’t endeared himself to the maintenance crew either. They had no problem lending me a key.”

Chase dangled it before them.

—

“Were you planning to go to the party tonight?”

Gavin met Jessica after his workout, waiting for her as she finished with another client. Chase’s family was throwing a cocktail reception and had invited the team.

“Yes,” she said, following him out the door. “They’re having it at the hotel. It was a really sweet idea. They have a lot of family coming in for the wedding, so they decided to have an event so everyone can get to know each other before the big day.”

“I can meet you there. I have to stop by the locker room for a few minutes.” When her brow lifted, he smirked. “We’re pranking Roger. Helping out his love life by putting perfume in his aftershave.”

“You’re kidding!” Her smile grew broader. “Oh, I’m totally in.”

“Good.” He pulled her up against him and kissed her soundly. She was still reeling when he pulled back and tipped her chin up to look in her eyes.

“That will have to hold me until later.” His voice was husky with desire, and his gaze glittered with a promise. “I’ll see you tonight.”

He turned and headed toward the locker room as Jessica sagged against the wall, her legs like jelly.

He certainly would.

—

They met at the Westin hotel where they found Chase, Darcy, Jake and Nikki, Brian, Cody, even Pete, all happily indulging in cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Within a few minutes, Roger appeared, and the team shared a collective glance of amusement as he scowled.

“Very funny,” he said, rubbing at his reddened neck. Even from a distance, Jessica could smell the cloyingly sweet fragrance that followed him like a cloud as his teammates snickered. “What the hell is the shit? I washed my face over and over, and it still won’t come off.”

“No idea what you’re talking about,” Chase said innocently, while Jake held his nose.

“Jesus, what is that stink?” Brian gagged, while Cody, doubled over in laughter, wiped at his eyes.

“I don’t know,” the catcher said, rolling his eyes at Roger. “I think it’s kind of sexy.” He tried to put his arm around the outfielder, but Roger threw it off.

“Okay, you got me. Can somebody open a window? I can’t stand myself.”

They all broke up laughing, and Chase, obviously pleased with the way Roger was taking the joke, brought him a beer as a peace offering.

Jessica accepted a glass of Champagne from a waitress, while Gavin put his arm around her, obviously no longer caring who knew that they were involved. Chase and Darcy looked ridiculously happy on the eve of their wedding, and she saw Nikki lean in for a kiss from Jake. Roger gave Jessica a longing glance, but then his eyes met Gavin’s and he nodded, acknowledging that the best man had won.

It was perfect. As she laughed at something Jake said, Gavin’s arm around her waist, Jessica realized she was more content than she had ever been. Even the good times with Zach had not been like this. With Gavin, she not only had a boyfriend, but a friend. She was crazy for him…She was still rolling that around in her mind, sparking fresh shivers. But it was getting easier to accept.

“I’m going to get another round for the guys.” Gavin picked up the empty pitcher, pressing a kiss on her forehead. “Need anything?”

“Nope.” She shook her head in the negative.

As he disappeared to find the waitress, Jessica noticed a woman had entered the room and seemed to be looking for someone. Tall, platinum blond, with curves in all the right places, she stood out in the crowd. Every one of the team members, even Chase, paused from their brews to admire the strikingly beautiful girl, while Darcy playfully smacked him.