The One (Coming Home To The Grove Book 3) Read online

  The One

  Coming Home to the Grove

  Hope Ford

  Contents

  1. Rose

  2. Rose

  3. Rose

  4. Rose

  5. Rose

  6. Rose

  7. Rose

  8. Rose

  9. Rose

  10. Rose

  11. Rose

  12. Rose

  13. Rose

  Epilogue

  Epilogue 2

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  About the Author

  The One © 2020 by Hope Ford

  Editor: Kasi Alexander

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  1

  Rose

  Going forty in a parking lot is probably a bad idea. But I want to be in my seat before the game starts. That’s what’s expected of me anyway. I don’t want to mess with Brody’s pitching mojo or anything.

  I park in the VIP parking at the stadium where my husband Brody is playing. I’m running a little later than usual, and I’m frustrated with myself for doing so. As I turn off the engine to my car and snatch up my purse from the passenger seat, I’m startled by a horn honk.

  I get out of the car and notice that the sound is coming from the team bus that is parked close to the VIP entrance.

  I look up in time to see Kaden, one of the players who was suspended from playing in today’s game because of a DUI. It was all over the news today, and I know Brody and the rest of the team are going to be disappointed. Kaden is a valuable player, and he will definitely be missed. He’s clearly drunk and looks pretty pleased about it. He has a busty bimbo on each arm and why shouldn’t he? His marriage to that pretty, happy, nice lady Tracy is over. He’s free to do what he wants now.

  I watch the three of them groping each other as they head for the players’ entrance to the stadium. It wasn’t so long ago that Kaden was a straight arrow kind of guy, like my Brody. What happened to Kaden to make him forget about his wife and kids and take such a sharp turn away from who he started out to be?

  I can’t help the anxious feeling rising in my gut.

  Kaden and Tracy married only a couple years before Brody and I, and they’d married in college just like we did. Everyone was surprised when we heard about their divorce. They always seemed so happy. Tracy told me she couldn’t handle the pressure anymore, and at the time I didn’t get it. But now I do.

  There’s so many away games, women throwing themselves at the players, late nights, parties, so many temptations. I get it. I really do.

  And now, well, I’m starting to feel it. If Kaden, a seemingly happily married man, can stray, what’s stopping Brody?

  I pick up the pace and follow after Kaden and the two women, all the way scolding myself for comparing Brody to Kaden. Brody is a good husband and doesn’t deserve that.

  Anytime I’d seen Brody around the sexy women that follow ballers, he’d only had eyes for me. And after I finished school, Brody asked me to travel with and follow the team, to attend the games and be with him. He wouldn’t ask me along if he wanted to be hooking up with loose women like Kaden did.

  Luckily, searching for jobs is something I can do from anywhere. Financially, I am able to hold out for the perfect job. We both agreed the ideal thing to do would be for me to find something online. So I’ve been using the many hotel rooms as my office, applying to as many jobs as I can find. However, I’ve discovered it’s a lot harder than I thought. Sometimes I wish I was able to work from one spot and be more settled, but right now, I feel being with Brody is what is best.

  I pull my compact out of my mirror and double check my hair and makeup, telling myself it has nothing to do with not trusting Brody or being nervous about being compared to the younger, thinner women begging to get attention from any of the players. It’s definitely not that.

  Brody

  We’re the home team, and I’m the starting pitcher for the game.

  Still in the dugout, I look up at into the stands in search of my wife. Wife! That never will get old. I still to this day can’t believe she said yes. I’m definitely a lucky man. Rose never misses a game, and today is an important one. I probably shouldn’t depend on her as much as I do, but she’s my life. More important than even baseball.

  When I don’t spot her in the family section, I keep looking wondering if she’s run into someone and is caught up in another seating area.

  It’s unlike Rose to be late, and I’m a little worried about her making it safely with the traffic. Unable to wait any longer, I take short strides out to the mound. Nerves are wracking through my body, and I feel physically ill. Somehow, though, just before I take the pitcher’s mound I can feel her presence, as though her eyes on me is a whisper of a touch trailing down my back. Rose is here. She made it.

  I couldn’t stop the smile if I tried. I know I’m lucky. Somehow in this crazy world, I found a woman that I have such a close bond with. We were best friends the minute we met in college. And when I was drafted to the big leagues, I almost turned it down until Rose assured me that she would join me in six months after she graduated. I didn’t regret quitting school. To me it was just a way to be seen, a means to an end. And luckily, they were able to give me my degree because I tested out of my last two required classes. But I do regret leaving Rose. We got married before I went on the road, and these last six months have been horrible. I didn’t know how I was going to make it only seeing her at random times or when we had breaks. And now that she’s with me, I thought everything would be perfect. And it is in some ways. I love her more today than I did when we first got married. I try to hold on to that feeling as other frustrations surface in my mind. Rose and I haven’t been on the same page about things, and she’s been a bit aggravated with all the traveling.

  I can understand to a point, but we don’t have kids yet so it’s the ideal time for her to come and be with me on the road. It’s been a lot of traveling, sure, but Rose has only been doing it for a few months. She’ll get used to it.

  Turning to face the crowd and Rose since I’m sure she’s in the VIP seats somewhere, I take the pitcher’s mound. Once I’m there I take off my hat and hold it over my heart, signaling Rose as I always do that she’s my heart.

  2

  Rose

  Brody pitched a great game.

  It was easy to just watch him and forget about the score altogether. There has never been a doubt in my mind that Brody is the man I’m in love with. While I’m sure of that much, it doesn’t help that Kaden and his slutty entourage are sitting in the VIP seats too.

  I’m not the only wife attending the game; there are two others as well. I thought sitting near them would help me to keep my insecurities from blossoming and making something out of nothing. Unfortunately, the two wives can’t stop talking about Tracy and how broken up she is over Kaden and his cheating ways. Worse, the kids are hurting too.

  After making eye contact with Brody right before they brought in the closing pitcher, I left the VIP seats just before the game ended and headed for the exit the players take from the locker rooms to the parking lot. I’m allowed to go into the locker rooms, but Brody doesn’t like it when I do since plenty of the guys are happy to stand around in the buff.

  Brody always has a talk with the coaches and his teammates after the game, and it takes a long time to exit, which leaves me standing outside in the parking lot, waiting. I try not to let my frustratio
n show when he finally appears. “Great game! You did awesome!” I lean in for the kiss he meets me with.

  “Thanks, babe,” he says, drawing me in for a hug too. We walk hand in hand to the car, and he’s animated about the game and seems so happy. That makes me feel happy too, deciding to put my thoughts from earlier to the side and instead focus on the positives. I’m married to my best friend. Everything isn’t perfect. But it’s good. I need to be happy that instead of being back at school, I’m finally with my husband.

  In the car, his excitement slowly fades, and he gets around to asking why I was late.

  “I got hung up leaving the hotel. I was working, and you know how I get,” I tell him, thinking we’ll laugh about how when I’m in research mode, I sort of forget the time.

  He looks over at me at a stoplight. “I was starting pitching today, Rose. You knew that. I needed you there.”

  I don’t want to fight with him. The six months we spent apart seemed to make Brody even more dependent on me. It’s good in a way, because I like to feel needed. But sometimes he takes it too far. As if it’s all about him.

  “First of all, it was a midday game, right in the middle of my work. But I was still there before the game started. I didn’t even miss one pitch. Plus, what about me? While you’re in there taking your time after the game, you leave me waiting in the parking lot. I could tell you the same thing.” I try not to get annoyed with him, but it’s hard when he sometimes only sees things from one side.

  He starts to talk and then stops, reaching for my hand. “You’re right. I shouldn’t make you wait like that. From now on, after the coaches’ meeting, I’ll meet you. I won’t even shower.”

  I scrunch my nose up. “No, really, take the time to shower. I don’t mind.”

  He laughs out loud and squeezes my hand. He may have been upset, but even when he’s mad, he’s still holding on to me. It sometimes feels like he’s worried I’m going to walk away. By the time we get to the hotel, Brody’s joking and laughing with me, and I decide to allow him to distract me from our silly argument.

  Brody

  Training between games has been relentless, but I’m pleased to see it paying off. I’ve been pitching better and better, and if I keep it up I’ll be getting an increase in pay per my contract agreement, and the possibility of endorsement money.

  Getting that kind of money would mean that I can finish securing a great future for Rose and me and our future kids. Of course, I know it’s a process, one thing at a time. First the career and money to get that security, later we can worry about having kids.

  As soon as we get back to the hotel, I’m on the phone with my agent. “I can definitely promote that shoe brand. See what you can do.”

  We say goodbye, and I turn excitedly to Rose. “I think we’re going to get the shoe deal.”

  “That’s great, Brody.” She smiles at me in the mirror as she’s putting her earrings on.

  “Babe, that’s like a million-dollar endorsement. You should be a little more excited that that, don’t you think?”

  I walk up behind her and wrap my arms around her, staring at the two of us in the mirror. She has her long brown hair down, and she’s putting her lipstick on. I hold on to her a little tighter knowing that when we go out tonight there’s going to be plenty of men looking at her. She’s always the most beautiful woman in a room. She leans back and fits perfectly in my arms. She’s smiling, but it’s not quite reaching her eyes. “I’m happy for you…” she starts, but I interrupt her.

  “Us. It’s you too. If I get this, do you know how big this could be for us?”

  She nods her head before turning in my arms. “I am happy. And I’m so proud of you. But even without all that, I’m just happy when I get to spend time with you. That’s more important to me.”

  I know what she means, and I understand her frustrations. Finding time between training and games to go out is difficult, so I’m excited that we’re going out tonight, especially after that little spat we had in the car earlier.

  “Me too. I love you, Rose. And you look beautiful.” I give her a quick kiss before we head out to meet up with my teammates.

  3

  Rose

  It’s obvious by the way his teammates look at Brody and me that they didn’t think he was bringing his wife along for their night out on the town. “Maybe I shouldn’t have come, Brody,” I tell him as we’re walking up to his team at the bar downtown. I feel a bit awkward, sort of like a third wheel—or in this case, the ninth wheel. They’re all smiling at me now, but I saw the surprise on their faces when they saw me. I look around them but don’t see any of the other girlfriends. And the few that do have wives are not here tonight.

  “No.” Brody squeezes my hand before pulling me in closer. “You belong by my side.”

  There’s heat in his eyes as he says it. We may be considered newlyweds, and I’ve heard that our passion for each other is destined to fade, but the way he looks at me, as if I’m the only woman in the room, has me hoping not.

  Some of the guys break off, and Brody and I sit at a table with a few of the older guys from the team.

  After we’ve talked about the game, and the excitement has worn off some, the topic of kids comes up. Brody is quick to answer for the both of us that we’re not rushing things. “Just because we married young doesn’t mean we’re filling up the love nest with hatchlings.”

  Everyone around us laughs, and I try to shrug off his quick response. We’ve talked about waiting to have kids, but I can’t help but wonder what we’ll do when we do have them. Brody can’t expect me to follow the team with a baby on my hip.

  The guys are all about jumping from bar to bar and club to club, and it seems like every place we go, the team picks up more and more slutty women wanting to share a night with a major leaguer. I know it comes with the territory, but I can’t get used to seeing random women drooling all over the players, including Brody.

  “Do you wanna dance?” a woman asks over the beat of the music.

  Brody, Kyle and I are sitting at a table. Of all his teammates, Kyle is probably the one I like best. He seems down to earth. Although he’s had a good time tonight, he hasn’t let it get out of hand. And I’ve seen him turn down more women to dance than any of them.

  I look up from my glass of wine and am a little stunned that it’s Brody the woman is asking, not Kyle… and she is absolutely stunning.

  I swallow the liquid in my mouth and take a deep breath. I watch Brody closely and he doesn’t even hesitate. “No, thanks. I’m married,” he tells her, reaching for me.

  The woman turns to me and seems to take me in before turning back to Brody with a shrug. “Your loss.” And then she saunters away. Stunned, I sit back and shake my head. Did she really just say that? Brady squeezes my thigh under the table and finishes the story he was telling Kyle before the woman interrupted.

  But instead of talking, I get lost in thought. Brody turned the woman down. He’s great about letting them know he’s off limits, so I know I really don’t have the right to be mad, but the way he blushes and sometimes watches the women he sends packing walk away makes me wonder if he feels like marrying me was a mistake. He’d said we were young when we got married, but it sounded like he’d meant too young with the way he’d verbally stressed the word young.

  Looking around at the men enjoying being worshipped by women, I can’t help but think that Brody probably wishes he could get in on all the false worship and endless meaningless sex his teammates are enjoying.

  It sure seems like it got to Kaden when he was in Brody’s shoes.

  Brody

  I can tell that Rose’s mood is low. It’s no wonder with the guys acting like total dogs all night and the woman with the rude comment.

  I lean in close to her. “Dance with me.”

  She allows me to pull her to an empty spot on the dance floor, but it isn’t long before we’re surrounded by people. There are women that rub up against me, whether by accident or on p
urpose, I’m not sure. Each time, I can feel Rose tense in my arms. I wanted to dance with her to try and boost her mood, but she’s just not into it. “Can we just get out of here?” she asks.

  Normally, I would try to stay later, but tonight I can tell she’s had enough. I kiss her on the forehead. “Sure, honey. Let’s go.”

  We pass the table with Kyle and a few of the other guys. “We’re done for the night. We’re going back to the hotel,” I tell them. I just shake my head at all their teasing about me being whipped. They can say or think what they want. I get to go home, or rather the hotel, with my wife.

  We only get a few feet from the table when Rose turns to me. “Did you want to stay?”

  It’s by the look on her face that I know she’s feeling neglected. I can’t blame her. I’ve been thinking about work around the clock.

  I put my arm around her shoulder and usher her out the entrance, ignoring the people that recognize me and try to get my attention. We wait for the valet to bring my car around, and I lean in to whisper to her. “I didn’t want to stay as long as the guys did because you look so hot in your new dress. I’ve just been thinking about taking you home and stripping you down to your birthday suit.”

  Rose smiles and leans into me, but it’s clear by the look on her face she’s not convinced.

  The ride home, she’s quiet, and no matter what I do to try and start a conversation, she seems to be distracted. But that doesn’t stop me from touching her. My hand on her thigh, I hold on to her. At first, I was worried about the possessiveness I feel for her. When she’s around, I always have to be touching her. It’s like it brings a peace to me that I’ve never felt.