Mom stroked my hair. “I know, honey. I know. Just … wait.”
EMS quickly cleared the area, made the players back up as they brought a stretcher next to Brax’s body. Still, he didn’t move, not an inch. Not a breath. I strained my eyes, trying to see his chest move. I didn’t. Or couldn’t.
All because Brax heard that stupid chant, started by Kelsy Evans.
The crowd was silent as death now; you could hear a pin drop. The EMS guys hovered over Brax, but I couldn’t see a thing. My fingers squeezed the chain linked fence as I stared hard, and tears fell down my cheeks. I didn’t care. I could barely breathe.
It was the longest eleven minutes of my life. I held my breath for most of it. Behind me, I heard random people in low voices saying, Is he breathing? Is he going to be okay? I prayed with my eyes open, fixed on Brax’s motionless body. That was a hard hit. Straight to the temple. Jesus God, please be okay!
Suddenly, I saw it. His hand moved. On his own. Hope surged inside of me, and I wanted to crawl over that chain linked fence, drop to the other side and run like hell to that mound. EMS, with Brax’s body now strapped to the stretcher, raised it to full height. Then Brax’s arm lifted, higher than before, and he gave a thumbs-up.
The crowd roared.
Relief swept over me like a violent wave, and I exhaled my pent-up breath. Mom and Tessa hugged me. Suddenly, my brothers were behind me, too.
EMS didn’t move, though. One of the guys bent down, over Brax. Then he walked to the dugout. I saw then that Brax had a black neck brace on, and my nerves shot high.
“Just for precaution, sis,” Jace said close to me. “You know that.”
I exhaled again, and kept my gaze trained on Brax. The EMS guy jogged back to the mound and handed something to him. His arm lifted to his mouth. His throaty, raspy Southie voice came over the loud speaker.
“Gracie—you’re gonna have to find higher ground for me to see you, sweetheart,” he said. “I got this damn thing on my neck.”
Sweethaht. My heart leapt.
“Here,” Kyle said, and led me to the bleachers. “Go up a few.”
I did, and turned back to the mound.
“Better!” Brax said. “Can you see me?”
The crowd was dead silent and looking right at me. I waved to Brax so he knew I could see him.
“Gracie, I got something to tell you, and I’ve been wanting to tell ya for a long time, but now seems to be it. Crazy, huh?”
I stood frozen in place, waiting, breathless.
His voice boomed over the intercom once more. “I’m in love with you, Gracie Beaumont. Do you hear me? I love you!”
Tears filled my eyes as the entire stand of baseball fans cheered, and a content and full feeling nearly made my heart burst. I cupped my hands over my mouth and hollered back once the crowd quieted. “I love you, too!”
I couldn’t see his face clearly, but I saw his hands go to his face, heard his raspy laugh come through the speaker system. “Pardon my French, Ms. Beaumont, but can you get your ass down here?”
With the crowd cheering, my mom crying, and my brothers helping me along, one of the coaches opened the dugout door and I rushed through it. I ran all the way to the mound and stopped just at the foot of Brax’s stretcher. The grin on his face stretched from ear to ear, and he waved me closer. He lifted the mic to his mouth. “Come here, Sunshine.”
I did and, with the crowd on its feet, roaring, I leaned over Brax and our eyes fixed. “Say it again,” he said.
The crowd was so loud, I could barely hear myself speak. I leaned over the mic. “I said I love you, Brax Jenkins!”
“Woohoo!” he hollered into the mic. “Did you hear that? She loves me!”
And with the stands at a low roar, cheering and hollering, I kissed Brax. He kissed me, too. Until the EMS guy had to pull us apart. He, too, was grinning, though.
“Ride with me to the hospital?” Brax said, squeezing my hand.
“Absolutely,” I replied.
Cory had come to stand beside me, towering over me. Brax briefly looked at him. “Win the game, bro,” Brax said.
Cory grinned. “You know we will.”
And with a strength that made relief sweep over me again, Brax gripped my hand, threaded my fingers through his, and I walked alongside his stretcher to the ambulance. My mom, brothers, and Tessa were there, too.
Jace surprised me and leaned over Brax, said something quiet in his ear. When he rose, Jace winked at me, then looked at Brax. “Beastly pitching, man,” he said.
Brax grinned. “Thanks, bro.”
After they loaded Brax into the ambulance, I climbed in and perched beside him. The ambulance started to move, and I grasped his hand. “You scared me to death,” I said. “Don’t ever do that again.”
He couldn’t move his neck because of the brace and, as expressive as he was, I knew it bothered him to keep so still. He squeezed my fingers instead. “I’m in love with you,” he said again. “You’re forever, Sunshine.”
I looked at his unique face, both eyes already growing purple from the hit, and I realized how lucky he was. I was. We both were. My eyes scanned his tattooed forearms. His knuckles, and the letters inked into them. Goin Down.
I was goin down from the second I’d met him.
And I knew I’d found my forever, too.
“I’m in love with you, too, Braxton Jenkins.” Tears filled my eyes. “Forever won’t be nearly long enough.”
“Sweetheart,” he said, his eyes holding mine. “Forever is for fuckin’ sissies. Pardon my French, but let’s go for eternity, yeah?”
I grinned and squeezed his hand. Forevah. Pahdon. I’d made the right choice all right.
And sometimes, what seemed like the stupid choices turned out to be the only choices.