Author note:
I don't know about you all, but I can use a fun little bit of Summer Fluff right now! I really hope you all like this. And I hope that some of you are still following my story after all this time!
CH 116-Take Me Out to the Ballgame
The late Summer Saturday was idyllic. The sun shone down from a cerulean sky dotted by just the right amount of puffy, white clouds. The humidity was kept at bay by the occasional breeze blowing through. Emma made note of the scene as she and Mike pulled up to the sports complex and found the correct softball field. She saw Naima's car and her dad's truck. The guys were already there, both Echo and Bravo teams, warming up, joking, and generally enjoying each other's company.
Today was the final game for the DEVGRU softball league. The winner today would be the champion for this season. They would earn the right to keep the trophy in their Team room and bragging rights for a year. Just to make things more interesting, the losers would also need to wash and detail the winning team's vehicles. Charlie team was the current reigning champ, but Bravo knocked them out of the running in a previous game.
Emma and her brother got out of her car and retrieved their folding chairs from the back. She saw Echo Team's family and friends clustered on the first base line and waved. DEVGRU was a tight group and she recognized almost everyone. After that quick acknowledgement, they headed toward where the rest of Bravo's friends and family were set up, along the opposite side of the field. Once they were settled, she scanned the diamond for a glimpse of Clay. He was tossing a ball back and forth with Ray but stopped to return her quick wave as soon as he saw her.
Clay wasn't the only one that noticed her arrival. Echo's rookie was in their dugout, getting a drink when he questioned one of his brothers.
"Who's the hottie," he questioned as he jerked his head in Emma's direction.
Echo 4 followed his line of sight and saw who the "hottie" in question was.
"Oh no man. That's not for you. That's Hayes' daughter, Emma."
"It can't be."
"Wait, do you know her already?"
"N-no. It's only that I've heard some of the guys mention her. They talk like she's a little kid."
"Well, that's probably because they've known her since she was a little girl. But she's not anymore."
"That's for sure," his eyes took in her figure, with curves in all the right places, in spite of his teammate's warning.
"Still, she's off limits."
"That some sort of unwritten rule?"
"I guess. But even if she weren't Jason's girl, it wouldn't matter."
"Why's that?"
"Because now…she's Spenser's woman."
Almost as if they heard the conversation, Clay jogged over to greet Emma. He left the apartment before her, needing to meet at the field for warm-ups. Also, Emma had to swing by her dad's place to pick up her little brother who was still home on his summer break. Clay's gaze swept over her; her outfit caused his blood to run hot. It was somehow sweet and sexy at the same time, arousing thoughts that he didn't have the time or place to act on right now. She had on his other softball jersey, knotted at her waist, some tight booty shorts, and sport socks pulled up to her knees. Her long hair hung over her shoulders in two braids and was covered by one of his caps with the Bravo insignia.
"Hey Babe," he greeted as he approached.
"Hey there, Sailor."
She removed her sunglasses and shot him a sparkling smile. Even though they were surrounded by their family, he couldn't resist the picture she presented. He pulled her into his arms, lowering his head to meet her lips. As they kissed, he surreptitiously slid his hand down her back to cup her firm behind that was shown off by her choice of attire. Before either one of them was ready to end their embrace, Sonny's bellowed comment separated them.
"C'mon Blondezilla. Stop tryin' ta suck the lips off Sunshine and get yer ass back on the field."
Clay laughed as Emma blushed. He gave her one more quick peck and rejoined the team.
The two brothers from Echo watched the entire scene unfold. It was clear from the couple's interaction that she was indeed his, and he was hers.
Both sides continued with their warm-ups. Bravo's four-legged Team member, Cerberus, happily ran around the outfield fetching any stray balls that made it that far. Emma sat back down and settled into conversation with Naima and her brother.
The team cleared the field and headed to their dugout where Davis was waiting, clip board in hand. As team manager, she went over the roster and made an adjustment to the batting order. She gave them a final pep talk and turned them loose.
They still had a few minutes while the Ump and Refs were conferring with each other. Jason stepped over to greet his kids.
"Em, thanks for picking this guy up today," he wrapped Mike in a one-armed hug.
"Sure thing, Dad. We wouldn't miss this."
She stood to embrace him, and he noticed the jersey with the Bravo insignia on the chest pocket.
"Thanks for representing."
"Of course. Have to support the team."
She spun around, revealing the name "Spenser" across her back.
"What? No Hayes…no Bravo 1? You know, your last name isn't Spenser yet," he joked.
"Sorry, Dad."
Clay caught the last bit of their conversation and cut into their shared laughter.
"You know," he put his arm around Emma, "I didn't put her up to it."
"Are you trying to throw me under the bus Clay Spenser?"
"Nah," dropping a kiss on her forehead with a chuckle, "Just trying to keep from having to clean off and stow all our gear during training everyday next week."
The men shared a laugh as Emma squealed.
Soon the Umpire indicated that it was time to get going. Clay gave Emma another quick kiss and she reach out and slapped him on the butt as he walked away.
"Go get 'em Tiger!"
Echo was up to bat first so Bravo took their places on the field. Sonny was behind the plate and Brock was on the mound. Jason, Vic, and Ray were in the outfield with Blackburn, Metal and Trent holding down the bases. That left Clay at Shortstop.
As soon as the first batter stepped up to the plate the trash-talking began.
"Hey Reynolds, think you can handle this? It ain't tossing the frisbee to your puppy there."
Brock didn't add anything, just burned a pitch in over the plate, straight into Sonny's glove.
"Strike one!"
Sonny tossed the ball back to Brock, taking the chance to heckle the batter.
"Too fast for ya? Ya know…Cerb over there woulda caught that one, no problem."
Cerberus, who was laying down between Mike and Emma, raised his head off his paws and huffed out a small bark of agreement. Brock proceeded to retire the side, allowing no hits. The team jogged back to the dugout and got ready to go on offense.
Back and forth the guys went with a couple hits, but no runs scored. Even though it was all in fun, the strong undercurrent of competition was still noticeable. You couldn't have that many alpha males in one place, pitted against each other, and expect it to be completely casual game. No one was half-assing it. They ran out every hit and dove for every ball.
Finally, in the eighth inning, Jason hit a grounder to left field. He managed to make it to first base. Emma was up and out of her chair cheering.
"Yes! Way to go Dad!"
Ray hit a pop fly that was caught, leaving Jason stranded on first. Davis gave the sign to their next batter, Sonny. At first, he shook her off. She called time and called Sonny to the sideline. They exchanged a few words, Sonny insisting bunts were for sissies. Their voices were low, but since they stood only a few feet from Emma, she could catch the jest of their debate. Davis prevailed after threatening that Bravo 3 might find a scorpion in his gear the next time they deployed if he didn't listen. He agreed reluctantly and stepped back into the batter's box. He followed directions and bunted, letting Bravo 1 advance to third. He was grumbling as he walked toward the dugout. Naima and Emma exchanged a look and couldn't help laughing. In spite of Sonny's tantrum, the strategy was successful. This was the team's best chance yet to score.
The next hitter was Clay. He strode to the plate with purpose. The comments and trash-talk came fast and thick, trying to distract him.
"Hope you hit better than you shoot."
"Them muscles are gettin' in the way of your swing."
"GQ here doesn't want to get himself dirty."
He endured the comments good-naturedly, even giving back some of their shit. On the outside he was relaxed and laughing. But, knowing him so well, Emma could see the intensity in his gaze. He dug his foot into the dirt, and flicked the bat a few times, like a cat lashing its tail while getting ready to pounce on its prey. He took his stance, his whole frame flexed and ready to spring into action. Emma held her breath and gripped the arms of her chair, white-knuckled as the first pitch sailed toward him. He started to swing, but then checked the bat.
"Ball one."
After some grumbling about the call, Echo 3 loosed another pitch. This time Clay made contact, but it went foul.
"Foul ball, strike one."
The next pitch was just a little inside, but the umpire called a second strike. Clay stepped out of the box, took a deep breath, and looked over at Emma.
"You ready yet, Spenser," the pitcher demanded.
"What's wrong? Are you in a hurry for me to send this baby yard?"
Clay threw her a wink and approached home plate again. He took a few more practice swings and then got into position. Her heart fluttered both at his action toward her and at the play of the muscles from his shoulders down to his glutes. Sometimes she was still blown away at his amazing physicality. She drew her attention back to the game just as Clay's bat connected with the ball. His placement was perfect. The ball sailed through the air over the head of the Right-fielder and dropped just on the inside of the fence. Jason took off for home, crossing the plate and scoring the first run of the game. Bravo and their family were shouting and cheering as they took the lead. But Emma was silent, following Clay's progress around the bases. He proceeded to second base and dove, headfirst. He tagged up and was safe. He stood up, brushing the dirt off his jersey, and lifted his shirttail to wipe the sweat from his brow. The action revealed his sculpted abs, the afternoon sun emphasizing the ridges of each muscle and the dip of his v-line that disappeared under the waistband of his sweats. Emma was overwhelmed with the desire to run to him, wrap herself around him, and kiss his lips until she had no breath. She inhaled deeply and sat down in the chair she had vacated as soon as she heard the crack of the bat against the ball.
Vic was up next and managed to hit it right to the first baseman, making the team's third out of the inning.
Clay made it back to the dugout to grab his glove. The whole team was on a high. Clay's efforts had them in the lead. If they could keep Echo from scoring in the top of this last inning, the trophy would be theirs.
Echo wasn't going to go down easily. The first batter managed to get a hit and made it to base. Digging deep, Brock managed to dispatch the next hitter, getting their first out. Emma, along with everyone on the sideline was watching the action with bated breath. The next batter connected with the ball and sent a line drive right back towards Brock. There was a collective gasp as Bravo 5 fell to the ground to avoid the ball. Both runners advanced, occupying first and second base. Echo one stepped up to the plate loudly goading Bravo.
"It's gettin' interesting now. Isn't it boys?"
After a few pitches, the count stood at 2-2. Echo's leader got a hold of the next ball and hit it toward left field. Clay made a diving catch and snagged the ball out of the air, then rolled, springing up to tag the runner on his way to third base, completing an unassisted double play. That was it, the game was theirs.
The diamond filled with the sound of manly whoops and yells as Bravo celebrated their win. Emma smiled proudly as she clapped and cheered the victory, and Clay's exceptional effort. Although disappointed in their loss, the guys gathered along the sideline where Echo congratulated the winning team. After all, at the end of the day, they were not just friends, they were brothers in arms.
Emma stood back waiting to greet Clay. She watched in pride as he accepted the congratulations of the team and their family and friends. Finally, he made his way over to her, a huge grin on his face. He reached for her and pulled her into his arms.
"We did it, Babe."
"You did!"
He hugged her tightly, then lifted her off the ground twirling her around. Emma tipped her head back and laughed, holding onto his shoulders as he spun. When he finally stopped, he let her slide down until his hands held her behind and her lips were just a breath from his. She clasped her hands behind his head and claimed his mouth. Their kiss went on and on, heedless of their audience. When they parted, he loosened his hold until her feet were back on the ground. He left an arm around her and held her tight to his side. They walked over to the rest of the team still gathered there.
Naima and Ray invited everyone over that night for a cookout, to continue the festivities. They were to be there at about 6:00. Emma pulled out her phone and glanced at the time. It was nearly four. Both bid goodbye to everyone and started back to her car, her brother riding home with Jason. So, it was just the two of them in the car.
"Clay, you played so well. You and the guys must be really happy."
"No way were gonna let Echo take home that trophy."
"Well, now you guys have it for the year. So, everything worked out the way you wanted."
"Yea, pretty much."
"What do you mean, 'pretty much'? You guys won. What could be better?"
"I was really hoping that hit of mine would be a home run. It was so close."
"You won the game for the team." He started to sputter a denial, but she wouldn't hear it. "You did, that hit, and your double play was the reason you guys beat them."
She reached over and wove her fingers through his and continued, with a teasing, yet sultry lilt in her tone.
"But if getting a home run is so important to you, there's still time."
Clay's head snapped around until faced her profile, revealing the glint in her eyes and how her tongue came out to wet her lips. He answered in a husky voice.
"You think so?"
"Well…there's about two hours until we have to be at Naima and Ray's. Think you can manage a home run in that amount of time?"
"Oh yea. If you're up for another game."
"Bring it on, Slugger!"
