XXX CHAPTER 47 XXX

Emmett tossed the chocolate-covered goji berries onto the passenger seat and started up the Spyder. Before shifting into reverse, he placed the call he'd been running through his mind since kiss-mauling Edward. Hell, if he were honest with himself, he'd been playing out this conversation for the better part of two years.

"Call Scott Moran."

Dialing Scott Moran . . .

In typical, no-nonsense fashion, Scott dispensed with the usual greetings and dove into a status update before Emmett could even say hello. "Mac, we're in striking range, just ironing out some of the finer points you're gonna thank me for la—"

"Scott, I need to tell you something."

"Don't tell me you're hurt! Have you gone and done something stupid? Please, don't tell me you've taken up spring skiing!"

"No, man. It's nothing like that."

"All right. Give it to me straight. What am I dealing with here?"

The confession Emmett had stumbled over with Esme and Trey now spilled quickly off his tongue. "I'm gay, Scott, and I want the Mariners to know it before they sign me again."

The so-called "Lord of the Loophole" heaved out a sigh. "Jesus Christ, Mac."

The hammer inside Emmett's chest picked up speed, and Emmett found himself surprised at how quickly his anxiety turned to anger. "Am I supposed to apologize or something?"

"For being gay? Hell, no! For waiting until the fifty-ninth minute of the eleventh hour to tell me . . . perhaps."

Hunh, that wasn't so bad. The burst of irritation left Emmett's system with a dull tingle. "In that case, I apologize."

"If you thought I would talk you out of this, you were wrong."

Behind Emmett's Oakleys, tears nipped at his eyes. "Really?"

"Emmett, look. I'm not going to lie to you; you're in for a bit of a rough ride. You're blazing a new trail in a sport that is only now starting to see the occasional gay player step out of the shadows."

"So I've noticed."

"That said, I believe you have every reason to be hopeful. Except for a few thousand disappointed Giants fans, you're baseball's darling and with good reason. You're at the top of your game, and if you take care of that shoulder, you could have another truly spectacular ten to fifteen years ahead of you. That's too damn long to hide in the shadows. I would never advise any of my clients to live that way. I only wish you would've come to me sooner. I'm sure you've been suffering with this for too damn long already."

The tears sprang free, trailing down Emmett's cheeks. He started to answer, but the words never made it past the boulder in his throat.

"How would you like to handle this, Mac? I'll follow your lead."

Now, there was a damn good question. Emmett's inner monologue on the topic had never gone much further than spilling out his confession. Stopping to consider the actual process of opening the closet door and standing naked in front of the whole world was a bit daunting. Astonished faces popped into Emmett's mind, crowding his windshield like soap bubbles filling a bathtub.

Emmett cleared his throat as he considered his answer. "There are a few people I need to talk to before this goes public: teammates, coaches, friends." Sawyer. "Give me till noon tomorrow, and then close the deal as soon as you can?"

"Okay, Mac. You got it. As I said, we're in the home stretch with the negotiations, so it won't be long now."

"Thank God. I need to get back onto that field."

"Believe me, I'd like nothing better. Even without anti-discrimination laws in place, I can't see the Nintendo execs giving you the shaft, so to speak." Moran chuckled at his own pun. "But I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't warn you, you might be leaving some endorsement money on the table with this announcement."

"I want to play baseball, Scott. Leave the Rolex and Volvo ads for someone else."

"You're breaking my heart, kid." Moran's trademark smile seeped into his words even through the precarious mobile connection. "Hey, don't rule out underwear modeling. That's where the big bucks are these days. Especially now that gay men everywhere will think they might actually have a shot at you."

"Uhh . . ."

"Oh. Taken. Got it." Moran laughed again. "You are a challenge, Mac. I'll give you that."

"It wasn't my intention. I held off as long as I could, and I am sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

"Go do what you need to do. I'll call you tomorrow when the deal is sealed."

"Thanks, Scott. Talk to you then."

With a quick call of explanation to Edward, Emmett set off on a course to Alice's.

XXX

"Emmett?" Alice took in her brother's appearance from what must have been a very solemn expression on his face, to the uniform covered in grass stains, to the muddy cleats he was still wearing. "What are you doing here? Are you okay?"

"Yes, fine." The smell of freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies wafted outside, and it occurred to Emmett he'd interrupted their dinner. "I'm sorry I didn't call first."

"You haven't had a fight with Edward, have you?"

"No, of course not."

Alice placed her hand on her hip. "You haven't exactly been yourself this week, and what the"—Alice checked her surroundings before letting the curse word fly —"hell were you doing today on the field?

Duly chastised, Emmett hung his head. "Yeah, I know. Listen, can I come in? I really need to talk to you and Sawyer."

"Sawyer? Why?" She gave him another critical once-over. "Of course, come in, but leave your cleats out there. And don't sit on anything until you've changed your clothes."

Emmett shrugged and toed off his shoes. "I didn't bring anything to change into. I'm sorry. I didn't really plan on this visit."

Grasping him by the arm, she drew Emmett inside the house. "Sawyer's in his room, playing while I get dinner ready. What's this all about?"

Emmett's mouth twisted into a grin. "I'm doing it, Alice."

"Proposing? Eeeeeeep!" Alice pulled Emmett—filth and all—into a tight hug. "Yay! Oh, this is wonnnnnderful news! I'm gonna plan you guys—"

"Ugh, Alice. No. Whooaaaa! Slow the stagecoach. I need to get off." Emmett stood there stiff-armed while Alice processed his comments and released him.

"You're doing what, exactly?"

"I'm busting out of the closet."

"Wow."

"Yeah, I know."

"Right this second?"

"Pretty much. I wanted to talk with Sawyer before he hears about it from his friends."

Alice reached for Emmett again, settling this time for squeezing his shoulders and speaking in a vocal range recognizable to the human ear. "I'm so happy for you, little brother."

"Thanks, Alice."

"Why don't you go upstairs and take a shower? I'll rustle you up something clean to wear, and you can talk with Soy over dinner. You are staying for dinner?"

Peering over Alice's shoulder into the kitchen, Emmett asked, "Will you be serving those cookies for dessert?"

She grinned at him. "If you're a good boy."

Emmett chuckled. "Well, there goes that!"

Alice pointed a finger toward the stairs. "Go! Jasper's on his way home. Dinner's in fifteen minutes. And leave that filthy uniform in the bathroom."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Ten minutes later, sporting a skintight Seahawks tee-shirt and a pair of sweatpants that barely fit around Emmett's hips, he trotted barefoot down the steps. Sawyer glanced up from his napkin folding, his expressive face lit with excitement.

"Uncle Emmett!"

"Hey, Champ." He braced himself for the Sawyer tackle hug, laughing when the little chest barreled into his own. It didn't matter that they'd seen each other less than thirty minutes ago.

"What are you doing here? It's not your night."

"Nope." Emmett met Alice's knowing grin. "I heard your mom was baking my favorite cookies, and I couldn't stay away."

Either satisfied with the explanation or distracted by his father's arrival, Sawyer ran across the room to greet Jasper, who gave Emmett a quizzical look while hugging his son. "Is this my little slugger? Mom told me you were great today. Seven hits and four RBIs? Not a bad day's work!"

Sawyer wriggled out of Jasper's arms and slid down his body. "I got out once, but it wasn't really my fault. There were too many chefs in the soup."

Jasper turned to his wife for an explanation, but all she could do was nod while biting the insides of her cheeks. Emmett was no help either, covering his mouth with the back of his hand.

Jasper settled a curious gaze on Emmett. "Why are you wearing my clothes?"

Alice saved the day. "Hello to you, too, darling. Don't I get a kiss?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, sure."

Alice tugged on Jasper's tie and dragged him into the kitchen, where she must've filled him in on the details of Sawyer's tee-ball game as well as the purpose of Emmett's unexpected visit. Jasper returned looking a whole lot less confused and more relaxed, folding his jacket over the back of the sofa and loosening his tie.

"Hello, Emmett." Jasper greeted Emmett with his customary hug. "It's always a pleasure to have you drop in—even if we just saw you last night."

Sawyer squeezed his body in between father and uncle. "He heard about Mommy's cookies."

Jasper laughed, ruffling Sawyer's hair. "Well, they are pretty delicious."

"Sit down, everyone. Dinner's ready. Sawyer, did you finish setting Uncle Emmett's place?"

"Oopsie, I forgot the fork and knife."

"That's okay. I'll just eat with my fingers." Emmett gave him a huge wink.

Alice pointed a thumb over her shoulder. "I think not. Tell your uncle we don't eat meatloaf with our hands."

Sawyer ran into the kitchen, obediently echoing his mother, inflection and all. "We don't eat meatloaf with our hands."

While the boy was out of earshot, Jasper offered a quiet, "I'm here for you, Emmett. Whatever you need."

"Thanks, man. I'm good." Emmett had a few ideas floating around in his head, but he figured it would be best to let Sawyer guide the conversation, more or less, once Emmett threw the opening pitch.

Sawyer returned with the utensils. Food circled the table; initial bites were taken. The adults passed glances across the silent table.

Just do it already.

Emmett swallowed, chugged half a glass of water, and cleared his throat. "So, I have a bit of good news."

Playing the perfect straight man, Jasper offered up, "Oh? What's that?"

"I know!" Sawyer said, bounding out of his chair. "The Mariners said you could come back and play some more!"

Sometimes this kid was too smart for his own good.

"Actually, Soy, my agent says they're getting real close, and I might actually hear tomorrow."

Jasper and Alice greeted the news with pleased but subdued expressions of surprise so as not to derail the conversation.

"But that's not my news." Emmett took his first shaky step onto the tightrope as Sawyer returned to his seat. "Actually, what I wanted to tell you—all of you—is that I have a very special person in my life now."

Alice reached across the table and squeezed Emmett's hand. "That's wonderful!"

"You mean like a girlfriend?" Sawyer asked.

Jasper nodded subtly to Emmett while taking in the next forkful of meatloaf.

Emmett plowed ahead, his stomach tied up in knots. "Sort of like that . . . only it's a man, not a girl."

Sawyer's forehead crinkled as he worked it out. "You have a manfriend?"

Emmett smiled. "Mmhmm."

Sawyer thought about it a little bit. "Like when two men love each other and get married?"

Trying not to get freaked out by the "m" word, Emmett nodded. "Yes, that's the kind of love I mean. We don't know about the marriage part yet"—Emmett paused, realizing this talk might've been a whole lot easier without Alice and Jasper in the room—"but definitely the love part."

Sawyer slumped back into his chair. "Oh."

Panicked, Emmett turned to Jasper for help.

Jasper reached an arm around Sawyer's shoulders and gave him a squeeze. "Sawyer? What's going on inside that head of yours?"

Heart in his throat, Emmett waited silently while Sawyer stared at his plate. Jasper gave Emmett a half-smile of encouragement, but it fell flat. Emmett pushed aside his plate and rapped his knuckles on the table next to Sawyer.

"Knock, knock."

Sawyer looked up. "Who's there?"

"Uncle Emmett."

"Uncle Emmett who?"

"Uncle Emmett wants to know what you're thinking, and he's not going to get mad if you tell him."

Sawyer stared him down for the longest seconds of Emmett's life. "Do you promise?"

"I promise." Answering was easy. "I could never get mad at you."

"Are you going to stop coming over?"

"No! Never!"

"Are you gonna bring your manfriend over too?"

Emmett's stomach twisted. "I'd like to. Very much." Emmett glanced at Alice for confirmation.

"We'd like that too," she said.

Something was still troubling Sawyer, and he finally spit it out. "Are you still gonna play catch with me, even when your friend is here?"

"Yes! Absolutely!"

Sawyer lifted his gaze, blinking his perfect blond eyelashes. "Will you still give me piggy back rides?"

"All the time!"

The hint of a smile tugged at Sawyer's lips. "And we can still watch baseball together and play Xbox?"

"Yes and yes!" Emmett held up his arm for their special handshake, and Sawyer placed his palm against Emmett's. Emmett curled his fingers around Sawyer's little hand and pulled their joined hands to his heart. "Listen to me, Sawyer Whitlock. Nobody will ever take your place in my heart. Nobody. Ed—my friend is not going to take me away from you, I promise you. In fact, he's really looking forward to hanging out with you."

"He is?" Curiosity overtook anxiety.

And now for the fun part. "Yes, he is. It's actually someone you already know, and I'm sorry I couldn't tell you earlier, but it wouldn't have been fair to the other kids, so we had to keep it a secret. But I can tell you now if you're ready."

"I'm ready!"

The boy has no clue.

Emmett drew in a big lungful of air, glancing over at Jasper and Alice for support. Here we go. "It's Coach Cullen."

Sawyer regarded Emmett as if he'd just told him elephants can fly. "But you don't even like Coach Cullen!"

Emmett schooled his smirk. "I do, Soy. I like him a lot."

The boy's face registered complete disorientation, and for a moment, Emmett feared he'd unhooked the boy too far from his reality all at once. "You do?"

"Coach and I had to pretend a little bit, but now I don't want to—we don't have to pretend anymore. I know this is really hard to understand, Soy, but sometimes people can be really mean about the kind of feelings Coach Cullen and I have for each other."

"But why?"

"That's a very good question, Soy."

Sawyer blinked up at his uncle for answers Emmett wasn't sure he had. Jasper and Alice weren't stepping in to bail Emmett out, but they offered encouraging nods. Emmett shrugged while gathering his thoughts.

"I guess some people were taught when they were little that certain kinds of love are wrong."

"That's dumb. Love is just love."

"Yep." Emmett's eyes clouded with tears. If only the world outside this perfect bubble were as wise as my nephew. "It is pretty dumb, but I knew you'd get it."

Having settled the matter to his satisfaction, Sawyer picked up his fork and took another bite of meatloaf. Emmett patted himself on the back for surviving the inquisition, but as it turned out, Sawyer wasn't finished.

"Uncle Em?"

Water glass to his lips, Emmett gave him a wary, "Mmhmm?"

"Do you and Coach fight all the time?"

The water caught in his windpipe, and Emmett sputtered and choked. Alice hopped up from the table to grab some paper towels, but Emmett suspected she went into the kitchen so she could giggle without her son seeing.

When Emmett could breathe again, he said, "Tell you what, Champ. How about after dinner, you and I go outside and have a catch, and you can ask me anything you want. Deal?"

XXX

Emmett grabbed them each two cookies on the way out the back door. They threw a baseball back and forth until the daylight faded, and after that, they rolled grounders to each other. Sawyer had an endless supply of questions: How'd they meet? Wasn't Coach too bossy? Did Coach like Sawyer (because it sometimes felt like maybe he didn't)? How could Emmett tell they were more than regular friends? What kinds of things did they like to do together? How far could Coach run? Did Emmett think they would get married? Would Sawyer be getting cousins? What about Tammy? Was it weird being with a teacher all the time? Which one drove when they went somewhere? What should Sawyer say when he saw Coach Cullen at school on Monday?

The questions poured out of Sawyer, and Emmett filled him up with simple, clear answers. When the first star appeared in the night sky, Emmett lifted Sawyer onto his back and carried him to the stoop.

"You really think Coach would teach me how to play chess?"

"Yep. If he could teach me, he can teach anyone."

"Can you beat him?"

"Nope. He's really, really good."

"But what if you keep practicing?"

"Oh, I will. And I'll get better, but Coach is kind of like a superhero at chess."

"Like you are at baseball?"

"Yep. Just like that."

At the door, Emmett swung Sawyer around to his chest and squished him in a giant bear hug. "I was real proud of you at tee-ball, Soy."

"I was proud of you, too."

Emmett loosened his grip, pulling back so he could see Sawyer's face. "Yeah?"

Sawyer nodded. "Yeah. All the kids were saying how cool it was to have you there."

"Maybe I can speak with Dr. Hale about coaching baseball next year."

"That would be great!" His expression turned pensive. "Do you think Coach would coach, too?"

"I have a feeling he'll be coaching tee-ball again. He's really good at it."

"Oh." Sawyer looked adorably disappointed. "Well, do you think Coach would want to come with us to the batting cage sometime?"

"I know he would." Emmett couldn't wait to invite him. "Maybe we can do that next weekend. I'll talk to your mom."

"I'm gonna go ask her right now!"

Sawyer squirmed out of Emmett's arms and raced over to the couch. Jasper turned his head and caught Emmett's eye. Emmett gave him a big smile and two thumbs up.

Yep, that went well. Now all I have to do is tell the grownups.

Author's Note: We knew Soy would be accepting, but Emmett never wanted to bring him into the secret world of lies and ask him to be dishonest. What a load off Emmett's heart! And yours?

XXX ~BOH