The Practice Proposal by Tracy March

tomorrow afternoon,
     too, and she’d have to choose which one to go to.
    No shenanigans, Frank had said. She guessed that included saying no when Cole asked her on a date—even
     though a game wasn’t a date.
    But she didn’t want to say no. After tomorrow he’d be gone for a week, and she kind of liked having him
     around. Today had been fun and easy, and now he’d brought her here tonight to share
     this rare and incredible view of Nats Park. She could tell he was proud of it—like
     it was part of who he was. Maybe, after all this time, he’d found a place he belonged.
    He squeezed her hand, reminding her he was waiting for her answer. His hand was warm
     and strong and a little calloused, and it felt comfortable in hers, as if she’d been
     holding it for years, yet it still felt new and exciting. She figured he was going
     to kiss her soon—this was a perfect setting for it—and her heart raced at the thought
     of his lips on hers. How many times had she imagined kissing Cole?
    Sorry, Wes. She begged herself not to think about him, then felt guilty for willing him out of
     her mind.
    “I’ll come to your game,” she said tentatively, facing him and grasping his other
     hand.
    His mouth quirked up at one corner. “I hear a ‘but.’”
    “It’s an ‘and.’” She looked at him coyly. “You have to hit a triple for me.”
    He drew his head back, his eyebrows lowered. “Not a home run? A triple is kind of
     a strange thing to ask for. No guaranteed payoff there.”
    “Hit a triple,” she said, “then steal home.”
    The stunned look on his face made her smile. His jaw clenched as he thought about
     it. “That’s the hardest play in baseball.”
    And even though I can’t wait, kissing you will be one of the hardest things I’ve done. Liza had unrealistically imagined she’d never kiss another man after she’d lost Wes,
     and here she was looking forward to it. She’d dreamed about Cole being her first kiss
     when she was a girl, and in a way, now it was going to come true.
    “You’re an All-Star.” She skimmed her finger down the top buttons of his shirt and
     poked him lightly between his pecs. “You can do it.”
    He clutched her hand and pressed it to his chest. She could feel the rhythm of his
     heart pounding nearly as fast as hers. “I’m a victorious pie warrior, too.” The lights
     sparkled in his eyes and caught his perfect profile in silhouette.
    Liza swallowed hard. He was talking about winning the pie war, so the kiss was coming
     soon. “Everyone liked my pie,” she said. “They just liked yours a little more.”
    He gave her a lopsided grin. “C’mon now. It was a total smackdown.” He threaded his
     fingers through her hair and cradled the nape of her neck, sending butterflies flitting
     down her spine.
    Oh, God…
    “But this might make you feel better about it.” He pulled her toward him gently and
     kissed her—tenderly…tentatively.
    Adrenaline and awareness shot through her. She’d forgotten the sensation of smooth
     lips on hers, the masculine brush of stubble at their edges. He cupped her face in
     his hands and took the kiss from tentative to tantalizing, his velvety tongue coaxing
     her to respond.
    Lost in the moment, Liza couldn’t stop herself. She’d been so lonely, it had been
     so long, and she was kissing Cole . Just like her hand in his, it felt so familiar and comfortable, yet fresh and exhilarating,
     simmering with passion and promise. Tingling heat swirled through her. She instinctively
     wrapped her arms around him, clutching the taut muscles of his back and pulling him
     closer. He felt so sturdy and strong, so sexy and alive. How had she thought she could
     live the rest of her life without this?
    A siren blared in the near distance, and Cole pulled back. But he stayed forehead-to-forehead
     with her, his eyes a kaleidoscope of emotions. Desire, surprise…fear? Liza wasn’t
     sure, but she imagined hers looked the same.
    “Wow,”