Play Along (Windy City Series Book 4)

Two years later

It’s the worst day of the year.

At least, it used to be.

I used to connect this date to loss, but now I can’t help but think of everything I gained on this day over the years.

My nephew was born four years ago on this date. I met my wife five years ago, and today, I get the privilege of remarrying her on our two-year anniversary.

Yes, I lost my mom on this date, but she spent the last twenty years sending her sons the greatest gifts in her absence, and it’s become impossible to think of this day with anything other than overwhelming gratitude and love.

“How are you feeling?” my brother asks from behind me as he helps me slip on my suit jacket.

“Excited. I’m looking forward to remembering everything this time around. Her walking down the aisle. Listening to her say ‘I do.’ Coherently, might I add.”

He laughs to himself.

Kennedy didn’t want to deviate too much from the details of our first wedding, but the biggest difference with this one, other than the lack of tequila in our systems, is the intention behind it.

We’re getting married because we love each other, trust each other, are each other’s closest friend. We spent the last two years learning each other, dating each other, and supporting each other. And even though I’m stoked to create some memories this time around, I can’t help but be grateful for that drunken night in this same city two years ago.

I don’t know if we’d be having this wedding without that one. It gave us the opportunity to see the other for who they really are, and we haven’t been able to take our eyes off each other since.

Kai smiles to himself through the reflection in the mirror as he smooths the fabric of my jacket over my shoulders. “Who would’ve thought, huh? We were just a couple of kids trying to get by on our own and look at us now. Who would’ve thought we’d be as blessed as we are?”

“Crazy to think we spent all those years just the two of us, and now look how many Rhodeses there are.”

“Well, there could be seven Rhodeses if you and Ken ever decided to give Max and Emmy a cousin.”

I burst a laugh. “I swear, you and Miller have tried to slip that into every fucking conversation we’ve had since Emmy was born.”

“And I have no plans on stopping.”

The truth is, Kennedy and I haven’t thought too much about having our own. We love being Aunt and Uncle to my brother’s kids, but we’re also having a blast just the two of us, working together, traveling together.

One day, when I retire from professional baseball, maybe we will or maybe we won’t. Life is real fucking good either way.

There’s a knock on the door of the bedroom we’re getting ready in.

“It’s us,” Miller calls out from the other side.

“Come in.”

The door is only open a crack before my nephew comes barreling in wearing his best suit.

“There’s the birthday boy!” I hoist him into my arms, holding him at eye level. “How old are you today? I can’t seem to remember.”

He very carefully holds four fingers up.

“What? There’s no way. I thought you were still a little baby.”

“No. I’m four.” He giggles, pointing over my shoulder. “Emmy is a baby.”

I turn to find my sleeping niece in Miller’s arms, the little girl with her mom’s green eyes and her parents’ shared dark hair. Named after Miller’s dad and our mom, Emmy Mae Rhodes was born shortly after my brother retired, and any doubt or hesitation I had about him leaving the game for good was dispelled the moment I saw how centered he was at home with the three of them.

It’s been a full season without playing next to him, the second starting just next week, but the combination of having Kennedy with me and knowing Kai’s favorite job is away from the field has made the transition easier.

But that’s not to say that he hasn’t missed being around the sport. We were hardly past spring training last year before Monty hired Kai as one of his pitching coaches. He’s not there every practice or game, by any means, but he’s still around and it’s been a fucking blast.

“Thanks for sharing your big day with me and Auntie Ken, Bug,” I say to my nephew. “We’re going to have a big birthday cake tonight, huh?”

“Auntie Ken looks pretty.”

“Did you get to see her?”

His blue eyes go big, his smile just as massive as he nods his head.

“Lucky guy. I can’t wait to see her. Tell me everything. How is she wearing her hair? What does her dress look like?”

“Hey!” Miller cuts in. “Don’t try to use my son to get information. You’ll see her soon enough.”

“I don’t want to wait any longer. This is torture.”

“Jesus, Isaiah,” Kai laughs. “It’s only been a few hours since you’ve seen her.”

“You don’t get to say anything,” I argue back. “You were far worse on your wedding day.”

“It was different. Miller was pregnant. I needed to check in on her before the ceremony.”

Miller bursts a laugh. “I was perfectly fine, and you knew it.”

Kai smiles to himself before leaning over to kiss her, following that with a press of his lips to his daughter’s head. “My girls.” He turns to me and his son, taking Max from me. “And my guys. You’ve got a big job today, Max. You ready?”

He nods enthusiastically. “I’m gonna carry Auntie Ken’s ring.”

“Heck yeah, you are,” I encourage. “Do you know whose ring that was before Kennedy’s?”

His smile goes wide. “Grandma Mae.”

The room goes silent. We’ve been teaching Max about our mom for a couple of years now, so it’s not shocking to hear him say her name, but today, on the day she passed, on the day he was born, on the day I get to marry the love of my life, it feels important to say her name out loud.

“Yeah,” I exhale. “She would’ve loved to be here.”

Kai puts a hand on my shoulder. “She is here.”

My brother and I look at each other for a moment, silently saying all the things.

“Well,” Miller pipes up. “I’d offer you a wedding day shot, but we all know how that turned out last time.”

The room shifts to laughter, Miller’s specialty.

“Thanks for that, Mills.”

“Come here,” she says, opening her free arm for a hug, and I wrap mine around her and Emmy.

“Is she doing okay?” I quietly ask.

“She’s doing great. Excited to see you.”

“Thanks for being such a good friend to her.”

“Well, thanks for marrying her. How lucky am I to get to grow old with one of my best friends?”

She rubs a hand down my back as we separate.

“I’m gonna run to the bathroom before we leave.” I throw a thumb over my shoulder towards the door. “Be right back.”

In my wedding suit, I close that bedroom door behind me, stepping into the living room of the massive house rental we’re staying in for the weekend. It’s outside of the Vegas strip and big enough to house all our friends and their kids. The past few days have been a blast, all of us hanging out here. Days at the pool and nights making dinner together, playing board games, and staying up to hang out after all the kids are asleep, only to wake up to do it all over again.

“There he is!” Cody calls out from the couch, dressed for the ceremony, beer in his hand.

The room cheers so I give them a spin, showing off my wedding suit.

Zanders and Stevie, Ryan and Indy, Rio, Cody, and Travis all boost my ego as I cross the living room to one of the guest bathrooms. Only when I get to the door, my attention is immediately pulled to the room Kennedy and I have been sleeping in. The room she’s in right now, getting ready for our wedding.

Looking over my shoulder to make sure no one is watching, I quietly make my way to the door, softly tapping it with my knuckles.

“Who is it?” she asks, and just hearing her voice has my shoulders settling, has a smile sliding across my lips.

“It’s me, Kenny.”

“Isaiah? You can’t see me.”

“Please,” I beg. “Fuck, I miss you.”

She giggles this sweet laugh that has my forehead falling to the door at the sound.

“It’s only been a few hours,” she reminds me. “We weren’t supposed to even sleep in the same bed last night and we did. We weren’t supposed to see each other this morning and you still made us breakfast to eat together.”

“Well, if I don’t make sure you eat, who’s going to?”

Her laughter is soft.

“Please, baby. I miss you. Let me just see you.”

She cracks the door open slightly, only enough to allow her freckled hand to slip through the crack—her left hand with her bare ring finger because for the first time in two years, she took her wedding ring off so I could put it back on later today.

I offered to get her something new, something that was strictly hers, something we could add to signify us doing this the right way today, but she only wanted my mom’s ring. And this time when I slip it on her finger, it won’t be as a ploy to save her job, it’ll be as a promise to love her for the rest of my life.

“Hold my hand,” she says from behind the wooden barrier.

I intertwine my fingers with hers, palm to palm, instantly feeling centered with her.

“You’re not supposed to see the bride before the wedding.”

“But—”

“C’mon, baby. Play along.”

I huff a laugh. “You can’t keep saying that to me.”

“And why’s that? It’s been working for me for years.”

“Exactly. That’s the fucking problem, Ken. I’ve never been able to say no. Not before you took my last name and sure as shit not now. It’s something I need to work on.”

“That’s okay. Let’s keep it going that way.”

I squeeze her hand in mine. “I can’t wait to marry you . . . again.”

She squeezes right back. “I love you.”

“I love you. I’ll see you there?”

“I’ll be the one in white.”

“Wow. Okay, maybe throw out a spoiler alert next time.”

She chuckles. “There won’t be a next time. This one is forever.”

Pulling up to the little chapel we tied the knot the first time feels fucking surreal.

I don’t have many clear memories from that night, and I’m looking forward to changing that this time, but the exterior is so sharp in my mind. Maybe it’s from that picture that was blasted in the Chicago Tribune or maybe it’s a true memory from the night my life changed forever, I’m not sure.

The entire group spills out of rideshares, getting dropped off right out front. My whole team is here, some staying at our house rental, some staying at their own. This preseason bonding trip looks a little different than our typical ones, but I’m thankful to have them all here for our wedding redo.

Kai carries Emmy in her car seat, and Max slips his hand in mine as we make our way inside.

The door handles are two halves of a heart that connect when the door is closed, the entryway has a partially burnt-out neon sign flashing the name of the chapel, and a goddamn Elvis impersonator greets us at the front desk.

It’s perfect.

Monty is already waiting for us inside, going over some notes of things he’s planning to say while he officiates the ceremony as the rest of my teammates and friends find seats, piling into the tiny wooden pews that flank either side of the aisle.

I can’t help but laugh to myself knowing that we chose to get married here, not only once, but twice. But it just feels right. I’m sure growing up, Kennedy assumed she’d have some massive ceremony hosted somewhere like the Plaza in New York City, with her engagement publicly announced in the Times.

Instead, we’re doing it here. In this little run-down chapel with plastic flowers hot-glued to the pulpit for décor. The lighting is fucking awful and the red carpet runner spanning the aisle is tacky as hell.

But I wouldn’t change a thing, especially now that our closest family and friends are here to witness this time.

Speaking of family, Dean is the last to arrive, walking through the front doors minutes before Kennedy is due to appear.

The entire room of my teammates turn in their seats to look at him.

“My bad. Flight got delayed.” He nods towards me. “Hey, man.”

Hand in his, I throw my arm around him, smacking his back a couple of times. “Glad you made it, asshole.”

“Thanks for the invite, dick. Sorry I’m late.”

“Perfect timing. Kenny is on her way. Any word from your family?”

He shakes his head, careless expression on his face. “Nah. They’re too busy trying to find Mallory a husband to celebrate Kennedy being happy. You know how they are.”

I do know how they are, though neither my wife nor I have had to deal with their bullshit for almost two years. Her mother rarely attempts to contact her, and Kennedy has not once reached out since the night I met them.

Which seems to be for the best. The only thing those people ever did is make Kennedy question her worth, and over the past two years, I’ve done my best to make sure she’ll never question it again.

Ironic, really, that the only reason Kennedy and I got married in the first place is that she was feeling petty and hurt over her ex-fiancé marrying her stepsister. But time would show everyone’s true colors. Connor and Mallory never even made it down the aisle because, according to Dean, they constantly fought about their lack of trust in one another.

I guess that’s what you get when you get together by cheating. You’re always going to be worried about it happening to you.

“See you after,” Dean says, taking the front-row seat on the side closest to where Kennedy will sit.

“They’re here,” Kai says, holding his still-sleeping daughter against his chest.

Monty stands front and center, facing the crowd, and I take the spot just to his left with my brother behind me.

Monty places a hand on my shoulder. “You ready?”

I’m bouncing on my toes with excitement. “Yep.”

“Max,” he says to my nephew standing at my side, hand slipped into mine. “Are you ready? You remember what to do when your mom gets here?”

Blue eyes sparkling up at his grandpa, he nods enthusiastically.

Elvis gives Monty a thumbs-up from the back of the room, and the doors are opening.

Miller is first, bouquet in her hands. She lines up at the end of the aisle, smiling at her dad, her son, her husband, then lastly me.

Max runs to her, high fiving my teammates along the way, before Miller hands him our rings and directs him back down the aisle to us. The boys cheer for him, and I’m fucking dying over how flushed his cheeks are, how wide his grin is. These guys are good at a lot of things, but they are excellent at making sure Max knows how important he is.

When he makes it back, he hands the rings off to his dad and Miller starts her walk.

It wasn’t all that long ago that the roles were reversed. I was Kai’s best man, and Kennedy was Miller’s maid of honor. Monty officiated that ceremony too and Max hung out up front with us the entire time, the same way he will today.

Miller’s got her attention locked on my brother the whole time and shoots him a wink when she stands opposite him.

“Fucking obsessed with that girl,” he whispers for only Monty and me to hear.

“We know,” we say at the same time.

Speaking of obsessed . . .

The door opens one more time, and the first thing I see is that color that caught my attention the first time we met—Kennedy Rhodes Auburn.

The air from the door closing blows her hair, allowing it to drape around her face, and I swear to God she looks like a real-life angel when it settles.

A bouquet of flowers held in her hands. Yellow, I believe. Chosen because it’s my favorite color, after all. Creamy white dress, constructed for her body. Unlike her last one, this one skims the floor, fabric molding to every dip and curve. Simple and understated, allowing her to be the star of the show. As classic and elegant as she is.

And that smile. That goddamn, earth-shattering smile she shoots me. It steals my breath with how grounded, how content it is. Like she knows, just as I do, that this is where we belong.

Hi, she mouths from down the aisle, red carpet runner ahead of her.

Hi, I return. I shake my head in disbelief because in what fucking world did I get it so right that I get to have the privilege of being the one she’s walking down the aisle to?

If I thought deeper into it, I could probably give a few hundred reasons as to why I’m not good enough to have this moment, but I’m a selfish man. So instead, I just hold eye contact with her and count my blessings.

The music shifts, not to the original song she walked down the aisle to, but something a little more classic. The crowd stands, and that’s when she takes the first step towards me.

She’s stunning and confident, no question or hesitation in her movements, and I know for a fact it’s an image that this time I won’t be able to forget.

Especially when she takes a step towards me and the toe of her shoe peeks out from the hem of her dress. There are no heels on her feet, just a pair of black sneakers I bought her when I was desperate for her to be comfortable enough that she might be willing to spend a bit of time with me.

I can’t help but laugh to myself, and when my eyes make it back to that beautiful, freckled face, she’s laughing with me, her steps never faltering.

Fuck, I love her.

I can’t wait to marry her again.

The backyard of the rental house is packed with our family and friends. Food, dessert, and drinks cover every table. There’s a makeshift dance floor in the middle of the yard, and string lights illuminating the Nevada night sky.

Our wedding reception is in full swing, and it’s been a fucking blast.

We’ve mingled, we’ve eaten, and Kennedy has changed into her reception outfit, which was a surprise specifically for me.

That white mini dress, platform Vans, and denim jacket from our first wedding. Only this time, she had Indy embroider the back of it. Mrs. Rhodes is stitched in white thread and that’s where my eyes are glued, watching her dancing with Max on the dance floor.

He’s got his hands in hers, his feet resting on top of her shoes, smiling at her like she’s the prettiest girl he’s ever seen.

He’s not wrong there.

I fucking love my family.

“Man of the hour.” Travis stands behind my chair, hands on my shoulders, before he and Cody take a seat on either side of me, all three of us looking out to the dance floor.

“You did the impossible. You got that girl to fall in love with you,” Cody says, connecting his beer bottle to mine. “How’s it feel?”

I take a long swig. “Fucking fantastic.”

“Wish me luck to do the same,” Travis adds.

Cody and I burst a laugh.

“Not a chance in hell,” Cody says. “Natalie would never.”

I shrug. “You never know. She might.”

Natalie is the new athletic trainer that Kennedy hired as her replacement last season. Trav’s had a crush since her first day. I can’t say I envy the guy getting that constant rejection, but I can relate.

“Last time I saw her, she told me my glutes felt tight. You know what that means.”

Cody shoots him a deadpanned glare. “Not what you think it means. It only means that you’re a catcher and your entire lower body is fucked.”

“It means she was looking at my ass.”

“Dear God, you sound like Rhodes.”

I tilt my beer bottle to the dance floor. “And look where that got me.”

Natalie is still new in the sports medicine field, which is part of the reason Kennedy hired her. She wanted to help guide her and give her a positive experience right out of the gate. She’s loved having another woman on staff, and just as they did with Kennedy, the guys don’t treat Natalie any differently than the male medical staffers.

Well, other than when Travis tries his best to flirt with her.

There’s been a shift since Reese has taken over as team owner and Kennedy has become the Head of Health and Wellness. So much of what Kennedy wanted to accomplish was to simply prove there was space in sports for women, and she’s done just that.

Reese has hired quite a few women in other departments and Kennedy has split the medical staff equally. Two guys. Two girls.

It’s been a nice change, and I’m proud of her for being the beginning of that shift.

The song she’s dancing to with my nephew begins to fade, so I stand from my seat, leaving my beer on the table.

“I gotta go take care of something,” I tell them before I go.

Stopping by the DJ booth, I request a song, then make my way to the dance floor to steal my wife.

I catch her attention as I cross the dance floor to her, soft smile on her lips, hands still holding my nephew’s.

“Excuse me, Bug, but I need to steal my wife from you.”

He looks up at me as if I’ve lost my goddamn mind to take the pretty girl in the white dress away from him.

“No.”

I startle with a laugh. “Max, it’s my wedding day.”

He points to his chest. “My birthday.”

Well, shit. He’s got me there.

“Hey, Bug,” Miller says, crossing the floor to us. “How about you dance with me for your birthday instead?”

He quickly appraises his mom before agreeing and swapping Kennedy’s hands and feet for Miller’s.

It feels like a sigh of relief when I slide my hand against Kennedy’s lower back, pulling her against me. She melts into my touch, her cheek resting on my chest, one hand wrapped around my waist, the other holding mine out to the side.

“Missed you.”

She chuckles. “It’s been two songs.”

“Do you think that matters?”

There was once a time Kennedy questioned what it felt like to be missed, but she’ll never have to wonder now. There’s not a day goes by that I don’t miss her. If she goes into another room, I miss her. If she leaves for work before me, I miss her.

And I’m sure to tell her each and every time.

I catch the DJ’s eye and give him a nod of approval just before the song Kennedy walked down the aisle to the first time comes on.

Mariah Carey’s “Obsessed” overtakes the speakers and Kennedy’s head instantly falls back in laughter.

“You didn’t.”

“Of course I did. I’m still counting this as our wedding song.”

The guests around us cheer for the song they all know as my walk-up song. I haven’t changed it in two seasons, and I have no plans to change it in the future.

“I still can’t believe you picked this that night.”

She shrugs, this sweet knowing smile on her lips. “Was I wrong?”

“Not even a little bit. Not then and not now.”

My hand slides down over the curve of her ass, and it’s strange to think there was ever a time that she’d flinch at my touch. Or when she didn’t hug her friends, or when she felt uncomfortable at the prospect of holding my hand.

Now, Kennedy initiates physical contact as much as I do, whether that be a quick kiss at work or taking my hand when we’re walking next to each other. And there’s not a day that goes by when she doesn’t hug Miller or Indy or Stevie when she sees them.

“Are you happy?” she asks, looking up at me.

“Do you even have to ask?”

“No.” Her smile is soft. “You wear it. Just like you always have.”

“So do you, Ken. I’ve never seen happiness shine quite as bright as the kind you’ve worn the past two years.”

“I think that’s because I was the opposite for so long, you know? Before us.”

Leaning down, I kiss her, pressing my lips to my wife’s on our wedding day, dancing to the song she once walked down the aisle to, wearing the outfit she first said “I do” in.

“I told you so.”

“Shut up,” she laughs.

“I did, though! I always knew.”

“You’re annoying.” She kisses me again. “But I’m glad you were persistent enough for the both of us.”

There’s not a whole lot that’s changed between us in the two years since we first said I do. We fell deeper in love. We moved in together and recently bought a house close to my brother and Miller. We dated, continuing to check off any firsts Kennedy hadn’t experienced.

I started bimonthly therapy to deal with the trauma response to my mom’s accident, learning to control my thoughts and not relying on Kennedy to settle me down. Now, when a storm hits, I find the rational part of my mind to walk me through the steps I’ve learned instead of instantly grabbing my phone and dialing those closest to me.

We stay and dance for the entirety of the song, slow dancing to a tune that isn’t exactly meant for that. But neither of us cares as we slowly sway under the string lights.

“I love you,” she whispers up at me as the song fades out.

I’ll never get over hearing her say those words.

“Love you, baby.” I nod towards the bar. “Want to do a celebratory shot with me?”

She laughs, her eyes crinkling with a smile. “Tequila?”

“Obviously.”

Her hand in mine, we find the makeshift bar set up in the corner of our reception.

“Congratulations, you two. What can I get you?” the bartender asks.

“Two shots of tequila, please.”

He pours the clear liquor, topping the shot glass with a slice of lime.

Kennedy holds it up to me in a cheers. “To getting it right the first time, even if it was an accident.”

I connect her glass with mine. “To forever.”

“Forever.”

Leaning down, I kiss her before we each throw back our shot.

Zanders, Stevie, Ryan, Indy, Kai, Miller, and Rio are all seated around a table just off the dance floor. We join them, taking the last empty seat, where I pull Kennedy onto my lap.

“Congrats, you two.” Indy sits forward, elbows on the table and chin in her hands, beaming at us like the romantic she is.

“Thanks, Ind,” Kennedy says, wrapping an arm around my neck. “We’re so glad you all could make it and help us recreate our first one.”

Zanders looks between us. “Wouldn’t miss it.”

“I’ve got to know,” Ryan says. “Was the Elvis impersonator there the first time?”

“Couldn’t tell you,” Kennedy and I answer at the same time.

“Guys. Look at them.” Stevie nods towards the dance floor beside us.

All our attention swings to the completely empty dance floor minus the four little ones dancing together in a circle they’ve created. Max is the oldest and most coordinated so far, holding Taylor Zanders’ hand in one and Iverson Shay’s in the other. Iverson’s got the hand of his sister, Navy, on the other side and she’s connected with her cousin.

They’re fucking cute out there in their little suits and fancy dresses.

“That will be you one day too, baby girl,” Kai says to a sleeping Emmy on his chest.

Miller’s got her head on his shoulder, her fingers toying with the ends of his hair as she watches Max with his friends.

“Cute tiny humans, we get it,” Rio says. “But let’s make this about me for a second.”

I can feel Kennedy’s silent laugh against my chest as she sits in my lap, head resting back on my shoulder as our wedding reception begins to wind down.

“Seriously, when is it my turn? Look at you guys.” Rio gestures around the table. “You’re all wifed up and I’m over here, twenty-seven and still looking.”

“Four out of five,” Kai adds. “One to go. It’ll happen soon, Rio.”

“Well, they better be fucking great, making me wait this long to meet them.”

“What if it’s someone you’ve already met and you have no idea?” Ryan asks.

“Nah,” Rio brushes him off. “I can’t think of a single person I already know that I’d be remotely interested in.”

Zanders shakes his head. “You are the pickiest guy I know while also being the thirstiest. It’s the strangest combination. It’s no wonder you’re single.”

“This is the year. It’s happening. And Cody and Travis just need to stay in their lane and be single because I swear to God if I have to attend another wedding without a date . . .” Rio shakes his head. “Well, then I just won’t come.”

“Wow,” Indy laughs. “Very threatening.”

“You all should feel threatened. You’d all be bored as hell without me around.”

The conversation continues, but I’m not listening. I’m focused on the auburn-haired girl currently curled in my lap.

I press my lips to the skin under her ear, feeling her shiver against me.

I hold her tighter before my eyes meet Kai’s. One hand holding his daughter, the other holding a beer, resting on Miller’s thigh. He lifts his beer to me across the table.

I nod, the two of us having a silent conversation acknowledging how fucking blessed our lives have turned out to be. What was once just the two of us is now this massive family, some blood-related, some not.

Most important to me is the one on my lap, wearing my mother’s ring.

Leaning my head against hers, I whisper, “Thanks for marrying me, Kenny.”

It’s been a common phrase I haven’t been afraid to voice over the past two years.

She turns to look at me, warm brown eyes tracing my face before running a fingertip over the birthmark by my eye. “And which time are you referring to?”

I press my lips to hers. “Both.”