She could not believe she was beginning to have real feelings for this man when she was not supposed to be falling for someone again. Not this fast anyway. It felt like she had just gotten over Tunda.

Well, he was going on with his life, and that was partying like a wild man according to all his lame-ass posts on the Gram. Why was she even checking for him? Bad habit she needed to let go of. He was the past, Rico was her future. There was something so magical about Rico and she did not want to get off the happy train.

Because they both were so busy she was going to make it a point to make more time for him once they were back in St. Louis. So what if she had to miss a few rehearsals? If Rico was free, she wanted to be with him.

As soon as she got back home from her Europe getaway, Rico had a game. Her team already secured a suite for her so that she could watch her man play. Because he told her previously that he played horribly knowing she was there watching him but played better in Atlanta and Philly when he didn't know she was there, she decided not to tell him she would be there. She even invited her parents to the game, although her mother passed so it was just her father and her uncle, along with her people, and Autumn.

"Now what made you have a sudden interest in baseball?" her father asked her.

She had not told her parents she was dating Rico, because she was grown and it was her business. The fewer people that knew the better.

"I guess since I threw out the first pitch. I want to do it again!"

"Me too," Autumn chimed in.

That did not surprise her that her daughter was interested in baseball. Her father, once again not having a grandson to toss a ball with, was doing the same with Autumn, getting her into every sport possible.

She played soccer last year and now was trying out basketball and tee ball.

"My little Autumn here is going to pitch for the Majors one day," her father said.

Funny he would say that, with her dating a pitcher. She knew her daughter would be great at whatever she played, so it was interesting she was talking up baseball right now.

"Tee ball doesn't even have pitching," she said to her father.

"But she still has a good arm. We'll go watch her first game next week."

She was happy that she would be home and able to go see her daughter play. She wondered if Rico would like to come. They were still incognito, and neither wanted the relationship to go public. He was not used to the spotlight like that, and she wanted privacy from the gossips criticizing every little thing she did.

When Rico took the mound for his first pitch, Autumn pointed and yelled out. "Look Mommy, he pitches like you did."

Yes, because she tried to emulate him when she pitched. Tried to copy his stance and his throw. Of course, she was nowhere on his level, but in that short amount of time she spent with him, he did a great job teaching her.

"I hope Fireball brings the heat today, that's who I came to see," her uncle stated.

"We're number one in our division, right? Rico McGhee is the top pitcher with stats right now, that's the whole league."

Her father turned to her and gave her a look. Maybe she said too much, spouting out stats like that. Her father would get suspicious.

"What? Because-" She gave her father a shrug, deciding not to lie but give him a half-truth. "I've been following them."

"They say he's the best pitcher we've had in ages, and so young. Because of him, we may make it to the World Series," her uncle stated.

She focused on the game and watching her man. He was doing great so far with all strikeouts in the first inning.

"Dammmmn! I see why you're gaga over him!" Orlando loudly called out.

She grimaced and shrunk a little in her chair. Why did he have to say that so loudly? Now her father would be on to her.

"Humph!" her father said. "No need to act like I didn't know something was up."

"Nothing's up, Dad."

"I don't care who you date, Princess, as long as he treats you right."

She gave him a nod. "He does, Daddy."

"Like the others?"

She hated for her father to have known what she had gone through with her exes. From the abuse to the cheating to the disrespect. Every time her father wanted to go and pounce on them after a breakup. Luckily, she was able to get him to back down.

"Daddy, he's not like any of them, I promise."

Well, she hoped so. They all started great, she would have never expected them to end so horribly.

The game went great. She never cheered and yelled at a game so much. She was totally into it, and not just Rico, but the whole team. They came through with a 7-2 victory, with Rico getting relieved in the eighth inning. He almost made it the whole game. According to her father that was a test of how good he was.

"Tika, we can get you down with the team and celebrate," Sheila said.

"How did you..."

"I have my ways. I got in good with a few of the players after the meet and greet."

"So does this mean I get to meet him as well?" her father asked.

Oh no, was she ready for that? Plus Autumn. This was a big deal.

As they made their way down a secret elevator to the lower level where the players and media were, she knew there was going to be a problem. There were too many TV news stations there. This was different than the paparazzi that followed her in L.A., but media was media. They would spot her there for sure.

"I bet they're all here for Fireball. He's the talk of baseball right now with his record. My baby girl knows how to pick them."

Her father already fanboying over Rico was a bit bizarre. The stadium security escorted them to an area where the guys were meeting the media. Once they got a look at her, a few cameras turned to face her and she plastered a happy, smiling face at them and waved.

As soon as a few players came into view, Autumn, holding her hand, got super excited and started to jump up and down.

"I wanna meet them all!"

"Autumn, I don't know if they have time for-"

"You know you can make that happen," her father said to her. "Why not put a smile on your little girl's face."

Although she did not want to bring any attention to herself, of course, her father was right. She would do anything to make her daughter happy.

"Hi guys," she said to some of the fellas as if she were old friends. She did not remember meeting some of those guys, and maybe they didn't know who she was.

"Tika Foster!" one of the guys stopped to greet her. "My lucky day running into you again."

Of course, it was the hot blond, except she did not think he was so hot anymore. Not after he tried to fuck her on-site. Besides, she only had eyes for Rico.

"Anthony Carlson." She learned that he was one of Rico's closest friends on the team, except she did not tell him he had hit on her. "Nice to meet you again. This is my daughter Autumn and she would love to meet some of you guys."

"Oh for sure. Hey kiddo," he said, looking down at Autumn.

"Wow!" was all Autumn could say.

"You should let her run the bases," Anthony said to her. "Or at least take her out to the field."

"Can we?" Autumn asked.

"Hey Rico, look who's here!" Anthony yelled out.

When Rico walked over, he smiled big when he saw her. Now she knew for sure he did not know she would be there.

"Hello...again," he said to her, playing off that they were hot and heavy in dating.

"Whoa! You're tall!" Autumn said to him.

Rico looked down, then bent down on one knee in front of Autumn. "And who are you? No wait, as pretty as your mother, you must be Princess Autumn."

"I am pretty."

Rico chuckled at that. "You are your mother's child indeed."

"Autumn, this is Rico McGhee, he taught Mommy how to pitch."

"I want to pitch," she said to him.

"Maybe one day we can work on your throw."

Then Autumn leaned over and hugged him and she was done for. She nearly cried seeing her little girl in her man's arms like that. She wanted to cement that picture in her brain.

And the way the media went into a frenzy seeing them hug, she knew that picture would be everywhere before she knew it.

That was not a good look. Win already had an issue with having Autumn around guys she dated. She was going to hear from him about this and it would not be good.