After purchasing beer and a couple of hotdogs, they headed down to their seats. Everyone was there including Romero and his wife and Uncle Max, Manny, and his wife.
“This is bullshit,” Lorenzo said with a smirk. “Why do I get stuck next to Romero?
Her brothers laughed as did Romero’s wife. “Shit,” Romero said as Lorenzo sat down next to him. “You’re the lucky one.”
They chatted and ate as they waited for the game to start. When AJ was introduced at the beginning of the game, they all went nuts cheering and whistling. Anytime AJ came up to bat, they’d go nuts all over again, especially when he got a hit in the middle of the fifth and then went on to score.
Things got a little more exciting at the bottom of the seventh when one of the players on AJ’s team was hit by a pitch and was visibly pissed about it, saying something to the pitcher as he took first base. The rowdy instigators in the crowd didn’t help as they ranted and cheered on obnoxiously, trying to make more of the incident than it was. Manny and Max were two of the loudest, yelling out crude remarks.
The inning was quickly over when the next batter grounded out and the Padres took the field again to start the eighth inning. The very first pitch hit the batter, causing another stir and the umpire issued warnings as the batter took first base at annoying snail’s pace.
“Ah, fuck,” Nathan, who sat in the row in front of them, muttered, shaking his head.
“What?” Romero asked.
“This is how it always starts,” Nathan said as Liv squeezed Lorenzo’s hand.
Romero still didn’t seem to understand, so Nathan explained if any of the next batters talked shit AJ would be the one hearing it since he was behind the plate. At first it appeared Romero thought this was a good thing. “Hey, if the guy’s stupid enough to get in his face, let AJ fuck him up!”
Emi turned to explain they didn’t want AJ to be known as the hotheaded ticking time bomb of the team. He was too talented for that to be the one thing he stood out for. Lorenzo had to smile. Romero had been so ready to start taunting Nathan about worrying too much. But seeing Emi’s sweet anxious eyes had a completely different effect on him. It shut his argument down real quick, and he sat back quietly.
To everyone’s relief, the next batter popped out without further incident. Then the next batter started to the plate.
Nathan stood up and yelled through his hands. “Less than two innings, AJ! You got this. Finish strong!”
Liv squirmed in her seat as did Isaiah. Lorenzo leaned over and kissed her in an effort to calm her. He was about to tell her not to worry when the crowd started rumbling and cheering. Liv was instantly on her feet as the ref did his best to separate AJ and the batter. His catcher’s mask was already off as he yelled something at the batter. The benches began clearing as the distinct chant began in the stands.
“Rage! Rage! Rage! Rage!”
Both Isaiah and Nathan turned, glancing around, clearly not happy about the chants. Liv reached out and squeezed Nathan’s shoulder then patted Isaiah’s with her other hand.
“Yeah! That’s my boy!” Manny yelled out, standing up as people around him cheered with him. “Shove that catcher’s mitt up his ass, Rage! Don’t take shit from them pinstripe pansies!”
Max put his fingers between his lips, whistling so loud both Lorenzo and Romero flinched away, holding their ears. The moment Romero noticed the looks his uncles got from Isaiah and Nathan he turned back to them, shoving Max’s shoulder since he was closest.
“Will you two sit your asses down and shut the fuck—?”
Isabel, Romero’s wife, nudged him before he could finish, giving him a scowl. Romero glanced at his wife then turned back to his uncles with a hiss through his teeth. “Sit your asses down! Can’t you see you’re making this shit worse!”
Max and Manny tried to protest, but one glance at Romero’s wife, then sweet Emi, looking so sternly at them, and they grudgingly sat down.
By the time it was all calmed, the mood in their section had changed drastically. Liv hadn’t been kidding when she said she and her brothers didn’t appreciate the nickname AJ had already picked up so early in his career. When the inning was over, an uncomfortable silence enveloped them. Even Manny, Max, and Romero were uncharacteristically quiet.
“Guess what?” Liv suddenly said.
Nathan and Emi turned to look at her from the row in front of them.
Liv held her hand out, showing off the ring Lorenzo had given her. Great. They’d gone from one uncomfortable subject to another.
“Isaiah, look,” she said, touching the back of his shoulder.
Emi’s hands were over her mouth as Liv had done in the parking lot.
“Is that?” she asked, and to Lorenzo’s surprise, Liv nodded excitedly.
“An engagement ring!” Liv chirped happily.
Before he knew what was happening, they got hugs all around and congrats, and suddenly the somber mood turned celebratory. Lorenzo wasn’t sure what to think. The game ended without further incident, and the moment he had her alone, which wasn’t until they were out in the parking lot, he pulled her aside, staring at her seriously. “What was that about back there?”
She looked up at him, her eyes full of worry. “You said until I was ready.”
“I did,” he agreed immediately, slipping his hand into hers but cautioning himself not to get too excited just yet. “And if you’re ready Liv, you know I am. If it’s really what you want. But was that announcement real or did you just do that to snap everyone out of—”
“No!” she said, pushing his hands away from her. “Of course not. I wouldn’t do that.”
He smiled suddenly, pulling her to him even as she pretended to protest. “If you’re calling it an engagement ring, Liv, then I’m holding you to it. This is really happening. You know that, right?”
Her eyes opened wide, but she nodded, so he leaned in and kissed her long and deep, unable to believe his life was only getting better. Then he pulled away and looked at her even more seriously. “You know what else this means, right?”
Those cute little brows pinched, and she shook her head, looking almost scared.
“No. What?’
He leaned his forehead against her. “Raiders, baby. You’re crossing over to the dark side!”
Olivia laughed, nudging him playfully. “No way!”
“Hey, it’s not my fault you skipped over the formalities of this engagement. It’s in the contract. You accept that engagement ring; you’re a Raiders fan. It’s in the fine print, and you’ve already told your whole family, so you can’t take it back now.”
She smiled, her eyes suddenly full of tears. “I wouldn’t dream of taking it back. Ever.”
He smiled, kissing her softly again. “I wouldn’t dream of letting you”—he tilted his head—“even if it meant having to remove that clause from the contract. I’d do anything for you, Liv.”
“Go Raiders,” she attempted to whisper, but it was more of a squeak as a tear slid down her cheek. “I’d do anything for you, Enzo.”
“What are the odds I’d get so lucky?” he said, feeling suddenly choked up too.
“Better than most,” she said, lifting her hand to show him her bracelet she still never took off. “We were meant to be.”
“I’ve known it since day one,” he whispered, kissing her again. “You were meant for me, baby.”
“And you were meant for me.”
A Note to my Wonderful Readers
I hope you have enjoyed reading Lorenzo and Olivia’s story. Please take a moment to leave a review at your favorite retailer.
Have you read the 5th Street series yet? Here is a little the blurb and excerpt from the first in that series, Noah:
Veronica Cruz has been through hell and back.
After disconnecting with the world two years ago to be at the side of her dying mother, she’s left alone, unemployed, overweight, and feeling a decade older than her twenty-eight years. When her best friend coaxes her
into joining the local gym to ditch her depression and rejuvenate her life, she meets Noah. Assigned to help Veronica lose weight, Noah is everything she expected a young trainer to be—perfectly chiseled, supportive, and motivating. Add to that he’s incredibly sexy. He’s everything she’s ever looked for in a man. What she least expected was for him to fall for her, but he has. There's just one glaring problem: Noah is eight years younger.
Noah Quintanilla has his eye on a boxing title—someday. Down for a few months with an injury, his maintenance-boy pay at 5th Street Gym won't cut it. He’s finally given the opportunity to train. The catch? His trainee is an out-of-shape woman with a free week pass. Taking on the challenge, Noah stumbles into one of the closest friendships he’s ever known, and before he knows it, he’s in love. But Veronica’s not having it—the age difference is too much. Their platonic relationship however, means having to watch her date other men—something that would make Noah crazy.
Believing he’s the man for her, Noah sets out to prove that age is but an illusion, and there's more to him than just a number.
Excerpt from Noah:
Roni sighed as she concentrated on stretching until she was interrupted by a sweaty guy holding a jump rope. She’d began to familiarize herself with most of the members, but since there’d been so many new ones, there were lots she didn’t recognize. This guy was one of them.
“Hello.” He waved at her. “My name is Edward. I’d shake your hand, but mine is a little sweaty right now.”
“Hi,” she said and stopped stretching, a bit curious.
“I just started working out here a little over a week ago. I noticed you right away and have been meaning to introduce myself.”
Veronica felt the nerves immediately. This guy looked around Noah’s age, maybe a little older, but then, like Noah, he was a big guy and that had completely thrown her off about Noah’s age. It’d been a long time since she’d had anyone hit on her.
“You’re a little early today, aren’t you?”
He’d even noticed what time she worked out? Wow. He must’ve really been watching. “Yeah, I’m leaving early today, so I thought I’d make up for it and get here early. I’m Veronica by the way.”
She watched as Noah approached from behind Edward with that hard look he so often had when they worked out.
“Listen, part of the reason I hadn’t approached you was because you’re always with that one guy. Are you and him—?”
“Yeah, we are,” Noah said, getting a little too in Edward’s face.
Edward backed up with a smirk. Veronica watched, her mouth dropping open. Abel and Gio walked toward them cautiously.
Edward lifted his hands, nodding, but the smirk was still there. “I had a feeling that was the case. I’m glad I asked. No harm, no foul, right? Can’t blame a guy for trying.” He turned and winked at Veronica. “Nice meeting you, Veronica.”
Noah didn’t say another word. He simply stared at Edward until he’d walked away then turned back to Veronica. “Ready to work out?”
Veronica’s mouth really fell open now. She shook her head and blinked. “First, can you explain what that was about?”
“What do you mean?”
She looked at him incredibly. “Me and you are what?”
“Workout partners, right? Isn’t that what he was asking?” Noah walked past her, but she didn’t miss the corner of his lip lifting as he did. “We should make this a good one since it’s gonna be short.”
“That is not what he was asking, and you know it.” Veronica followed him, feeling secretly thrilled. Had Noah really implied to another possible suitor that she and he were …? She wouldn’t even think it. Maybe he’d just been just playing, though his body language had said anything but.
He stopped so fast she nearly collided with him. “Why? What do you think he was asking?”
She looked up at his eyes that had gone back to hard again like when he’d gotten in Edward’s face. “Well, just based on what he said before you got there—”
“What did he say to you?” His brows furrowed, looking around the gym, and then he turned back to her, searching her eyes.
Great, now she felt like a braggart. She shrugged, trying to make less of it and suddenly feeling stupid. “Just that he only started working out here a week ago, but he said he noticed me right away.”
“Is that right?” She watched his jaw work as he looked around the gym again.
If she didn’t know any better, unbelievably she’d think her instincts had been right. Noah was jealous. His eyes came back to hers and he stared at her hard. “So what? You interested?”
“No, but—”
“Good. ’Cause he looked like an asshole.” He started toward the treadmill again, and she followed, glancing around.
Edward did not look like an asshole to her. But her instincts once again told her she better just shut it and let it go. It was very reasonable that, like her, Noah had begun to feel there was a bit more to their friendship. She couldn’t decide if that was necessarily a good thing. This could be bad.
Click here to see a list of books by Elizabeth Reyes.
Acknowledgments
Writing stories is all about me and my muse. I spent countless hours and days in my cave, obsessing and arguing loudly like a crazy person with my muse. But once it's all said and done, there is still much more to do, and I couldn't get it all done without my army of help. So I'd like to thank all of them now for contributing in some way to every single book I put out.
To my husband and "assistant" Mark, for believing in me always and encouraging me to do this. For your patience when many an evening you get home from work and I'm still deep in the cave with no signs of coming up for air. You never complain, and I know I would! I couldn't do any of this without you, and I'd never want to. I love you!
To my babies, Marky and Megan, thank you for understanding when I disappear into "the zone" for days at a time. I think we're all used to this way of life now, and you've been troopers all the way. I love you!
To my beta readers, Dawn Winter, Judy DeVries, Emily Lamphear, and welcome Amanda "Hootie" Clark to the team! Thank you all SO much! Your input and feedback are truly invaluable. Only you guys know how the stories start out originally, and I have to say your input is always spot on. I really do brag about how lucky I am to have found such an awesome "speed reading" team! The time it takes you to get back to me with all your insightful feedback always amazes me. I always think maybe after a few books your excitement and eagerness will wear off, and after almost four years, you guys are still superstars! I truly am blessed! This year should be interesting yet exciting. I look forward to having you in my corner the whole way. <3
I'd also like to thank the many bloggers out there who have supported me and have pimped, reviewed, and participated with my cover reveals and announcements. You guys have been a HUGE part of my success, and I thank every single one of you from the bottom of my heart! A special shout out to Ing Cruz of "As the Pages Turn" for all your help with the cover reveals, release blitzes, and blog tours! You are VERY appreciated!
Thank you to Theresa (Eagle Eyes) Wegand, my one-stop superhero beta reader/editor/formatter, listener to all my whiny rants/vents and obsessive worrying, and friend, even when you tell me I need to get a map. LOL ;) As always, your work is impeccable, and I can’t say enough about it. I hope to be working with you for years to come! Thank you so much!
I want to give a special shout out to “my FP girls,” my incredibly talented group of superstar authors. I feel absolutely blessed to have found you. I owe you all so much. Thank you for the love, empathy, and your friendships. Each and every one of you!
I'd also like to thank my cover artist, Amanda Simpson of Pixel Mischief Design. You're an amazing talent and awesome to work with. So far you've made some gems for me, and I'm excited about what's yet to come and to working with you on many more!
Thanks to my good friend New York Times Best Seller JB Salsbury for turning me on to
my new cover artist! And also for being such a great fan of my work! I'm so glad I finally got to meet you last year and so proud of you and all your success!
A special shout out to my street team "Team Reyes!" To my admins, Leslie Carey, Jenn DaSilva, Delashawne Hodgeson, Christina Garner Staggs, and Astin Brooks for running it with so much love and enthusiasm. Thank you for all the hard work you put into the team! But to all who are part of Team Reyes and are part of the madness and FUN I thank you all for your continued support! Love you guys! I'm SO looking forward to the teams meet and greet this year!! <3
And, of course, my incredibly awesome readers! Thank you all for waiting so patiently for Lorenzo's story. I hope you enjoyed it and I didn't put ya'll through too much nail biting! ;) I really do LOVE hearing from you! I hope to have a few surprises for you guys in 2015 just to show you that I really am listening and reading ALL your messages and comments!.
About the Author
USA Today Bestselling Author, Elizabeth Reyes, was born and raised in southern California and still lives there with her husband of almost twenty-one years, her two teens, her Great Dane named Dexter, and one big fat cat named Tyson.
She spends eighty percent of time in front of her computer, writing and keeping up with all the social media, and loves it. She says that there is nothing better than doing what you absolutely love for a living, and she eats, sleeps, and breathes these stories, which are constantly begging to be written.
Representation: Jane Dystel of Dystel & Goderich now handles all questions regarding subsidiary rights for any of Ms. Reyes’ work. Please direct inquiries regarding foreign translation and film rights availability to her.
For more information on her upcoming projects and to connect with her--she loves hearing from you all—here are a few places you can find her:
Blog: www.ElizabethReyes.com
Facebook fan page:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Elizabeth-Reyes/278724885527554