Holly choked out a laugh. “Yeah,” she said over her shoulder as she left the living room. “You’ll get the point.”

“Sweet.” He glanced at Pace with something close to hero worship, which made Pace damned uncomfortable.

And just a little bit proud. Holly had also looked at him as if maybe he was worth something, something more than what he brought to the diamond, and between her and these kids, he felt more alive than he had for a damned long time.

“Night,” Holly called back.

“Dude,” River said in a conspirator’s whisper. “She’s walking away.”

“You’re supposed to walk her to the door and kiss her,” Chipper said in the same ear-shattering whisper. “Hurry.”

Pace caught up with her in the hallway at the door to the spare bedroom and took her hand. “Ever notice that we meet in a lot of doorways?”

“The looks on their faces about the park,” Holly murmured.

She’d set aside everything—including whatever emotions were putting those shadows in her eyes—in order to worry about the kids. If he hadn’t already been half in love with her, that would have sealed the deal.

“There’s got to be something we can do,” she said. “They need that park, Pace. And they need it fixed up.”

“I’ve got an idea for it.”

She cocked her head and studied him. “You’re in the middle of a recovery and a baseball season.”

“I have time and room for more.”

“Since when?”

“Since . . .” You. “Holly, I—”

“Pace!” Chipper yelled.

Pace ground his back teeth together. “Yeah?”

“Can we have ice cream?”

“If you call home,” he said, not taking his eyes off Holly. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “About this.”

“No worries.” She reached for the door handle.

“Wait.” He slid his fingers into her hair, tracing her jaw line with his thumb. God, he’d missed the feel of her. “You know that up until now my entire life has been nothing but one hard fastball.”

She gave a faint smile. “Now you sound like Chipper.”

“Yeah.” He let out a small smile, liking that. “What I’m saying is that I’ve rushed through my life. I’ve rushed through everything, just to play ball. I still love it, I do, I just . . .” His smile faded and he shook his head again. “After my surgery, after Red and Ty, after everything, I felt . . . a little empty. It’s made me realize how much I needed something else in my life. Something substantial.” Like her. She was substance to him. “Holly—”

“Pace!” This time it was River. “Ask Holly if she wants ice cream!”

Pace closed his eyes, then opened them to look into Holly’s laughing ones.

“I’m good,” she called back to them. “But thank you.”

Pace leaned past her to open the door, gently nudging her inside, then followed her in and pressed her back against the wall to kiss her.