More than the Game by Jenni Bara

Epilogue

@USWeekly:Well, it's official not only is Marc Demoda back off the market but he’s also off twitter. Yesterday he posted a picture of him with Beth and her kids, but twelve hours later he deleted his account!

What a difference a year makes. Marc’s fiancée—two words that, a year ago, he never would have thought he’d ever string together—was curled up in the crook of his arm while his future stepson sat on his other side. Instead of feeling stressed or resentful about the responsibility he was taking on, he was excited. He would never be forced to give up what he wanted for his wife or kids because now what he wanted most was his family. And if he ever got back into the MLB as a coach, Beth and the kids would be there alongside him.

He and Beth had looked over the announcing jobs, the coaching jobs, and the offer from ESPN, and together they’d figured out what would work best for them. She was okay with him taking whichever he wanted, even if it meant long hours and traveling without them. For now, he had taken a job as the head coach of a local high school baseball team. That way, he could be involved with the sport he loved, but he would be home with his family instead of waking up in a different city every few days and talking to them on the phone. And he’d be around to coach Steve’s baseball team, too—something both he and Steve wanted.

Marc’s soon-to-be stepdaughter was sitting on Corey Matthews’ lap. Twelve months ago, who would have thought Corey would be sitting in Marc’s house? Corey had signed a four-year contract with the Metros, and was sitting pretty in the rotation’s top spot. Although he was disappointed that Marc had turned down the coaching job with the Metros, Marc promised to work with Corey when his pitching got all fucked up again. So the Metros signed a retainer with Marc to consult when the team’s pitchers needed extra help.

The four other men crowded around the room watching Thursday night football were his soon-to-be brothers-in-law, Will, Luke, Joey, and Grant. In the last month, he and Grant had strengthened their relationship. Grant now respected and encouraged Marc’s role in Beth’s and the kids’ lives. His relationship with the rest of the men had picked up where it had left off, and they’d welcomed Marc into the family. He enjoyed having brothers—even if they did all want a piece of Beth’s time—but he had set serious ground rules.

Clayton, Danny, and Nick weren’t coming home until tomorrow, and even then, Nick and Clayton had to take an early flight back out west Sunday morning. They would pull Beth in seven different directions while they were here, and she would love it. Next week, though, he would have her all to himself. And he intended to make the most of every minute.

Marc’s father and mother had taken the news of his engagement better than Marc had thought they would. Marc’s mother was relieved that he had finally come to his senses about what was important, and his father, after a shouting match, begrudgingly agreed that Marc wasn’t making the same mistake he had. Marc doubted his father would ever truly understand his decision, though. His sister, most surprisingly, was almost as smitten with Beth as he was. Although the girls had a working relationship because of Helping Hands in the past, they were quickly becoming close friends and Glory spent lots of time around Marc’s house. Beth even invited Glory over to all of their beer nights, at which point Marc thought he might throttle his beautiful little fiancée. He might like her brothers, but there was no way he was going to have them sniffing around his little sister. He knew the boys too well for that.

“You look happy,” Beth said, looking at him.

“I’ll be even happier in two days,” Marc said, giving the woman he loved a squeeze.

If it had been up to Marc, he would have married Beth the day after asking her. But she wanted her entire family there, and with her father’s campaign schedule, Marc settled for the weekend after the election. The month of waiting seemed like an eternity, which was ironic for a man who had never thought he wanted to be married.

Now, he wanted his family all together and all under his roof, where they belonged. They had moved most of Beth’s and the kids’ stuff to his house. The kids each had their own rooms, which he painted for them himself with their ‘help.’ He even turned his bar room into a playroom for them.

His once showpiece family room now was a place where kids spilled juice, knocked over lamps, and jumped on the sofas. Beth hung pictures of the kids, him, and the guys, and coloring pictures and tests hung on his fridge. Half of the time, his house looked like a natural disaster zone, messy and cluttered—and he loved it. It was lived in and full of joy. At the age of thirty-four, he finally had a real home.

“You know, dude, you have a crap TV; why don’t you put a bigger one up there?” Luke asked, pointing his beer at the television bolted above the mantle on the stone fireplace.

Here they go again.

“Clayton and I have been telling him that for months,” Will agreed.

“Danny told me it’s ’cause he’s cheap,” Joey threw out, making the rest of them chuckle.

“Exactly. He even made me bring the beer tonight,” Corey teased, although everyone knew damn well it was Corey’s turn. Plus Marc had plenty in the fridge if Corey didn’t.

“It’s not money. A bigger TV would look dumb,” Beth said from beside him. That was the real issue: A bigger television wouldn’t fit.

“Not cheap, but definitely whipped.” Grant smirked into his bottle.

“Get used to it. You’re becoming an Evans in a few days,” Will reminded him.

But even as the guys continued to give him shit, Marc couldn’t dispute that he was entirely under Beth’s spell.

Mandy climbed off Corey and moved over toward Marc, pulling herself into his lap without asking. This was a little girl who knew how to get what she wanted—and boy, would she drive both him and Beth crazy when she hit the teen years. He couldn’t wait.

In a few days, he would finally have everything he never knew he’d always wanted. That thought made him smile again as Mandy rested her head against him, and he pulled both Steve and Beth against his chest.

Finally.