Callen Teague. The best shortstop the league had seen in years. A rocket for an arm, a terrific swing, and reflexes you wouldn’t believe. Every woman wanted him, but he wasn’t interested in them. The secret he’d kept from almost everyone. Callen wanted his skills on the field to be his legend, not who he slept with at night. Everything changed when a season-ending injury put his career on hold. Enter Spencer Matson, the only physical therapist who could put up with Callen and his demands. Spencer built his practice into one of the most prestigious in the area. He worked hard and made his dream a reality. Although, it didn’t come without a cost. Spencer’s social life was nearly non-existent, even when he had women throwing themselves at his feet. It should have come as no surprise that baseball’s biggest star was also its biggest diva. Callen was Spencer’s toughest case yet. Fortunately for the Espen Emperors, Spencer knew how to get their bad boy back on the field. Except neither of them planned on each other. As far as the world was concerned, Callen was straight. And Spencer had never been attracted to a man before. No one said love was easy. Sometimes the cost was too high. The fear was too real to take the final step toward freedom. The pitch was thrown. The ball hurtled toward the plate. Only Callen could decide how he was going to swing.

Vander Devlin. The left fielder everyone had overlooked. An off the charts batting average, a long throw, and fast on his feet. No team wanted him. His downfall was his interest in men. He refused to hide himself for baseball. Then baseball’s golden boy came out. Now, Vander found himself in the majors with a chip on his shoulder. One dance with Evan Ashland and he was hooked. Evan, heir to the Ashland cosmetic empire, lived a simple life. Being the CEO of a corporation never appealed to him. Happy with his teaching job, he loved working at the stadium at night to watch the players. He didn’t plan to touch. Evan let the world see the eternal playboy when what he really wanted was the fairytale. A partner to rule his kingdom by his side. A dance with the Emperors’ newest left fielder made him wonder what he might be missing. With the memories of the way he caught his ex cheating, Evan had a hard time trusting anyone with his heart. He’d built fortresses to protect his kingdom, even as he longed for someone to let in. As he struggled to find his way on his new team, Vander was determined to breach the walls Evan built no matter what it took. Life was hard. Being alone was harder. The choice of being who you were and being who others wanted you to be didn’t help. The bat connected. The ball sailed between the outfielders. Now it was time for Vander to race toward the base.

Marcus Warnes. The catcher at the top of his game. A knack for smack talking, a master play caller, and the quickest pop time in the league. The world saw the team playboy when all he wanted was to settle down with someone. To find the one. Marcus longed for holidays at home and a family to spend them with. His time in the spotlight didn’t make it easy to find. Along came Kasper Wilder, a billionaire bachelor that every single man in the city wanted. Kasper, owner of the Espen Jetties, showed the world very little of himself. They saw the businessman. The one who made money with every decision. What he kept to himself was the desire to find the one man who could heal his broken heart. He’d been burned once before and wasn’t ready for it to happen again. Marcus drew Kasper in instantly. The problem—Marcus was looking for the woman of his dreams, not the man. He hadn’t planned on Kasper being everything he’d been looking for in a partner. Kasper knew Marcus had the ability to break down every wall he built. He just wasn’t sure he could trust someone who’d never been with a man before. Broken hearts didn’t always heal. The pain too deep or the cuts too sharp. Sometimes you had to jump in with both feet. The batter was up. The pitch called. Marcus had to decide if he would catch the ball.

Ayden Thompson. The pitcher every batter feared. A heart of gold, a laser focus, and a hundred mile an hour fastball. He longed for a happy family. The one he didn’t have growing up as a kid. The son of a single dad, he did whatever he could to help those in need. Especially those less fortunate than him. Exactly where he found himself the night a hit and run driver sent his car careening into another. Rome Kinley had only wanted to get home from work and climb into bed. Rome saw the lights coming toward him and could do nothing to stop the collision. He bused tables, barely making enough to scrape by. No family or friends to turn to, an injury was the last thing he needed. In true Ayden fashion, he jumped in, offering to help Rome in any way he could. Rome was completely resistant to trusting anyone. He’d learned the hard way blood didn’t mean you stuck around through the tough times. You were better off relying on yourself, no matter how nice the other person might seem. As the connection built between them, Rome couldn’t bring himself to trust Ayden, even if his heart wanted him to. Trust didn’t always come easy. There were roadblocks and memories that stopped you. Getting hurt again was a very real possibility. The wind up was ready. The ball left his hand. It was up to Ayden to earn Rome’s trust.

Declan Armitage. The right fielder Espen got in a trade. A powerful hitter, a hard throw, and an unmatched stolen base percentage. Not expecting to be traded, he was happy to learn where he was headed. If only he didn’t need to find a new place to live. One phone call from his brother and the plan was put into motion. Brock Richmond was loyal to a fault. When his best friend called and asked if his brother could stay with him, Brock didn’t hesitate. Declan didn’t have a home in Espen and Brock had a spare room. Brock retired from professional football at the end of last season. All he wanted was peace and quiet, a chance to relax. He pushed his body far enough. A break was needed. And he wanted someone to spend his time with. He also had to get up the courage to tell everyone the one secret he kept his entire football career—Brock was gay. Declan had wanted Brock since he was a teenager. Not that it was a possibility with a straight man. Except, Brock wasn’t so straight after all. Being true to yourself was a tough road. The fear of rejection was very real. The chance that not everyone would accept the decisions you made. The ball was high in the sky. The line of in or out wasn’t far. Declan had to decide to let it fall foul or make a dive for it.

Christmas in Espen, what a wonderful thing. The city was decorated, the season in full swing. The only way to make it better was to celebrate love. Callen knew for this play he wouldn’t need his glove. It took a while for them to find their way. Now it was here, Callen and Spencer’s special day. With their family and friends by their side, they knew their life together would be an amazing ride. The Emperors cheered as the vows were said. One of their own was finally wed. Baseball was what had brought them together. Now Callen and Spencer had their forever.