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Caht her breath They did resehters She didn’t bother to correct the woain

Chip, chip, chip

They followed the woout

“Your seats are right here, a you shortly after the first pitch”

“Thank you so ave up when they cliet a better look at Luke Haynes stretching in right field

“Mon said it’s “Dogs in the Park” Day We should have brought Boomer”

“We absolutely should not have brought Boouarantee you the people around us did not sign up for his stink Boomer is just fine at ho what kind of gift Boomer would leave her today

Enough of that They were here to honor Alex and his unit, not to worry about a dog Speaking of which… the stadiuirls “Ladies and gentlemen, please turn your attention to hoence unit are filing onto the field”

The crowd around her stood and started to applaud

She nudged Lizzie and Mariana “Here comes Alex”

Her heart raced as two lines of soldiers paraded onto the field, one down the third base line and the other down the first She didn’t kno Alex ed it, but he stopped almost directly in front of them She wanted with all of her heart to wave at hi inside her, but she was quickly co to learn that there was a time and place for displays of affection

When Alex was in uniform wasn’t one of them

She studied the line of soldiers, backs straight, arms at their side How many of these soldiers had been deployed before? Howthem?

Every time her mind went somewhere it shouldn’t, she tried to reive herself permission to take a risk? To chip away the last remnants of her wall and really let Alex

into her life?