family was happy, his business was doing great. Getting her to forgive him would give him that closure thing and then everything would fall into place.
None of that mattered at three in the morning when sleep was elusive and the tactile memory of her blonde hair brushing his cheek and the feel of her pressing against him ran on an endless loop through his head.
He adjusted his ball cap and dragged his mind back to the present for the zillionth time. The Fremont Giants were the home team and they were a tough one. He’d led the Spartans to a good record so far this season, and he’d need to pay attention to the game if they were going to come out on top this time, too.
“Look who’s here.” Mark pointed behind the first base line.
For one delusional moment he thought his brother was referring to Candy and that when he looked over to the sidelines he’d see her sitting on a blanket on the grass, textbooks scattered around, ready to cheer him on when he came to bat, just like old times. Instead he saw his sister-in-law, his nephew and Milo. He waved and Sidney let out a whoop. The dog danced. He couldn’t believe it, but he was coming to think the dog was pretty cute, also. When he’d brought Milo home from the vet, Holly had inspected him from head to toe.
He’d handed off the vial for the poop collection. “Your dog is fine. Tell her, Milo. Tell her you’re fine.”
“I’m sure he is,” she said, but she still picked him up and held him to her chest like he’d been gone for days.
“I didn’t take him for a tattoo or get him drunk or anything.”
Holly smiled at that. “What did the vet say?”
“He’s good. She wanted to give him shots but I didn’t know if he needed any. Also she did some blood test.”
“His shots are all good. Are you hungry, little man?” Holly headed off to the kitchen, kissing the dog’s head.
Lee trailed behind. “Speaking of food and other disturbing things about your dog, did you know he’s probably going to be allergic to grass, lose all his hair and barf when you feed him?”
She stopped and turned back to him. “What?”
“Also, don’t let him jump anywhere. He’s got bad knees.”
Rolling her eyes, she continued to the kitchen. “Okay.”
She hadn’t seemed nearly as horrified as he had been, so he’d left Holly with her precious puppy and had gone home to launch his “What If” pity party in solitude.
“Where’s Sarah,” Lee asked Mark, wondering why Sid wasn’t with his mom.
Mark shook his head. “I don’t know. She had something going on so Holly volunteered to bring him to the game. He was over-the-moon excited about coming.”
While the Giants headed out to the field and his team went over the batting order, Lee sauntered over to see his family.
“Hey, Sid. What’s goin’ on?”
Sidney pulled a baseball glove out from the side of his wheelchair. “I’m ready to catch foul balls.”
He ruffled the kid’s hair. “Cool. If you don’t have any luck, we’ll play catch after, okay?” Milo hopped around his feet. “Hello, pooch. Fully recovered, I see.”
“I didn’t get a chance to ask you how it went with
you
and the vet.” Holly stood and gave him a quick hug. “Is there reconciliation in the future?”
“Hardly.” That was too much to contemplate. All he wanted was for her to accept his apology for the nasty things he’d said.
“Was she as pretty as before? Mark told me she was gorgeous.”
Was she as pretty? Sweet Jesus, the woman was more beautiful than she’d been five years ago, and back then, Lee would have said that was impossible. “Yeah. She was sort of a model back then.”
“Who are you talking about?” Sidney asked.
“Your Uncle Lee’s old girlfriend.”
Sidney rolled his eyes. “Oh. Big deal. Let’s get to the game, okay?”
Yep. Big deal. The kid had the right attitude. Old girlfriends should not be allowed to distract a guy from the importance of fly balls, homeruns, and a cold beer.
None of that mattered at three in the morning when sleep was elusive and the tactile memory of her blonde hair brushing his cheek and the feel of her pressing against him ran on an endless loop through his head.
He adjusted his ball cap and dragged his mind back to the present for the zillionth time. The Fremont Giants were the home team and they were a tough one. He’d led the Spartans to a good record so far this season, and he’d need to pay attention to the game if they were going to come out on top this time, too.
“Look who’s here.” Mark pointed behind the first base line.
For one delusional moment he thought his brother was referring to Candy and that when he looked over to the sidelines he’d see her sitting on a blanket on the grass, textbooks scattered around, ready to cheer him on when he came to bat, just like old times. Instead he saw his sister-in-law, his nephew and Milo. He waved and Sidney let out a whoop. The dog danced. He couldn’t believe it, but he was coming to think the dog was pretty cute, also. When he’d brought Milo home from the vet, Holly had inspected him from head to toe.
He’d handed off the vial for the poop collection. “Your dog is fine. Tell her, Milo. Tell her you’re fine.”
“I’m sure he is,” she said, but she still picked him up and held him to her chest like he’d been gone for days.
“I didn’t take him for a tattoo or get him drunk or anything.”
Holly smiled at that. “What did the vet say?”
“He’s good. She wanted to give him shots but I didn’t know if he needed any. Also she did some blood test.”
“His shots are all good. Are you hungry, little man?” Holly headed off to the kitchen, kissing the dog’s head.
Lee trailed behind. “Speaking of food and other disturbing things about your dog, did you know he’s probably going to be allergic to grass, lose all his hair and barf when you feed him?”
She stopped and turned back to him. “What?”
“Also, don’t let him jump anywhere. He’s got bad knees.”
Rolling her eyes, she continued to the kitchen. “Okay.”
She hadn’t seemed nearly as horrified as he had been, so he’d left Holly with her precious puppy and had gone home to launch his “What If” pity party in solitude.
“Where’s Sarah,” Lee asked Mark, wondering why Sid wasn’t with his mom.
Mark shook his head. “I don’t know. She had something going on so Holly volunteered to bring him to the game. He was over-the-moon excited about coming.”
While the Giants headed out to the field and his team went over the batting order, Lee sauntered over to see his family.
“Hey, Sid. What’s goin’ on?”
Sidney pulled a baseball glove out from the side of his wheelchair. “I’m ready to catch foul balls.”
He ruffled the kid’s hair. “Cool. If you don’t have any luck, we’ll play catch after, okay?” Milo hopped around his feet. “Hello, pooch. Fully recovered, I see.”
“I didn’t get a chance to ask you how it went with
you
and the vet.” Holly stood and gave him a quick hug. “Is there reconciliation in the future?”
“Hardly.” That was too much to contemplate. All he wanted was for her to accept his apology for the nasty things he’d said.
“Was she as pretty as before? Mark told me she was gorgeous.”
Was she as pretty? Sweet Jesus, the woman was more beautiful than she’d been five years ago, and back then, Lee would have said that was impossible. “Yeah. She was sort of a model back then.”
“Who are you talking about?” Sidney asked.
“Your Uncle Lee’s old girlfriend.”
Sidney rolled his eyes. “Oh. Big deal. Let’s get to the game, okay?”
Yep. Big deal. The kid had the right attitude. Old girlfriends should not be allowed to distract a guy from the importance of fly balls, homeruns, and a cold beer.
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