Running Home (Warm Springs Trilogy Book 2)

by Christina Kirby

  “Hello, ladies. And, hello sweet boy.” Jenny leaned down and held out a finger for Peter to grab and shake.

  “Hey,” Sam said. “Grab a seat.” She slid her notebook onto her lap and made room for Jenny to join them.

  “Did I miss anything?” Ann and Sam exchanged a look. “What?” Jenny asked. She looked out at the deserted field and blank scoreboard. It didn’t look like anything had happened yet. She turned back to her friends, who were both looking everywhere but at her.

  “Guys, what’s going on?”

  “Jenny,” someone yelled, distracting her from pressing further.

  She scanned the crowd and saw a girl with short hair making her way toward her, but she couldn’t see her face. Jenny stood and threw one last confused glance at the girls who were once again eyeing each other in a way that made her sure she was missing something obvious.

  When the short-haired girl hopped onto the top row and met her eyes, Jenny’s world tilted on its axis. She hadn’t seen Avery Hamilton in years and she definitely hadn’t seen her since she’d completely changed her look. Wow. What happened to the little girl she used to babysit?

  Avery lunged at Jenny and locked her arms around her neck, almost sending them both into the railing. Jenny struggled to breathe under Avery’s vice grip.

  “It’s so good to see you.” Avery let go and then took in Jenny’s look of shock. “I’m guessing you didn’t know I was here. Sorry to pounce on you. It’s just . . . it’s been so long.”

  Jenny blinked twice and righted herself before she spoke. “Actually, Adam told me you were coming. I guess you just took me by surprise, and you look so different.”

  Avery shrugged and stuffed her hands in the back pockets of her jeans. “It’s the hair. Mom hates it,” she tossed her hair sassily, “but I love it.”

  Jenny studied her a moment, still waiting for her brain to acknowledge that the grown woman standing before her was Adam’s little sister. The little sister who’d always sported skinned knees and messy ponytails. Also the sister who caused more trouble than all the boys added together. “I think it suits you.”

  Avery smiled and then looked over toward the field as the players jogged to their places. Jenny followed her gaze and caught sight of Adam as he took his place on the pitcher’s mound. A wave of pent up excitement broke free inside her and rippled throughout her body. Her fingers practically hummed with energy, sizzling all the way down to her toes. He looked good out there, like he was finally at home.

  “We’d like to welcome Warm Springs’ own Adam Hamilton back to town.” The words rang out from every speaker as the announcer acknowledged Adam and the crowd burst into applause. Adam held up a hand, but kept his head down. After the crowd quieted, the presenter continued on with other announcements.

  Jenny was still standing in the middle of the aisle when a hand tapped her side.

  “Do you guys want to sit?” Sam’s tight curls were piled high on her head, a little too enticing for Peter. He reached out with one of his chubby hands, but Sam caught it and made a silly face at him before he could rip out any of her hair. “There’s plenty of room.”

  “You don’t mind?” Avery asked.

  Jenny sat next to Sam and patted the seat beside her. “Of course not. Get over here.” Whatever her issues were with Adam, she’d always adored Avery, but had lost track of her after Adam’s family moved to Atlanta.

  The game started and fell into a rhythm. The first inning rolled into the second all the while the girls took turns passing Peter down the line and cooing over his chubby cheeks and drool-laced grin.

  “Are you sure you trust him to stay in the wagon at your wedding?” Ann asked as Sam made faces at Peter. “I’d hate for him to disrupt the ceremony.”

  “Don’t be silly. He’ll be the cutest ring bearer there ever was.” Sam rubbed her nose against Peter’s. “Won’t you, cutie pie? If he doesn’t like the wagon, we’ll let him get out.” She rotated him to her lap so she could face Ann. “Relax. This isn’t some big fancy affair. It’s just family and a few friends.”

  “Is that why you have an entire notebook full of stuff?” Ann countered, eyeing the three ring binder sitting between them.

  Sam blushed.

  “Ann,” Jenny said, “you know the majority of that book is flower ideas.”

  The red in Sam’s cheeks deepened.

  “I think you’ve got the right idea, Sam,” Avery came to her defense. “If it were me, it’d be small, maybe even just a trip to the courthouse.”

  “Seriously? You wouldn’t want a wedding?” Sam asked.

  “Nah, I don’t care much for dressing up. I’d rather use the money to take a nice long honeymoon.” Avery leaned back on her elbows, using the empty space behind them to her advantage, and crossed her ankles while Jenny did her best to remind herself that Avery was a grown woman.

  As Adam’s team ran out onto the field, Jenny picked up the notebook and started thumbing through the pages. Despite the teasing, Jenny had no doubt Sam’s wedding would be beautiful. Though a small affair, Sam had gone the extra mile to find little details to make the day special. Jenny studied Sam’s notes like she’d never seen them. At this point willing to do anything to keep her focus off of Adam and how good he looked wearing baseball attire.

  Ann was serving as the Matron of Honor and Jenny the Maid of Honor, each of them with their own dedicated page in the notebook. Jake would be Spencer’s Best Man and his old friend Nick Holloway a groomsman.

  The announcer said Adam’s name, but Jenny kept her eyes down. It was hard enough not to think about him when she looked at Avery, but watching him play brought on a wave of memories she didn’t want to deal with, and reminded her how much she’d missed him over the last week. The ease with which she’d grown accustomed to having him back in town was startling.

  “So,” Avery leaned toward her, “Adam said you found him a house.”

  Jenny kept the notebook open and her gaze down. “I did. Or well, we did. I just showed it to him.”

  “Hmm,” Avery said.

  Jenny turned her head to the side and studied Avery’s profile, curious how much Adam had shared with his sister. As always, it was impossible to tell what the girl was thinking. She was the kind of person who held all emotions hostage and internalized everything.

  “Does he seem okay to you?” Avery asked with green eyes full of concern for the brother she worshipped.

  “I, um, he seems like Adam, I guess. Or, he did the last time I spoke with him.” Jenny closed the notebook and gave Avery her full attention. If she thought something was off with Adam, she was probably right. She not only knew him better than most, she wasn’t a worrier by nature. “Why do you ask?”

  Avery shrugged. “I don’t know. He just seemed a little down today when I first got here. Kind of like he did right after the doctor told him the news about his shoulder. God, that was awful.” She blew out a loud breath. “I was visiting with Mom and Dad when Adam stopped by to tell us . . . Jenny, I’ve never seen him so torn up. Well, maybe one other time in his life.”

  Avery stared out at the field and Jenny waited to see if she would elaborate, but she didn’t which wasn’t surprising. The last thing Avery would do would be to discuss her brother’s business.

  Jenny crossed her legs and wrapped her bare arms around her middle as if she were trying to extinguish the pain starting to take root in her heart. “I can’t imagine what that must’ve been like for him. Or really, for all of you.”

  “It was pretty terrible. Mom cried. Dad held it together, but I could tell it was a struggle.” Avery shoved her hands in the pocket of her thin green hoodie. “The worst part was the feeling of helplessness. If he’d needed a kidney or something, we could’ve helped somehow, but with this . . .”

  A shiver ran over Jenny even tho
ugh the air was warm. Those were the same sentiments her parents felt the year before after she’d been found in the woods, bruised and bleeding, but alive. Each wanted desperately to help, but didn’t know how.

  Her thoughts turned back to Adam. They’d been through so much while they’d been apart. Each forced to face some of the hardest times in their lives, alone. Maybe it was time to let go of the past and stop blaming Adam for something he’d done over a decade before.

  “I hoped Adam being back here with all of you guys would help him deal with starting over,” Avery shuffled her feet. “The city was really never his thing. It was just the place he needed to be to play professional baseball.”

  Cheers broke out around them and Jenny glanced in the direction of the field. As soon as she did it, she knew it was a mistake. At the sight of Adam heading back to the dugout with his friends, sympathy mixed with yearning and she knew she wouldn’t go another week without speaking to him. She couldn’t.

  Ann was right. Now that she’d seen and spent time with him, her old feelings had awakened and wouldn’t be silenced again. Not so long as Adam was within reach.

  Chapter 12

  The title office was located in a building built in the sixties. It had gone through upgrades since Adam had last seen it, even some recent ones based on the new roof and fresh paint. Before he made it to the door, Jenny’s car caught his attention. He inhaled deeply and let it out in a rush. He knew she’d be at the closing, but knowing and seeing were two different things.

  A mix of relief and trepidation stirred at the sight of her through the conference room glass. The last time had been after the baseball game where they’d stood amongst their friends and his sister in an awkward semi-circle. They’d caught each other’s eye numerous times and quickly looked away. He wanted desperately to talk to her alone, but there’d been no way to do so without making it obvious.

  As he stood at the entrance watching her, struck again by her beauty, his palms grew damp. With her meticulous attention to wardrobe, graceful movements and slender frame, everyone around her seemed plain. Jenny, the royal among servants. A crashing realization hit him like a bat to the face. Maybe James was right. Maybe she was too big and too bright to stay in Warm Springs.

  “Mr. Hamilton?”

  He blinked and swallowed the nausea down before acknowledging the lady dressed in khaki slacks and a navy patterned shirt who was smiling beside him. “Hello.” He stuck his hand out and shook her small one.

  “If you’re ready, I believe they have you set up in the conference room.”

  “Thank you.” Adam nodded and made his way to the room with the long table behind the glass wall. Jenny stood when he entered and motioned to the chair to her left between her and the lady from the title company.

  “So, this is it.” Jenny beamed at him.

  He did his best to return her enthusiasm, but at the moment he didn’t give a damn about the house. Though she didn’t realize it yet, he could almost see her slipping away. Maybe if he’d done a hundred things differently . . .

  “Mr. Hamilton, if you’ll sign next to each of the tabs, we’ll be finished and you’ll be the owner of a wonderful new home.”

  “That’s it?” he asked.

  “That’s it,” the lady smiled. “Cash buys are easy and painless.”

  “Unless it’s your cash,” he teased and sent the lady into hysterics.

  Jenny met his eyes and smiled. He’d only have to lean in a few inches and her perfect pink lips could be his. His eyes rested on her mouth and a rush of desire flooded his senses. He tore his gaze away and scribbled his name where directed. He needed to get out of the hot room.

  “Now, if you’ll pass the pen to Jenny, she can be our witness.”

  He held his hand out and Jenny’s fingers brushed his as she reached for the pen. Her eyes flicked up to his and held a moment longer than necessary. The room’s temperature shot higher.

  The lady at the end of the table cleared her throat. Jenny nipped the pen from his hand, signed her name with a flourish, and slid the paperwork to the end of the table.

  “I’ll just run and make a copy of all of this. Hang tight for one minute.” The title agent left them alone in palpable silence.

  “So—” Jenny started.

  “How—” He grinned. “Sorry. You go.”

  “I was just going to ask you how you’ve been.” She laced her fingers and leaned her elbows on the mahogany table. “Is Avery still around?”

  “Yeah. She’ll be here another few weeks.” He drummed his knuckles in quick succession and glanced over his shoulder. There was still no sign of the title company worker. “We’ve spent the last week painting Honey’s house. It needed it. And, my parents are coming for a visit in a couple weeks.”

  “You better buy some furniture.”

  “I’ll get right on it.” Another awkward silence descended over the room.

  “I hope you like the house. You only saw it once.” Jenny squinted as if waiting for it to occur to him how insane the entire situation was. “I mean, it’s beautiful and there’s so much potential—”

  He held up his hand. “It’s great, really. I knew you’d pick the best house. I wasn’t worried.”

  “Well, that makes one of us.”

  “You should have more confidence in your abilities.”

  “It isn’t a lack of confidence,” a hint of temper flared in her voice. “We’re talking about your home. What if I’d picked one you didn’t like?”

  “It’s just a house.”

  “It’s not.” She looked at him with wide eyes. “It’s where you’ll spend your time and make a life.”

  “It’s a house. The people who live in it make it a home.” He dropped his gaze and watched the reflection of his fingers in the table. “Besides, it doesn’t matter much anymore.”

  She started to reach for his hand, but the door swung open and she yanked it back.

  “Here you both go,” the lady handed them each a folder with copies of the closing documents. “And, these are for you.” She held up a key ring shaped like a house and jingled the few golden keys before dropping them into his palm. “Congratulations.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Call me if you have any questions. My card is right inside there.” She pointed to the folder with a smile so wide one would’ve thought she was getting the new house.

  “Appreciate all your help.” He moved to the door and knew Jenny was following him without looking back. He could see her reflection in the glass and feel her presence in the air like a storm moving in.

  As they crossed through the office, a few people acknowledged them with a wave or a polite hello and then they were outside in the light of the setting sun. He inhaled deeply for the first time in what felt like twenty minutes. Outside, he could put enough space between him and Jenny that he could breathe without inhaling her scent with every breath. Without having to fight for the ability to concentrate on anything other than her close proximity to him or how much he wanted to touch her.

  “Okay, then.” He shifted the folder in his hands from one to the other. “Well, I better get going.”

  “Oh, I have something for you. Will you wait one minute?”

  For her, he’d wait a millennium. “Sure.”

  She strode over to her car and tossed her things inside. Then, much to his amusement, she bent over the seat and her skirt pulled tight across her perfect ass. Lord, help him. He wasn’t sure he could keep his word about leaving her alone if she kept doing things like that. Not when he knew what her body looked like, what it felt like.

  He tore his gaze away when she turned back. The last thing he needed was to get busted checking her out. They were finally in a good place with one another. At least she was acting like herself anyway.

  “Her
e.” She held out a small gift wrapped in brown shipping paper with a green bow. “It’s your housewarming present, and my way of saying thank you for the opportunity.”

  He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, embarrassed by the gesture. “You didn’t have to do that.”

  “I always do something. Granted, it’s usually a gift card to Home Depot, but in your case that seemed kind of silly.” She twisted her hands in front of her. “Go on. Open it.”

  “Okay, okay.” He stuffed the keys to his new house in his pocket and tore the paper off the small box. After setting it on the hood of his truck, he opened the lid and grinned. She’d been right. What was inside was better than a gift card. And, much more personal.

  The cut wood, about an inch thick, with the design of two deer standing beside a lake and some trees was beautiful. The image had been burned into the wood with careful precision. And he’d seen work like it before.

  “Your grandfather hasn’t lost his touch.”

  “He has a gift.” She smiled and let her hands drop back to her sides. “I thought it would look nice somewhere in the house, but if you don’t like it, don’t feel obligated—”

  “I love it.” He met her eyes, but was confused by what he saw. She no longer held the edge of anger and mistrust she’d had before. There was a certain softness. A glimpse of the way she’d looked at him when she’d loved him as a girl.

  Her eyes darted away as if she could read his mind. “Well, I better go.”