Just a Little Hope

by Amy J. Norris

“We’ve tossed some places around. We definitely want it on the beach somewhere. We’ve talked about Florida, California, or Hawaii.”

  “Any of those have my vote. Wait. I would be invited, wouldn’t I?”

  “Do you really have to ask that question?”

  “Well, I don’t know. Maybe it’s going to be a super small private affair. I don’t want to assume anything.”

  Pax sat forward in the chair and leaned over Tori’s desk.

  “Tori, after Seb, you’re my best friend. Of course, I‘d want you there! In fact, I was sorta hoping you’d be my maid of honor.”

  Clapping her hands together, Tori bounced in her chair. “What? You’re kidding!”

  “I hadn’t actually planned to ask you at work, but I guess when the situation presents itself…”

  “Oh, Pax!” Tori jumped up from her desk and hurried to hug her friend’s neck. “I can’t tell you what this means to me!”

  “You are so welcome. I can’t imagine getting married and you not being there.”

  Tori scurried back to her desk and began typing on the keyboard. “Well, I’m going to look up right now all the responsibilities of the maid of honor. I’m not going to shirk those duties one bit! There’s so much to do, like picking out a dress and shoes. Oh, there are some divine five-inch heels that would look cute with a royal blue dress I saw the other day. You like blue don’t you, Pax? And flowers. Oh, the flowers—”

  The noise from Pax clearing her throat stopped Tori in her tracks.

  “Tori, remember, it’s going to be on sand. I don’t think shoes, especially pumps, will be all that necessary. Plus, we don’t need to pick out flowers here if we’re going to be somewhere else on the actual day. Blue is fine, but I was thinking of something more pale in color for a simple beach wedding.”

  Tori slunk back in her chair and sighed.

  “Oh, yeah. I guess that kinda makes more sense.”

  Pax giggled. “When you get married, you can have as much royal blue with crazy eleven-inch heels as you want. But for this occasion, think beach in the winter. Okay?”

  She leaned back in her chair and sighed.

  “Holidays in Hawaii. I think I can swing it.”

  Chapter Thirty

  “Hey, Tori! You up for dinner after you get off work?”

  Carter heard a rustling of papers through the phone and then a deep sigh.

  “That is the best news I’ve heard all day. Where are you?”

  “I’m at the stadium. We had a non-mandatory practice today. I wanted to work on my swing some more.”

  “Well, how about I head your way? I think I’d like something in the city. I’ll meet you at your place?”

  “Perfect. It’ll give me time to get a shower and get ready. I’ll see you in an hour!”

  “See you then!”

  Carter flipped his phone in his bag and pulled off his practice jersey. He contemplated showering at home but decided to take advantage of the facilities at the stadium instead to save some time.

  Before he could get off the bench, he heard his name called across the room.

  “Hey, Carter. Come here for a second.”

  Turning toward the door, he saw the manager motioning for him.

  “Sure thing, Anthony, be right there.”

  Stuffing his bare feet into some flip-flops, he ran his hands through his hair and then walked toward the manager’s office. He stopped when he saw a familiar face.

  “Eric! What are you doing here?” He pulled his friend into a hug and slapped him on the back a couple of times.

  “Hey, Carter! I got the call up yesterday. Since they expanded the roster, there’s room for me to play a little second base for a while.”

  Carter glanced toward his manager. “Really? Eric is here for a while?”

  “Yep. Management thought he’d be a good addition down the stretch.”

  “That’s great, Eric. I’m stoked man.”

  “I thought you’d be happy to know he was here, Manning. You boys go catch-up. I’ll see you tomorrow for batting practice. Don’t be late, rookies.”

  “You bet. We’ll see you then.”

  They walked back toward the locker room, and Carter showed Eric where he could store his equipment. “I just can’t believe you are here, man. It’s been what… six months?”

  “Or thereabouts. Kinda crazy how it happened, but I’m not going to complain. So what have you been doing with yourself?”

  Carter sprawled in one of the leather chairs in the middle of the locker room and motioned for Eric to do the same.

  “Not too much. On the road quite a bit, as you know. I’ve, uh, well, I’ve been seeing someone.”

  “Really? I never thought that would happen. You were always so serious about baseball. Good for you, man.”

  “Thanks. She’s a great girl.”

  Carter sat up in the chair.

  “I’m supposed to meet her for dinner. Let me call her and you can join us.”

  Eric held his hands up in protest. “Oh man, I can’t be infringing on your date. Three’s a crowd, you know.”

  “No. It’s okay. She’s great and won’t mind a bit.”

  “Only if you’re sure.”

  “Totally. Let me give her a call, and get a quick shower and then you can follow me to my apartment. Do you need a place to stay? I’ve only got one bedroom, but you are more than welcome to bunk on my couch until you get settled somewhere.”

  “Thanks, man. I’ve already dropped my stuff at the hotel, but I may take you up on it in a couple of days if you don’t mind.”

  “I don’t mind at all. It’ll be good to have you around. Go ahead, and relax if you want, I’ll be ready to go in a few minutes.”

  Carter couldn’t believe his good fortune. Of all the people management would decide to bring up, it was one of his best buddies from the minors. Eric was a top-notch guy and always had a kind word for everyone he encountered. He deserved a shot at the big leagues.

  He punched in Tori’s number and waited for her to answer. “Hey, sweetheart. How are you?”

  “I’m fine. Do you need to change plans?”

  “Well, not exactly but do you care if someone joins us? One of my best friends from the minors got called up to the big time today. I’d like to celebrate with him, have you meet him too. What d’ya’ say?”

  “That’s fine, but wouldn’t you rather hang out with him by yourself?”

  “No! I haven’t seen you in a week. Besides, Eric is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever know. I want you to meet him.”

  “Okay then. I’m about to leave the office, so I’ll just meet you in the parking garage of your place. I’ll try and park near your space.”

  “Sounds great, Tori. See you in a bit.”

  Spending the evening with his girlfriend and one of his best friends. This night couldn’t get any better.

  ****

  “And then he took the bowl out of the cabinet and used it for his ice cream. We all laughed, and poor Eric only stared at us bewildered!”

  Awash in sympathy for Carter’s friend, Tori shook her head. “Did Carter ever tell you what he’d done?”

  Eric cut his eyes over to Carter and frowned. “Only after I took the first bite of ice cream did he tell me he’d used the same bowl right before me but had only licked it clean and put it back in the cabinet. I threw out the entire serving of ice cream and brushed my teeth and tongue for the next ten minutes. That’s what you get when you share an apartment with three other guys. Nothing is sacred. Not even ice cream.”

  Tori tried not to laugh, but picturing Eric’s face after Carter pulled the prank on him did her in. “Sorry, Eric. I don’t want to laugh, but you’ve got to admit it’s a pretty good one.”

  “Sure. Sure. Side with your boyfriend!”

  After spending the evening with Eric, Tori could understand Carter’s excitement at having him around. Eric had an easy way about him that made him a joy to get to know. His dark complexion and choc
olate brown eyes only enhanced his bright smile and his contagious laugh. Tori’s sides were hurting after being entertained by Eric and Carter’s stories of life in the minor leagues.

  “So Tori, I only heard about your existence today. Tell me about yourself.”

  She gazed at Carter and smiled when he put his arm around her. “Well, I work at a local charity in the suburbs. I met Carter when he started spending time with my friends, Pax and Seb.”

  “That’s right, Carter. I’d heard you’d been chumming around with Seb Quinn. How’s he doing? Is his girlfriend doing better?”

  “Yeah, bud. They both are doing about as well as can be expected. Seb’s looking to be ready for Spring Training next season, and Pax is back at work part-time. They’re actually getting married soon.”

  Eric leaned back in his chair and shook his head. “I couldn’t believe all the stuff they had to go through recently. Losing his family, and then her accident, and his injury. That’s a tough row to hoe for sure.”

  Carter nodded in agreement. “Well, they’ve handled it well. A strong faith helps.”

  Eric remained quiet, causing Tori to wonder if Eric didn’t share the same faith she and Carter did.

  Warmth spread across her when Carter’s hand pressed at the back of her neck. “Hey, sweetie. I didn’t ask, have you heard from your folks today?”

  “I got a text from Mom right before I met up with you. Daddy’s feeling more tired lately, and his appetite’s diminished. They’re trying to find some foods he’ll find appealing.”

  Leaning forward, Eric laid a hand on her arm. “What’s going on?”

  “My dad was diagnosed with brain cancer a few weeks ago. He and my mom are in North Carolina at Duke Medical Center, where he’s getting treatment.”

  “That must be hard being away from them right now.”

  “It is. But I have hope the treatment will work and they’ll be back home soon. “

  Eric’s face took on a far off look. “I guess sometimes hope is all you can hang on to.”

  Tori looked sideways to Carter to see if she could get a read on what was going on with Eric. His face didn’t give anything away, though. She filed her questions to ask Carter later.

  “By the way, have you talked to Seb about wedding plans?”

  “No, sweetie. That’s not generally something guys talk about that often.”

  Tori punched him in the shoulder. “Whatever. Anyway, Pax said they’re planning a beach wedding in the winter. Maybe in Hawaii. What d’ya’ think?”

  “That sounds… nice. Are you sure I’ll be invited?”

  “Of course you’ll be invited, goober. I’m the maid of honor, and if anything, you’ll be my plus one.”

  “Your plus one?” Carter tilted his head and looked at Eric in confusion. “Do you know what she’s talking about?”

  Waving his hands in the air, Eric shook his head. “Don’t get me involved in this, bro. I’m happy sitting right here on the sidelines in ignorant oblivion.”

  “A plus one, my dear, is what generally goes on an invitation. You know, Tori ‘and guest’. The ‘and guest’ is the plus one.”

  Sitting back in the chair, Carter smirked. “I don’t think I ever knew that. I’m not sure I ever really needed to know that.”

  “Hey! You asked.”

  “I did. And it’s three minutes of my life I’ll never get back.” His fingers caressing her neck softened the teasing words.

  Tori glanced at her watch. “Speaking of getting back, I think I need to get back to my car. I’ve got to go back across town before it gets too late.”

  “Yeah. I need to get settled in the hotel as well. I want to make sure and get plenty of rest before game time tomorrow. Who knows? Maybe I’ll get a chance to play some. That is if you guys can maintain a lead.” Eric grinned at Carter.

  “What do you mean maintain a lead? We’re in first place, you know. We’ve got a good four-game lead on the next guys. “

  Tori grabbed Carter by the arm and forced him to get up from the table. “C’mon, slugger. Just prove him wrong tomorrow, and you don’t have to say another word.”

  Eric got up from the table and slung his arm around his friend’s neck. “I like this girl, Carter. You’ve got to make sure you don’t blow this so she’ll stick around.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Carter looked forward to the long hot shower he knew awaited him. The day’s game had been good. They’d won, but he felt like he’d had to battle the sun every minute. He’d made a couple of highlight-reel catches in the outfield, but at the moment, his body was paying the price of landing hard on the turf a few times.

  Eric sat on the bench in front of the adjoining locker, rubbing a game-used baseball in his hand. “Man. That was fun. But I’m exhausted.”

  “I’m glad you got to play a couple of innings. And getting your first hit in the big leagues… Awesome, man! What are you going to do to celebrate?”

  “I think I’m going back to the hotel and swim a few laps in the pool and then call my mom.”

  Carter slapped him on the back and laughed. “You might want to rethink the order of those things. I’m sure your mom is anxious to talk to you. Are you sure you don’t want to go out and get some dinner or something?”

  “Nah, man. I think I’d like to have a quiet night in. Well, I say quiet. My phone is blowing up with text messages right now. I better grab a shower and get out of here. It’s going to take me a few hours to respond to all of these. See ya’, man.”

  “You bet, E. Congrats again, bro.”

  Carter grabbed his phone off the shelf in his locker and checked his messages. He smiled to see there was one from Tori.

  Good game, fella. But I bet you’re one big bruise right now. How about we go someplace close for dinner? I’ll meet you when you’re done.

  Carter loved how she knew what he needed. A nice quiet evening was it. He went to the showers with a smile on his face.

  A short while later, refreshed from the hot water pounding him, Carter turned the corner and grinned when he saw Tori waiting in the chairs outside the locker room. She hadn’t seen him yet and instead was typing away on her cell phone, engrossed in an email or text message.

  “Hey, beautiful. How’s it going?”

  Tori’s smile lit up the room, and Carter’s spirits lifted the instant her eyes caught his.

  Stowing her phone in her purse, Tori stood and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. Her eyes filled with concern as she touched his cheek. “Hey, slugger. I think you’re going to have a nice bruise there. You aren’t supposed to catch the ball with your face, you know? How are you feeling?”

  Carter winced as he tried to move his neck around. “Well, embarrassed from letting the ball take such a wicked bounce on me. And a little stiff, but nothing a quiet night out with you won’t fix.”

  Tori gave him a smile and another kiss on the cheek before slipping her arm through his as they walked out toward the player’s parking lot.

  “I was thinking. Why don’t we get some take-out and go back to your place? Is that okay?”

  He squeezed her hand. “That sounds wonderful, babe. Why don’t I call us in a pizza from Imo’s, and we can go by and pick it up?”

  “Deal. You get whatever you want. I’m not picky tonight.”

  “Wow. That’s awfully nice of you!”

  “Well, I reckon I feel sorry for you since you’re moving like a ninety-six-year-old man at the moment.”

  Carter threw back his head and laughed. Squeezing her closer to him, he smiled. “Touché, babe. Touché.”

  After a brief stop at the pizza place around the corner from his apartment, they waited at the elevator.

  “I’ve been meaning to ask you about Eric. He seemed troubled some last night. Did something happen in his past?”

  The elevator doors opened, and they stepped inside. Carter punched the button for his floor.

  “Yeah. He lost his Dad a few years ago to lung cancer. He suffered qu
ite a while with it, I think. It was pretty hard on the whole family, but especially Eric. He’s the only boy in the family, and he and his dad were close.”

  “Oh, how terrible. What a hard thing for a young man to go through. I’m glad I don’t have to worry about anything like that with you. You keep being healthy, okay? Although this pizza might not have been the best option, now that I think about it. Perhaps we should find a good salad somewhere.”

  Carter stopped in his tracks.

  Tori turned and looked at him. “Oh, Carter, I’m not being serious. We don’t have to eat a salad tonight.”

  Internally he let out a huge sigh of relief, thankful she didn’t understand his real shock at her statement. He was going to have to tell her, and soon.

  When they arrived on his floor, he reached in his pocket for his keys. They turned the corner to approach his apartment when he almost dropped the pizza box.

  His eyes had to be betraying him. There was no way it could be who he thought it was. No way.

  “Is that a girl sitting outside your door? Do you know her? It’s not a crazed fan, is it? Do I need to call 9-1-1? Carter?”

  He closed his eyes and released a deep breath. “You don’t have to call 9-1-1. I know who that is.”

  “You do? Who is she?”

  He didn’t answer.

  “Carter?”

  “Dani, my sister.”

  ****

  The tension was thick, and Tori felt like she was walking on eggshells around Carter and his surprise visitor. His sister was a thin lanky girl with limp blonde hair. Her eyes, though blue like her brother’s, lacked their spark. Instead, they were dull and tired. It was as if three lifetimes had been lived in those eyes.

  Dani greeted Carter like he’d be happy to see her, and Tori thought he’d react the same way. Yet, when Dani threw her arms around her brother’s shoulders, he didn’t move a muscle. Dani pulled away and frowned and then stuck out her hand toward Tori.

  “Hi! I’m Danielle, but everyone calls me Dani. I guess my older brother is in too much of a shock to introduce us.”