by BK Harrell
“Good night, Sarah. Sleep tight and have fun at the complex tomorrow.”
Sarah slept well and awoke to an overly excited nine-year-old bouncing on her bed. She was glad they were going to the stadium this morning, and she didn’t have to make him wait until after lunch. “Okay big guy. Get a shower and get dressed. We’ll go eat breakfast and then head over to the complex.” Sarah watched Harry jump off the bed and head to the shower. If only it was that easy at home. While she waited, Sarah made a cup of coffee and checked her emails. She was surprised to see one from Coop wishing her luck at batting practice. Sarah hated lying to Coop, but the ends justified the means at this point.
After breakfast, they headed over to the complex to meet with one of the instructors. Once they found Coach Griggs, Harry stretched and was introduced to a couple of the guys around the locker room. Sarah took a seat in the dugout as she watched Harry toss the ball back and forth. Sarah took her phone out and recorded some video for Harry to have as a keepsake. Even though she watched him at practice most days, Sarah was still amazed at how well he performed even with the bigger guys. They started with some infield practice and Harry still had the ability to fire the ball for strikes to first base even being on a larger field.
Once they finished infield practice with a lot of high fives for Harry, they moved on to batting practice. Sarah continued to watch as Harry got instruction on his batting stance and swing. Sarah was a proud momma as she watched Harry get hit after hit. A lot of his fly balls would have been homeruns in his ballpark. Sarah almost lost it when Harry came up just short of hitting a homerun in this stadium. She couldn’t stop smiling watching Harry laugh and smile with the other players. He really did take after his dad. Who knows, maybe he would even take his spot when it was his time.
Sarah watched as Harry waved her out to the batting cage. She trotted over to Harry who handed her a bat and told her it was her turn. All the other players stood back and motioned her toward the plate. Sarah was embarrassed to go up there but at least that wouldn’t be a lie to Coop. Sarah took her position and commenced batting practice. Swing and a miss, swing and a miss, swing and a miss…this was starting to get embarrassing. Finally, a swing and a hit. It was barely a dribbler to short, but Sarah felt on top of the world. She decided to end on a high note and walked out of the cage to applause from the guys and a huge hug from Harry.
Coach Griggs was standing off to the side making notes on an iPad for Harry. Walking over he ruffled his hair and said, “I made some notes for you to work on. Not that there are many, but some drills to help with footspeed and placement. Your mom might want to consider dance lessons for you to help with foot work. I’d swear though that you are the second coming of Harrison Cooper. Come to think it you have a vague resemblance to him. He better watch-out or you’re going to take his job one day.”
“He’s my favorite player. I even got a chance to go to a clinic before one of my games that he gave.”
Harry was beaming with pride as he listened to Coach Griggs. All the while, Sarah was deathly white hoping that this story didn’t make it back to Coop. She hadn’t thought this out all the way. Getting her composure back, she shook Coach Griggs’s hand and thanked him for his time.
“Thank you, Coach Griggs. I won’t ever forget this.” Harry said.
Sarah let Harry get cleaned up and changed before they headed to lunch and then to the Animal Kingdom for the afternoon. As Sarah waited for Harry, she had a nauseous feeling in her stomach that this wasn’t going to end well. Finally, Harry came out ready to eat, with a huge smile on his face. Sarah was sure he wasn’t going to lose that smile the rest of the week.
Sarah was thrilled with their afternoon. She was amazed at how well they had created a Serengeti right in the heart of Disney. The lions and elephants were a sight to behold. If she didn’t know any better, she would have thought they were in the heart of Africa and not Orlando. After their tour, they rode the rides and had dinner. She enjoyed the slower rides today, but knew tomorrow would be a different story. They were heading over to MGM so that they could satisfy their mutual love of Star Wars.
By the time they returned to the hotel, Sarah was too exhausted to do anything but fall in bed. She wanted to send a text to Coop to let him know, but before she could finish what she was writing a message came across.
H: Heard you got a hit today and called it quits after that. Congrats. Also heard you got shown up by a kid who Coach Griggs said looks like my future replacement.
Sarah went white and her pulse kicked into overdrive.
S: Yep. Figured I should quit with one hit since it took me a while to get it. I was just about to tell you, I was so exhausted I was falling into bed, but now I’m a little more awake. So how was your day?”
H: Good. Played over at TPC Scottsdale, and went shopping afterwards. Nothing really exciting.
S: Did you buy me something nice, lacey, and see through?”
H: Forgot. Bought something for this hot doctor I’m kind of seeing though. I’ll pick you up something tomorrow. ;)
S: Ass.
H: LMFAO. You know I bought you something nice. You just have to model it for me.
S: Deal. I’ll even let you see how good it looks on the floor. I’m sorry, Coop. I can’t keep my eyes open. Can we make a date for tomorrow night?”
H: Certainly. Call me when you get back to the room. Where are you going tomorrow?”
S: MGM. Gotta get my Star Wars fix in. I might even look for that gold bikini Princess Leia wore in Return of the Jedi. I seem to remember you having a fantasy about rescuing me from Jabba the Hut.
H: Shit, Sarah. Now I’m going to bed hard as a rock.
S: You’ll figure out how to handle that big boy. Good night.
H: Good night.
Sarah fell into bed, but couldn’t sleep. How much did Coach Griggs say to Harrison? Did he mention that the kid was my son, or did he just give a brief summary about Harry? She couldn’t worry about it now. She just hoped she could fall asleep because tomorrow would be busy and full of rides she wasn’t crazy about. Sarah fell, into a restless sleep.
When she awoke the next morning, Sarah didn’t feel rested at all, but that was life. She was used to operating on little sleep, and hoped her old friend caffeine would fully wake her up. After her coffee and shower, Sarah was awake and ready for the day. As she watched Harry bounce around the room and make sure her mother was ready to go, she couldn’t do anything but laugh. This was going to be a fun day. She was happy that they both shared a love of Star Wars, and with new movies coming out they could continue their love of the franchise.
Sarah was amazed at the lengths they had gone to in order to re-create an authentic Star Wars feel. The costumes were perfect, and Harry was in heaven. She took picture after picture of Harry with the Stormtroopers and Darth Vader. He was all in Darkside, and she was definitely on the Jedi side. While Harry was with her mom, Sarah snuck into the shop and found the gold bikini that she was looking for and the Princess Leia hair she needed as well. Sarah smiled as she thought of Coop’s reaction to her outfit. It would be a good night.
They had lunch at Club Villain, before heading to the rest of the park. Sarah was dreading the ride on the Tower of Terror, but she wasn’t going to disappoint Harry. Sarah barely kept her lunch down, and gladly sat out the next round as her mom went back with Harry.
After a busy afternoon, Sarah wanted a calm fun dinner, so they went to Hollywood and Vine. Not necessarily one that Harry would’ve picked, but the meal was great. They walked around taking a few of the casual rides before heading back to the hotel. Tomorrow was Thanksgiving and they were going to Universal Studios Islands of Adventure for the day.
By the time they got settled in the room, Sarah had time to walk over to the bar and grab a drink before her Facetime date with Coop. As she got settled in the lounge chair by the pool, her phone rang.
“Hey beautiful. Did you have fun today?”
“Had a blast. How was
your first day back at work? Get in anymore fights”
“Nope. Just a normal day at the office. We won the game. So, that’s a plus. The prospects are looking better, but honestly, I’m ready to come home. Staying in this hotel is starting to wear on me and I hate being away from family on holidays. I wish I was with you riding roller coasters and eating junk food. Maybe next year.”
“Maybe. There are so many things I want to do with you.”
“If you could go anywhere, where would it be?”
“I don’t know. I’ve always wanted to go to Australia. The timing has just never been right.”
“I know what you mean. That’s definitely on my list as well. Have to go during our winter time though to enjoy the sun and heat. I want to snorkel at the Great Barrier Reef. So, you’re heading home Saturday?”
“Yes. I wanted a day to recover before going back to work. I’m the overnight that Monday. Then you’ll be home that weekend. I’m excited to see you again. I know it’s only been a week and a half, but it seems like a month since I have seen you in person.”
“I know baby. What are you drinking there? It looks tasty.”
“Just a Mai Tai. Nothing fancy, but yummy.”
Sarah looked at her watch and realized they had been talking for almost an hour. Time passed too quickly when they were together.
“You look tired. I guess it’s late there, so I’ll let you get to bed. Have a great Thanksgiving. Same time tomorrow night?”
“Same time. Sleep tight. Enjoy your day off. Good night, Coop.”
“Good night, Sarah.”
Sarah sat there contemplating her future with Coop and didn’t realize her mom had sat down beside her.
“Must have been a good date. I could see you smiling from a mile away.”
“It was. I miss him like crazy. I shouldn’t get too used to it though. Also, he’ll be gone for a longer period when spring training comes around. Then again, he probably won’t want to see me anymore.”
“Don’t talk like that. I saw that little outfit you bought today for, him, and yes, no sense in denying it. I know you bought that for him, since you both love Star Wars. I can see it now, a Star Wars themed wedding.”
“God, mom. That would be so tacky. Anyway, no use talking about a wedding except the one I’m in, in a few weeks. I told you, I agreed to be his date as much as I can be.”
“It’ll all work out, Sarah. Don’t ask me how I know, I just do. After all, a mother always knows.”
Sarah laughed. “We should get to bed. Tomorrow will be another long busy day.”
Thanksgiving was a lot of fun. They ate at Margaritaville, and rode every ride they could multiple times. Even the water rides were warm enough to ride. Sarah had planned on Epcot for Friday and Seaworld Saturday before they left.
By the time Saturday afternoon rolled around, Sarah was vacationed out as was Harry and her mom. They left Orlando having accomplished everything she set out to do. This was a great family vacation for them. She couldn’t control the future, but would definitely hold onto the present.
Chapter Nine
Monday came all too soon for Sarah. She felt like she had barely recovered from her trip. She knew she was going to have a lot of work to catch up on, especially emails and patient charts if any of her patients delivered while she was on vacation. As she walked on to the unit Monday morning, she was happy to see her team rested and ready to go. She waved to Elisha as she passed the nurse’s station and then prepared to start rounds.
“Good morning, everyone. I trust everyone had a good vacation and didn’t get into any trouble?” Sarah shot a look at Dr. Jones knowing if anyone did it would be him. “Hope y’all didn’t break too many hearts while I was away.”
Everyone chuckled at her sentiments. The day proceeded at a normal pace. Only two scheduled C-sections and four uneventful deliveries. True to form, Coop sent dinner even though he was still two thousand miles away. This time he went simple, and had P.F. Chang’s cater dinner.
Sarah was thankful that she got six hours of sleep with no emergencies since she had plans with Marcie and Nicole that afternoon. After turnover, she bid farewell to her team and headed home. By the time she got home, it was a little before lunch and she had time for a quick shower before meeting the girls. Just as she got undressed, her phone rang and she smiled seeing it was Coop on Facetime. Without hesitation, she answered the call focusing the picture on her face.
“Good morning beautiful. How was your night?”
“Uneventful. I have something to show you.” Before Sarah could think about it anymore, she pulled the phone back and scanned her naked body. He nipples hardened at the thought of Coop looking at her nakedness. Sarah looked at the phone to see Coop’s eyes bug out.
“Damn. That’s a nice surprise.”
Sarah could see Coop rustling with something then the phone panned down so that she could see his beautiful erection. An erection shouldn’t be called beautiful, but there was no other way to describe his massive bobbing manhood. Sarah involuntarily licked her lips as she thought about licking the velvety crown and taking him deep down her throat. Her fingers went to her already wet pussy and parted her lips as she stroked her clit.
“Baby. Are you touching yourself?”
Sarah could barely muster a nod.
“Show me.”
Sarah walked over to the bed and laid down spreading her legs and showing Coop, her fingers stroking her overly sensitive flesh. She watched as Coop’s hand went down and started to stroke his erection. She got hotter and hotter watching him pleasure himself. As she listened to Coop speak with that satin bass voice of his, it pushed her over the edge as she came with the shout of Coop’s name on her lips. He must have been just as turned on because he didn’t last but a few strokes longer.
“Ummm…I was calling to tell you I hope you had a good day, but this was so much better. Now I’m going to be late, but so worth it. Sorry, baby, but I’ve got to run.” Coop kissed the phone and Sarah did the same as they hung up.
What the hell had come over her? She had become such a wanton hussy with him. She’d never been like this before. Not even when they were dating, but to her credit she was a shy virgin at the time and no Facetime. Sarah took a quick shower and got dressed, all the while, thinking of Coop and how great it would feel to have his hands on her again and his manhood filling her.
Sarah was still smiling when she pulled into the Landmark Diner to meet Marcie and Nicole. Today was lunch and dress fittings. Sarah worried her dress wouldn’t fit after her junk food splurging last week, but she had time to lose the weight if needed. When she walked in and saw the smiles on her friends’ faces and the looks they were giving her, she knew she was going to get another round of questioning. Smiling, she slid into the booth opposite the girls and said hello.
The waitress came and took their order and left them to chat among themselves.
“So, how was your vacation? Did Harry have a good time?” Marcie asked.
“It was wonderful, but exhausting. Harry had a great time, especially at the spring training complex. He got some one-on-one instruction, and it was amazing watching him take batting practice. The coach said that he’d swear he was the second coming of Harrison Cooper, which scared the shit out of me that it would get back to Harrison. Which of course it did, but the coach didn’t tie me and “the kid” as he put it together.”
“Well, shit. Did Harrison say anything to you about it?” Nicole asked.
“He said he heard I got a hit at batting practice, then quit after one hit. Then said I apparently got shown up by some kid, the coach was raving about. Nothing more though.”
“I heard you got a hit and I also heard about Harry. Apparently, a nine-year-old that can hit and field like that is a commodity. Coach Griggs wanted to sign him to a contract already. Lincoln just smiled hoping he would have the inside track one day. The problem is he wants the team to do so well that he won’t have a high draft choice when the time com
es, but you know him. He usually gets whatever he wants. Just look at me.” Nicole said with a smile.
The waitress brought their food and they ate in companionable silence. After they finished, Sarah decided to beat them to the punch. “So, before I left to go on vacation, Harrison drops a bomb on me and I nearly choked on the food I was eating.” Sarah replayed the conversation they had while she was on-call.
Nicole contemplated the statement and said, “So, do you love him?”
“More than you know. Well, you two know the kind of love I feel, but given the situation, I just can’t allow myself to be in love him until we work things out. I can’t afford to give him my heart, and have him throw it back at me after he finds out about Harry.”
“I know this is hard to for me to say, because I don’t have as much experience, and Cole was difficult, because he felt so much guilt about my sister dying in his arms. I couldn’t imagine what he went through, but we were able to heal together. Your situation is vastly different, but Harrison is going to have a supreme feeling of loss. He’ll be mad as hell for sure, but don’t give up on him. Make him understand what you’re feeling, and why you did what you did. Don’t give up on him, and stay in his face.”
“Well, that may be a little difficult given the timing of when I plan to tell him. First, we’ll meet in January because I need to know what happened ten years ago. If I screwed up, then I’ll lick my wounds and move forward. I’m planning on telling Harry as soon as the dust settles and then take him to Florida for spring training if necessary. Unless things are progressing and I decide to tell him earlier. Otherwise, he’ll have some time to digest the information before he has to deal with both of us. My only concern with waiting is that I don’t want it to interfere with his work.”
“Do you really think it will be that easy?” Nicole said. “If you do wait to tell him, I’d bet you a grand that he’ll be on an airplane the next day if not sooner beating your door down. He’s already missed almost ten years of his life. Harrison Cooper isn’t the kind of man to wait patiently. Hell, he leveraged a two hundred plus million-dollar contract on talking to you.” Nicole said. If I wasn’t going to be in Hawaii playing in my first tournament since Landon was born, I’d love to be a fly on the wall. As it is, I’ll just have to depend on Marcie.”