by Various
“Embellishment?”
“Right. I ah…just threw that in at the end.”
“Okay, well…." Brooks nodded his head over and over. “This is why you’re going to be my campaign manager.” He knocked Vance on the side of his shoulder. “Good work.”
“Except that she laughed.”
“Laughed? About Lolly?”
“Wasn’t sure what she found so amusing. Totally pissed me off.”
“Well, what the fuck do we care? I’m just glad I wasn’t the one who ran into her.”
“Oh, you’re going to run into her.”
“Doubt it. She’s probably halfway back to whatever-big-fucking-city she flew in from. Good riddance.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that because this wasn’t just a family visit. She told me she’s moving back. And from all those questions, it seems pretty clear she’s moving back for you.”
“Moving back? What the…? Fucking A.”
“Yeah. So before she shows up here crying her eyes out, begging for your forgiveness, telling you she was a fool for ever leaving you, and then throwing herself at you to prove it, I want you to give me the goddamn ring.”
Brooks closed his eyes and drew in a long, angry breath. He raised himself to his feet and got in Vance’s face. “Tansy Langford turned her back on me and this town nine months ago.” He ran a hand through his curls as he paced away and then back. “She…Jesus!” He kicked his chair and watched it slide into the water cooler. “This cannot be happening. Why the fuck would she leave if she was going to come back?”
“She left. She tried it someplace else. Realized Henderson is the greatest town on earth and came home. Can’t blame her for that.”
“Yes. Yes, I can. And I do. She left. She should have damn well stayed gone. Fuck!”
“You’re with Lolly now.”
“Well, there’s the pisser, isn’t it? I’m not exactly with Lolly, am I? I’m dating Lolly. Lolly’s going back to school in a few weeks. Lolly is twenty-three!”
“And Tansy’s a ball-busting bitch. I do not see a problem here.”
“Really? Then why are you so intent on holding on to that fucking ring? You see the problem as clearly as I do.”
“No. I see a man who might be faced with a choice. And if I’ve got that ring in my possession, at least I know you’re going to have to talk to me before you make the wrong one.”
Brooks slumped onto his desk next to Vance. He picked up his series-winning baseball and started working it with his hands like he was warming up for a pitch. “Fucking A.” The two of them sat there in silence for a bit. “Tansy was everything I wanted a year ago. Beautiful, confident, wanted children. Liked the idea of being a mayor’s wife someday. My age…ready to settle down. Or so I thought, until she headed out of town.”
“Right. She was everything you wanted a year ago. But the question is, what do you want now?”
Brooks held up his hands and shook his head.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. You want Lolly. You wanted Lolly even before you wanted Tansy.”
“Yes, I want Lolly! But I want Lolly to get her master’s and race back to Henderson. I want Lolly to give up every opportunity outside of town and buy into my dream of raising a family here. I want her to want to be a mayor’s wife and embrace all the shit that’s bound to come with that. I want her to be all grown up. Now!
“But you know what? More than all that shit put together, what I don’t want is to spend any more time falling in love with her only to be kicked to the curb at the end of summer or watch her walk away from here like Tansy did. I really, really don’t want that!”
“So you’re scared.”
“Yes, I’m scared! And I’m pissed. And why are you even arguing with me? You should be laughing your ass off. If I pick up with Tansy you have the perfect opportunity to swoop in and be Lolly’s hero.”
“And don’t think I won’t do it!”
“Of course you’d do it. And it would take her all of ten fucking seconds to forget about me.”
“Oh My God. Have you forgotten who you are? You’re the Boy Wonder who put Henderson baseball on the map. You’re the rescuer of old folks and dogs. Everyone in this town loves you. How is it possible that you have no confidence where women are concerned?”
“Maybe because the last time I was confident I went out and bought a ring. And the next day I found out she’d left town. From her mother. Left without any discussion. Without telling me to my face. She just up and left.”
“And other than the initial heartache and the obvious loss of one of your balls, it's worked out pretty damn well.”
Brooks shot him a how-do-you-figure look.
“She did your ass a favor, can’t you see that? It’s practically divine intervention. If Tansy hadn’t left, you’d never have this shot with Lolly. Tell me Saturday night wasn’t one of the best fucking nights of your life. Would you really have wanted to miss that?”
Brooks felt an unbidden smile pull at the sides of his mouth. No freaking way would he have ever wanted to miss that. “No. I certainly wouldn’t. Thank you. And putting it that way, I even feel a little bit less pissed off at Tansy.”
“You ought to thank her. That’s what you ought to do. She comes in here with some song and dance, you look her in the eye and tell her that her leaving was the best thing that ever happened to you.”
“Yeah, well, I’d just as soon skip that entire conversation. This is probably all bullshit anyway.”
“Well, I hope it is. I really do. I just thought you should know.”
“I appreciate that.”
“Okay. I’ll see your ass this afternoon on the field. Remember, we’re passing out Lolly’s cock cradles today, too. Her shit better work. I don’t want any of my boys getting their nuts cracked. The moms will be all up in my face.”
“The moms love you.”
“Yeah, I do have that working for me. Okay. So we’re good here? If Tansy comes by, you’re pulling a Lolly and kicking her to the curb?”
Brooks let out a chuckle. “Yeah. I guess I’m not ready to hand Lolly over to you yet.”
“That’s the spirit,” Vance yelled as he headed out the door.
Brooks strolled over and retrieved his chair. Then he sat down at his desk and sighed heavily. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and started texting.
***
“Darcy, didn’t you say you received a text from Lolly yesterday?”
Typing frantically, Darcy responded with a distracted, “Uh-huh.”
“What did she say again?”
“That…wait.” Darcy hit a few more keys and stopped. Then hit a few more. “Okay.” She nodded with satisfaction and then swiveled her chair around to speak to her fiancé.
“What are you working on?” Lewis asked, the phone in his hand clearly forgotten.
“The matchmaking website.”
“Darcy, my algorithm is in the infancy stage. There’s certainly no need for a website.”
“Yes, but there will be a need eventually and I had some ideas I didn’t want to forget. So, you had asked me something. Something about Lolly,” she prompted.
“Oh right! Right.” Lewis looked down at his cell phone and then back at his bride-to-be. He pushed his nerdy-boy glasses up his classic Roman nose. “You mentioned Lolly texted you yesterday. What was that about?”
“She told me I was wrong about nothing happening in Henderson. That so much was happening her head was spinning. But she wasn’t going to elaborate over the phone and just wanted to make sure we’ll be home for the Fourth of July. She says there will be a big announcement and we won’t want to miss it.”
“An announcement about what, exactly?”
“She didn’t say. I believe she wants that to be a surprise.”
Lewis looked up from his cell and blinked a couple times in her direction. He was thinking. And Lewis didn’t think like most people. He thought and then speculated, followed the trail this way, then casted back a
nd followed a different trail entirely. Darcy was used to it. She knew it could take a few minutes.
“Did she say anything about Brooks?”
“Yes!” Darcy’s eyes took on her excitement. “I told you. She said that she and Brooks were getting on increasingly well.”
He started blinking again. “Do you take that to mean that her feelings for Brooks are growing? Growing stronger than mere fondness?”
“I do.”
“What were her exact words?”
“Lewis. Why are you asking about Lolly?”
He blinked twice. “No reason.”
“Is Brooks fishing for information?”
Lewis sighed. “Yes, but you did not hear that from me. He wants my opinion and I’m trying to ferret one out.”
“He wants your opinion on what?”
“Darcy,” he said, putting his phone back in his pocket. “This is where everything gets a little sticky, isn’t it? My being Brooks’ best friend. Your being Brooks’ sister. He’s given me some personal information and asked for my opinion. If he wanted your opinion, he would have given you the information.”
“Then why are you bothering me with this?”
“Because if I’m going to make an informed opinion, I need to know all that I can. And since I have you at my disposal, and you may have pertinent information that can help me properly calculate a strong argument or opinion, I would be remiss in not questioning you.”
“Understood.” She turned back to her computer and started typing.
“Understood? What’s that mean?”
“It means that I’m not telling you a damn thing. You give my brother your opinion based on the piddly information you have at your disposal. If he wants a better informed opinion, tell him to call me.”
Lewis stammered, “That’s…quite reasonable, I suppose. Though Brooks is not going to think so.”
“I’m counting on that.”
***
Brooks grabbed up his phone the moment the ping sounded. For a smart man, Lewis sure took his time texting back.
‘Darcy and Lolly text often. If you need insider information, call your sister.’
“Fucking A.” He picked up his phone and pressed a button. It rang about a hundred times before she picked up.
“Why, if it isn’t my long-lost brother. What a surprise.”
“Darcy! Don’t you remember how this game is played? I text Lewis. He asks you. You tell him. He texts me back.”
“You mean the twenty-first-century version of the elementary school game Does She Like Me?”
“Yes. That one.”
“It’s been a while since I played. So yes, I had forgotten. Have you received any of the household feminine touches I picked out at your request?”
“Yes. Thank you. You were right. I was wrong. By the way, thank Lewis for the wine glasses and case of wine. Classes the entire place up. Don’t know what I’d do without the two of you.”
“Has Lolly been there to see it?”
“Ah. No. No, she hasn’t been invited to the house yet. I wanted to get everything you sent placed correctly first. Which, you know, involved my having to invite Mom over to sort through all the crap and figure out where it was supposed to go.”
“Brooks, I emailed you a very clear and detailed list of what was coming and where it should go. I even attached pictures so you could figure it all out easily.”
“Right. Must have accidentally deleted that or something.” He repeatedly tossed his baseball up in the air and caught it.
“Okay then. See you on the Fourth!”
“Darcy! Darcy, don’t hang up!”
“Brooks. You are the worst big brother ever.” She sighed.
“I know. I know I am and I’m sorry about that. It’s just so…invasive…having you marrying Lewis.”
Silence.
“Darcy? Darcy!” He looked at his phone. “Fucking A. She hung up! Hmm. Impressive,” he admitted as he phoned her back. “Did not think she had it in her.”
“Invasive?” she started in without preamble. “You mean like you covertly trying to find out what’s discussed in private text messages between me and my best friend?”
“I wouldn’t dream of invading your privacy if I didn’t happen to be dating your best friend.”
“And if I weren’t marrying your best friend, you wouldn’t have an avenue to invade.”
“What the fuck are we talking about?”
“I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me what’s going on with you and Lolly, and I’ll do my best to forget you’re my brother for a moment and see if I can help you out. For Lolly’s sake.”
“All right. Let’s do this thing.” Brooks bent over in his chair and put his head in his hand. “Lolly’s great. She’s awesome. She totally gets me. Better than anyone else. She’s all I’ve ever wanted. She’s also young, driven, talented, and competitive. She could go anywhere, do anything.”
“And that’s bad because you’re stuck in Henderson.”
“I’m not stuck in Henderson. I want to be in Henderson. Just because you and your super rich fiancé have fled the town doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of people who still love it here.”
“Defensive much?”
“Yes, I suppose I am.” He took a breath and rubbed his head. “Look, this town has been very good to me and I’m grateful. I owe the town and the people here. I want to give back.”
“That is all very commendable. But you don’t owe anyone anything. You owe it to yourself to be happy. If Henderson makes you happy, then stay and be happy.”
“What’s making me very happy is that Lolly is in Henderson this summer. What’s making me crazy is that I don’t know if she’s ever coming back.”
“Ask her.”
“I’m not going to just ask her. At least not yet, anyway. I’ll wait ’til the end of the summer. And even then. She’s still so young. I don’t want to impose my will on her.”
“Why the hell not?”
“I don’t know. What do you mean? She needs to do what she needs to do.”
“Hold on one second,” Darcy said. “Lewis, sweetheart. Would you mind fixing me a bowl of ice cream? And heat up that hot fudge from last night? Then measure out a quarter cup and pour it on top? No hurry. Take your time. Thanks, babe.”
“Ice cream? At nine o’clock in the morning?”
“Do you think he has any idea what time it is? He’s working on about seven different projects at the same time. I just needed to get him out of the room so I can tell you to pull your head out of your ass.”
“What the hell?”
“Brooks Bennett. You are the freaking Crowned Prince of central North Carolina. If you can’t impose your will, then who can? How do you think I finally got Lewis to look at me as something other than your sister? I imposed my will. Heavily. To the point that he didn’t know what hit him. I gave him no other choice but to fall in love with me.”
“Really?”
“Suffice it to say that as my brother, you do not want to know the details. But it took serious scheming and planning on my part. I imposed my will and am happier for it. But the truth is I didn’t have a choice. For me, it was Lewis. There was never anyone else.”
“I’m crazy about her, Darce. I have been for a long time. I’ve just been waiting for her to grow up.”
“Well, trust me. She’s all done growing. If you don’t start imposing your will, someone else might. And then where will you be?”
“Where indeed?”
“Besides, I’d say she’s pretty crazy about you too. As much as I tried to talk her out of it,” she teased.
“She told me as much Saturday night. It’s just…something’s come up that’s got me thinking.”
“Well, stop thinking and start imposing! Trust me. A girl likes to be imposed upon by the right guy.”
“Is that right?”
Miraculously, Darcy’s words took on the force of sunshine, clearing away the fog surrounding Vance’s secret
weapon. That damn novel. Imposing is exactly what the Scottish chieftain would do. Did. And now that he thought about it, imposing had been working out for him with Lolly ever since he’d imposed his truck up against her back. Apparently, he was Lolly’s right guy.
“Okay then, I’ll start imposing.” He laughed. “And Darce, please keep this conversation confidential.”
“Of course. And I know someday, when I need it, you’ll do the same for me.”
“Hmm. So your marrying my best friend might just work out for us after all.”
“I’m counting on it. Laters, baby!”
“You did not just say that!”
“Oh yes, I did!”
Chapter Twenty
A relative cold snap moved into Henderson at the start of baseball camp. The coaches and players enjoyed temperatures in the low eighties, and the weather also brought out more spectators than the usual helicopter parent or two. Moms gathered at the start of the day, and dads showed up in the afternoon. Lolly worked on her design projects all morning, but by one o’clock she couldn’t stand the suspense any longer. She put on her running shoes and jogged over to the high school, wearing a tennis skirt and top in the team colors.
The tall, broad-shouldered pitcher caught her attention, and an unbidden smile surfaced as she watched Brooks on the mound. Protected by a portable cage, he lobbed pitches at the young batters. The sight dropped her back in time, and she headed to the grand stands, sitting in the exact seat she used to sit in when she and Darcy watched Brooks play ball.
Back then, Darcy’s father had explained the game to both girls, especially from the pitcher’s perspective. Early on, Lolly’s focus had been all about the pitcher.
Today was no different, although her focus wasn’t on the type or speed of the pitch, but rather on the sun glinting off the curls on top of the pitcher’s head. And the broad grin that came whenever a batter connected with a ball and sent it flying. And the chiseled chin, the length of exposed neck, the muscled arms, and the large hands that massaged the baseballs before he threw them. He’d worn a red T-shirt, black athletic shorts, short socks, and athletic shoes. He went through the pitching motions in a casual, relaxed manner. There was no communication with the catcher, no consideration of the ability of the batter. His goal was to give the kids something to hit—out of the park, if possible.