by Megan Green
Same number. I don’t know it, but upon closer inspection, I realize the area code is from Grover.
Who would be calling me from Grover? Nobody even knows I’m here, except…
Charlie.
“Excuse me,” I mutter, standing and moving to the front door so that I can go outside to take the call.
I press the phone to my ear as I pull the door closed behind me.
“Liv Hunter.”
“Miss Hunter, this is Leslie Bates. I’m a nurse over at Grover General. I’m afraid there’s been a bit of an accident regarding a Charles Price. You are listed as the emergency contact on his file.”
My heart drops as soon as she utters his name, a million different scenarios rushing through my head. My mouth is dry, and it feels like my tongue has swollen to the size of a melon, but I somehow manage to squeak out the words, “Is he okay?”
“He is,” she starts.
I let out a huge rush of air. I didn’t even realize I’d been holding my breath, waiting for her next words, until that moment.
“But he’s going to have a few months of rehab ahead of him. Mr. Price apparently fell from a ladder. As a result, he suffered a fractured hip and a few cracked ribs. The ribs should heal nicely on their own. The hip, however, will take some time.”
I don’t even have to ask where he was at the time. I already know. The bookstore. On the ladder, like I’ve told him not to do at least a hundred times over the past year.
“Tell me what I need to do next,” I say, needing to know where we go from here.
“Well, we’ll keep him here for another day or so, just to keep an eye on him. It’s a pretty clean break, so we don’t expect any complications. The doctor has suggested he enter a rehab facility, as he won’t be able to walk on his own for quite a while. We’ve started the authorization process with his insurance for that. So, for now, all we can do is wait until he’s released. He’s been moved to a regular room, so you’re welcome to come see him whenever you’d like.”
She has no clue I’m hundreds of miles away in Seattle. And I’m not about to tell her.
I should’ve been there for him. I should’ve never left him alone. I should’ve been there to yell at him to stay off the damn ladder like I’d done a zillion times before.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” I tell her, hanging up the phone.
Brandon’s face falls as soon as I step back into the room. “What’s wrong?”
“Charlie.”
It’s all I have to say. He apologizes to his mother, telling her we’ll call later. Within seconds, we’re in his car, on our way to the airport. He doesn’t even ask if I need to go back to his place to get my things first.
It’s as if he knows the only place I want to be right now is with Charlie.
God, I love this man.
Now, if only I could say the words.
“I don’t know why you rushed all the way back here. I’m fine, Livvy,” Charlie mutters up at me as I smooth his hair back from his forehead.
I raise a brow at him. “Fine, huh? Looks to me like you’re lying in a hospital bed, Charlie.”
He looks around himself. “Maybe I just wanted a vacation. And wanted my insurance to pay for it.”
He cracks a smile at me, and I grin back, looking over at the tray of hospital food beside his bed.
“Well, I can’t say I blame you. That runny Jell-O looks positively scrumptious. And those wilted green beans? To die for. How do I land myself in this joint? Oh, I know. I’ll go climb the ladder I’ve been specifically told not to and take a swan dive off it.”
“It was more of a belly flop than a swan dive,” Charlie mutters, looking down at his blanket-covered feet.
“Should’ve gone with the cannonball, Mr. P. If you’re going down, might as well go down with a splash,” Brandon chimes in from the corner.
“Yes, because a busted tailbone sounds so much better,” I quip with a roll of my eyes. “Don’t give him any ideas, Jeffers; otherwise, I might put you in the bed next door.”
Brandon laughs heartily. “Damn. You’re getting mean in your old age.”
I pick up a grape from Charlie’s tray and chuck it at him. Bastard has the audacity to catch it in his mouth.
He might be driving me crazy at the moment, but I’m glad he’s here. Holding my hand as we drove to the hospital from the airport, he was the only thing that kept me together.
When I think about what could’ve happened…
If Charlie had landed just a little differently…
If the fall had happened after-hours and somebody hadn’t found him until the following day…
I was a wreck by the time we pulled into the parking lot, Brandon’s strong, reassuring presence the only thing holding me up when all I wanted to do was fall apart.
Seeing Charlie though, watching the smile cross his face and dance in his eyes, I knew he was going to be okay. He got lucky. And I was going to make damn sure he was never in the situation again.
“Ahem.” I clear my throat, stopping the banter that’s broken out between the two of them. I have no clue what they’re talking about, having been too lost in my own thoughts. But I know, whatever it is, it isn’t nearly as important as what I have to say.
“There’s something we need to discuss. And there’s no easy way to put this, so I’m just going to come right out and say it. You’re officially retired, Charlie. Effective immediately.”
I expect him to protest, to argue and tell me all the reasons he’s going to come back to work after his rehab is over. But, to my surprise, he nods.
“I figured this was coming. And, truth be told, I’m relieved. I didn’t want to admit to myself that I was getting too old. But I was a fool. I had no business being up on that ladder this morning. I know that, Livvy. It’s just hard, getting old. You start to feel…useless.” His tone is so defeated; I can’t help the tears that spring to my eyes.
“Oh, Charlie. You are far from useless. And, even if you never step foot in that store again, you still could never be useless. Not to me. I need you, Charlie. Every single day. Don’t you know that by now?”
Brandon slips quietly out the door, letting us have this moment to ourselves. I’m grateful to him. Brandon means the world to me now, but there are some things that are better left between a father and daughter.
I move from my chair at the side of his bed and sit down on the edge, running my hand over his face. “I will never not need you, Charlie. Not today, not tomorrow, not in twenty years. You’ve taught me so much over the years, and you continue to do so every single day. You will always be important to me. Because I love you.”
I’ve done plenty of things over the years to try to show Charlie how much I love him and appreciate everything he’s done for me. But this is the first time I’ve ever actually said those three words aloud.
To anyone.
Charlie’s eyes fill with tears, and he reaches up to cover my hand with his own.
“Oh, Livvy. I love you, too. So much. I always wanted a daughter; you know that. But what I didn’t expect was for one to stumble into my life when I was least expecting it. But I can tell you what. I thank God every day that you did. You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me, right up there with the day I met my beautiful wife. I couldn’t have asked for a better daughter than the one I got in you.”
I lean down and hug him, resting my head on his chest as his fragile arms circle my shoulders. We lie like that for a while—a father and daughter, content to simply hold each other in times of hardship—until I feel his breathing even out. Slowly pulling myself from his grasp, I press a gentle kiss to his forehead before stepping out into the hallway.
Brandon is slumped down against the wall, his legs bent and his arms resting on his knees. His phone is in his hand, and judging from the pissed off look on his face, I’d guess he’s playing a game. And failing.
His gaze flicks up to me when he sees me step out into the hall though, his phone
immediately forgotten as he clambers to his feet. “How is he?”
“Asleep,” I say. “I have a feeling he’s going to be doing a lot of that in the coming weeks. He never admitted it, but I don’t think he’s slept well in years. Maybe, now, he can finally rest.”
Brandon nods. “Dude could use a break. So, what does this mean for you?”
I sigh. “It means I’m taking over. It’s not exactly a surprise. I’ve been trying to get Charlie to retire for months. But, now, with the baby coming and everything…it’s just going to be a little tougher; that’s all. Nothing I can’t handle.”
“We,” he says, taking my hand in his and pressing it to his lips. “It’s nothing we can’t handle. I’m going to be right here, Tink. Every step of the way.”
I smile as I lean into him, inhaling the intoxicating fragrance of his chest. It smells of grass and a spring breeze with just a hint of musk and smoke. It’s heady and overwhelming and one hundred percent Brandon.
I have a lot of work cut out for me over the next few months. My long-term goals just got pushed to the forefront, and adding a baby into the mix is only going to complicate things further.
But, with this man by my side, I believe anything is possible.
It has to be.
Chapter 22
Brandon
“Are you Brandon Jeffers?”
Liv and I both turn to look at the voice behind us before we step into the elevator. A young woman is standing there, wearing dark blue scrubs with her hair tied back in a smooth ponytail. A stethoscope is draped around her neck, and I’m half-temped to ask if she needs me to use it on her to check for a heartbeat because the look on her face is downright comical. She makes no bones about blatantly staring at me in shock, her mouth formed into a perfect O when she gets a better look at my face, confirming that I am, in fact, who she thinks I am.
“Guilty,” I say with a smile, hoping this won’t delay us too long. I’ve got a flight to catch in a couple of hours, and I’d rather not spend that time here with some random fangirl than with my woman.
“Oh my goodness. My husband is going to be so upset he wasn’t here to meet you. He’s a huge baseball fan. Generally, he roots for the Smoke, but he loves watching you guys, too. You and Ian Taggart are his favorite players. And he says that new pitcher of yours is someone to watch out for.”
I nod. “Thank you. Carter is something special; that’s for sure. I’ll be sure to pass along the message that we’ve got fans here in Grover. Is there, uh, something you’d like me to sign?”
The woman’s face lights up, and she frantically starts looking around the nurses’ station for something I can scribble my John Hancock on. Coming up empty, she grabs a coffee mug from the station beside hers, dumping its contents in the trash beneath her before thrusting it at me.
“I’ll just have to pay Kathy back for the mug,” she says sheepishly when she sees my quizzical look.
I chuckle. “Messing with a nurse’s coffee sounds like a pretty serious offense.”
Her head bobs up and down on her shoulders. “Oh, believe me, it is. But not getting Brandon Jeffers’s autograph would be much worse. My husband would string me up by my toes.”
I think about giving her a hard time, ribbing her about violating HIPAA laws and ask if she’d really risk losing her job to tell her husband she saw me here today. But, in the interest of saving time, I refrain, instead signing the mug—apparently, I’m now the World’s Best Mom—before giving it to her and letting her snap a selfie. Once she’s placated, I turn back to Liv, who watched our entire exchange with a wide grin on her face, and usher her toward the elevator.
“I can’t take you anywhere, can I?” she muses, beaming up at me as I hit the button for the main level.
Since Liv came back from Seattle a few days early, I insisted we call and see if we could bump her follow-up appointment with her OB/GYN to today, so I could go with her before I had to head back out on the road. The office was all-too accommodating—a fact I am grateful for even if it is probably only because of who I am.
Everything with Liv and the baby looks great, no further evidence of bleeding or any other complications after our little scare before we left for Seattle. Hopefully, now, I’ll be able to rest easy and focus on the next few games before us instead of worrying about Liv back here, in Maple Lake.
Oh, who am I kidding? I’m going to worry regardless. But at least this makes me feel slightly better about leaving.
“Hazards of the trade, I’m afraid. Better get used to it, baby. You’re just lucky she didn’t try to grab my ass,” I add on a playful note.
Liv’s jaw sets. “I’d like to see her try.”
A laugh escapes my lips, and I put my arm around her shoulders, tucking her into my side before placing a kiss on the top of her head. “Oh, I like it when my Liv gets territorial. Shall we go back up and see what happens? I hear pissing a circle around what’s yours helps keep away unwanted advances.”
Liv’s arm snakes out and circles my waist. “Not much longer, and I won’t have to worry about peeing around you. Everybody will be able to see the evidence right here under my shirt.” She places a hand on her stomach, the tiniest bump finally beginning to form.
I made the mistake of pointing it out to her last night after we finished making love. I meant it as a compliment, loving that she was finally starting to show. She immediately pulled on a shirt, however, her arms folding in front of her stomach, as if wanting to hide it.
I know she’s self-conscious about the way her body is changing. But, to me, she couldn’t be more gorgeous.
I place my hand over hers, sliding it so that the thin fabric of her blouse rises ever-so slightly. I tickle my fingers against her bare skin, loving the feel of the goose bumps my touch leaves behind.
“And every single person will see the same thing I do—the most beautiful woman this world has ever seen. And they’ll know you chose me, that bump right there under your shirt the only evidence they need to know I’m yours.”
Her neck cranes as she stretches over to kiss me. We’re interrupted entirely too soon by the dinging of the elevator though, forced to exit its quiet solitude and enter the real world once again.
My heart aches a little as we head toward my truck, knowing that, in only a few hours, I’m going to have to leave her again.
I love baseball. It’s been my life, my world, and my entire reason for living for pretty much my whole life. I never thought I’d find something that meant as much to me as baseball.
But Liv Hunter…
She means everything.
Fucking Jayne.
I take off my helmet, throwing it into the dugout ahead of me before stomping down and plopping my pathetic ass down on the bench.
I just struck out. For the first time in years. And it’s all fucking Jayne’s fault.
Just before I headed out onto the field, my cell vibrated in my locker. Normally, I’d ignore a message that close to game time. But, after Liv’s previous scare, there was no way I could leave it and be able to focus on the game.
Turns out, checking the damn thing ended up being ten times worse.
Jayne’s message consisted of a screenshot of the pic of me and Liv at the restaurant the other night, followed by the words: You blew it big time, B. Hope you’re ready for what’s coming.
I have no fucking clue what she’s talking about, and knowing her, it’s just a load of bullshit in an attempt to get me to call her. That is exactly what I would’ve done had I not been called out to the field as soon as I saw her message. I know I shouldn’t, but I just can’t risk her doing something that could potentially upset Liv. She can’t take any more drama.
So, first thing after the game, I’m calling Jayne and finding out just what the fuck she wants. And then I’m calling Liv, letting her know exactly what’s been going on with Jayne before something else happens and she finds out the hard way.
Tag scoots over next to me, carefully eyeing me as he h
ands me a bottle of water. “So, that sucked.”
I squirt some water into my mouth before nodding. “Don’t have to tell me that.”
“Got something on your mind, bro? Things okay with Liv?”
I raise a brow at him, my lips tipping up in a half-smile. “Is this what we do now? Talk about our feelings and braid each other’s hair? I call dibs on the purple nail polish, if so.”
Tag rolls his eyes. “Come off it, B. Something is up with you. You don’t just strike out for no damn reason.”
I let out a breath, deciding I might as well tell him about the messages I’ve been getting from Jayne. I give him a quick rundown, and by the time I’m done, the look of concern on his face has only increased.
“And you’re sure you made it clear it was over between the two of you?” he asks.
“Dude, I don’t think I could’ve made it any clearer if I smacked her in the face with a reality shovel. That’s what she’s pissed about. She’s having trouble…coming to terms with my newfound relationship.”
“And you say you’ve ignored all her previous messages?”
I nod. “Aside from the phone call I inadvertently answered, we haven’t spoken since the night I told her about Liv. I thought she’d eventually get tired of me not responding and give up. But this last message…I don’t take well to threats, Tag. You should know that.”
“I can’t say I blame you. I don’t understand why the chick just can’t take the hint.”
I shrug. “Me either. But I’m going to put an end to it, once and for all.”
“You sure that’s a good idea? You might just be feeding the beast.”
“What the hell else am I supposed to do? Just let her keep getting away with being a giant twat waffle?”
Now, it’s Tag’s turn to shrug. “I think you should talk to Liv. Find out what she thinks about the whole situation before you do anything.”