by Ashley Ladd
“Here she is. My baby.” He circumvented her and laid his laptop on the kitchen table. Then he cleared his throat. “It’s been overheating all week. Last night, it blue-screened.”
Blue-screened—like their love. The unwelcome thought was like a shower of cold water. Even if their breakup had been her fault, she was disappointed.
She gave the laptop a cursory glance as she stifled a sigh. “If it needs a motherboard, you might be better off getting a new one. I’m umpiring all this week and I have several other jobs waiting, so it might be next week before I can look at it.”
When he looked crestfallen, she relented, “I’ll try to squeeze it in.” After all, he’d done a lot for her. Even if the petition didn’t work, his willingness to help her warmed her heart. She hoped he’d gone to so much trouble because he still cared for her, not merely to get his computer fixed.
Trey nodded and stuck his hands deep in his pockets. He looked at the machine ruefully as he rocked back and forth on his heels. Then his lips kinked. “Let me know the damage.”
She waved off his offer of recompense. “You’ve already settled the debt.”
She realised she was still clinging to the flowers. Rather, she was hiding behind them and crushing the poor things. Feeling sorry for them, she turned and went in search of a vase. Not finding one, she filled a plastic yellow pitcher with water from the kitchen tap and arranged the flowers in it.
As she was carrying it to the dining room table, another knock shook the door. She and Trey glanced at one another. Erica shrugged, deposited the makeshift vase and went to answer it. When she opened the door, her mother and younger sister poured in with their normal bustle.
Her mother, Connie, was a frustrated wedding planner who couldn’t understand why she was paid to plan weddings for every other family in their community except her own. Now that her youngest child was almost out of high school, she was making plans to expand her business and go into it full time. Still, her number one goal was to marry off her children in the largest, grandest wedding in all of South Florida, at least in all of northern Broward County.
Her sister, Amber, was a college student at Lynn University in Boca Raton. She usually worked weekends to save as much money as she could. Living at home, getting roped into helping her mother bake wedding cakes and make bows and other wedding favours wasn’t her thing. She wanted to become a missionary and save the destitute poor in Africa or the jungles of South America. First, she longed to live the carefree dorm life and party all night away from their parents’ watchful eyes. Today, she wore a skimpy emerald green camisole and a black skirt.
“Hello, dear.” Her mother pushed an aromatic cake, which was covered with brown and purple polka dot fondant, into her arms. “I was trying out a new wedding cake recipe for the Carter wedding and made too much for us to eat it all. Your poor father says he can’t lose weight being married to me and might have to get his own place if he’s to have a fighting chance.”
Erica tsked. “You’re so terrible to that man, baking and cooking for him, waiting on him hand and foot. I don’t know why he’s put up with you all these years.”
Connie put the cake beside the flowers then swatted at her. “You’re a big tease, just like your father.”
Amber shoved her laptop under Erica’s nose. “Pretty please will you fix my baby? I need it yesterday. I have a webinar tonight.”
”Tonight? You’re dreaming, little sister.”
“Then can I borrow one? Please?” She fluttered her lashes and put her hands together in supplication. When Erica didn’t respond, she added, “Pretty please!”
She didn’t trust her family, especially her siblings, with her computers. They were the Bermuda Triangle of computers and broke them faster than anyone else she knew. “How important is this webinar?”
“Very. It’s for one of my online classes. I’ll flunk the class if I miss it.”
When Amber gave her huge puppy dog eyes that melted her heart, Erica heaved a sigh. “All right. You can use my desktop here at my house.”
Amber flung herself into Erica’s arms and kissed both cheeks. “You’re the best. I’ll do anything you say.”
“Clean my house for a week.” Erica waited for the fall out. Amber thought housework worse than death. Her room was a toxic dump.
“A week! Eric, you can’t be serious. I’ll cut your grass and weed your garden instead. Deal?”
It was a better outcome than Erica had expected, so she nodded. “Deal.”
Trey’s brow tented. “Eric?”
Erica swallowed a sigh as she lifted her gaze to his curious one. “Sometimes they forget. No biggie. I answer to either.”
“You do…Eric?” A devilish smile played around Trey’s lips.
Erica scowled. “I answer to either to my family.”
A weird expression flitted across Trey’s face. “I was your family.”
Was—the operative word. Fresh pain sliced through Erica and she turned away without replying. What could she—should she—say? In the end, she opted for nodding.
Amber tilted her head and crossed her eyes at Trey. “Are you two together again?” Before Erica could answer, Amber scrunched her nose and play punched her in the shoulder. “You don’t tell me anything. Sisters are supposed to confide everything to each other.”
Erica wanted to swallow her tongue. Later, she’d take Amber to task for talking out of turn. And maybe one day, she’d be comfortable taking her sister as her confidante. For now, she darted an evil glare at her sister.
Then simultaneously, Erica and Trey burst out in unison, “No.”
Trey added, “We’re not together.”
Their gazes met and held for several moments. Just when Erica decided what she saw was mirrored hurt and longing in Trey’s eyes, they hardened to bits of ice.
Amber threw up her hands. Her eyes widened. “Don’t kill me for asking. So why are you here?”
Erica tried to keep her expression neutral. “Same reason you are. To have his laptop looked at.”
Her mother bustled about the kitchen to the sound of silverware chinking on dishes. Then she waltzed out balancing three plates. Connie laid one in front of each chair, then lowered herself into the one at the head of the table. She beamed at them as if awaiting their critiques of her creation. “Eat up, all of you. Let me know what you think.”
Erica fished forks out of the silverware drawer and passed them around to the people seating themselves at the table. Standing beside her sister, she took a tiny bite in case it was as distasteful as the last one. Her mother tended to mix strange ingredients like peanuts and cottage cheese together in her cakes. She wouldn’t be surprised if she got outrageous and added something like sauerkraut one of these days.
When it delighted her palate, she smiled and took a larger bite.
“What flavour is this, Mrs M?”
Connie smiled secretively and asked, “What do you think it tastes like?”
Erica, Trey and Amber looked to one another then shrugged. “We give up,” Erica finally said. It had a sweet and sour taste but she couldn’t place it.
Connie beamed. “Pineapple. Oranges. Coconut. Vinaigrette.”
Trey tore into his piece as if he hadn’t eaten all day. With appreciation in his eyes, he looked up and smiled. “You should market this in stores. You’re an Einstein in the kitchen.”
Erica’s mother hugged Trey. “You really think so? We’ve missed you. I hope this means we’ll see more of you again.”
Erica wanted to sink into the floor. Hoping Trey wasn’t as embarrassed as her, she watched him through her down-swept lashes. However, the guy was too busy shovelling the food into his mouth for her to glean what he was thinking.
After Trey gathered the crumbs onto his fork and cleaned the plate, he gazed at her mother with the adoration Erica longed for. “I forgot how much I love your cooking and being with your family.”
Everybody stared at him in silence. Then Erica’s family turned t
heir gazes to her. Finally, her mother said, “Well…”
Trey cleared his throat and too fast, scraped his chair back from the table. He unfolded his long length and dragged his keys from his pocket in one smooth motion. “Well, it was good to see all of you, but I have to run. We have practice tonight.”
Amber tilted her head. “Are you still on the same team Eric used to play on?”
The team they’d met on… Erica’s blood pounded too loudly in her ears to hear Trey’s next words. She was afraid to do so much as nod as she didn’t know what he’d said.
Amber turned to her and cocked her brows. “Why don’t you play anymore?”
Erica didn’t feel like long explanations, so she merely said, “There are no fast pitch leagues for women in the area. I stay in the game umpiring.”
Trey moved a step closer. “We’re getting together a petition so Erica can play on my league. A couple of more signatures would be nice.”
Erica retrieved the petition and slid them across the table to her family. She found a pen in a kitchen drawer and gave it to them.
Fire flamed in Amber’s eyes when she looked up from signing. “That’s not fair. Why not?”
When Erica brushed against Trey’s thigh as she leant across the table, tingles shot up her spine and she shivered. She scooted away a few inches and swallowed a sigh. “It’s a men’s-only league. I’m no longer a man.”
“But you’re a trans…” Amber bit her lip and shifted uncomfortably.
“So join a co-ed league,” Connie said as she finished her cake.
“They only play slow-pitch. Not baseball or even fast pitch. I’d rather umpire.”
“So start your own league.” Amber whistled tunelessly as if she’d just solved the problem.
Erica exchanged a weary glance with Trey. Non-baseball people didn’t have a clue about the ins and outs.
“It’s not that easy,” Trey said. “The cities demand hefty fees to rent the fields. You have to hook up with umpires. There has to be a council. And insurance.”
Amber stared at him as if he was speaking Chinese. “So just grab an open field and play unofficially without umpires.”
This time Erica laughed without mirth. “The fields have to be scheduled and paid for in advance. They lock them up when there’s no one scheduled. If you jump the fence, they chase you off. At least in this part of the country.”
“Bummer.” Amber twisted a strand of her hair around her finger.
“Tell me about it. Maybe I should move to a place with a league for me or at least that has open fields.” Erica gazed out the window wondering if such a place still existed. She hoped so, even though she wasn’t serious about moving.
Trey scowled. “It’s not fair. You shouldn’t have to move. Don’t worry, we’ll win.”
Amber jumped up and fisted her hands on her hips. “That sucks! I don’t want you to move.”
Erica gave them her best duh glare. “No, I’m not going to move. My work’s here. So’s my family.”
Erica caught a glimmer of what looked like relief flash across Trey’s eyes, but it disappeared as quickly as it had arrived so she wondered if she’d imagined it.
“Not to mention Fort Lauderdale is more gay- and transgender-friendly than most places,” Trey said.
Erica’s mother snorted. Her forehead pinched, she faced off against Erica. “I like that. As usual you put work before family.”
Erica stifled a sigh and wished everybody would leave. The day had been so peaceful and pleasant until her uninvited guests had arrived. She glared pointedly at his sister. “If so many people didn’t beg me to fix their computers right away, I wouldn’t be working all the time.”
Amber squirmed then discovered her feet were extremely fascinating. Quietly, she shuffled away until she became invisible behind their mother.
Trey cleared his throat and said in a gruff voice, “I’d best be going. Practice starts soon.” He made a beeline to the front door. Then he turned. “I hope those petitions help.”
Erica scanned the list. “I don’t see Clay’s name. He wouldn’t sign? Or you didn’t ask him?”
Trey’s nose wrinkled and he looked away. “I lost the bet.”
“Bet?”
“The moron didn’t want to sign, so we made a bet. I didn’t bat at least four runs in, so he didn’t sign.”
Heat crawled into her cheeks and she wanted to hug herself that Trey had gone the extra mile to win Clay to her side. Her heart sped up. Did this mean he still cared? She didn’t dare to raise her hopes and set herself up for a fall. As she envisioned Clay’s adverse reaction, she shook her head. “Why am I not surprised?”
“Forget Clay. You have enough signatures to lobby the board without his. Good luck with your appeal.” Trey hurried out the door. His shadow leapt out of sight as if he’d jumped down all four stairs at once.
Emptiness shoved aside her annoyance when her family waved and followed Trey out. She resolved to have a good day despite the fact the intense desire to play ball again nagged at her until she fell asleep that night.
Chapter Four
Three days later, shortly after Erica got home from work, she opened a forwarded email from her mother. After reading the second line, her heart leapt into her throat. She petrified in her chair.
Your aunt and uncle are visiting next weekend. They want to see you…
Bile rose in her throat. Her aunt was an absolute sweetheart whom she loved to pieces. However, cold chills ran down her spine when she thought about her uncle. To say he was homophobic was like saying a hungry alligator was a tiny, harmless lizard. He’d barely been able to look at Eric square in the face after he emerged from the closet. A religious fanatic from the Bible belt, the man considered it his mission to tell everybody how to live their lives. If they wouldn’t listen, he wrote them off. By listening, his uncle meant to do whatever he thought was right.
Finally, when she could breathe normally again, she padded out to the kitchen and grabbed a black coffee. After she took several sips, she tackled the rest of the email.
I told them you’ll be with us for dinner Saturday at six and they’re looking forward to seeing you. Your aunt and uncle aren’t getting any younger. This could be your last chance to see them so I won’t accept any excuses.
Erica’s chest tightened. She muttered under her breath, “Are you serious? Would you invite Satan and God to the same dinner table for a nice family get-together?”
She read and reread her great aunt’s email. Longing to see her Aunt Georgie overcame her. The sweetheart was more like the grandmother she’d never known than an aunt. If only she could see Georgie without her uncle, she’d accept in a flash.
Unfortunately, her Uncle Bob was a hard man. Although she loved him, he intimidated her. As a kid, he’d frightened her…and she felt like that little kid all over again.
She thought of excuses her mother couldn’t refute and began typing. I’ll be out of town for the next two weeks. Sorry.
But she’d have to go out of town. Hiding wouldn’t be good enough. Her mother would drive by her house every day to make sure she wasn’t lying. She’d probably call her employer, too, to catch her in a lie. She had too many projects at work to take a last-minute vacation.
She erased the words and typed, I’m extremely ill. The doctor says I’m contagious and have to be quarantined for the next two weeks. Sorry.
She shook her head and erased the new words. Her mother would don a medical mask and bring over a big pot of chicken soup. If she didn’t find her, she’d call her employer.
After deciding nothing sounded plausible, she typed, Does Uncle Bob know about me? He won’t want to see me. Can’t I just see Aunt Georgie without him?
After she typed the sentence, Trey’s words haunted her. Her uncle wouldn’t be around forever. She’d be sorry when he was gone.
Of course, she’d be sorry. Would she be sorrier if her last memory was of a man who completely rejected her? At least now, they co
mmunicated by mail and the occasional phone call. That was better than nothing. And what if her uncle ordered her aunt to cut off all contact, too?
Not in the mood to discuss this further, she turned off her phone and shut down her email. She grabbed the first computer on top of her pile of repair jobs and immersed herself in work. She turned up her Adam Lambert CD until it filled her head and drowned out her other thoughts.
* * * *
Trey was of two minds as he parked in front of Erica’s house. When Connie had requested his help, he’d thought it a good idea. He himself had told Erica she’d be sorry if she ignored her family—that she had to face them.
But what if he was wrong? What if Erica’s uncle rejected her? Face to face?
His father’s rejection had almost killed him. How he wished he’d tried harder to repair things.
He wasn’t Erica, however, and he pivoted on his heel to turn back and leave. Connie could do her own cajoling.
Just as he was about to climb into his car, Erica rounded the corner from the back of her house and stopped in front of him. “Did I forget you were coming? Are you here for your computer?”
Trey grasped at the excuse. “Yeah. I was in the neighbourhood and thought I’d check. Is it ready?”
Erica wiped her hands down her jeans, leaving a brown streak. “No. I told you I’d call when it was done.”
Trey shrugged and backed away. “I know how absentminded you get when you’re busy so I just thought I’d ask. Okay then. I gotta go.”
Erica narrowed her eyes and followed him to his car. She crossed her arms over her chest and leant against it. “Is something else on your mind? Is that the only reason you stopped by?”
Feeling trapped, Trey gulped. Despite the heat of the afternoon sun on his head, he felt chilly. “No. Nothing else.”
Erica thrust her chin out and up. “Liar. ‘Fess up. What really brings you here?”
Uneasy to discuss such private things in public, he looked around to make sure no one was paying attention. To his chagrin, two young women strolled by pushing baby strollers. Kids pedalled by on their bicycles. People climbed in and out of cars. “Can we go inside?”