My Lucky Catch (University Park #6)

by C. M. Doporto

  “Hey.” I jumped when I felt a finger poke me in the back. “How’s your workout going?”

  I turned around to see Lexi. “Hey. Um, okay, I guess.” Dread washed over me, knowing that I wouldn’t get out of here without Luke and Riley seeing me. “What are you doing up here, dressed like that?” Wearing a fitted A-line dress, it was obvious she wasn’t here to exercise.

  “We went to church and then out to eat with our parents.” She smiled, smoothing the flower printed fabric with the palms of her hands. “Collin wanted to ask Luke something, and I wanted to ask you something, too.”

  “Okay.” I glanced over my shoulder, watching Collin talk to Luke, Riley, and Forbes. “I guess it couldn’t wait?”

  “No.” A flush of pink tinged her cheeks and her entire face beamed with radiance. “Absolutely, not.”

  I waited for her to say something but she just stood there, bouncing on the tips of her toes. Unsure of what she wanted to ask, I probed her for the question. “Well?”

  “I can’t believe you haven’t noticed.” Her voice lilted as she raised her left hand in front of my face. “Collin asked me to marry him!”

  “Wow! Um . . . congrats.” I didn’t know what else to say. Although Lexi never shared intimate details with me about their relationship, I hadn’t expected a proposal anytime soon. Aside from a peck here and there, I never witnessed Collin kiss her and rarely saw them hold hands. It was like they were friends, and I wasn’t even sure if they were friends with benefits. Luke and I flirted more with each other than they did, and we’d only know each other for less than a year.

  “I can’t believe it.” She stared at her hand, smiling from the inside out. “Isn’t it beautiful?” Tilting her hand toward me, she gave me another glimpse of her ring.

  “It is,” I agreed, not wanting to be rude. The diamond was so small. It was more like a promise ring than an engagement ring, but I wasn’t going to tell her that. I wasn’t a fan of big bling, but I would expect an engagement ring to have some more sparkle to it. Then again, Lexi was a simple person, so I guess it fit her perfectly.

  “And I’d love for you to be my maid of honor.” Her lips spread into a huge grin.

  “Oh, really?” Lexi had totally caught me off guard. Although we’d become closer over the past school year, I didn’t think I was the right person for the role. We weren’t best friends, just roommates. Then I realized that I was Lexi’s only close friend. Aside from hanging out with Jordan and Ali, she had no one else. What kind of person would I be if I said, no? I had to do the right thing. “Of course. Yes, I’d be happy to.”

  “Thank you so much!” She threw her arms around me and hugged me tightly.

  My body caved forward as a deep layer of guilt carved into me. Did she know about Luke and me hooking up? I noticed Luke shake Collin’s hand and then engage in a manly hug with him. It made sense. Collin had asked Luke to be his best man, and that’s why Lexi asked me to be her maid of honor. If she knew about us, why hadn’t she said something? I decided to continue to keep it hushed and wait for the right time to tell her, or wait for to admit she already knew.

  Chapter 7

  Summer before Senior Year

  Luke

  “Hey, Sis.” I peeked my head in her room.

  “Hey, what are you doing home?” Lexi glanced up from the spread of magazines on her bed. “Shouldn’t you be at practice?”

  “Yeah, I was there earlier.”

  “Oh.” She narrowed her eyes at me. “Collin said he’d be at practice all day.”

  I crossed my arms and leaned against the doorframe. “You know, Collin. He likes to keep practicing, even after practice.” The truth was I had gone to practice, but Coach had agreed to let me go home early. I told him I really wanted to have that heart to heart conversation with my dad before the next tournament started. Dad was already questioning why I sat out the last game, and he demanded to know what was going on. I should’ve been honest with him the first time he asked, but with finals, I just didn’t feel like talking about it. Now, I didn’t have an excuse to keep avoiding the conversation with him.

  “Yeah, I guess, you’re right.” She shrugged and continued thumbing through the pages in her magazine.

  “Where are Mom and Dad?”

  “They went to the grocery store.” She picked up her phone. “They left at nine this morning and should be back any minute. Mom and I have a noon appointment at Ridgecrest Country Club with Mrs. Norris to see if that might be where we want to have our wedding reception.”

  “By the way, congrats.” I shot her a timid smile.

  “Thanks.” Her face brightened. “Kind of hard to believe that after all these years, we’re finally getting married.”

  “I know.” Although I wasn’t jealous that she was marrying my friend, it seemed weird that I couldn’t tell her that I’d been secretly seeing her friend and roommate for more than a year. Then again, Laney and I weren’t serious, and I had no idea where we were headed since I hadn’t talked to her since the spring semester ended three weeks ago. “Collin’s a good guy. He’ll treat you right.”

  The glow in her face disappeared along with her smile. Being twins, I sometimes sensed things, and something told me she wasn’t one hundred percent sure she was ready to get married to Collin. I had my own problems, though, and I wasn’t ready to delve in to hers. “Yeah, I know he will.”

  “So, is Delaney going with you?” I wasn’t sure how to ask Lexi about her. I didn’t want it to seem obvious, and since they had both moved back home for the summer, I had no idea if Lexi had seen her, either.

  “No. She’s on vacation with her family. They took a cruise out of Houston to the Caribbean.”

  “Nice.” I rolled my eyes, a little peeved that she hadn’t bothered to tell me before she left. Then again, she didn’t owe me any explanations about how she was spending her time.

  “Yeah, I mentioned to Collin that we should consider a cruise for our honeymoon.”

  “Oh, yeah. What did he say?”

  “He said it wouldn’t be a good idea since Mom doesn’t like water, and she’d be worried about us.”

  “Figures.” I released a laugh. “Hell, I’d do it in spite of her.”

  Lexi shook her head. “That’s so wrong.”

  “Yeah, well . . .” I stopped when I heard the garage door open. “They’re back.” I slapped the wall with my hand. “I’ll see you later. I need to talk to Dad.”

  “Okay.” Lexi rolled off her bed and grabbed her shoes. “See you later.”

  I headed downstairs to the kitchen. My parents were hauling the groceries from the car into the house.

  “Hey, Luke. Didn’t know you were coming home,” Mom said, struggling to place the bags on the marble island. “Shouldn’t you be at practice? Doesn’t the tournament start tomorrow?”

  I grabbed the bags from her hands. “We practiced early this morning.”

  “Thanks, Son.”

  She reached for the pantry door and asked, “Is everything okay? I know you were benched for the last two games.” With her back facing me, she continued to stock the shelves.

  “Yeah, I’m good. Just need to talk to Dad, that’s all.”

  “Oh. Can I help with anything?” She glanced over her shoulder. “If I need to give Coach Summers a call, I will.”

  “Nope, not necessary.” I darted to the garage, dodging any more questions from her.

  “Oh, okay. Are you sure you . . . ” Her voice trailed off as I walked out of the kitchen.

  I wanted to talk to my dad first, without my mom present. My mom could be so overbearing at times, and it drove me nuts. Involving her would just make it harder, and I was already having a hard time dealing with everything. Dad was more level-headed and understanding, but only when my mom wasn’t in the conversation. Add her to it, and she dominated it, telling him what to do.

  “Hey, Luke.” Dad looked a little surprised to see me. “Everything okay?”

  “Hi, Dad.” I e
xtended my arms. “Need some help?”

  “Sure.” He handed me the bags and then returned to the trunk of the car. “Are you ready for the tournament?”

  “I guess.”

  “That doesn’t sound very convincing.”

  I gave a half shrug. “I need to talk to you, alone” I partially blocked the doorway, not wanting my mom to hear.

  “Okay. We’ll wait until for Mom and Lexi to leave.” He shifted the weight of the bags in his hands.

  “Thanks.” I pushed the door open with my back, and we trudged into the house. We helped Mom unload everything. After they left, we went into the living room to talk.

  “So, what’s going on?” Dad handed me a cold beer before sitting across from me in his recliner.

  “Thanks.”

  He lifted his bottle up in the air, toasting me. “Don’t tell Mom.”

  I laughed. He sounded like one of those car or insurance commercials that showed the dad doing things with his kids that the mother wouldn’t like. And drinking a beer would definitely not be something my mom would approve of.

  “Does Mom know you have these?” I glanced at the long neck in my hand.

  “Nope.” He took a big gulp and said, “Ahh. Damn, that’s good.”

  “Where do you keep them?” I lifted the bottle to my lips and took a long sip.

  “Out back, in the shed. I kept your mini fridge from your dorm and made a wooden cover for it. Looks like a cabinet and matches perfectly.”

  I smiled. “Ingenious.”

  “So, what’s going on?”

  I rolled the bottle between my palms and thought of how to inform him that the fourteen years of baseball practice and camp were for nothing. Dad had been my biggest champion throughout the years. It was always his dream to play in college, but when my mom got pregnant with my sister Ashley, that dream vanished.

  Taking a deep breath, I blew it out steadily.

  “It’s alright, you can tell me.”

  I nodded and gathered the courage that somehow scattered through my stomach and said, “I’ve decided I don’t want to play baseball professionally.”

  Dad’s eyebrows shot up. “When did this happen?”

  “Um, I guess during the middle of the season last year. I realized how hard it is and the amount of dedication and persistence that’s necessary.”

  “Son, it’s no different than when you played the year before.”

  “Yeah, it is. The team is doing really well, moving up in the conference, which means Coach is more demanding.” I took another drink and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. “I just can’t see myself playing for a living. I love baseball, but it’s starting to wear me out.”

  “Nothing in life comes easily, Luke. Greatness isn’t given, it’s earned. You have to give it your all. One-hundred and ten percent of your best efforts. That means getting your ass out of bed every day at 6 a.m. and running or hitting balls.

  “I know.” I nodded without looking at him. “I’m not missing any practices.”

  “You have to do more than the daily practices. Playing ball can’t be taken lightly. You’re only going to get out of it what you put in it. And if you’re barely doing what’s needed than that explains why Coach has been benching you.”

  “He’s benching me because my heart isn’t in it, Dad.”

  “Next year is your senior year. If you want scouts pursuing you, you’ve got to get serious, Son.”

  “That’s just it, Dad, I don’t want to.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Didn’t you hear what I said?” Inhaling, I took a long steady breath, trying to keep calm. Dad was always hard on me when it came to playing ball and telling him this news wasn’t easy for either of us. “Dad, this might be your dream, but it’s not mine. I don’t want to play baseball professionally.”

  His chin dipped toward the ground, and he released a heavy sigh. “I understand. It’s just hard for me to accept.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m trying, but it’s just not in me anymore.”

  “Is that why you’re smoking?” He glanced up at me. “That’s doing you more harm than you realize.” He reclined back in his chair and took a long, slow sip of his beer.

  “I know.” I sighed. “I’ve been so stressed this semester, and next year isn’t going to be any better.”

  “Doesn’t exercise help you?”

  “It does, and I enjoying doing it. In fact, that’s what I really want to do.”

  “Exercise?”

  “No.” I shook my head. “Not just workout, but train others how to condition their bodies.”

  Dad’s eyes widened, and he blinked slowly.

  “And you think someone is going to take you seriously when they see you smoking?”

  “I know.” My head dropped to my chest. “I need to stop.”

  “Luke, I want you to be happy, but changing your major at the ninth hour is kind of too late.”

  “I actually changed my major last year.”

  “What? I thought you were majoring in business with a minor in marketing?”

  “Nope.” I pressed my lips together momentarily and then figured what the hell and said, “I’m majoring in sport exercise with a minor in nutrition.”

  “Wow.” He rubbed his forehead with his hand and then took a big gulp from his bottle. “And you think you’ll be able to get a job doing that and make a decent living?”

  “Yeah, Dad, I really do. In fact, I told Coach and he—”

  “You told Coach you didn’t want to play?” Dad practically shot off his chair. Red streaks painted his face, and I prepared myself for the worst.

  “Relax.” I lifted my hands, telling him to stay calm. “We had a good talk, and he supports my dream. In fact, he encouraged me to talk to you. He said he’d put in a good word with Julian, the team’s athletic trainer. I might be able to work with him once I graduate.”

  “Oh.” Dad’s attitude quickly changed. “So, you’re thinking about training the players?”

  “Yeah.” A half laugh released. “Why not? I understand baseball and what it takes to succeed. Since PHU was accepted in the South Central Conference, more money will be invested in the team and the facility. That means more jobs.” I smiled and so did Dad.

  “I think that’s a great idea, Son.” He lifted his beer. “If that’s what makes you happy, then I support you.”

  “Thanks, Dad, that means a lot to me.” I leaned forward and tapped my beer against his. “But do me a favor, and don’t tell Mom, at least not yet.”

  We both laughed, and he winked, telling me he completely understood where I was coming from.

  ***

  Delaney

  I stared at the flyer I found last night in my backpack. New York summer photography camp sounded right up my ally. At first, I didn’t think much about it, and then it slipped my mind so I forgot to check it out. With the deadline already passed and classes starting in less than a week, I doubted I’d be able to go. Just for the hell of it, though, I emailed the professor coordinating the event. I had him last semester for one of my photography classes, and I hoped he would respond.

  As soon as I set the flyer down next to me, I heard a soft knock on the door.

  “Delaney, are you awake?” Veronica asked, sticking her head into my room.

  “Yeah, come in.” I propped myself up against the pillows, leaning against the headboard. “I was just waking up.”

  She sat on the edge of my bed and placed her hand on top of mine. Her long slender fingers were a direct contrast to my short, stubby ones. “Are you doing okay?”

  Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I nodded. “Yeah, why?”

  “Don’t take this the wrong way, but as I was looking at the pictures we took on the cruise, and you weren’t smiling in any of them. Did you not have a good time?”

  I released a silent sigh. Considering Veronica was not my biological mother, she really could read and sense my feelings very well. “I did, I just have a lot on my
mind.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “Thanks.” I ran my hand through my matted hair. “But I think I need to sort through what I’m feeling on my own.” Talking to her about my feelings for Luke wasn’t something I was ready to do. I had already talked to Jordan, but I didn’t like what she had to say. Luke and I weren’t ready to go public with our friends-with-benefits status, and I wasn’t ready to give up the guys I had on the side, either. Deep down, the torment in my mind was all because I was afraid to love him. And I wanted to love him, but I was terrified, too.

  “I understand.” She gripped my hand. “If you don’t feel comfortable talking to me or Martin, you can always go see your therapist.”

  “I know.” I squeezed her hand. This wasn’t the first time I’d heard this. I’d had countless sessions with my therapist, and although it helped, I was still messed up inside.

  She pressed her lips together, and a comforting smile spread across her face. “Don’t hesitate to go if you need to.”

  “Thanks, Veronica, I appreciate it.”

  Despite my rebellious behavior over the years, Veronica and Martin never gave up on me. They treated me like their own daughter and did everything and anything to help me. I was grateful for them, and I did my best to treat them like they deserved, but no matter how hard I tried, they still weren’t my Mom and Dad. They were the best adopted parents anyone could wish for, though. I was damn lucky to have them.

  “Of course.” Her hand retracted to the flyer on the bed. “What’s this?” She picked it up, her eyes skimming over it.

  “Oh, it’s a flyer about a summer photography program in New York City.”

  “I see that. It says you get credit for one class and an internship, as well. I think this would be great for you.” Her brows lifted and then dropped. “Oh, but it says the deadline was this past Friday.”

  “I know.” I pouted. “I kind of forgot about it.”

  “Delaney, you can’t forget about important stuff like this.” She shook the paper at me.

  “I know.” I rolled my eyes, peeved that I didn’t have my shit together. “But I did email my professor last night about it. Told him we were on vacation, and I didn’t have access to my email and wasn’t able to apply in time. I’m waiting to hear back from him.”