Team Mom: A Sweet Contemporary Romance (Finding Love Book 1)

by Delaney Cameron

  She trailed him to the door. “Thanks again for all your help.”

  “Stop thanking me. I wanted to do it.” His lowered his head and kissed her softly. “I’m not even gone yet, and I miss you already,” he whispered.

  “I miss you, too.” She stood on tiptoe and kissed him back.

  He sighed as he opened the door. “You don’t make leaving easy.”

  ******

  When Julie walked into Jordan’s room the next morning, he was tucking in his uniform shirt. Tears welled in her eyes. She wished Devon and her parents were here to see this. Pulling her phone from her pocket, she did the next best thing. She sent them a picture.

  “Aunt Julie, can you help me with the belt?”

  “Sure thing.” She threaded the wide belt through the loops on the back of his pants. “Where’s your hat?”

  “On the rack by the closet.”

  As she lifted the navy blue hat off the hook, she knocked another one to the floor. When she bent to pick it up, she noticed the lines of k’s again. This was the hat Eric had given him. “Jordan, what’s with all the k’s on Coach Gibson’s hat?”

  “Those are strikeouts. The backward k’s mean the batter didn’t swing at the last strike.”

  “There must be thirty of them. He couldn’t have done that in one game.”

  “Not one game. Three games.”

  “That’s still impressive.”

  “He was the MVP of the playoffs.”

  Pride swelled inside Julie. She wished she could have seen him play. A thought occurred to her. Maybe she could. “Those playoff games would be on YouTube, wouldn’t they?”

  “Everything is on YouTube.”

  She knew what she’d be doing when she got home from the ballpark.

  ******

  Julie stood with the other parents as the red-faced, perspiring photographer tried to get thirteen boys and two grown men to stand and look where he told them. As soon as he’d get one side the way he wanted, the other side would shift or turn around.

  It seemed natural that Jordan would end up next to Eric. The two had bonded from the start. Had she and Eric bonded, too? She wanted to think so. Her other relationships had never involved her heart. When they ended, she simply moved on. That wasn’t the case this time. She knew she would be devastated if Eric never returned her feelings. Love had done what infatuation had been incapable of: it had made her vulnerable. It had stripped her of any kind of defense to hide behind. Love not only made her willing to give her heart; it also made it impossible for her to withhold it.

  When she heard the photographer calling for the next group of boys, Julie blinked as if someone waking from a dream. Her eyes went to Eric, towering over the heads crowded around him. He was telling the team to meet him at the batting cages in a half hour. As everyone dispersed, Jordan headed in her direction.

  “Can we get something to eat, Aunt Julie?”

  She looked at his flushed, excited face. “If you want to.”

  They walked to the concession stand and joined the others in line. The park was alive with activity; the sidewalks jammed with people and strollers. On the two fields behind them, the first games of the day were getting started. Julie could hear the announcers giving the starting lineups.

  After they got their food, they found a place to sit in the pavilion. The noise level reminded Julie of a school lunchroom. She felt movement beside her and glanced up into Eric’s smiling face.

  “Hey, Miss Evans. Do you mind if I sit here?”

  “Not at all, Coach Gibson.”

  Jordan looked over at them and grinned. Julie hoped he wouldn’t say anything. She’d tried to explain the reasons why she and Eric maintained a low profile at the ballpark but was unsure of her success.

  One of the parents across the table asked Eric a question. Julie turned her attention back to her food. It wouldn’t do for her to keep staring at him. She was telling the woman on the other side of Jordan where she’d bought her purse when she felt fingers slide down her bare leg. She automatically stiffened. What was Eric doing? Hoping no one had noticed her reaction, she finished her conversation and turned to look at him.

  He was taking a drink and nodding at one of the dads, the picture of innocence. She resumed eating and almost choked on her hotdog when it happened again.

  “Are you all right, Miss Evans?” he asked with only the hint of a smile.

  “I thought I felt something crawling on me. I have a terrible fear of spiders.”

  He nodded. “I don’t care for snakes.”

  After the people around them left, she whispered, “You need to get your mind on baseball.”

  Eric laughed as wadded up a candy wrapper. “Do you realize how difficult that is with you next to me? There’s a reason wives and girlfriends aren’t allowed near players before games.”

  “You’re not a player. You’re a coach.”

  “Right now I don’t feel like either.”

  “Don’t you have somewhere to be?”

  “Yes, I do, sweet thing.” Flashing her an unrepentant grin, he gathered his trash and left.

  ******

  As Eric watched his players warm up on the field, he felt the customary anticipation and nervous tension that always accompanies first games. He’d done everything he could to prepare these boys. They might not win, but he knew they would do their best.

  From his position near first base, he had a good view of the stands. He could see Jordan sitting on the bottom row of the bleachers, his expression a mixture of disappointment and resignation. Eric knew well the sting of not being on the field.

  His glance moved to Julie. He’d waited for her arrival at the ballpark that morning with an anxiety that didn’t entirely surprise him. When she did appear, it had been almost painful to be forced to behave as if she was no more special than any other parent. Not when he knew the truth: that she had become more important to him than anyone else. It had been a mistake to sit next to her at the pavilion. She was too much of a temptation. Gone were the days when he could be that close and not touch her.

  A couple rows behind Jordan and Julie sat Matt and Sarah. His brother’s support meant a lot to him. There were many other places he could have chosen to be today rather than a baseball game. Somewhat reluctantly, he allowed his gaze to move to the left. A myriad of emotions seized him at the sight of his father and Brianna: sadness and regret being the ones he could most easily identify. Didn’t his father realize this was too little too late? Watching him coach a team wasn’t the same as watching him play.

  Just before he returned his attention to the field, he remembered another face that had always been in the stands. The person who cheered him to victory and sympathized with him in defeat. He liked to think that she was still watching him.

  ******

  Julie sat on the edge of her seat, hardly daring to breathe. It was bottom of the sixth inning, the game was tied, there were two outs, and a runner was on third base. Liam, the number nine hitter on the team, was up at the plate. Eric stood in the third base coach’s box, looking as relaxed as everyone else looked tense. He’d said he was cool under pressure – Julie was beginning to believe it.

  The opposing team’s pitcher received the signal and went into his windup. The first pitch was a strike, right down the middle. Liam never lifted the bat from his shoulder.

  “Wait for your pitch, Liam,” Eric called out. “You know what to do.”

  The second pitch was another strike, this time on the inside corner. Again, Liam didn’t swing.

  Was he too scared to move?

  Eric called for time and motioned for Liam to come to him. He put his hand on the boy’s shoulder and said something that made Liam laugh and nod his head. Then Liam trotted back to the batter’s box.

  The third pitch was in the dirt. The count was now one ball and two strikes. Eric did a series of hand signals which both Liam and Hunter, the player at third base, watched closely. Just as the pitcher started his windup, Liam m
oved to the front of the batter’s box and squared to bunt. This action seemed to throw the pitcher off. The ball sailed over the catcher’s head allowing Hunter to run home and score.

  Julie, along with everyone else, rose to her feet, yelling and clapping.

  “We won, Aunt Julie, we won!” Jordan shouted in her ear.

  “Yes, we did. Isn’t it great?” Forgetting that he probably wouldn’t like it, Julie pulled him close and hugged him.

  Matt came around to where Jordan was standing. “What a game!” They exchanged a high-five. “Eric has guts, I’ll give him that. No one was expecting Liam to bunt with two outs and two strikes. That was a bigtime risk.”

  “I was wondering about that,” Julie said.

  A young woman came to stand next to Matt. She was almost as tall as he was with long, dark hair and a friendly smile.

  “Everyone, this is my girlfriend Sarah. Sarah, this is Julie Evans and her nephew Jordan. He’d normally be playing in the outfield today, but he’s been under the weather.”

  Sarah smiled. “It’s nice to finally meet you both. Matt talks about you all the time.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, too,” Julie replied.

  “He described you so accurately that I’d know you anywhere. I should be jealous that he took so much notice of another woman.”

  Matt leaned over and kissed her cheek. “All for a good cause, darling.”

  “Aunt Julie, can I go wait for Coach Gibson down by the dugout?”

  “You can, but don’t wander off. We’re going to leave soon.”

  Julie noticed an older man standing behind the bleachers in conversation with a woman. It was like looking at Eric in fifteen or twenty years. That had to be his father. The woman was obviously much younger. The floppy hat on her head and expensive sunglasses weren’t enough to hide the fact that she was lovely. Light blonde hair hung over her shoulders and down her back. She was about Julie’s height, her curvy figure showing to advantage in a thin t-shirt and yoga pants. Was that Eric’s stepmother?

  “What are we doing now?”

  Sarah’s question recalled Julie to her surroundings.

  “It’s only three,” Matt replied. “We could go back to the house and swim.”

  Sarah looked in the direction of the couple Julie had just noticed. “Maybe we should go to the beach instead.”

  Matt followed her glance. “Eric’s almost done. Let me see what his plans are.”

  ******

  After Matt walked away, Sarah moved closer to Julie and lowered her voice. “Things are a little complicated right now. I’m sure Eric told you about his father showing up. They haven’t seen him in over a year. That’s not the sign of a great relationship.”

  “No, I guess it’s not.”

  “They’re thinking of relocating here. Needless to say, the guys aren’t thrilled about it. For Matt it’s not so personal a thing. The case is different for Eric. It can’t be easy being around Brianna.”

  Julie felt the color drain from her face. Had Eric been involved with his father’s new wife? “I don’t understand. Did he know Brianna before she married his dad?”

  “No, I’m sure he didn’t. I was talking about Sydney, Eric’s ex-wife. She and Brianna could pass for sisters.”

  The only reason Julie could think of for why Eric would be bothered seeing someone who looked like Sydney was if he still had feelings for her. Just the thought of that stopped her cold. Was this the missing piece to the puzzle? Had Eric not wanted his marriage to end? “I didn’t know that. I try to forget about him being on that show.”

  Jordan came running up to Julie. “Coach Gibson wants to talk to you.”

  “Okay. Wait for me here.” Julie looked at Sarah. “If I don’t see you again, it was nice to meet you.”

  Sarah laughed. “Oh, we’ll definitely be meeting again.”

  When Julie rounded the corner of the dugout, she didn’t realize Eric was standing right there. She tried to stop her momentum, but it was too late. Her head collided with the hard wall of his chest. She heard his surprised grunt. “I’m so sorry, Coach Gibson.”

  He absently rubbed the spot she hit. “That’s all right, Miss Evans. You can knock me down any time.”

  “Shh,” she warned, but he only laughed.

  “There’s nobody here but me. Did you enjoy the game?”

  Her smile grew. “It was fantastic, especially the ending.”

  Eric nodded. “We got lucky. The ball bounced our way today.”

  “You didn’t think it would work?”

  “It was a gamble that paid off. What are your plans? Would Jordan feel up to coming to the house? I know he can’t swim, but we could fish a little or watch baseball.”

  “What about your company?”

  Some of the pleasure faded from his face. “They’re going to visit friends. My father is here today. He’d like to meet you. Would that be okay?”

  “Of course. I’d love to meet him.”

  His smile was nothing like it usually was. He adjusted the papers on the clipboard in his hand. “This is a new experience for me. It’s the first time my father has come to watch me do anything.”

  It took a moment for Julie to register those words. “Anything? That encompasses a lot.”

  “Yes, it does. When I tell you that I hardly saw him growing up, it’s not an exaggeration. He came home long enough to pick up clean laundry.”

  “I’m so sorry, Eric.”

  He surprised her by taking her hand. “I may look like him, but I’m nothing like him,” he said almost fiercely.

  She forgot that he was a famous pitcher with an equally infamous marriage. All she wanted to do in that moment was remove the anxiety etched across his strained features. “I know what kind of man you are.” The pressure on her fingers increased.

  “Julie, there’s something…” He stopped suddenly, his glance moving beyond her. “Here they come.”

  ******

  Eric watched as his father and Brianna approached. He had Matt to thank for divulging the news that he was seeing someone. He’d spent most of the previous evening evading questions and giving as little information about Julie as possible. If his father repeated any of the rude remarks he’d made last night in her hearing, he would regret the day he was born.

  As he met the sardonic look in the eyes of a man he would never understand, Eric wished things were different. He didn’t like being at odds with anyone; it was ten times worse when that person was his father. But the rift between them only seemed to grow wider with each passing year. Nothing he’d seen in the last few days made him believe his father wanted anything to change. They were each a disappointment to the other. Perhaps it was best to accept that and move on.

  “Julie, this is my father, Mark and his wife, Brianna. Dad and Brianna, this is Julie Evans.”

  His father held out his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Julie. Eric hasn’t told us much about you, but I hope we can rectify that in the coming days and weeks. Brianna and I are hoping to move back to St. Marys.”

  Julie shook his hand. “It’s nice to meet both of you. I’ve only been in St. Marys two years, but I don’t think I’ll ever want to leave.”

  “It’s different from Texas where I’m from,” Brianna said. “But I think I’m going to like it.”

  “How did you two meet?” his father asked, ignoring Eric’s scowl.

  “My nephew is on his team.”

  “Isn’t that romantic, Mark?” Brianna asked with a smile.

  “It’s more romantic than the way he met his first wife.”

  Eric’s face hardened. “Undoubtedly. If you two will excuse us, we need to catch Matt before he leaves. I hope you have a nice afternoon with your friends.”

  ******

  “That was kind of abrupt, wasn’t it?” Julie asked as they walked over to join Matt, Sarah and Jordan.

  “Yes,” Eric admitted, “but it’s the best method I know of for avoiding subjects that will only lead to an ar
gument. My first marriage is a favorite topic of my father’s. I refuse to give him the satisfaction of making me angry.”

  “I’ve never seen you angry. Do you yell and throw things?”

  Eric shook his head. “I usually just grab the first person I see and start kissing them.”

  “That’s an interesting method for handling it.”

  At their approach, Matt stood up somewhat stiffly. “What’s the scoop?”

  “We were in the middle of discussing that.” Eric turned to Julie. “Are you interested in coming to the house?”

  “Please say yes, Aunt Julie,” piped in Jordan.

  Julie felt his forehead. “You feel normal. I guess we could come for a little while.”

  “Where did Dad disappear to?” Matt asked.

  “They’ve got plans of their own. You and Sarah can join us at the house or go off by yourselves.”

  Matt took Sarah’s hand and pulled her up next to him. “Since you don’t need me for moral support, I’d rather make today a twosome.”

  “If you want to join us for dinner, let me know. I’m going to grill steaks.”

  “Steaks, huh? That’s tempting. What time?”

  “Six-thirty.”

  Matt rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “We should be finished by then. Throw a couple steaks on for us.”

  “Will do. See ya later.” Eric sat down next to Jordan. “We missed you out there today, bud. Maybe on Tuesday you can sit in the dugout with us.” He gave his watch a fleeting glance. “There’s a game coming on in an hour or if you’re not too tired, there are plenty of fish in my lake. I’m not as good a fisherman as Matt, but I try.”

  Jordan laughed. “Let’s go fishing.”

  “Okay. I just need to turn in the official scorebook, and we’re free to go.”

  ******

  Julie watched a dragonfly land with precision on the slender top of a cattail. From her seat in the gazebo, she could hear Jordan’s high-pitched voice followed by the deeper tones of Eric. The two of them had walked around to the far side of the lake to try their luck catching a huge catfish Matt had spotted the week before.

  An unopened book lay on her lap. The sci-fi thriller that had kept her up late two nights in a row couldn’t compete with the scenery before her. The setting sun cast an amber glow on the tops of the trees and flickered across the surface of the water. In the reeds growing at the water’s edge, cicadas were beginning to sing.