A Winning Season

by Rochelle Alers

  “How many games are in a regular season?”

  “One hundred sixty-two.”

  “I suppose that would conflict with you teaching classes.”

  “You think?” Sutton drawled, smiling. He sobered. “So, my plan A became my plan B.”

  Zoey imagined she detected a hint of resignation in Sutton’s voice. Had he regretted deferring teaching in lieu of a baseball career that had afforded him fame and fortune? “Now that you’ve retired from baseball, do you plan to execute your plan B?”

  Sutton nodded. “Yes. At eighteen I’d believed I’d had my future planned out for myself, but fast-forward eighteen years later and I think of myself as blessed because I’m able to control my own destiny.”

  “You talked about doubting whether you had the skills to become a professional baseball player, yet you’ll probably be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.”

  “If I am it’s because I worked hard, Zoey. I got to the ballpark early to practice hitting in the batting cage. And I had someone shag balls to me so I could improve my footwork when playing my position. If I made it look easy, trust me, babe, it wasn’t. My body has taken more hits than a piñata, and the scars on my right knee look like a road map.”

  “I suppose you would’ve been more banged up if you’d played football.”

  “Talk about a blessing in disguise. I’d made the school’s football squad but sat on the bench for a year. That’s when I decided to try baseball.”

  Zoey unfolded her legs, stretched them out and stared at the toes of her tennis shoes. “I have forbidden Harper to play football because of the possibility of sustaining a head injury.”

  “If I had a son I, too, wouldn’t want him to play football.”

  “What about other sports?”

  A beat passed, before Sutton said, “The only exception is boxing and for the same reason as football. I believe in kids playing sports because it fosters confidence and discipline, while teaching them they are no longer an individual but a part of a team. And when the team wins, everyone is a winner.”

  Zoey thought about Harper trying out for the Wolf Pack basketball team. If he didn’t make the cut, would he give up altogether or try again? Unlike Kyle, who hadn’t given up when he didn’t make the baseball team the first two times. However, the third was a charm when he was selected as a backup catcher.

  “Harper’s attitude has changed since he’s begun running with you, and for that I’m eternally grateful.”

  “I told you before that your brother is a good kid. It takes him a while to open up, but now we’re simpatico.”

  “Oh, so it’s like that now. You two are that tight?” Zoey crossed her middle and forefinger.

  Throwing back his head, Sutton laughed loudly. “Real tight,” he confirmed.

  He stared at the woman that unknowingly had also changed him. Interacting with Zoey had a calming effect on him. He’d given himself a year in which to kick back and decompress from the years he’d spent under the glare of the spotlight. There was hardly a time when he walked through an airport terminal that someone hadn’t pointed or called out his name. He’d returned to Wickham Falls at the request of his cousin to help at Powell’s, and resigned himself to the fact that passing the year in his hometown would fit in easily with his plans for his future.

  That was then and this was now. That was before he’d moved into Sharon Williams’s house and met his pretty neighbor. And that was before his mother decided she was coming back to Wickham Falls to live with her sister and brother-in-law for the next six months.

  His moving to DC to live and teach was no longer on Sutton’s wish list because he could live and teach in and around his hometown. He knew he would have to vacate his temporary living quarters before the owner returned and that he could either purchase one of the new homes in the development going up on what had been the Wolfe/Remington land, or he could buy a couple of vacant acres and build a house to his own specifications.

  “I don’t know about you, but I need to walk off some of this food before I fall asleep right here,” Zoey said, breaking into his musings.

  “Why don’t you take a nap, while I put everything away? We can go for a walk once it cools down a bit.” The heat wave had returned, this time hotter than before.

  Zoey slipped off her tennis shoes to reveal well-groomed feet. Her toenails were painted a brilliant blood red. She went to her knees. “Let me help you.”

  Sutton gently pushed her hand away. “Just relax. I’ve got this.” He waited for Zoey to lie on her back, and then he covered the containers and placed them in shopping bags. They hadn’t eaten all he’d ordered, but without an ice chest in which to store them they had to be thrown away because of the heat. He walked a short distance and discarded the bags in a nearby receptacle, and then returned to where Zoey reclined on her side.

  She patted a spot next to her. “There’s room for you.”

  He sat, took off his boots and lay down facing her. They were so close he could feel the warmth of her breath on his cheek. Sutton studied her feminine features, marveling at their delicateness. She met his eyes for an instant before lowering her gaze. The length of her lashes rested on the ridge of high cheekbones.

  He vaguely remembered her father because he’d occasionally come into Powell’s to shop when he’d worked weekends or during the summer school recess. James Allen rarely spoke to anyone but would occasionally stop and chat with Sutton’s mother because both had been in the same graduating class.

  Sutton still couldn’t wrap his head around Zoey’s decision to raise her younger brothers when as a teenage girl she was only two months away from graduating high school. He wondered if she had assumed that responsibility because her father stated he wanted his children to grow up together, as it hadn’t been possible with him and his siblings, or if history was repeating itself when James Allen became a divorced single father with a toddler daughter.

  “I’m as full as a tick,” Zoey whispered.

  “You didn’t appear to eat that much.”

  She opened her eyes. “I ate enough. I usually have a salad midday so I can save my appetite for dinner.”

  “What do you usually have for breakfast?”

  “Cereal, fruit and coffee. When I don’t have fruit, then I’ll substitute juice.”

  “What about dinner?” he asked.

  “Harper and I have what we call meatless Mondays. I will make a pasta dish with garlic and oil or with lots of veggies. Then there’s taco Tuesdays, wings Wednesdays. I’ve learned to oven fry my wings, which is healthier than frying. And we always have a salad every night.”

  “What about the rest of the week?”

  “It’s turkey Thursdays—salad, sliders, sandwiches and/or meat loaf. We have fish on Fridays, and because Harper really favors Mexican and Italian food, we’ll alternate making fajitas and nachos with spaghetti and meatballs or lasagna. Sunday is for chicken. It can be roasted, baked, fried, stewed, stir-fried, broiled or grilled. I always cook enough for dinner so there are leftovers for lunch.”

  “Can you give me a hint what you’re making this Sunday?”

  “I hope you don’t have a nut allergy because it’s chicken in a sweet-and-sour sauce with ginger and almonds.”

  Sutton leaned closer and pressed a kiss on the bridge of Zoey’s nose. “That sounds scrumptious. I know I’m really going to enjoy sharing Sunday dinners with you.”

  Zoey stared up at him from under lowered lids. “You don’t think we’ll get sick of seeing each other?”

  His expression changed, becoming a mask of stone. “Why would you say that?”

  “Every Sunday, Sutton?”

  “Why not?”

  “What about your family? Don’t you have Sunday dinner with them?”

  Zoey’s mentioning his family reminded Sutton that since his mother’s return, she an
d her sister had resumed the family tradition of eating together after attending church services. “What if we share every other Sunday?” His question elicited a smile from her.

  “Now, that sounds like a plan. I’ll host the second Sunday in the month, and you can do the fourth,” she said, confidently.

  “If that’s the case, then let me host dinner this Sunday, and you can do it two weeks later.”

  “Are you sure, Sutton?”

  “Very sure.”

  Sutton resisted the urge to kiss her again, this time on the mouth. The first time he saw Zoey up close, it was her mouth that drew his rapt attention. Women had their plastic surgeons on speed dial to achieve the lips Zoey claimed naturally. Everything about her was natural, feminine. He smiled when she shifted slightly, the movement bringing them even closer, and he rested his arm over her waist.

  “Have you selected your nursing school?”

  “Yes. WVUIT.”

  “My mother graduated from West Virginia University Institute of Technology with a business degree.”

  “Didn’t she at one time work at the school’s business office?”

  “Yes. She really liked it, but once I put down roots in Atlanta, she talked about moving closer to me. I don’t know if you’re aware of it, but she’s back for at least six months.”

  “I can understand her following you. She raised you as a single mother, so your bond is very strong.”

  “Like you and your brothers?”

  Zoey looped an arm around Sutton’s neck. “Yup. We’re like the Three Musketeers. One for all and all for one. Kyle emails or sends me messages every week. I didn’t tell him I was having problems with Harper because it would upset him, because he’s been thinking about signing up to train to become a SEAL.”

  “You’re right about not telling him because he needs to be physically and mentally at the top of his game.”

  Sutton closed his eyes, enjoying the soft crush of Zoey’s body against his and the subtle scent of flowers on her body and hair. He managed to ease his hips away from her in an effort for her not to become aware of his growing erection. And in that instant he wondered how much experience she’d had with men to lie that close and not realize he had been turned on by the warmth and soft curves of her body. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to think of any and everything but the woman lying innocently and trustingly beside him.

  “How would you like not having to wait two years to go to nursing school?” he asked. Sutton didn’t know where the thought had come from, but he had to say something to take his mind off wanting to make love with Zoey. She dropped her arm and eased back at the same time he swallowed an inaudible breath of relief.

  “What are you talking about?” she asked.

  “I have a foundation that will pay your tuition if you want to enroll now.”

  * * *

  Zoey sat up and stared down at Sutton as if he had been speaking a foreign language. She’d known of him for years but had actually interacted with him every day since only a little more than a week ago, and meanwhile he was offering to pay for her college.

  “It’s not about money, Sutton.”

  He also sat up. “If it’s not money, then what’s stopping you, Zoey?”

  “Harper. I have to be here for him. And you saw for yourself that he needs close supervision. It’s one of the reasons why I haven’t applied to an online college because I can’t work, take care of Harper and fulfill the requirements for my coursework. There wouldn’t be enough hours in the day to do all I’d have to do.”

  Pulling up his legs, Sutton wrapped his arms around his knees. “Tell me why you don’t need money and we’ll talk about Harper.”

  She told Sutton about the scholarship fund that was set up for her brothers following their parents’ passing. “Kyle decided to enlist in the corps and plans to use his military educational benefit, which left more than enough money for Harper to complete his college education. I invested my share of my father’s death benefit and saved the money from the sale of his tractor trailer for my college education, and I try to save at least ten percent from each paycheck to add to it. I had to learn quickly how to manage my resources to make ends meet, because once my brothers turn eighteen they’ll lose my dad’s social security survivor benefits.”

  “Okay. It appears as if you’ve taken care of your financial needs. Now about Harper.”

  “What about him?” she asked.

  “I want to become his mentor. You will have to let me know what you expect from him and I’ll execute it. And that means making certain he gets to school on time, does his homework and chores, and hopefully will stay out of trouble.”

  “Why Harper, Sutton?”

  He narrowed his eyes at her. “I’ve mentored countless fatherless boys in Atlanta and not one in my hometown. What’s the expression? Charity begins at home and then spreads abroad. Initially I resented the media referring to me as a role model because I’m of the belief that fathers need to be role models for their kids, but when they’re not in their lives, then others have to step up and assume that responsibility.

  “I was luckier than those boys because my mother gave me what I needed to believe in myself. I’d talk to boys about not becoming a father unless they’re ready to be a daddy. And when they asked what the difference is, I had to explain that any man could father a child, but being a daddy meant being there and supporting their children. Most appeared bored until I admitted as a high school senior I went home, shut myself in my bedroom and cried inconsolably because I’d hit my first home run and my father wasn’t there to celebrate with me. My confession was like a punch in the gut once they realized a two-hundred-pound-plus baseball phenom had just admitted to crying because he didn’t have his father in his life.”

  “It must have taken a lot for you to admit that.”

  “It did,” Sutton confessed, “but it was necessary if I was going to relate to them one-on-one and not like a larger-than-life so-called media marketing superhero. These kids saw me as a father figure, but that’s something I don’t want with Harper.”

  “But what if he does, Sutton? You can’t monitor his emotions like turning on and off a faucet. Harper has a problem making and keeping friends because he’s afraid of losing them. He and Jabari have been hanging out together since the beginning of summer, so I’m not certain how long that will last. He lost his father and mother, and it wasn’t until Kyle left that he began acting out and breaking curfew. I can’t agree to let you mentor him beyond your three-month agreement because once Miss Sharon returns, you will leave the Falls and he’s going to be devastated.”

  “Who said anything about me leaving Wickham Falls?”

  Zoey’s jaw dropped. “I... I thought I heard talk that you were going to be here for a year and—”

  “When I was first interviewed by a reporter for The Sentinel, I’d mentioned that I was going to take a year off to plan my next move,” Sutton explained, cutting Zoey off. “But everything changed once my mother came back.”

  “You’re not leaving?” Her voice was barely a whisper.

  Sutton shook his head, smiling. “No. I’m staying. I’ve sent my résumé out to various school districts for a teaching position, and I also plan to buy or build a house here in the Falls before Sharon Williams returns.”

  Zoey felt as if she’d been gut-punched with this new revelation. Sutton Reed wasn’t leaving Wickham Falls, and he had volunteered to mentor her brother for at least the next two years. And the time would also allow her to get to know her temporary neighbor better.

  “I feel a lot better knowing that you’re going to be around for a while.”

  “A while is going to be a very long time. I left Wickham Falls at eighteen, lived in Atlanta for fourteen years, played ball in every city that has a professional baseball team in this country and Canada, also some winter ball in Puerto Rico, M
exico and the Dominican Republic. Once my mother relocated to Atlanta, I rarely came back to the Falls. It’s only now that I’ve been back for more than a few days at a time that I realized this is where I’m able to feel comfortable enough to be myself. I don’t have to worry about cameras or microphones and being asked questions I don’t want to or refuse to answer. And if I must use whatever celebrity status I have left, then let it be to help kids stay on the right track.”

  A smile trembled over Zoey’s lips before they parted. Knowing Sutton wasn’t moving away filled her with an indescribable joy that left her feeling slightly light-headed and struggling to draw a normal breath. The man whom she’d found herself fantasizing about had further deepened his ties with her family now that he’d offered to mentor Harper. She had no clue if Sutton had feelings for her that went beyond friendship, but that did not matter.

  “I’m glad you decided to stay.”

  His eyebrows lifted. “Are you glad for Harper?”

  She gave him a direct stare. “Harper isn’t the only one in the equation.” Zoey went completely still when Sutton moved closer, their chests rising and falling in unison. She felt a vaguely sensual light flow between them as the seconds ticked.

  Sutton cradled her face in his hands. “Who else is in the equation, Zoey?” he whispered in her ear.

  She closed her eyes and pressed her forehead to Sutton’s. His question appeared to release the restraints she’d placed on her body to keep men out of her life and out of her bed as she pressed her breasts to his chest. “Me.”

  “And who else?”

  Her eyelashes fluttered against his cheek. “You.”

  The single word was barely off her tongue when Sutton covered her mouth with his. It wasn’t as much a kiss as it was a caress. It ended and she buried her face against the column of his strong neck.

  Easing back, Sutton met her eyes. “Yes. You, me and Harper.”