by Syd Parker
A welcoming smile filled Tina’s face and her brown eyes crinkled with excitement. She accepted both handshakes, returning them with familiar warmth. “It’s a pleasure meeting you both. I do hope you consider Delta. The Statesmen have a great team. Sawyer is a wonderful coach. The boys all love her.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Kevin’s customary good manners were not forgotten in his excitement. “I can’t wait to meet the guys. I’m certain I won’t be able to fill Robertson’s shoes, but I will give it everything I have.”
“Bellamy, what do you think?” Tina made sure she included Kevin’s mother in the conversation. The wonderful thing about Delta State was the family atmosphere that flourished there. The faculty not only knew the students by name, but treated them like extended members of their own families. This attitude extended to the students as well. It was a continuation of the friendly afternoons spent on wide porches that had started ages before. Tina hoped by the end of the tour that Bellamy and Kevin could appreciate the close knit dynamic that existed between them all. She sensed that Kevin craved that type of environment. “Are y’all just starting the tour?”
“Yes, we are. Sawyer insisted the bookstore was the place to begin. That all good things start right here.”
Tina caught Sawyer cutting her eyes at Bellamy’s sarcasm and laughed heartily. She pushed her glasses further up on the bridge of her nose and watched the two women closely. She sensed an interesting dynamic between the two. In all the years she’d known Sawyer, not one woman had managed to turn her head the way Bellamy seemed to be doing now. “It seems that Sawyer has met her match in you. I like you. You’re right, though. All good things do start here.”
“Tina, can you give them the special package?” Sawyer winked at Tina, signaling her desire to give them whatever they wanted. Every little bit could help sway the decision.
“Oh, the special package, it’s not every day we get to break out the good stuff. Follow me.” Tina weaved her way through the displays to the back wall, her short brown hair bobbing on her shoulders as she walked. “Tada.” The words seemed to be heaven-inspired, as imaginary cymbals and a wide swath of bright lights announced their arrival to the special section. In actuality, it was the marching band practicing outside, and the afternoon sun arching through a window high above. “Behold the good stuff.”
Kevin and Bellamy eyed the assortment of forest green university swag. Kevin reached out and fingered the brim of a cap that bore the name Fighting Okra.
“Try it on.” Tina grabbed the hat off the shelf and bent the brim between her palms before handing it to Kevin. “There’s a mirror right there.”
Kevin pulled the hat over his head, adjusting and readjusting it several times before he was content with the fit. He stepped over to the mirror and examined his reflection. After several moments, he smiled happily. “It looks great.”
“I agree.” Tina clapped her hands together excitedly. “Bellamy?”
Bellamy shook her head. “Thank you, but no. I’m not a hat girl.”
“Are you sure?” Tina cocked her head, studying Bellamy’s face. “With your looks, honey, anything would look good on you.”
Bellamy blushed and smiled demurely. “Thank you. I’ll let Kevin wear the hats for our family.”
“If not a hat, I have the perfect thing.” Tina removed a charcoal gray shirt off the rack and held it toward Bellamy. “Try this. The fitting room is right behind you.”
When Bellamy returned, Sawyer glanced up from the rack of shirts she and Kevin had been rifling through. When Tina picked the shirt, she wasn’t sure what to expect, but one look at Bellamy, and Sawyer’s heart hammered in her chest. The simple V-neck shirt opened enough to reveal the soft dip between Bellamy’s breasts. The snug fit of the material hugged her in all the right places. Sawyer gulped when she realized that Bellamy’s normal wardrobe disguised beautiful, round breasts and a narrow waist. Sawyer’s fingers itched to touch the skin beneath the cotton. When she finally found her voice, she met Bellamy’s questioning gaze. “You look beau…” Sawyer stopped mid-sentence, realizing her surroundings. “Great choice, Tina. Bellamy’s part of the family now.”
Bellamy nodded graciously, not missing the look of desire that flashed in Sawyer’s eyes. It was still not something she was used to. Being wanted by someone was flattering, but it was more than that with Sawyer. Bellamy’s pulse quickened when their eyes met, and she saw Sawyer’s darken lustfully. Bellamy knew the way her body reacted to Sawyer was wrong. She knew that the ache in her body went against everything she believed. The only saving grace was that if Kevin chose Delta, she would only see Sawyer on rare occasions. Otherwise, Bellamy wasn’t sure she could resist the devil’s temptation.
Twenty minutes later, Bellamy eyed the pile of Delta wear taking up half of the checkout counter. “Now, why is this the special package?”
Tina looked up from the register. “Y’all probably noticed that a lot of the items have Fighting Okra on them, while all your stuff has the Statesmen on it. Delta State has two mascots, one official and one unofficial. Since the beginning, the sports teams have officially been known as the Statesmen, because of State Representative Walter Sillers, Jr. influencing the location of the school in Cleveland. But in the late 1980s, we embraced the Fighting Okra as the unofficial mascot, based on the belief that a Statesman isn’t particularly frightening. There are a couple of different theories as to the origin of the name; the most popular of these stating there was a stubborn okra plant at first base on the baseball field that grew back every time it was cut. The true origin was a discussion between basketball and baseball players in the Court of Governors dormitory. They were lamenting the fact that Fighting Statesmen wasn’t particularly frightening to their opponents. They believed the mascot should be mean and green. One of the baseball players suggested the okra because it is green, fuzzy, and tough. After that, the baseball team began chanting “okra!” at the games and it just stuck. So you have the official mascot of Delta, for now. I’ll let y’all decide if you want to adopt the okra.”
Kevin took his hat off. “Yeah, I gotta say neither one is particularly menacing, but whatever.”
“You will have to let your pitching be intimidating instead.” Sawyer pulled her wallet out of her shorts and handed Tina her faculty credit card. She scribbled her name on the receipt and slipped her wallet back into her shorts. “Thanks, Tina. I’m taking Kevin to practice to meet the guys then everyone is coming back to my house for supper. You should come by.”
Tina’s smile was warm, and she waggled her eyebrows impishly. “Thanks, Sawyer. Can I take a rain check?”
“Why? You have a hot date tonight?”
Tina’s cheeks reddened slightly, and she giggled nervously. “I’m having supper with Casey.”
“Wait. What?” Sawyer’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “You’re having supper with Coach Cline. I’ll be a son-of-a-gun. I didn’t call that one at all.”
“I didn’t either.” Tina started to refold a pile of shirts nervously. “She, well, let’s just say, I was totally shocked. You know I’m not out here at work, so when she asked me, it caught me off guard. I said no at first and fumbled around for an excuse. I ended up calling her afterwards to apologize. We talked forever about the challenges of being out. We talked so much on the phone, supper just seemed inevitable. She’s taking me to Fat Baby’s. My mouth has been watering for fried catfish all day.”
Sawyer smirked, and started to say something before Tina shot her a look that said to shut up. Sawyer twisted her fingers in front of her lips, as though she were locking them up tightly. “Have fun then. I’ll keep the kids occupied without you.”
Tina rolled her eyes. “I’m sure you will. Now get out of here, I don’t want Kevin to be late for his first practice.” She stuck her hand out toward him and shook his firmly. “I know you haven’t accepted, but I’m thinking positively.”
“It’s at the top of my list.”
“In front of or behind the
Yankees?” Sawyer’s eyes danced mischievously. She knew an offer from a Major League team would be very tempting. She realized she would have to give Kevin every reason to choose Delta.
Kevin blushed uncomfortably. “I…I’m not sure the Yankees want me.”
“Well, they would be crazy not to.” Tina’s eyes sought Bellamy's, and she smiled warmly. She liked the woman despite spending just a few minutes around her. She didn’t miss the way that Sawyer lit up when she looked at her either. There was something there. She didn’t think Bellamy knew it yet, or maybe she just wasn’t ready to accept it, but her earlier thought that Sawyer had met her match didn’t seem too far off. “Bellamy, it was a pleasure meeting you.”
“You too, Tina.” Bellamy noticed an odd look as she turned to leave. She wasn’t sure what to make of the inquisitive stare she saw before she made her out of the bookstore. She waited until they were back on the sidewalk before commenting. “She seems nice.”
“She is.”
“And she’s a lesbian, like you.”
Sawyer smothered a laugh. “She is. Does that bother you?”
Bellamy glanced over her shoulder, realizing that Kevin had fallen several steps behind them. She leaned into Sawyer’s body, feeling immediate unquiet at her proximity. “No. Should it?”
Sawyer shrugged. “I don’t know. Do you think it should?” She caught the pinkish tinge that crept up Bellamy’s neck. She knew she shouldn’t delight in making Bellamy so uncomfortable, but there was something so intrinsically appealing in her naivety, or at least in the pretense of it, that she couldn’t help herself. “I know. I know. We’ve had this discussion.”
“It doesn’t bother me…personally.” Bellamy paused, trying to find the best way to dig herself out of the hole she felt herself tumbling into. There didn’t seem to be a graceful way to get her point across. “I struggle with the personal ramifications of my belief system. Religion teaches you that certain behaviors…”
Sawyer cleared her throat loudly, forcing Bellamy to amend her choice of words.
“It teaches you that certain people are living a life condemned by God. It doesn’t make allowances for how they are born. Now that I know you, I’m faced with blindly continuing down a path – or finally having to entertain the idea that my faith is wrong.”
Sawyer paused with her hand on the gate outside Ferris Field. “I’d like to continue this conversation later, if that’s alright with you. For now, I want to make sure nothing jades your and Kevin’s opinions of Delta.”
Bellamy nodded, understanding that this wasn’t the time or place to get bogged down in a theological discussion. “You’re right. Where was my head? I know this trip is about Kevin.”
“As much as it is about you.” Sawyer let her words trail off as she opened the gate. “Kevin, are you ready to meet the team?”
Kevin nodded excitedly. “Sure thing, Coach.”
Bellamy watched them walk toward the dugout. Her eyes rested on her son’s body. He’d gotten taller this year, and started to fill out like his father. He reminded Bellamy so much of David. Tall and lanky, but strong as an ox. When she looked at Kevin, it was David’s blue eyes that stared back at her. Over the years, it had gotten easier to see David’s face reflected in her son’s. The resemblance ended there. Kevin’s personality was more like hers. He was thoughtful and caring, but usually didn’t make decisions with his heart. He was methodical and carefully weighed his choices. The only time she’d seen him waver in his judiciousness was his obvious predilection for Sawyer’s offer. She couldn’t fault him for that. Sawyer had a way of making Bellamy want to be carefree, a struggle that was getting harder the more she was around Sawyer. Bellamy’s body craved things it shouldn’t, and her heart ached for something she wouldn’t allow herself to take. The mere thought of Sawyer’s touch made her blood pulse. Part of her longed for her neat and tidy life to be undone. She wanted her chaste mind to be corrupted.
Bellamy exhaled and sucked air in deeply, realizing that the promise of Sawyer’s fingers on her body stole her breath away. She forced her thoughts back to the field, focusing on Kevin. She watched as Sawyer introduced him to each player, some greeting him with a handshake and a man hug, others with fist bumps, but all with an obvious air of welcome. She saw Kevin’s shoulders relax as he met them all, the nerves disappearing with each hello. She laughed ruefully, realizing that the thoughts she fought were selfish. This was about Kevin, not her, and certainly not about the way Sawyer made her feel and how she needed to deal with it. With an air of finality, Bellamy banished the wayward thoughts.
Sawyer stood at the top of the dugout, hands on her hips. She was pleased to see that Kevin was accepted right away. She hated to end the chatter, but practice called. “Hey, Kevin, want to throw practice?”
Kevin stared at Sawyer, mouth agape. “Are you serious?”
“Of course.” Sawyer’s reply was lost among a chorus of male voices eagerly pushing Kevin to pitch. “Unless you just want to watch.”
“No, I’m good.” Kevin unzipped his bag and pulled his glove out, trying to hide the smile on his face. “Thanks, Coach.” Kevin clambered up the dugout steps and jogged out to the mound. Nerves tickled his stomach, and he fought to quell the butterflies before they got the better of him. He spent the next five minutes trying to calm his breathing down between warm up pitches. He hid his shaky hand inside the pocket of his glove as he felt for the stitches with his fingers. Kevin felt more assured each time the ball thumped into his catcher, Matt Barnett’s, mitt.
When he felt warm, he held his glove up to signal his readiness for a batter. Kevin recognized Conner Lloyd, another right-hander, who split his field time between pitcher and first base. He waved the initial three pitches off before nodding his head up and down slightly. A split-finger fastball. Kevin closed his eyes as he moved the ball in his hand, feeling for the narrowing of the seams before sliding his middle finger and forefinger to the sides of the stitches. His palm cupped the ball loosely, his ring finger just grazing the tip of his thumb. He opened his eyes, his mind calculating his sweet spot for a right-handed hitter. His muscles moved through his pitch routine without a second thought. He saw, more than felt, his arm coil behind him. His left leg stretched toward the plate, and his arm hurtled past his face, his wrist snapping as he released the ball a millisecond later. He heard a quiet whoosh as the ball split the air between he and his catcher. He watched it arc toward the plate, taunting the batter to read the pitch and time his swing to connect. When the only sound Kevin heard was the muted thump of the ball as it hit the heel of Barnett’s mitt, he let out a relieved sigh.
Kevin closed his eyes and breathed in the smell of the field. He felt at home on this mound, with these players and this coach. He knew he had found the school he wanted to attend. The choice had been simpler than he thought, once Delta State entered the picture. He had toyed with the idea of signing with the Yankees if they tried to draft him, but that was a passing whim. Delta State felt like the right choice, and Kevin felt more at ease than he had in months.
Chapter Five
Sawyer handed Bellamy an ice-cold beer. “You sure I can’t pour you a glass of wine?”
“Unh-unh.” Bellamy took a long pull, her tongue automatically searching for the individual tastes in the amber liquid. She picked out the slight sweetness of oranges and honey followed by a quick burst of pine and finally a bitterness she attributed to the hops. “Talk about bite. You drink this on purpose?”
“Something you like, I believe?”
Bellamy’s cheeks heated instantly. Rather than the acidic burn of her preferred tannins, her mind immediately pictured Sawyer’s teeth nipping the skin at the nape of her neck. She closed her eyes and shivered, before gathering her wits to reply. “Just a different kind.” She gestured to the boys in the pool in an effort to pull her mind from the mere thought of what Sawyer could do to her body. “This is good for Kevin. I can tell he feels at home.”
“I hope so.” Sawy
er leaned forward and moved her legs to straddle the pool lounger.
“He…” Bellamy gulped nervously; one glance at Sawyer’s bare legs was enough to make the butterflies in her stomach start to swirl again. “…does. I haven’t seen him this happy in a long time.” There, she could do it. She could narrow her conscious thought to her son and hopefully avoid the heat that threatened to creep into her cheeks again. “Since Kevin’s dad left, I’ve relied on the coaches and the men in our church to be role models. I always worried he would struggle not having his father around. It isn’t until I see him with other boys his age that I realize we did okay on our own. I’m very proud of the young man he’s become.”
“You should be. I’m sure you had everything to do with it. From the brief time we’ve known each other, you seem nothing but responsible and level-headed. I’m sure he’s picked those qualities up from you.”
Bellamy chuckled to herself. There was a time she may have been irresponsible, and right now, she was forced to admit, Sawyer would have been a part of that. “Some days, I wish that wasn't the case.”
Me too. Sawyer thought pensively, but kept the sentiment to herself. She realized in the conversations with Bellamy that she had more to lose than a simple dalliance would give her in return. “I think it’s admirable that you kept things together as well as you did. I know how hard it was for my parents, and they had each other to rely on.”
“I suppose. I won’t say there weren’t times I wanted to run away.”
“What mother wouldn’t?” Sawyer smiled as realization dawned on her. “Not that I know from experience, but I’m sure I gave my mom plenty of reasons to want to disappear. Did you date after David?”