by Scott, Lisa
“Please don’t scratch yourself!” Nick shouted.
“Damn, that was my next move.” She tossed the ball between her hands, then spun her right arm around three or four times, hoping she looked like a cartoon character, and then tossed the ball. It flew far short and to the right of Nick.
He cupped his hands around his mouth. “You throw like a girl.”
“I am a girl. Shouldn’t I throw like one?”
“Let me show you how it’s done.” He grabbed the ball and walked over to her. Lining up behind her, he placed the ball in her right hand. He closed his hand over hers and pulled her arm back. He nudged his knee behind hers. “You’re stepping forward with your right foot, and throwing with your right hand. That’s wrong.”
“Why?”
“You should step forward with your left foot, and follow through with the right arm.” This time, he nudged her left knee and swung her arm forward again.
“Let me try myself.” She threw the ball and it went much further and straighter. “Wow. Are all guys just born with natural sports intelligence?”
“No.” He walked over and picked up the ball, bringing it back to her. “That was my thing. My dream.”
“Baseball?”
He tossed the ball in the air and caught it. “Yep.”
“What happened?”
He stared off behind her. “I was good. Real good. Got a scholarship to college. Played two seasons of single-A baseball in Florida.”
“That’s incredible,” Zoe said.
“I thought so, too. Turns out I was good, but I wasn’t good enough to move up to something more. For every major league player you see, there are probably a hundred like me who thought they were good enough to make it, but didn’t.”
She reached out and rubbed his arm. “I’m sorry.”
He set his hand on top of hers. “Thanks. Right after I didn’t get picked up, my mother died, and we found out about the money.” He looked off, shaking his head. “I just felt so betrayed—by baseball, by my mother’s secret. I’ve been stuck since, not sure what to dream about next and not wanting to waste the money. That’s why I’ve been so interested in your list.” He kicked at the grass. “It’s been fun wanting to do something.”
Zoe twisted her lips, uncertain if she should say what she was thinking. “But it’s not your list. You need your own list, Nick.”
“I know. I’ll work on it someday. But for now, let’s finish yours.”
She held out the ball to him. “You should throw one out too. You can add it to your list when you make it.”
He laughed and took the ball from her. “It’s not exactly how I imagined I’d be throwing out a pitch at Fenway.” He walked to the pitcher’s mound. “Grab the glove and see if you can catch my fire.”
“Whoa, big talker. I will do my best.”
He tossed the ball at her and she caught it. “Come on, that was a baby pitch.”
Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, wound up and threw the ball. It flew right past her, bouncing behind her. “I’m impressed. You throw like a boy. A very talented boy,” Zoe said, trying not to imagine him in a tight pair of baseball pants.
“Thanks. I should be glad for the good times I did have. Catch with my dad before he died. State titles.” He walked over to her. “Thanks for letting me do these things with you.”
“It’s been a lot more fun than doing this all myself. Most of them wouldn’t have happened without you.”
“Come on, wanna go get a tattoo?” Nick nudged her with his elbow.
“No! I’m not ready for that yet. There are a lot of decisions to be made. Where will it be? What kind will I get? Could I just white-out that one?”
“No, that’s cheating, and I don’t want to meet the otherworldly form of your cousin. Come on, let’s go.”
As they left the ballpark, it started to drizzle. “Isn’t there something on the list about rain?” he asked.
Kiss a guy in the rain. Certainly Jenny meant kiss a guy for real, not just for the list. And Nick was just with her for the list. “I’ll have to look when I get home. I can’t remember. Singing? Dancing? I’m not sure.”
They got on the subway and he teased her more about the tattoo. When they got off the train, Zoe froze. Right in front of her was a tall brunette in a pink beret. She poked Nick in the ribs. “That’s her, isn’t it?”
Nick’s mouth hung open but he said nothing.
He deserved this. After everything he’d done for her, after all the disappointments in his life, he needed to meet the real girl in the pink hat. Zoe ran up to her. “Excuse me, this is going to sound crazy. Do you ride this train often?”
The girl fake-smiled at Zoe. “Yes, when I’m in town.”
“And you wear that hat often?”
“I do. I got it on a modeling shoot and my sister, Diana, hates it, so I love wearing it.” She grinned, and Zoe realized how beautiful this woman really was. No wonder Nick has placed a missed connections ad.
Nick walked up behind Zoe and whispered, “Don’t. Don’t do this.”
Zoe ignored him. He’d get over his embarrassment soon enough. This woman was a model for crying out loud. “Have I got a funny story to tell you. My friend here, Nick, placed a missed connection post on Craigslist a month ago. He was looking for the girl in the pink hat. A pink beret. He never found her. Until today. It’s you.”
The woman looked at Nick and then back at Zoe. “You really like pink, don’t you?”
“It is definitely growing on me,” he said.
Then she held out her long, elegant fingers. “I’m Clarissa. Nice to meet you.”
Nick shook her hand. “Nick Carter.”
“Why don’t you two go for coffee?” Zoe suggested. “I’ve got to get going anyway. I’ve got…jam to make. Lots of jam.”
Clarissa lifted a shoulder. “Sure. I’ve got some time. I’d love to, Nick.”
Nick looked at Zoe. “Are you sure about this?”
Zoe nodded and forced a smile. “Yes, absolutely. Today’s the day you start following your own list.” She looked at Clarissa. “You two have fun. He’s a wonderful guy.”
With that, Zoe dashed for the escalators and finally let the tears flow. She and Jenny always wondered what that stupid saying, “If you love something set it free,” had meant. Now she knew. But she also knew Nick wouldn’t come back, because he had never been hers.
***
Zoe went home and took out the fresh blueberries. She had plans for a zesty mint and shallot mix. Focusing on steaming the jelly jars and preparing the fruit forced her to stop wondering how their date was going. Still, she wiped away tears more than once while she worked on the jam.
Before she went to bed, she sent Nick an email. “Hope your meeting was magical. If that’s not fate, I don’t know what is. Good night, Zoe.” She hoped they could still be friends. But Nick really needed to start living his own life. He’d put it on pause far too long.
***
A few hours later, the jam was cooling on her kitchen table. She’d probably have to finish the rest of the list herself. She pulled it out of her pocket and set it on her lap, smoothing it out. Riding a pogo stick by herself would be easy. But it wouldn’t be fun.
A knock on the door interrupted her pity party. If Mrs. Beener next door was going to complain about the smell of the jam again, she wouldn’t be getting a jar of it. She opened the door and did a double take. Her heart fluttered into her throat and goose bumps tingled her skin “Nick? What are you doing here?” She gripped the door and tried looking behind him for the beret-wearing model.
“Can I come in?” Nick asked.
“Of course.” She led him to the couch and he sat down, setting a bag on his lap. “How was your date? I can’t believe you finally found her,” Zoe said, trying her best to sound excited for him. Hopefully, he didn’t see her shaky hands. She struggled to keep her smile in place.
Nick scratched his head. “That was weird, wasn’t it?”
He paused. “No.”
“Why not?”
“Because she wasn’t the girl in the pink hat.”
“She wasn’t? She was wearing a beret. I thought you confirmed that was her? Even if she wasn’t the girl in the pink hat, she’s a model. A model, Nick. Isn’t that the holy grail for men?”
“Maybe some men. But not me. Not anymore. She was the girl I saw that day. You were right about that.” He looped a strand of her hair around his finger. “But you’re my girl in the pink hat now, Zoe, and you always will be.” He reached into the bag and pulled out a hot pink hat; very similar to the one Jenny had given her. He set it on her head. “If I could place that ad again, I would. Although, I don’t know what kind of hat this is. I wouldn’t know how to describe it.”
Zoe threw her arms around him. “I’ve been crying into my jam here for hours thinking of you with her.”
“You just ran off and I wanted to come after you to tell you I didn’t want to go out with Clarissa. It took me a few hours to find that hat, otherwise, I would’ve been here sooner.” He stood up. “Come outside with me for a minute.” He held out his hand for her.
Zoe’s head was spinning as they took the elevator to the lobby. She couldn’t stop smiling. “Are we going to cross another item off the list?”
“Yes, we are.”
She looked down at her t-shirt and yoga pants. She was very undressed for such a romantic moment. “Am I dressed alright for whatever we’re doing?”
“You’ve got the hat on. That’s all that matters.” The elevator let them off in the lobby and he led her toward the door.
“It’s raining,” she said, peeping outside.
“Exactly.” He held the door open and the walked outside. He snaked one hand behind her neck and pulled her to him. Her lips brushed against his, and she wrapped her arms around him. Drops of rain mingled on their lips as they kissed, their tongues exploring this new delight.
They pulled apart when a passing car honked. “Excellent. One more to cross that off the list,” she said.
“Exactly. Now this one is for me.” And he kissed her again, and this time they ignored the beeping cars and stopped, only when they heard a clap of thunder.
He took her by the hand. “Come on, let’s get inside. I think we need to work on creating another list,” he said.
“For you? I’m so happy, Nick.”
“No, a list for us.”
She looked up at him, hoping the rain would disguise the tears rolling down her cheeks. Apparently not, because he wiped them away. “But I have to finish Jenny’s list, too.”
“I don’t think you can, now. There are a few troublesome items on that list. Kiss a guy from every state? That’s not going to work. What do you think about kissing a guy in every state? A guy like me?”
“I think Jenny would allow swapping out a preposition or two.”
“Then let’s go get my car. We can be in New Hampshire in an hour.”
***
A few weeks later, Nick drove Zoe to his sister Kyla’s house on the Cape. “This is incredible. I can’t believe she’s having this party for the meteor shower,” Emily said.
Nick led her onto the big deck at the back of Kyla’s house. “Kyla’s boyfriend is an astronomer. This is like Oscar night for him. The Super Bowl. They were happy to do it once they heard ‘watch a meteor shower’ was on your cousin’s list. Plus she really liked you when she met you the other day. And she loves having parties now that she’s got a bigger place. And a beach house.” He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, slipping in a quick kiss behind her ear.
Zoe held back a moan. “Any chance we could get them all to leave?”
“Doubt it. All of my brothers and their girlfriends are going to be here, too. And some of Kyla’s friends. Everyone wants to meet the girl in the pink hat—or, as you’ve come to be known, the girl in the pink hair.”
“I knew pink hair would be fun,” Zoe said. “Maybe I’ll change colors every month to keep you interested,” she said in her best sexy voice, which was really more funny than provocative.
“You’re not going to have any problems keeping me interested,” he said.
Nick’s sister, Kyla, rushed over and hugged them both. “You brought the stuff, right?”
Zoe laughed and held up a bag. “Four jars of the ginger-peach jam.”
“Your jam is like crack on a cracker. I’m going to serve it at all my parties. Hell, I might even have a party for your jam. It’s amazing, you should sell it,” Kyla said. She waved someone over. “My sister Aubrey’s boyfriend is in sales. He could give you some tips to get this on the market.”
Zoe blinked at her. “You really think I should sell this?”
“Absolutely.”
A cute brunette walked up, arm in arm with a guy. “What are we getting on the market?”
“Zoe, this is my sister, Aubrey, and her boyfriend Ian. Zoe makes wicked good jelly. I thought Ian could give her some marketing tips.”
“Absolutely,” Ian said. “I just started my own marketing company. Let me give you my card and we can chat sometime.”
“I could make flyers,” Aubrey offered.
“Thanks so much!” Zoe said, her mind whirling with possibilities—none of which involved answering the phone at the insurance office. Incredibly, the idea had possibilities. She smiled at Nick. He’d shown her a lot about possibilities.
Kyla opened one of the jam jars and took a long sniff. “Don’t tell me—a hint of tobasco?”
“Close. Cayenne pepper,” Zoe said.
“Love it. You need to come up with a name for your line of jams.”
Zoe paused, willing herself not to get choked up. “Actually, I’ve been thinking about that. How does ‘Jenny’s Live it Up Jam’ sound? She’s my cousin who came up with the list of all the things I had to do after she died.”
Nick put his arm around her and squeezed. “It’s perfect.”
“I love it. It’s brilliant,” Kyla said. “Hell, I should help you sell this stuff. I peddled pricey perfumes for a few years, and I don’t even like perfume. I could probably make us millions.”
“We already have millions,” Nick said.
“More millions is always good. Gotta keep my sweetie in telescopes. Those things can be expensive,” Kyla said, patting Stone’s cheek.
“Hope we’re not too late for the show,” a woman said, coming up behind them.
Zoe’s eyes widened as her old therapist walked up the stairs onto the deck. “Diana?”
“Zoe! Look at you and that new hair.” Diana squinted at Zoe. “My sister, Clarissa, has a beret that color. She wears it all the time to annoy me. But I love it on you.”
Zoe and Nick looked at each other wide-eyed and held back a laugh. “I can’t stand berets,” Nick said.
“Me neither,” said Zoe. “What are you doing here, Diana?”
Diana linked hands with the guy next to her. “I’m dating Kyla’s brother, Toby.”
“So am I!” said Zoe. She quickly shook her head. “I mean, I’m dating one of Kyla’s brothers, too. Nick.” She squeezed Nick’s hand.
Diana laughed. “That is crazy. How did you guys meet?” Diana asked.
Zoe and Nick looked each other and laughed. “We could write a book,” Nick said.
“Actually, I am writing a book—two of them,” Diana said.
“I’m in one of her books,” Aubrey said, raising her hand. “Diana was my therapist, too. I’m in her first book—The Ex Exit Survey. How to Learn From Your Breakups. What’s the new book? I thought you cancelled the second book?”
“I pitched them a new idea: Turn Your Don’ts Into I Do,” Diana said. “My first book focused on everything my clients had done wrong, and this will book will focus on what they did right. I finally figured out what I wanted to write about—happy endings. They loved it!”
“Speaking of happy endings, here we are!” said
a cute guy with a blonde on his arm.
Nick high-fived him. “Hey bro, this is my girlfriend, Zoe. Zoe, this is my little brother Eric and his girlfriend, Emily.”
“Nice to meet you,” Zoe said. “So, why are you two a happy ending?”
Emily held up her left hand and showed off a big, sparkly diamond. “Eric and I are getting married.”
Everyone screamed and applauded while Emily blushed.
Eric spread his arms wide. “What, this isn’t a surprise engagement party?”
“We didn’t know you were engaged, dork. But we can turn it into one. We need some champagne!” Kyla shouted.
“Hey, Zoe could play the accordion at your wedding. She’s been taking lessons,” Nick offered.
Emily smiled. “We’ll get back to you on that.”
“She’s going to be too busy with her jam business. Don’t distract her. I want you to do something with cranberries and lime,” Kyla said.
“I’ll see what I can do,” Zoe said.
“Jams? Those would be great favors, like in tiny little jars!” Emily said. “You and I will talk, okay?”
Zoe nodded, unable to turn down her grin.
“I hate to interrupt, but look up. The meteor shower has started,” said Kyla’s boyfriend, Stone.
Nick stood behind Zoe and wrapped his arms around her. He set his chin on her shoulder as they watched the stars shoot across the sky. She thought about Jenny and for the first time, her instinct was to smile instead of cry. “You know, at first I thought this list was going to be impossible. I thought it was a bad joke Jenny had played on me.”
“But now?” Nick asked, nuzzling her ear.
“Now I think she wanted to be sure I lived a fantastic, fun life. I think she wanted me to believe anything is possible.”
“Do you?”
“I do now. Thanks to you.”
He turned her around to face him, cupping her face in his hands. “When the party’s over, I’ve got a surprise.”
“What?”
“I hope you like camping. But I’ve only got one sleeping bag.”
Her eyes widened, remembering that particular item from the list. “We’re ready for that?”