Ted laughed as he looked over at Trina. “Naw, I like to be in the middle of the action, and I have a feeling things are going to get interesting over here.”
The fact that he was making fun of me didn’t escape my notice, but instead of taking offense, I merely smiled at him and took another handful of his popcorn.
Player introductions followed soon after, and I tried not to be fidgety as I sat through them, going mildly insane when they said Cole’s name. It was clear that I was embarrassing Trina, because she asked Charlie to switch seats with me. My stomach was singing a song of joy when my brother finally finished that hot dog, because even though I wasn’t experiencing nausea to the extent that I had the last go-round, I still didn’t need any reasons to have to bolt from my seat.
While my stomach was fairly calm at the moment, though, my heart was beating out a jungle rhythm when Cole took his place at shortstop. Charlie grabbed my hand, squeezing it gently, and didn’t let go as the first player up to bat took two balls and then a strike. He popped the next pitch up and back to the pitcher for an easy out.
“You might have a heart problem before the season’s over,” Charlie deduced with a laugh. Relaxing my hand in an attempt to calm myself, I smiled over at him.
“I’m really nervous,” I admitted, looking back out at Cole. He was poised perfectly, knees bent with his glove in front of him.
He’s so handsome, I think I might die.
Pop! The ball was hit hard but directly at the first baseman for a second out.
Removing my hand from Charlie’s, I wiped my sweaty palms against my jeans and then drew my fists together anxiously.
“You’re like a mother hen watching her chicks leave the nest.” Ted laughed, nudging my shoulder.
“I’m shaking, Ted!” I blurted. “You need to figure out how to calm me down.”
He didn’t have a chance, because the batter shot the ball past the pitcher and near Cole, who snared it and tossed it to first base for the final out of the inning.
(I feel the need to add that I might have possibly thrown myself out of the seat so fast that I fell over and into that poor dark-haired woman in front of me, who clearly by that point thought that I was insane.)
As our team came up to bat, I managed to resume my seat partially, although I still couldn’t make myself sit back like a normal person. The batter lined up at the plate, but I didn’t even notice, because my eyes were on deck and focused on that incredibly good looking shortstop. He took a practice swing, and I fought to stay on my rear end in that seat, because I seriously wanted to cheer.
He was incredible.
He was beautiful.
And yes, I know a practice swing isn’t something to be terribly proud of, but I was a tangled up bundle of anticipation.
With one well-timed pitch, the batter was out and I heard my husband’s name over the loud speaker. He looked even better on that huge screen, and I knew I was screaming like a lunatic. My over-exuberance was ill-timed at best, but it felt like it was out of my control. Ted placed his arm around me, and that brought my nerves down a notch, but I couldn’t sit down. Cole was living out his dream right in front of my eyes, and I was going to support him on my feet.
The first pitch went by without a swing, and nervous energy shot through my veins. Silently I wondered if Charlie was correct, and watching Cole play baseball would be detrimental to my health. Shaking the feeling off, though, I leaned against Ted as Cole readied his swing again.
Another pitch without a swing, but this one was a ball. I could feel my fingers trembling and I looped my thumbs nervously through my belt loops in an attempt to hide my jitters. Ted gave me a little squeeze, and I noticed that I had been bouncing up and down on my toes. Mentally ordering my feet to stand still, I took both Ted and Charlie’s hands at once, staring at my husband.
The third pitch curved downward, and I gritted my teeth right before he connected, sending it through the gap in right field. Perfect euphoria coursed over me as I watched him round first and slide into second, standing there with plenty of time to spare. Dusting himself off, he looked over at the first base coach, and then he glanced up into the crowd. His eyes went to one specific spot, and he pointed his finger in the air in the direction of those seats, offering a perfect grin.
If anyone had noticed me, they might have thought I was pleased with the fact that our team just got a double. They might have thought I was enjoying the moment with the two supportive men on either side of me. They might have thought I was happy about the fact that the incredibly handsome ballplayer just nodded in my direction.
They couldn’t have guessed the reason for my joy, because truth be told, I didn’t really know myself.
You see, in that perfect moment, I was simply smiling.
For no reason.
Epilogue
“Hurry up, Charlie!” I say as we locate our seats above the dugout. He looks like a kid in a candy store. No, even more intense than that – he looks like a kid in a candy store who just pulled out Wonka’s Golden Ticket.
“Check it out, Cooper.” Charlie points to the field. Cooper grins at me shyly before his eyes follow his dad’s outstretched arm to the green grass before us.
“It’s just like what we saw on TV last night, isn’t it Peanut?” Charlie doesn’t much like that I continue to call his son Peanut, since he’s two years old, but it’s our thing. Cooper always giggles when I say it, just like I giggle when he calls me Poo. Like I said - it’s our thing.
Settling into my chair, I smooth my shorts across my legs, hoping not to stick to the seat in the steamy June heat. It feels strange not to have a baby on my lap, and I glance up at the suite where the rest of our family is hanging out. Liz and Ted graciously offered to take my little man so I could be up and close to the action.
Oh, I guess I should introduce you to that little man, shouldn’t I? Luke Hudson Parker is the newest love of my life – six months old and just as handsome as his daddy. His black hair is a beautiful contrast against his fair skin, and his delicate blue eyes stare into my soul just as easily as Cole’s deep brown eyes do. My heart has swelled to a capacity I didn’t know it could contain just by knowing that boy, and I love my little family.
I know what you’re thinking – didn’t Cole want to name a son Clay? The answer is yes, but about two weeks before our due date, he changed his mind. He had really grown to love the name Luke, he said. Wanted to make sure he gave our son the perfect name, he said.
What he failed to mention is that he had spoken in depth about the subject to Charlie, who had convinced him not to use the name Clay. Why, you ask? Because he wanted to give him the best possible start in life as a future baseball hero by giving him the perfect name. Thus – Luke Hudson Parker.
LHP.
Left. Handed. Pitcher.
This is the madness I deal with between my brother and my husband, and I should have known better, right? Most likely Luke will wind up being right handed and the two of them will be proven crazy.
Today is not a day to be angry with Charlie, however, so I will forget that subject for the time being. Anyway, he’s probably already busy trying to come up with a baseball name for his second son, who is due in three months now. Between Charlie and me, he is determined we will come up with an entire baseball team. I am not interested in trying to make that happen in any way, shape, or form.
I have enough going on in my life as it is, between my writing career and Luke. My mom comes over nearly every afternoon and hangs out with him so I can have a couple hours to myself to write, answer emails, make phone calls, or whatever the day brings. Last month, she went with me to L.A. so we could film a couple movie scenes. I acquiesced to being on the screen in a cameo appearance, and they cast me as a “dance attendee.” My claim to fame in the movie will be some innocent flirting with George Washington.
Of course they would cast you as a flirt, Cole had laughed when I told him the news.
Mom has also been conversing w
ith Hannah a bit – they haven’t exactly become the best of friends, but they don’t currently hate each other. I remember feeling that way myself, so I know it’s a step in the right direction.
As for life back in Tennessee, Mom and I catered a wedding just last month. Bet you can’t guess whose wedding it was. (If you said Rosalie and Elliott, you hit the jackpot.) I’ve been taking some cooking lessons from her, and she actually let me help make the wedding dinner.
Well, she let me assist with the wedding dinner.
Okay, she let me chop some stuff, but it was something.
I also have a new gig with Jamie Price – he calls it Camdyn’s Crazy Book Reviews. It’s a bit he pulls out once a month, and he lets me film the segments from Memphis, so it works out great. I’ve been doing a lot of writing, too. Writing about myself, as someone suggested back at that conference in Louisville. Writing about my experiences in coming to Tennessee and giving up my pen name. That special book is set to publish in a couple months: A Reason to Run.
Other than that, the most important thing going on in our lives right now is the scene unfolding in front of our eyes at the present moment. Looking at my brother, I offer up a gigantic grin.
“Charlie, did you ever think we would be sitting here like this, at Busch Stadium?”
Charlie laughs before he answers.
“Did I think you would marry a St. Louis Cardinal?” he corrects me. “I wouldn’t have thought you could pull it off, no.”
Charlie can make jokes, but I know he’s just as excited as I am. This is Cole’s first start in St. Louis, and Charlie and I are practically going insane. That’s why we are sitting near the dugout, just the two of us with Little Peanut, while the rest of the family is cool and comfortable inside the suite.
It’s a beautiful day for a game, too. Fortunately, I have learned to cool my jets since that first game in Memphis over a year ago. I am perfectly capable of being poised and calm, a proper wife who will make Cole proud. (Outwardly, anyway. Inside I’m still Camdyn, after all.)
Charlie and I watch the introductions and the first few at-bats, sitting on the edge of our seats. We are bundles of nervous energy, the two of us, and it’s only fitting that we share these moments together. I wonder aloud if Grandma is secretly watching the game with us, and Charlie thinks she definitely is.
In the bottom of the second inning, Cole Parker finally gets his first at-bat in a St. Louis Cardinals uniform. When his name is announced and his picture flashes on that screen overhead, I hear the familiar tones of the song “Crazy Train.” Laughing to myself, I place my hand over my heart. He steps up to the plate, points his bat above the dugout, and then squares up to the pitcher.
People who are watching with us probably think he just called his shot, and they’re confused as to why he would do so to foul ball territory. I know better, though. He wasn’t calling his shot. He was pointing that bat at me – a visual signal to acknowledge the fact that we’re a team.
Camdyn and Cole.
Messy perfection.
It doesn’t really even matter to me if he hits the ball.
As far as I’m concerned, it’s already a solid home run.
LETTER FROM THE AUTHOR
Thank you for reading The Camdyn Series. Every book has been close to my heart, but this one the most of all. My hope is that I accomplished the task entrusted to me in an honest and real way as I attempted to capture the feelings many women, myself included, have experienced.
One of my greatest joys in embarking on this writing journey has been hearing from all of you, so please don’t hesitate to contact me. I love knowing how these stories have touched your hearts, made you laugh, or mirrored your lives in some way.
The Camdyn Series might have been just a few days’ reading for you, but it has been a yearlong undertaking for me. Mike, Raisin Grapes, and T-Man – thank you for being supportive and walking this road with me. I love you all more than you know.
Thanks to my Dad and Mom, for your love and help in getting my books out into the world. To Cindy, for your secret well-kept all these years (seriously, how did you do that?). To Karri, for being a great set of eyes in making sure the end product was the best it could be. To all my other friends who get the first looks at these stories and offer me encouragement and advice. I appreciate you all so very much.
Special thanks to Linda, for going above and beyond in assisting with my dream – for being my partner in crime. Thanks for your critical eye and not sparing my feelings. I couldn’t have done this without you.
I have had great help with my cover photos also, the first three books with my brother-in-law Daren – thank you for putting up with my nagging and bad timing and providing me with some great shots. For this book, thank you to my friend Nichole, who was unbelievably sweet and extremely excited to help me. Working with you both was a pleasure.
Last, but not least, thanks to every one of you who has contacted me and offered encouraging words. You hold me up on your shoulders, and I am so very grateful.
God has given me a story to tell. Some of it came from my mind, but some of it surprised me. I only hope I have accomplished this great honor in a way that makes Him smile.
With a full heart,
Christina Coryell
Stay tuned for my next series –
The Girls of Wonder Lane -
coming soon!
For No Reason (The Camdyn Series Book 4) Page 32