Swing and a Kiss: Carolina Waves Series Book 4

by Tina Gallagher

  Chapter 21

  Karen

  * * *

  “Stop staring at the hot guy in your backyard.” Chloe stood directly behind me on her tiptoes, looking over my shoulder. “Not that I blame you for enjoying the view.”

  I finished drying my hands on the towel and draped it over the edge of the sink.

  “He’s really good with Jeremy.”

  “Judging by the glow on your face, he’s really good with you, too.” She bobbed her eyebrows.

  I can’t argue with that. And it’s not just the sex.

  After I basically attacked him on the floor next to the kitchen table, we showered...separately thank God, or I probably wouldn’t be able to walk...and got dressed.

  Since Jeremy’s game wasn’t until three o’clock, we had some time to kill, so Dale took me for ice cream. And I realized he was correct when he said the place is usually crowded during the day. He handled the fans who approached like the pro that he is and I enjoyed watching him in action as I ate my sundae.

  As we’d expected, with both Jack and Dale at the game, they were easily recognized. They talked and shook hands and took pictures, and whatever else their fans requested until the game started. Then they excused themselves to sit with Hannah, Chloe, and me and give it their full attention.

  The game was a nail-biter, and I nearly had a stroke when Jeremy took the mound with the score tied three to three in the top of the sixth inning. Dale held my hand as I watched my son pitch two perfect innings. Then one of his teammates hit a walk-off homerun in the bottom of the seventh giving them the victory.

  It had been an amazing night followed by a great day and I really enjoyed spending time with Dale and getting to know him better. After the game, we got takeout and came back to my house to eat and while Chloe and I cleaned up, Dale and Jeremy went outside to play catch.

  “So, how was it?” Chloe asked as she settled onto the chair in the living room. “Inquiring minds want to know.”

  I sat on the couch across from her.

  “Chloe, I’ve never given you details of my sex life before,” I said around a chuckle. “Why would I start now?”

  She scrunched her nose.

  “That’s because before you were having sex with my brother and I didn’t even want to think about that much less hear about it. But Dale Montgomery is a whole other story. Besides, I don’t want details, just a general summary.” She held up her index finger. “One, did you enjoy yourself?” Then she added another finger. “And two, are you okay? Mentally, emotionally.”

  I smiled, memories of the previous night flashing through my head.

  “Yes, I enjoyed myself.” I grabbed the throw pillow next to me and squeezed it against my stomach. “As for if I’m okay, I’ll say yes. There was a moment of guilt after, well after the first time, but I fell asleep before it could take root.”

  Her eyes widened and a cat-that-swallowed-the-canary smile spread across her face.

  “The first time?” I threw the pillow across the room and it hit her right in the center of the chest. She just laughed and hugged it to her. “He really likes you.”

  “I really like him, too. More than I thought I would.”

  “Well, the air practically crackles when you’re with each other.”

  “I know, I can feel it. But aside from the physical attraction, I just enjoy his company. He’s very nice and thoughtful, not to mention funny and easy to talk to. Our phone conversations have been amazing.”

  “”But?” I frowned at her. “I’ve known you too long for you to tell me there’s not a ‘but’ in there somewhere.”

  I reached over and grabbed another throw pillow and hugged it to my chest.

  “I just don’t know what’s going to happen when the season starts. We have enough trouble getting together now.” I traced the pattern of the pillow with my index finger. “I mean, you broke up with your guy because he’s in Chicago so you don’t have a future. You have a lot more experience with relationships than I do and if you can’t make it work, how am I going to?”

  “First of all, Elliott and I didn’t have the connection you and Dale have. Honestly, if we had been in the same city we probably wouldn’t have lasted as long as we did. But you guys really have something and I’m sure you’ll figure out the logistics as you go along.”

  She’d just said that when I heard the back door open.

  “Thanks Monte. I’ll show my coach that pitch at practice tomorrow.”

  “The circle change is a great pitch and yours looks really good. For now if you use that and hit your spots, you’ll be golden.”

  I looked over and saw him hand Jeremy a glove as they walked into the living room. Dale sat next to me on the couch and rested his arm behind me.

  We’ve been slowly showing affection in front of Jeremy and he doesn’t seem to mind. In fact, he’s been amazingly cool about our relationship, thankfully.

  “Mom, I’m really tired. I’m gonna go take a shower.”

  “Okay, don’t forget to put your uniform in the laundry room before you go to bed.”

  “I will. Thanks again for coming today, Monte. And you too, Aunt Chloe.”

  He gave Chloe a hug and kiss then went off to shower.

  “I didn’t think you guys were ever going to come inside.”

  “We were having fun, but it got too dark to see the ball.”

  “Isn’t playing catch like working on your day off?” Chloe asked.

  “Nah, that was fun. And Jeremy is fun to show stuff to because he really pays attention.”

  “He loves the game,” I said.

  “That’s pretty obvious,” he said. “Speaking of, Jeremy said you can come to the game Friday night.”

  “If that’s okay?”

  “Do you even have to ask that?” He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me close for a quick kiss. “Maybe we can grab something to eat afterwards?”

  “Sure.”

  “What about you, Aunt Chloe? Are you still in town on Friday?” he asked.

  “I am, but I actually have a date.” She tapped her index finger against her chin. “Although, it would probably score me a lot of points if I took him to a game and introduced him to you.”

  Dale bobbed his eyebrows. “Are you looking to score points with him?”

  “You know, I’m not sure yet. The phone conversations have been good, but let me get through the first date before I bring him to meet the family and the team.”

  Chloe dates a lot and that’s the way she likes it. Or at least it’s the way she always has liked it. Where Jason and I got together young and then got married and had Jeremy young as well, she never wanted that. Getting married has never been part of her life plan and she’s never wanted children of her own.

  Dale asked her questions about the guy, sounding like a protective older brother. Then when she mentioned when she’ll be leaving on her next business trip, he asked her about work too.

  I shifted in my seat and rested against his side. Without missing a beat in the conversation, Dale moved his arm from the back of the couch to rest on my shoulder.

  While he and Chloe talked, I thought about today and the other days we’ve spent together and couldn’t help but smile at how nicely he fits into my life.

  Chapter 22

  Dale

  * * *

  “You must have done something to piss off all the pitchers,” Jack said, checking out the bruise just above my elbow. Even though my elbow pad took most of the impact of the wild pitch, it’s still swollen and purple.

  “Seriously, you’ve been dinged more this spring training than all of last season,” Dan added.

  “Maybe they’re just intimidated by my prowess at the plate.”

  They looked at each other and burst out laughing. I flipped them off then picked up my mug of beer and took a long drink.

  Rudy’s Place is pretty crowded for a Monday night but the hostess sat us at a table in a little alcove so we’re not out in the open.
But instead of paying attention to the guys or checking out the room, my eyes keep straying to the hallway leading to the deck. As much as I’d protested about Hannah arranging a birthday dinner for me, I’m so happy she did, mostly because she’d used her super persuasion powers to get Karen to attend.

  And life has been pretty incredible since then.

  I’m not sure what changed for Karen, but since that night, she’s been different. Before I felt like she was fighting to keep me at arm’s length, but now she seems to have jumped into this relationship with both feet. Especially since the last time we were here and Karen told me she wanted to tell Jeremy about us.

  I realized the guys weren’t talking anymore and looked across the table and found them both staring at me.

  “What are you two idiots smiling about?”

  “The dumb, lovestruck look on your face,” Jack said.

  “But I have to admit that it’s better than the pathetic, lovelorn look you had for the past two years,” Dan added.

  I just chuckled and shook my head. Let them have their fun. Turnabout is definitely fair play and I enjoyed busting their asses when they turned into lovesick fools. I’m just happy they have something to tease me about.

  “Seriously though, it looks like things are going well.”

  While Jack phrased that as a sentence, it was definitely a question

  “Yeah, things are going well. Karen is amazing and Jeremy is so great. He’s been really cool about us dating.” Then I figured I’d bring up the elephant in the room. These guys would understand the impending issue better than anyone. “I just don’t know what’s going to happen after next week.”

  They shook their heads, looking almost solemn.

  “Have you talked to her about it?” Dan asked.

  “Not yet. I didn’t want to give her a reason to end things before they got started. I thought we’d figure it out when the time came but now that it’s here, I’m not exactly sure how to handle it.”

  “You really need to talk to her and find out what she’s thinking.”

  The fact that Jack just uttered that sentence shows how much he’s changed. Before Hannah he never would have even thought something like that, never mind said it out loud.

  “I know. It just sucks that I’m going to have to use some of the time we have left together here discussing it.”

  “When are you seeing her again?” Dan asked.

  “We usually FaceTime every night but I won’t see her in person until Friday at the game.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “I’ll have to see if we can get together before then. It’s not a conversation I want to have over the phone, even if I can see her face.”

  “You’ve seen guys juggle baseball and family your whole career. I’m sure you’ll figure it out,” Dan said.

  He’s right, but I also know that figuring it out is the easy part, following through and making it work is what’s difficult.

  Karen

  * * *

  “Do you need help?” I asked Sabrina as she made her way down the aisle with a sleeping Gavin in her arms.

  “No, I’m good. Thanks.” She sat in the seat next to me. “He conked out about five minutes ago.”

  “He’s so adorable.”

  He’s a mini Dan McMullen and right now, his chubby cheeks are rosy with sleep. Sabrina looked down at her son and smiled.

  “That he is.” She shifted him down to rest in her lap and he snuggled into place. “So how are you doing?”

  “I’m doing well. So is Jeremy.”

  “And?”

  I laughed when she dragged out the word. Honestly, I’m not sure whose friends are more invested in my relationship with Dale, his or mine.

  “Things are going well there, too.”

  I’m just not sure what’s going to happen after this week. Dale and I got together Wednesday night after his game and talked about how we’re going to handle the season starting. He made it very clear that he’s dedicated to our relationship but I still have lingering doubts. Once he’s traveling around the country and I’m out of his sight, will I also be out of his mind?

  “Do you and Jeremy have plans to come up to Myrtle Beach?”

  “Dale and I have discussed it, but nothing is set in stone. We won’t be able to go until Jeremy is out of school. Then I have to figure out when he doesn’t have games and I can get away from work. There’s a home stretch at the end of May that I think might work.”

  “If you can, plan some extra time. Jeremy and Lexi get along well so I’m sure they’d enjoy hanging out. And we can just relax by the pool.”

  “I’ll see what I can do.”

  Thankfully I’m at the point in my career where I’m not expected to be in the office all the time. As long as I don’t have a showing or a closing, there’s a lot I’d be able to do from South Carolina if necessary.

  I looked down at the field and spotted Dan and Dale walking toward the dugout. Dale looked up and smiled. I waved, feeling my face heat.

  “This is all still very surreal to me. How on Earth am I dating Dale Montgomery?”

  Like Hannah, Sabrina has been in my shoes. And, even though I haven’t spent as much time with her as I have with Hannah, I still feel comfortable talking to her.

  “I know. When Dan and I got together, he was injured so we were in our own little bubble. So it was a bit of a shock when I had to deal with all this.” She adjusted her hold on Gavin and shifted slightly to face me. “At home he’s just Dan, but to the rest of the world, he’s a sports idol. It’s definitely surreal.” Chuckling, she added, “Cal’s wife Barbara always says she forgets he’s ‘kind of a big deal’ until they go out and he’s recognized.”

  “I can understand that since both you and Barbara knew your guys before they were kind of big deals. But don’t forget, Jack is Jeremy’s idol and my late husband was a big Waves fan so I’ve been watching these guys play since they started with the team. It’s strange to see them socially now.”

  “I get it, but as you’ve probably figured out by now, they’re just regular guys. And I’m amazed at how they’ve found places to go all over the country where they can remain relatively anonymous.”

  “That is pretty impressive. When Dale and I went on our first date, I’d expected to be interrupted all night, but we weren’t. Not once.”

  As we watched the game, I thought about my conversation with Dale the other day. He was pretty adamant about the fact that he wants to see each other as often as possible during the season. While I’m thrilled he doesn’t just consider what we’re doing here a spring training fling, I had to make him understand that I can’t just pick up and fly off to see him. He was okay with that and asked that I not give up on him even when things get tough.

  “What does Jeremy think about you and Dale dating?”

  “He’s okay with it.”

  “You sound surprised by that.”

  “Part of me is and part of me isn’t. I mean, Dale is the first guy I’ve dated since Jason died so I thought Jeremy might be upset that I’m moving on from his father. But he said he wants me to be happy and that I laugh a lot when I’m with Dale.”

  She was about to say something when Jeremy and Lexi appeared at the end of the aisle, each carrying a drink in one hand and a food container in the other. They sat in the two seats in front of us so Sabrina and I shifted our attention to them.

  We were invited to their condo after the game for a late dinner. Jeremy brought a change of clothes and he and Lexi plan to go swimming. He doesn’t have a tournament or practice this weekend so we won’t have to leave early. We’ll also be able to attend the final spring training games tomorrow and Sunday.

  As if she read my mind, Sabrina asked, “You guys will be hanging out with us this weekend, right?”

  I nodded. “You’re leaving Monday, right?”

  “Yeah, we’re flying home in the afternoon.” She bobbed her eyebrows and flashed a big smile. “But I understand Dale is staying until Wednesday morning.”
>
  Glancing down at Jeremy to remind her he’s sitting right there, I said, “He chartered a flight that leaves at 5 a.m. so we can hang out after Jeremy’s practice Tuesday night.”

  What I didn’t mention is that I’m taking the day off so Dale and I can spend it together. I also arranged for Jeremy to go home from school with one of his teammates and his mom will take them to practice. So Dale and I have an entire uninterrupted day together to do whatever we want.

  Chapter 23

  Dale

  * * *

  The front door opened as I stepped onto the front porch. Karen stood behind the screen door, looking adorable in a pair of cotton shorts and one of my Waves T-shirts. Her hair was piled on top of her head in a lopsided bun.

  “Good morning. These are for you.”

  I handed her the spring bouquet I’d picked up at the florist last night. I’d put it in the refrigerator as I was told to do and was thrilled when it still looked perfect this morning.

  “Thank you Dale, they’re beautiful.” She tipped them toward her nose and inhaled. “Mmm, they smell good too. Let me go put them in water.”

  I followed her to the kitchen and watched as she stood on her tiptoes and pulled a vase out of a top cupboard. Grabbing a pair of shears out of her knife block, she expertly clipped the end off the stems and arranged the flowers in the vase.

  “We didn’t really discuss what we’re doing today so I wasn’t sure what to wear.” She placed the vase in the middle of the dining room table and stood back to admire her handiwork. Seemingly satisfied, she turned and faced me. “I know I look a mess, but I’m showered. I just need to get dressed and brush my hair.”

  I heard what she was saying but was too distracted watching her to answer. She somehow looks adorable and sexy as hell at the same time and I can’t take my eyes off her.

  “What?” she asked as I continued to stare.