by Ash, Nikki
“It’s definitely a challenge,” Bridget volleys. “And when I win, you have to give me something.”
Simon laughs. “What?”
“You have to pay for Harper’s and my weekend away…The VIP package.”
“Done. And what do I get?” Simon challenges.
“If you win…” Bridget taps her fingernail against her chin then grins. “I’ll let you do that thing you like…”
“Really?” Simon perks up, and I groan. They’re so gross.
“Are you serious?” Simon asks Bridget, his bright blue eyes wide in excitement.
“Yep.”
He nods slowly. “You just made a big mistake, Luv, because now I’m motivated, and I will make sure I find someone better.”
“Umm… hello!” I wave my hands in the air. “I haven’t agreed to this.”
They both finally look at me.
“I can find you someone perfect,” Simon says. “No doctors. Promise. Or boney-ass pussy lovers.”
“Well, I mean… he could love pussy.” I shrug. Simon chokes on his drink, and Bridget cracks up laughing.
“One date from each of us,” Bridget says. “Whoever you get along with the best is the winner.”
“Ugh… fine.” I glance at Simon. “But if you win, I still want my weekend away for going along with this crap.”
Simon grins. “If I win, I’ll send you on a weeklong getaway!”
“Hey!” Bridget slaps his chest playfully. “No cheating.”
I glance at my phone and see it’s a quarter after twelve. “I need to get home to get ready for another interview. If you want, I can grab the boys from camp,” I offer since she got them yesterday. “Ella is going home with her cousin.”
“No,” Bridget rushes out. “I’ll get them. You just umm… go home and relax after your interview and I’ll drop Brendan off.”
“You sure?”
“Yep. I got them. Now go…” She pushes my shoulder, acting strange. “Call me and let me know how the interview goes.”
Thirteen
Landon
“All right, boys, go ahead and bring it in!” I yell. The dozens of mini-baseball players come running over, sweaty and smelly and smiling.
“First, I just want to say you guys did awesome today. It’s only the second day of camp and you guys are seriously killing it.” Their smiles widen. “Make sure you practice at home, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Coach!” several of them holler as they take off to find their parents, who are waiting for them.
“How’d it go?” Brian, my older brother and the man in charge of this baseball camp, asks.
“Good. I forgot what it was like to play ball for fun.” For the last several years, my life has revolved around playing baseball for the Boston Reds. I have lived and breathed baseball, but somewhere along the way, I forgot what it was like to just throw the ball around and have fun. I’ve missed the simplicity of the sport. When you play for the Major Leagues, it becomes so much more than just throwing and catching. You travel for six months out of the year, sleeping in hotels more nights than you’re home. You have events and charity functions. Contracts and endorsements. The money is great, but the strings attached to it weigh down on you.
“How’s your arm doing?” Brian asks.
I stretch my arm out and feel a painful pinch in my shoulder. “It’s all right, but I definitely made the right decision to retire.” For the last couple years my shoulder has been progressively getting worse. It wasn’t anything I’ve done other than throwing ninety mile an hour pitches for ninety plus games a season for the last decade, but it doesn’t change the fact that with every throw, I’m damaging my shoulder worse.
With my shoulder slowly deteriorating, after we won the World Series, I made the decision to retire. My contract was up for renewal and I decided I’d rather go out on top while I still have the use of my arm.
“I really appreciate you coming out to help with the camp,” Brian says, patting me on the shoulder. “It means a lot to these kids.” Brian is a History teacher for the local public high school in town and is also the varsity baseball coach.
“I was these kids,” I tell him. “Are you heading—”
“Excuse me,” a feminine voice says. “Are you Landon Maxwell?”
Internally, I groan, while Brian smirks. One of the downsides of being a professional athlete helping out at a sports camp is the women who know who I am. It’s only the second day of camp and I’ve already been asked out a dozen times.
“I am,” I say, turning around and plastering on a fake smile. The woman smiles sweetly and two dimples pop out of her cheeks. She has blond hair and green eyes. She’s petite, but has a decent body. When I look her over, I notice there’s a pretty big rock on her left hand, which means she’s married. “How can I help you?”
“My son is attending your camp,” she says. “Brendan Hogue.”
I recognize the name, but with all the kids I’ve met, I don’t put a face to the name. I don’t tell her that, though.
“Nice to meet you.” I extend my hand and she shakes it.
“You too.” Her smile grows wider. “I just wanted to thank you for helping out at the camp.”
“No problem. The kids are all great.”
There’s a moment of silence and then she blurts out, “Are you single?”
Brian coughs to cover his laugh, and I let out a sigh. I’ve been with my fair share of women over the years, but I’m not a home-wrecker. If there’s any indication they’re married, it’s not happening. You’d think she’d at least take her ring off before asking. Some women just have no shame.
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but I’m not really interested in dating, especially not a married woman.” I nod toward her ring.
Blush creeps up her neck and cheeks. “Oh, no! Not for me,” she splutters. “I’m happily married. It’s for my friend. I think you would be perfect for her.”
“Sorry, but I’m really not interested,” I insist, trying to convey through my tone that it’s definitely not happening.
Her brows knit together, and she looks like she wants to argue but instead just nods. “Okay… well, it was nice to meet you.” She scurries away without looking back.
Once she’s out of earshot, Brian laughs. “So many women, so little you.”
“Hush it.” I punch him in the arm.
“Heather is making pot roast for dinner. Want to come over?” Heather is his wife and the best damn cook I know. Even if she wasn’t, I would still join. After spending my entire adult life traveling with baseball, I made the decision to spend some time with my brother and his family. Since our father passed away years ago, he’s the only family I have left. My niece is already almost seven and it feels like I barely know her. Brian lives in a small town just outside of Providence, so I sold my condo and am renting another one nearby while I figure out if I want to settle down here for good. I’ve been here for almost a month and so far it’s been quiet and relaxing. Exactly what I was looking for.
“Hell, yeah. You already know I’m there,” I tell him, my mouth watering at the thought of Heather’s pot roast. I bet she baked dessert too.
We spend the evening hanging out and watching sports while Heather cooks. The meal is delicious as always and dessert is even better.
“I could get used to this,” I tell Heather, patting my stomach. “Keep cooking like this and I might have to move here indefinitely.”
She smiles at my compliment. “Or you could consider settling down and finding a woman who can cook.”
“Or I can keep coming over.” I stand and stretch. “I’m going to take off. Thank you for dinner.” I reach out and fist bump my brother. “See you tomorrow.” As I walk by, I ruffle my niece Kaelyn’s hair. “See ya, kiddo.”
“Bye, Uncle Landon.”
I’m walking around and double-checking to make sure all the kids are gone when I notice Hunter, one of the kids I’ve been working with, is sitting on the be
nch still waiting for his parent to pick him up.
“Hey, Hunter. Is your mom or dad coming to get you?”
Hunter pulls his phone out of his pocket. “Yeah, my dad was supposed to get me, but he forgot.” He frowns. “I just called my mom. She said Simon is going to come back around and get me.”
I sit next to him on the bench. “Who’s Simon?” I want to make sure not just anyone is picking him up. I don’t take being responsible for these kids lightly. The times aren’t like they were when I was a kid and we all ran the streets without a worry in the world.
“Brendan’s dad,” he says. “Mom is picking up my sister at gymnastics camp and she’s running late.”
A Lexus SUV pulls up and Hunter stands, but before he can get in the car, the guy driving gets out, along with Brendan.
“Hey, man.” The guy who must be Simon walks over and extends his hand. “Thank you for waiting with him. There was a little mix-up.” He gives Hunter a soft smile. “I’m Simon.”
“No worries, that’s what we’re here for.” Usually my brother waits with the kids, but he needed to get going to pick up Kaelyn from some other camp she’s attending since Heather has to work late. “I’m Landon.”
“There wasn’t a mix-up,” Hunter says. “My dad forgot me.”
Simon flinches but doesn’t correct him. “What do you say, since I’m here, me, you, and Brendan play some catch? Practice what you guys learned today?”
“Yeah,” Brendan agrees.
Everyone’s gaze swings to Hunter, who just shrugs, obviously still upset over his dad forgetting him. I didn’t grow up with the most responsible dad, but if he said he would be there, he would be. I can’t imagine how it would feel to be a kid waiting on someone you depend on, only to find out he forgot about you.
“I’m down,” I say. “What do you say, Hunter? Want to see if you can hit one of my curveballs?” This seems to perk him up a little, because he smiles and nods. “All right then. Let’s go.”
We spend the next hour with me throwing the ball to the boys, who take turns trying to hit my pitches. Simon’s in the outfield, catching the balls they hit. When they’re both exhausted and start goofing off, Simon tells them to go pick up all the balls he missed because it’s time to go.
“Thank you for that,” he says. “Hunter’s dad can be a bit flaky sometimes.”
“It’s all good.”
“So, umm… I was wondering… Are you single?” It takes me a second to comprehend what he’s just asked, and once I do, I have to stifle my laugh. I’ve been hit on by a lot of people in my life, but this is the first time I’ve been hit on by a man, especially one who’s married to the woman who asked me the same question yesterday.
“You’re a good-looking guy,” I say, trying like hell not to laugh, “but I don’t really swing that way.”
Simon laughs. “Shit, that came out wrong. Not for me. I have a friend I’m looking to set up.”
This time I do laugh. “The same friend your wife tried to set me up with yesterday?”
Simon’s eyes go wide. “Did you say yes?”
“No.”
He grins. “Good. So are you single?”
“I am, but like I told your wife, I’m not really interested. Plus, if two people are trying this hard to set her up, something’s got to be wrong with her.”
Simon laughs. “Nothing’s wrong with her.”
I raise a brow, not buying it.
“She’s a divorced, single mom,” he says.
“Ahh…” That explains it. She has baggage. I don’t do baggage.
“She’s been divorced for a while now, but she doesn’t really put herself out there,” Simon explains. “We’re just trying to help her get back out there. She’s really nice.”
“Nice is code for ugly,” I joke.
“No.” He shakes his head with a laugh. “She’s pretty.”
“Is she annoying?”
“No.” He chuckles. “Kind of odd… a little clumsy, but not annoying.”
My brain goes to a certain clumsy girl from my past, but I quickly push the thought away. Definitely not going there.
“She sounds okay, but I think I’m going to pass…”
“Look, man, here’s the thing,” Simon says. “My wife bet me she could find someone better, and if I win, my prize is something good.” He groans. “Really good.”
I laugh, not even wanting to know what his prize is.
“I can’t get into the details because it might be considered cheating, but there’s a good chance if you go out with her, you two are going to hit it off. And if I’m the one who set you up and you end up being the better date, I’ll win. So, man to man, I’m begging you to do me this solid.” Then he adds, “If the date sucks, beers are on me.”
I think about it for a minute. It’s been a long time since I’ve been on a date. And I did move here to settle down and slow things down a bit, so maybe going out with a woman who’s not looking to hook up will be good for me. And if the date sucks, it’s not like I ever have to see her again.
“All right, what the hell. I’ll do it.”
Fourteen
Harper
I’m sitting across from Dexter Helms, waiting for the waitress to bring us our check so we can each pay for our portion of the bill. He’s a nurse at Providence Hospital where my ex-husband works. How do I know that? Because he’s made it a point to tell me several times. The first time was when we sat down and he was wondering if we’re still friends because he’s hoping I can put a good word in for him to get on Richard’s surgical team. The next time was when I accidently spilled my glass of wine and he told me he’s shocked at how clumsy I am since my ex-husband has the most steady pair of hands he’s ever seen. The third time was when the bill was brought out and he told me I should pay for half since he knows my ex-husband makes six figures a year as a surgeon.
Now, I’ve never been on a blind date before, and I have no problem paying for half, but it really sucks when my half should’ve been twenty dollars, with a tip, since I only got chicken and a glass of wine, yet I’m paying close to sixty, since Dexter got Filet Mignon, lobster, three beers, and dessert. I think it suffices to say there won’t be a second date.
The waitress brings us over the paid check, and I grab my credit card from the insert. I don’t even bother to wait for Dexter to stand before I’m wishing him a good night and walking away. The entire drive to Bridget’s I mentally curse her for this date. Two hours stuck at that restaurant with that dumbass. I could’ve gotten a pedicure. Taken a bath. I could’ve read some more in one of my romance novels. Two hours I’ll never get back.
When I step through the Hogues’ front door, Bridget and Simon are cuddling on the couch, watching a movie. My throat tightens at the scene. This is all I ever wanted, but here I am, just having turned thirty and alone. I only have myself to blame, though. I knew from the beginning that being with Richard wasn’t going to work out, but I wanted so badly to give my son a proper home with a mom and a dad. I wanted to make sure he was taken care of, and I didn’t want to saddle my mom up with any of that responsibility. It was mine and Richard’s mistake and I wanted us to handle it together.
What I didn’t think about at the time was myself. How I would feel to go years without having a deep and emotional connection with someone. To have loveless, meaningless sex. I didn’t think about how it would feel to wake up every day alone. I divorced Richard because I finally had enough. I was ready to start my life. Find a man I could share my life with. Yet I’ve been divorced for several years now and I still haven’t made any attempt to find my own happiness.
“You’re back early,” Bridget says, sitting up. “The boys are playing video games in Brendan’s room. Ella passed out with the twins in their room. They’re more than welcome to spend the night.”
I fall onto her sofa across from them. “That was the worst date I’ve ever been on.”
Bridget bites her lip, and Simon looks like he’s stifling his
smile. “Well, in my defense,” she says, “I had another prospect in mind, but he was playing hard to get. I was planning to talk to him the next time I see him. If you give me a do-over…”
“Oh, no.” I shake my head. “That was your one chance.” I glance at Simon. “There’s no need to go on your date. You won. There’s no way anyone can be worse than that man.”
Bridget gasps, and Simon laughs. “What? No way!” Bridget argues. “You have to go on the date to know for sure.”
“Yeah, I agree,” Simon says.
“You do?” Bridget questions. “You’re that sure your date will be better?”
“Yes, I am.” He grins. “Saturday night. Seven o’clock at Selma’s.”
“Selma’s?” I question. That’s one of the most elusive restaurants in Providence… and expensive.
“That’s what he picked.” Simon shrugs.
“If I get stuck paying half that bill, I’m charging you,” I tell him pointedly.
“Dexter made you pay half the bill?” Bridget scrunches up her nose in disgust.
“Oh, yeah, and not just my half. His was so expensive, I not only paid for my bill but a part of his too.”
“Ewww,” Bridget says. “I’m sorry. He was really nice when I worked there.”
“So, next Saturday night,” Simon confirms.
“It’s the day of Ella’s gymnastics meet, but that’s earlier in the day. I’m going to have to ask Richard if he’s taking the kids. We were supposed to switch since he didn’t take them this weekend, but you never know.” I let my head sink back into the sofa cushion. “I still can’t believe he forgot to pick up Hunter.”
“He’s an idiot,” Simon says. “I’ve seen it a lot during my years working at the hospital and clinic. Doctors want to move up, so they make the hospital their home and become married to their work. If it wasn’t for Bridget, I probably would’ve done the same thing.” He pulls Bridget into his side and kisses the side of her temple.
Emotions sting my nostrils at the thought that no matter how hard I tried to make it work with Richard, I was never enough. Our kids aren’t enough. None of his other wives or fiancées are ever enough. Will Samantha be enough? I keep hoping he’ll meet a woman who’ll change him, make him want to be a part of his kids’ lives, but the truth is Richard has to want it himself. Nobody can make you want to be a part of the family you created but you.