Chapter 5
1260 Words
Kandace
“What are you doing here?" Justin asks as he climbs up the aluminum stands to where Chloe and I are sitting.
I look at my friend. She grins and I turn back to my brother. “Getting ready to watch the final game of the season. I'd say to watch you guys beat Trevor, but we know that's unlikely." When my brother doesn't grin, I add, “I think what we're doing is obvious."
His blue eyes, darker than mine, scan all around us. “Where's Molly?"
“She's at the farm with Mom. The game won't be over until after her bedtime. She has school."
He lets out a sigh.
The bleachers ring with the sound of footsteps on the aluminum.
My brother looks from side to side as his volume lowers. “You should know, he's going to be here."
Even though I know the answer, I do as I did this morning and play dumb. “He?"
“Richards. Ricky asked him to play tonight."
My circulation races with memories of summer baseball games, watching all the guys, including Dax, play. He was always the best, much to my brother's chagrin. I heard that he'd stopped at the diner, but I had no idea he'd be at the game tonight.
“We can go," Chloe whispers.
“No." I sit taller. “I don't care where he is. I just want him to sign the papers and leave town." My gaze meets my brother's. “I'm not hiding from him."
“Didn't he meet with Murphy today?" Justin asks.
I shrug. “I don't know what he's done or doing. Mr. Murphy said he'd call when he had more information."
My brother's voice is a low growl. “Stay away from him, Kandi. I swear I'll kick his ass."
“You could try."
Why am I sticking up for Dax?
“He's gotten soft," Justin says as he puffs out his chest. “I f*****g work for a living."
My brother is good looking, in the way a sister sees her brother. Since graduating from Purdue, he's taken over most of the business of our parents' farm. Dad is still present and relinquishing control a little at a time. With over 1500 acres the two of them work side by side with the hands they hire.
Justin continues, “Stay away from him. And keep Molly away from him. He doesn't belong here." With that, Justin turns and steps down the bleachers, two seats at a time.
Chloe lays her hand on my arm. “Let's go. I didn't know he would be here. We could get a drink at Bob's or head to the Tastee Freeze for ice cream. I don't care. I think Dax Richards's return warrants one or the other, booze or ice cream. I'll let you decide."
As we talk, the stands fill with friends, siblings, spouses, and children all ready to cheer on our hometown team. The familiar greetings and smiles remind me of what Joyce told me this morning.
This is my town.
I shake my head. “No. I'm not letting him push me away from this ballgame. If Dax is as soft as Justin says, that visual will sustain me for the future."
Chloe sits back and side-eyes me. “He didn't look soft when I saw him this morning."
The Trevor team is on the field warming up as our team congregates behind the hometown bleachers.
Chloe's fingers grip my thigh. “Holy heaven almighty. I think Justin needs to get his eyes checked."
“Why?"
“Don't turn but let me say—not soft."
I straighten my back and keep my focus on the field. “Stop it. Dax Richards has always been good-looking. So what?"
Chloe nibbles on her lower lip.
“Stop it."
She inhales. “If Mick and I weren't engaged…"
I laugh. “You're not that easily swayed. Besides, you and Mick have been on and off forever." I peer down at the engagement ring on her finger. “I'm glad he's finally making an honest woman out of you."
“Speak of the devil," Chloe says with a huge grin.
Mick's expression is as solemn as Justin's, yet his eyes are set only on Chloe until he reaches her and lowers his lips to hers. “I forgot to tell you something," he says to Chloe and turns to me. “s**t, this is my fault. It slipped my mind, and I feel awful. Maybe you two might want to go do something else tonight."
“I offered drinks and ice cream," Chloe says. “Kandi wants to watch you guys lose."
His dark eyes come to mine. “So you know?"
A scoff escapes my lips. “Riverbend is pretty small. Yeah, I know."
“I don't know what" —his head shakes— “if you two decide you want to talk…let me warn you, Justin is hot."
Chloe reaches for his scruffy cheek. “Are you telling me that you're checking out guys these days?"
Mick grins. “Hot, baby. You're hot. Justin needs no incentive to get into a knock-down, drag-out with Richards."
“That's ridiculous," I say. “Please keep an eye on my brother."
“He just cares about you, Kandi. Can't blame a guy for looking out for his sister and niece."
A deep voice shouts from behind us.
“That's my call," Mick says. “I'll keep an eye on Justin. You make sure he doesn't have reason to start swinging."
When Mick makes his way down the bleachers, I sigh. “I wish I could move time forward, get the damn papers signed, and go back to the way it is."
“Most people want to move time back," Chloe says.
I smile at my friend who happens to also be a therapist, a recreational therapist who works at the hospital in Washington. “Maybe you should expand your therapy into relationship counseling."
“I should," she says with a grin. “I'm so great at them."
“You and Mick are good." All at once, my mouth goes dry as the Riverbend team takes the field. It isn't that Dax sticks out only because, Lord, help me, Chloe is right: he's not soft. He's also the only one wearing a blue shirt. The rest of the team is in orange.
The way my heart thumps against my breastbone, I expect Chloe to hear it and ask to check my watch for my heart rate. I breathe in and out. Rubbing my moist palms over my jean-clad thighs, I try to look away.
I can't.
Six years.
Seeing Dax again shouldn't affect me this way.
It's the same way I felt the night of John's funeral, lying with Dax, beside Dax, and in his arms. That night he'd done the worst possible thing to me. Something unforgivable.
He said he loved me.
And then he was gone.
Until now.
The c***k of the bat drags my attention to the softball. A Trevor player tosses the bat as he rounds first base. The ball sails into the outfield, appearing as if it will clear the fence.
“A Trevor home run is not a good start," Chloe says.
Everyone is on their feet as the handsome man in the only blue shirt runs backward and leaping, pulls the ball from the sky.
“Out," the umpire yells.
And just like when he was a kid, Daxton Richards gets cheered by Riverbend.
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