Page 42 of View With Your Heart

Her words surprise me. She’s always known me in some ways.

“Then how could you do what we just did?” The question is insensitive, but I’m equally hurt. I didn’t touch her without thought. I’ve always felt something for her, something strong and undefined.

“I don’t know.” Her voice shakes, her shame digging deeper. She reaches for the handle of the door.

“Brit, don’t leave like this. Just see me again.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. I’m sorry about tonight.” As she presses the door open, I reach for mine and exit. She starts around the car, but I quickly catch up to her, snagging her around the waist.

“Please don’t be sorry. Not about what we did. Not about us.” My lips come to the side of her neck. “Don’t steal this moment from me.”

“Gavin.” She groans my name as headlights swing into the drive, highlighting my car. “That’s Theo.” She straightens, stepping out of my arms, and I let her go as I have no choice.

+ + +

The next day, Britton works, but she allows me to keep my promise to Gee, and I meet him and Theo at the ball field by the lake.

“Alright, batter up,” I call out, preparing my pitch for Gee.

“Coach, what did the baker say to the pitcher?”

“I don’t know,” I say, waiting on the punchline.

“Hey, batter, batter.”

I laugh. This kid, he’s a riot. He’s also good at baseball, and he’s determined to perfect his stance. We run through several pitches before playing a simple game of catch. Theo started out fielding balls for us, but he spends the time Gee and I play catch just lying on the grass looking at his phone.

“So is California all hot girls, skimpy bikinis, and sunshine?” Theo eventually asks, and I laugh.

“Close.” It can be those things, but other things about California make it a great place. “But life isn’t all babes in bathing suits.”

“I doubt it,” Theo teases, perching up on his side. “Man, I’ve never been anywhere.”

“What’s next for you?” He’s going to be a junior in high school, but he should think further ahead.

“I have no idea. My dad wants me to take over his business one day, but I don’t know that I want to be a fisherman like him.”

Duke’s dad inherited his father’s boat charter company. They offer fishing expeditions and day rentals. Somehow Duke’s dad was related to Britton’s uncle Leo, but I don’t remember the particulars.

“It’s hard when your dad wants you to follow in his footsteps, and you don’t want to.” Theo huffs at my response, so I explain. “My dad owns a cherry orchard near here. He always thought my brother and I would run it one day until I showed talent in baseball. Then he had grander goals for me, leaving the possibility of my brother Ethan taking over. Only E didn’t want it any more than I did. We each had our own life goals.”

Theo is quiet, picking at the grass before him. Gee just listens as we toss the ball.

“What about you, Gee? What did your dad do?” I shouldn’t be prying for information through a kid, and I tell myself I’m not. I’m asking a child about his father, but I’m curious as Britton doesn’t offer much about her late husband.

“My dad was in business, but I don’t know what exactly he did. He sold something and traveled a lot because of it.” Gee shrugs. “Eventually, he was too sick to work.” He goes quiet a second, and I’m sorry I asked, but then he continues. “He missed a lot of my games.”

Theo is watching Gee, and again I feel like I’ve stepped into a pile of unavoidable dog poo by asking my question.

“I bet he was proud of you,” I add, hoping it’s true as Gee is amazing. Always ready with a joke, he’s still having fun while taking his game seriously. He’s the perfect combination of kid.

Gee doesn’t respond to my comment. Instead, he says, “Mom used to tell me she had a friend who was a professional baseball player. He was left-handed like me, and he used to say to her, it’s not so much about the game, but the sport. Have fun. Play hard. Do your best.”

As the ball tosses to me, I’ve dropped my arm, listening to my own words come back to me, and I have to jump to the side to catch Gee’s throw before it falls. The words he shares weren’t just my words. They’d been my dad’s. He always said to have fun while still expecting me to play hard. At the end of a game, he’d say I had nothing to be disappointed about as long as I did my best.

When did Dad change? When did I forget that advice?

“I think that ballplayer might have been Gavin,” Theo tells Gee with a chuckle. “How do you know Aunt Brit again?” I’m certain Britton’s explained how we knew each other when we were young. She probably didn’t mention that weekend, though.