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Chapter Nine
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The candlelight in the restaurant cast a soft glow over the room. Drew couldn’t take his eyes off Baylee. Across the table from him, she thanked the waiter for helping place her napkin in her lap and looked around.
“I’ve heard about this place but I’ve never been here before. It’s stunning.”
Stunning. An excellent word. But not one he would use to describe the restaurant. Rather, the woman across from him in a green dress that brought out the color in her eyes and hugged all her curves in all the right places. His own Marilyn Monroe. Stunned was a more appropriate word. It summed up Drew ever since Baylee had floated into his world.
“What are you thinking about?”
Her question drew him from his thoughts. “That you’re beautiful.”
The rosy color in her cheeks only added to her angelic face.
“Thank you.” She looked down and fussed with her napkin. “I’m not used to a fancy place like this.” She folded her hands in her lap and looked at him. “I imagine you dine like this all the time.”
“Not really, no.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t make assumptions.”
“Don’t be. It’s a fair one. People think because of the fame and money, I live on private jets and eat like this every night.”
“And you don’t?”
He smiled at the teasing twinkle in her eye as she spoke. “I’m not saying there aren’t perks, but no. We travel so much there have been times where I rush to the window when I wake up to try and get a grasp on what city I’m in. I honestly can’t remember.” He looked out the window next to them, the sun now almost gone on the horizon over the water. “Many times we don’t even check into a hotel until three or four in the morning. Things like good room service help keep morale up.”
Yeah, he loved baseball. Loved his team. Traveling with the guys. But there were plenty of lonely times. Times he laid in a hotel bed, his arm sore from pitching, wondering how much longer he could do it.
He took a deep breath in and let it out. Turned his attention back to Baylee, who listened with rapt attention.
“Sorry. That sounds like complaining. All of it is worth it when I run out of the dugout to the pitcher’s mound. The smell of the grass, the feel of the ball in my hand…” His voice trailed off.
“You’re not complaining. You’re telling the truth. The bad of something doesn’t take away the good. It’s all part of the journey.” She smiled, but her eyes dimmed a bit.
“What about your journey? Tell me some of the good and the bad.”
Their waiter came by and filled their wine and water glasses. Drew thanked him but kept an eye on Baylee. He didn’t want the interruption to stop their conversation. He tended to pour his heart out to her every time they were together. He wanted to know more about her heart.
The waiter left them alone and Baylee said, “Really, Drew. This place is so lovely. You went to too much trouble for me.”
She was kidding, right? In truth, although he didn’t eat in a place that nice every night, he could. And he would if it meant spoiling Baylee.
“No trouble. You deserve a nice night out.”
She blushed again at that and looked out the window. He was beginning to think he’d lost his chance at her answering his question when she turned back to him. “I guess people probably think I’ve had more bad than good in my journey, but I don’t.” Her smile lit up the room. “I have Casey.”
“A given in the good column, absolutely.”
“But my marriage didn’t go well.” She looked out the window again. “Erik and I met in high school. He was captain of every sports team we had, was set to play football at Texas A&M. And he did. For almost two years until an injury sidelined him.”
Drew gut clenched. He was all too aware of what an injury could do.
“Anyway, he stayed in school but had to walk away from football. From sports. We got married our senior year and graduated. Not long after, we had Casey.”
With a sigh she said, “Erik fully admitted he wasn’t ready to be a parent. He was still mourning the loss of football and was having trouble letting go of college life and moving forward. As soon as Casey started showing signs of… well… Erik just couldn’t connect with Casey. He didn’t want to throw a football or do athletic things. Erik struggled with that.”
Drew disliked the man more and more by the second. What kind of man couldn’t love his son no matter what? His own father was nothing like Drew, but still encouraged him in what he loved, what he wanted in life.
