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“Yeah, see you later.” But I felt bereft when I slid into my car.
“What was so funny?” Cammie asked.
I couldn’t tell her the truth, so I finally settled on, “Brooke told a joke to make me feel better.”
“What was it?” Cammie asked innocently.
“Uh.” I tried to wrack my brain for one of the jokes Cammie had me search for online. “Where do you find an elephant?”
Cammie thought about it for a few seconds, then said, “I have no idea.”
“Where you lost it.”
“That’s not very funny, Daddy.”
“I thought it was,” I said, looking in the rearview mirror at Cammie’s face, which was screwed up in disgust.
I turned my attention back to the road.
Cammie was quiet for a few seconds before she asked, “Can I go to the next practice?”
I met her eyes in the rearview mirror. “Yes, but no more punching kids.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, her chin lifted. “Even if they’re mean?”
Being a parent was tough sometimes. I wanted to tell her she was justified, but hitting wasn’t a good choice. “Even then. It’s wrong. You’d get in big trouble at school for that.”
“Umph.”
I hoped I’d gotten through to her. It wouldn’t be the last time she was teased for being the lone girl playing on a boys’ baseball team. She’d need to toughen up.
She was quiet the rest of the way home, so I replayed the moment when I realized Brooke had followed us. My heart warmed, remembering how she’d stepped in to talk to Cammie. She worried she’d overstepped, but I thought it was perfect. It was better coming from a girl than me, anyway.
Then there was the moment when she squeezed my bicep, making it difficult for me to breathe. Being close to Brooke was infinitely more dangerous than when we were kids. The stakes were higher, the feelings more difficult to ignore.
I could easily imagine dipping my head and touching my lips to hers, running my hands down her back until I pulled her against me, feeling her warmth against mine. I wanted her, and if I kept running into her, it would be very difficult to ignore my attraction.
ChapterSeven
BROOKE
When I returned to the field, I saw the practice had continued despite the interruption. I hoped Cammie would be okay. I felt for her. It was tough being the only girl, and some boys didn’t like playing with girls.
Thankfully, Hunter didn’t seem to mind and wasn’t involved with the kids making fun of the boy who’d struck out.
Sitting in my chair, I realized I still had Ben’s coffee mug. Maybe I’d use it as an excuse to visit his shop.
My fingers still tingled from the brief contact with Ben’s impressive bicep. It was obvious he took care of his body, and his passion for coffee was sexy as hell.
Though, now that I’d witnessed his passion, I knew I wasn’t that into it. Ever since I operated a lemonade stand, then went on to sell cookies for the scouts, I knew I wanted to own a business. When I saw an opportunity, I took it. I enjoyed socializing with the community and tourists, but the product wasn’t as important.
Hailey’s suggestion to rebrand the shop as a wine market was appealing, but I never did anything until I researched all the angles. I’d avoided looking at the numbers all week, but I promised myself I’d do it tomorrow.
Today, Abby was covering a wedding for a photographer who’d gotten sick. Between the ceremony and the reception, she’d be working most of the day, so I volunteered to take Hunter to practice and to keep him until she was done.
It was a great opportunity to spend more time with him. I know he wondered about his father’s disinterest, but I hoped between my sister, my parents, and me, he had enough family to show him he was loved.
As soon as practice was done, Hunter ran up to me. “Can we practice some more?”
