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“What’s taking you so long?” Cammie asked.
I cleared my throat. “Give us a few minutes. We’re still eating.”
Cammie rolled her eyes. “You take forever.”
“You know it,” I said, but she was already gone.
I needed to clean up and put the leftovers away, but I didn’t mention that. Cammie was always impatient to have my undivided attention when I was home.
“You heard her. We’d better hurry,” Brooke said softly, staring at her plate.
The moment was gone, but I hoped we’d get another. Instead, we ate, and I didn’t attempt conversation. I was content just being with her, listening to the kids playing and laughing outside.
“Thanks for inviting us over,” Brooke said as I stood to grab the empty plates.
“I think Hunter did that on his own.”
Brooke smiled at that, and my gaze was drawn to her lips in their signature pink. Had she gone through the effort of dressing up and putting on makeup? If so, it would show that I wasn’t in it alone.
“Are you going to be able to play baseball in that?” I asked Brooke as I rinsed the dishes in the sink.
She pinched the fabric of her shirt, pulling it away from her stomach. “I wasn’t thinking about that.”
I wanted to know what she’d been thinking. Had she prepared for the evening like it was a date? Did she want a second chance at that kiss?
The slider opened, and Hunter popped his head in. “We need a catcher.”
“I’ll be right there,” Brooke said to him, and then to me, “Will you be okay?”
“Go ahead. I’ve got this.”
I cleaned the dishes, put away the leftovers, and wiped the counter. Our wine glasses were mostly full. So much for a date night with kids. We were constantly interrupted, and now we’d need to play baseball with them.
I wasn’t sure I’d get another moment alone with Brooke. Sighing, I headed outside to find Brooke crouched behind home plate, her fingers dangling between her legs as she went through the hand signals with a serious Hunter.
She was seriously hot.
Cammie swung and hit the next pitch, dropping the bat and running to first. Brooke straightened. “This is quite the field you have.”
I’d mowed the yard into a diamond and placed bases on the necessary spots. “Anything for Cammie.”
“It’s nice,” Brooke said.
She’d used that word a lot. It was trite, but I could see something working behind her eyes as if she were struggling to place the guy she used to know with the man I’d become. I hoped she liked what she saw.
I headed to the outfield to help with fielding, and we played a few innings before Brooke pulled out her phone. “Your mom’s coming to pick you up. She must have finished early.”
Hunter’s face fell. “Seriously?”
Tucking her phone into her back pocket, Brooke said, “Your mom wants to spend time with you.”
“I’m having fun.” Hunter scuffed the tip of his shoe in the dirt with a sour expression on his face.
“Let’s play until she gets here,” I said.
We continued to play until Brooke said, “My sister’s here. I’ll let her in.”
Hunter and Cammie continued to play, only stopping to grumble that they’d lost a catcher when Brooke went inside.
