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I sighed.“Okay,dad.I’ll have whatever you tell me to have.”
He smiled.“Can’t go back to the UK saying you had a hot dog withonly onionson it.”
“I guess there is that,” I conceded.
He snagged two paper plates.We made a beeline to Rick’s uncle, an older man with crinkly, laugh-lined eyes, who beamed at us.“Rick!Is this Maddie?Boy hasn’t shut up about you,” he told me.
“Yeah, thanks Uncle Jay,” Rick deadpanned.
Jay leaned toward me."By that I mean he mentioned you once, and since he hardly speaks, I inferred you to be of great importance."
I laughed.
Jay grinned widely.“It's nice to have gossip.A small town runs on it.Two dogs?”
“I’ve been told I have to haveeverythingon mine,” I said gamely.
Jay nodded, half-moon glasses slipping a little down his nose as he did so.“Yeppers.If it’s your first time, sure.”He dropped the dogs into ready-cut buns that looked cloud-soft, and set them on our plates.“Load the girl up, Rick.”
"Yessir."Rick tossed Jay a lazy salute and went towork.Ketchup, mustard, relish, and onions.
“I’m not sure I’ll be able to actually fit that in my mouth,” I told him.
“Well, that’s the fun of it.C’mon, they’re gonna start soon.”
I carefully carried the loaded plate back to my seat.I was pretty sure it was at least half a day’s calories, but when in Rome.
Rick’s cousin Ralph started to divide up the players into batting order, and I watched the proceedings with interest.
Rick pointed out the adults.“You know Eddie.That’s Keith, the umpire.And that little guy in left field right now is my cousin’s kid, A.J.It’s Andy James, but he hates being called that.”
“A.J.is way cooler,” I agreed.“They look cute in their uniforms, don’t they?”
“Sure do.Eat your hotdog before it goes cold,” he added.“You don’t get the full experience otherwise.”
“All right, all right.”I lifted the loaded bun with two hands and bit in.
I had to admit it was perfect.The tangy, sweet onions, the spicy relish, the mild mustard, the fluffy bun and the warm, greasy hot dog.
“This is amazing,” I said, managing to wait until I’d swallowed before speaking.
His grin lit up his entire face.It only magnified his handsomeness, if such a thing wasevenpossible.It shouldn’t have been.“Told ya.”
“Yeah, yeah.Has no one ever told you it isn’t nice to gloat?”
He just smiled bigger and tucked into his own hotdog.
The game began.Rick explained various bits to me as I, a complete newbie, watched and tried to take it all in.
He was a fantastic cheerleader for A.J, standing up to enthuse when the kid hit the ball with a satisfyingthwack.
At one point, things looked as if they might be a little ugly between one mum and the umpire, but Eddie managed to intervene in time.
“Is that normal?”I asked.
“Over-involved parents?Yeah.You can’t tell me you don’t have those in England.”
“Fair point well made.”I leaned into him.He was solid and warm, and magnetic, and I wanted himsobadly.Couldn’t I just stay here forever?
