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“Funny. Want to try again?”
“Believe in myself as much as you do, and I can accomplish anything.”
“That’s right. And you know I’m your biggest cheerleader and believe in you.” I placed my hand on his shoulder. “You’re smart, talented, and know this game. You’ve got this.”
“Your mom’s right, Jimmy,” Mia chimed in. “And for the record, I believe in you too. Just pretend the reporters are naked.”
His eyes scanned the group of media people, landing on a smartly dressed and very pretty blonde who looked to be in her early twenties. “That’s a great idea, Aunt Mia.” Jimmy smirked, Mia laughed, and I sighed.
“Okay, go and be great. You know where I’ll be.”
He nodded and ran off.
“Really, Mia?”
“Fun Aunt Mia, remember?”
Shaking my head at my best friend, I did appreciate her distracting him, even though it wouldn’t have been a tactic I used. We made our way to our seats, saying hi to friends along the way but not slowing down long enough to chat. The last two spots at the end of the bleacher had my name on them. We sat, and Mia leaned over and whispered in my ear, “Breathe.”
Right. Breathing would be good. Jimmy and his teammates took the field, lining up in front of the dugout, and the crowd rose to their feet. He knew where I sat, so when our eyes met, I lifted my hand in the air and mouthed, “Good luck,” before giving him a thumbs-up.
“Kick butt, Hall!” Mia yelled, making Jimmy laugh. When I looked at her, she shrugged. “What?”
“Nothing.”
“Welcome to the first annual Blossom Berry Falls alumni baseball game!” came over the speaker sitting next to home plate, usually used for the national anthem. Everyone sat down. “The game will be a total of six innings unless the old guys wave the white flag.” A collective chuckle rang through the crowd. “We have special guests with us this afternoon. Please help me welcome our administrator, Mr. Nesbitt, and no introduction is needed for our principal, Mrs. Collins.” They both waved and stood near home plate. I finally let out a breath—until Mrs. Collins lifted a microphone.
“Hello, Blossom Berry Falls baseball fans!” The crowd cheered. “It is a great honor to welcome back one of our own, a man who has made his mark in professional baseball, one who will always be a Bobcat, Cash Jameson!”
All I could do was stare. Cash walked in through the dugout, surprising most of the players, who shoved each other with gaping mouths. My son included.
“Holy shit,” Mia said with pure awe in her voice. Not that I blamed her. He looked better than I could have possibly imagined—which said a lot since he was in most of my recent thoughts. When I saw a picture of him online, yes, he was good-looking, but nothing like the actual man only fifty yards away from me. Cash lifted his cap, acknowledging the crowd. His tattooed arm flexed in the process.
I immediately looked at Jimmy, who, along with his teammates, clapped as though their hands were on fire. His eyes were wide, and there was no mistaking the awe in them.
“Hannah, he’s ... something to put in the Pinky bank.”
“Seriously?”
She shrugged. “Am I wrong?”
No, she wasn’t wrong. Not in the least.
“It is my pleasure as school superintendent to welcome everyone to the newly named Cash Jameson Field!” He swung his hand toward the scoreboard, and there it was in bright-yellow letters: CASH JAMESON FIELD—HOME OF THE BOBCATS. “Cash, would you like to say a few words?”
Oh God.
Dammit! Why did he need to look so good? All my hormones awakened from a long, long sleep. Cash was strikingly handsome. His sandy-brown hair tousled in the gentle spring breeze. Confidence rolled off him in waves as he stood tall and proud. The fabric of his T-shirt hugged his perfectly toned physique, emphasizing his sculpted arms and broad shoulders. My tongue poked out, and I licked my lips.
He took the mic and lifted it toward his mouth. His deep voice reverberated through the small speaker as he said, “Thank you, Mr. Nesbitt and Mrs. Collins. It’s an honor to be here. Blossom Berry Falls has always been special. From the first day when I stepped into the office my sophomore year, I knew I was in the right place at the right time. My life changed that day, all thanks to the wonderful people in this town.”
His eyes scanned the crowd, Mia grabbed my hand, and I prayed I didn’t break one of her fingers.
Breathing ... no longer an option. Heck, if it weren’t for the sound of my pulse in my ears, I would have thought I’d passed out. Because when his eyes stopped searching, I closed mine. I reminded myself why I was there. Who I was there to see, and it wasn’t Cash Jameson.
It was my son.
My soul.
