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“You’re being nice,” I mumbled as I drank, trying not to spill the water.
“Don’t freak out, Blazy, but…”
“But what?” I asked, craving more of that pie. I looked around, trying to find where he’d taken it.
“That pie wasn’t from your reception. At least, I hope it wasn’t, considering it had mango in it.”
“Mango.” I shook my head. “No, that’s impossible. I’m allergic to mango.”
Hawk lifted his brow as he continued to make me take sips of water. Oh. Right. The funny feeling on my tongue.
“Damn. Mango tastes good.” I sighed as I finished the water and leaned back against the pillows. “Thanks,” I said, realizing he’d just saved me from an embarrassing experience.
It was one thing to run out of your wedding; it was another to end up in the ER for an allergic reaction on the same night. My mother would never let me out of her sight if that happened.
My mother.
“Shit. I bet Mom is freaking out. This is the longest I’ve ever been without contact,” I admitted, turning my head to stare at Hawk. He was lying back on the bed, his hands locked on his chest.
“Bryce will take care of Candi. Eat some cake. It will help counteract the meds.”
Not having to be told twice, I grabbed a new fork and picked up the box. I slid the utensil into the icing and moaned around the tines as I licked it off.
“Okay. Mom got the cake right, at least.”
Hawk cleared his throat, turning on his side and shifting, his pupils dilated more than usual. “You didn’t pick out your own wedding cake?”
“Nope. Mom picked out everything. I know she did it out of love, but yeah, it kind of sucks. Felt more like she was marrying Brandon than me.” His name came out funny on my slightly swollen tongue, so I said it again. “Bland-done. Wow, that so works.” I giggled and shrugged as I took another bite. “Get it? Because he’s bland, and I’m done.”
Hawk gave a deep chuckle at my joke, heating my cheeks as I continued to eat the cake. It was quiet for a bit before he asked me a question.
“What would your wedding be like if you chose it?”
“Hmm. Well, for one, it wouldn’t be so dang close to my birthday. It’s already bad enough to share a day with Valentine’s Day and spring training most years. But yeah, let’s add a wedding anniversary then too. Nope.” I shook my head, shoving more cake into my mouth, not caring as I continued to speak. “I’d want the end of summer, the beginning of fall, which of course, will never happen since its playoff season. But that’s what I’d want. It’s when the sunflowers are in bloom, and there are fields of them. I’d like to get married outside among them, not at a baseball stadium.”
“That sounds more like you.”
“Thank you.” I smiled at him, stopping my cake stuffing. “I’d also like it to be small. Just family and friends. No more than fifty people. I don’t care if ‘so and so’ came and saw me at the hospital one time; I don’t want to share my wedding with people who remind me I was once sick.”
“I think it’s easier for people to see you for who you were and not the beautiful woman you’ve become.”
My fork stopped midway to my mouth, and my eyes landed on his. They were staring at me, no deception hidden in their depths. My cheeks flushed at his praise, and I struggled to know what to say.
“You know, this is the longest we’ve talked in forever that isn’t about baseball. Hell, the most we’ve hung out since…” I trailed off; the last night that I’d spent any significant time with Hawk coming back to me.
It was the summer after Bryce and Hawk’s freshman year of college, and they were both working as bat boys for the Blue Devils. Dad had been the general manager for a few years by then, easily getting them the positions. He wanted to inspire them and reward both of their first seasons at Vanderbilt. They both griped about being too old to be bat boys, even if the age limit was twenty, which they were both still under. But I knew they secretly loved it, especially if the smiles and the way they geeked out at practices were any indication.
Mom and Dad had only been divorced for about a year, and it was my summer with Dad, so I got to join the team for all their games. The Blue Devils gave me odd jobs to help out, from checking press passes, picking out fans to attend VIP signing events, and tracking stats for the players. Anything to keep me busy, really. But I didn’t mind. It was fun, and I liked being included for once.
Bryce, Hawk, and I spent most of our time hanging out between and after games since we weren’t allowed to attend any afterparties or events. We’d watch movies, play truth or dare, and see how many gross combos of food and drinks we could make. In the grand scheme of things, it was one of the best summers I ever had, probably because my mom wasn’t hovering over me every second to check for new bruises.
At some stadiums, they would meet girls and hang out after the game, living the nineteen-year-old lifestyle to its finest. One night toward the middle of the summer, Bryce had a date, but Hawk didn’t. The three of us had been having a scary movie marathon, watching all our favorites, and seeing who would scream first.
Earlier that day, Bryce had commented that I wouldn’t understand his wanting to hang out with girls instead of his little sister because I hadn’t kissed anyone. In little sister fashion, I wanted to leave him out of something, so I convinced Hawk to continue without Bryce.
Midway through the movie, I screamed and turned to cringe at Hawk, expecting him to laugh at me. Instead, I found him staring at me and not watching the movie at all.
“Is it true?”
