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Resisting the urge to sigh in frustration, I thought back to my time with Bryson. It had been the first time in months I had truly felt at peace. I wasn’t sure if it was because I had stopped worrying about my future and finally did something I wanted to do. Or maybe it had been the man I had spent the evening with who made me feel like that.
While I had been lost in my own thoughts, I missed it when Lincoln asked how my trip to Seattle had gone.
“Earth to Rose?” my mother said with a laugh. “Are you even listening to us?”
I smiled and shook my head. “I’m sorry, I was lost in thought.”
“I’d say,” Lily mused. “You had a faraway, dreamy look on your face.”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t have dreamy faces, Lily. I have thoughtful looks.”
She gave me a look that said she wasn’t going to let it go, and the moment we were alone, she would pounce.
“I asked how your trip to Seattle was,” Lincoln said with a sweet smile.
“Amazing. It was great seeing Loren again.”
“She’s dating a baseball player,” my mother said as she wagged her eyebrows.
Grams leaned forward. “Really? Tell us all about him!”
Everyone giggled. My grandparents had four boys: my father, Ty Jr., was the oldest. Then my Uncle Brock, Uncle Tanner, and Uncle Beck, who had unfortunately died while he was in the Marines. I can only imagine that when Grams started getting daughters-in-law, she was over the moon to talk about more girly things. Like hot baseball players.
“He’s handsome,” I stated with a wide smile. “Totally in love with Loren. Rich, crazy about baseball, and that’s all I really know about him.”
Grams clucked her tongue a few times and said, “All we really want to know is how does he look in the baseball uniform!”
The room erupted in laughter.
“Yes! That’s what we want to know!” my mother stated as she winked at me.
“He fills it out very nicely,” I said, trying not to look at Grams or Lily or I’d burst out laughing.
“Nathan said you were asking him questions about baseball stats.”
My eyes jumped to Aunt Timberlynn. “Um, yeah. I was curious after going to a game and finding I liked it.”
“Or you liked looking at the baseball players!” Lily teased.
“Well,” I said with a wicked smile. “Seeing them in person does make a girl long to know more about the sport.”
Another round of giggles occurred.
Kipton spoke next. “You know, I honestly thought you and Jack Morris would hook up.”
I nearly spit out my tea. Had she really said that in front of everyone?
Kipton’s face turned red. “By hook up, I meant date! Date. I thought you might date him with the way you two bickered and teased one another.”
Laughing, I replied, “Jack! You thought I’d want to date him? He was an asshole.”
“Language, Rose,” my mother warned.
“He was!” I said, fighting the urge to stomp my foot like a child. “He was arrogant, selfish, and cared only about that stupid show, which, by the way, has anyone watched it? The bachelor guy is hawt!”
“He is!” Lily agreed.
“Anyway, you couldn’t have paid me to let his D into my P.”
My mother groaned. “Saying it like that doesn’t make it any better, Rose Marie.”
Lincoln and Timberlynn attempted to hide their smiles as Grams and Morgan giggled.
“Mom, let’s not all pretend I’m a virgin.”
“Oh God,” Mom said, her hands flailing in the air. “For once, can you not just speak your mind, Rose?”
I shrugged as Grams walked over and took the baby from my arms.
“He doesn’t need to hear about Ds and Ps.”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Apple didn’t fall far from the tree,” Lincoln sing-songed.
“He was handsome, though,” Lily added.
“Oh, he was hot as hell, but for sure not my type. Not that I don’t think he would have been good in–”
“Okay, I think we need to move on.”
Hiding my smile behind my glass, I looked at Lily and winked. One sure way of moving a conversation on with this group was talking about their kids having sex.
The conversation moved on. My mother sat down beside me, and I prayed she wasn’t about to lecture me about sex again. I was nearly twenty-two, and that conversation was no longer needed.
“Loren’s mom called me yesterday,” my mother said as I sipped my tea.
“Really?” I casually replied, ignoring the instant dread I felt in my heart. It wasn’t uncommon for my mother and Julia to speak. After all, Loren and I had been the best of friends since elementary school, which, in turn, made her mother, Julia, and my mom friends as well.
“She told me that Loren told her you went out with Nick’s roommate. The pitcher for the Seattle Mariners.”
I turned to look at my mother, praying to the heavens above I looked as if this news meant nothing to me at all. I also made a mental note to call Loren and tell her we were no longer friends. I was revoking that friend card quicker than a certain pitcher throws a baseball.
