Chapter 7
Seven
Abby
A s part of our business plan to offer packages, we met with the couples in Gia’s office to explain our offerings. It was a sales meeting, which wasn’t something I was particularly used to. We needed to convince the couples that we were their best option. Our target clients were those who were overwhelmed with planning a wedding but wanted a few select options that encompassed everything they would need.
A few brides seemed to crave the one-on-one attention they’d get with a wedding planner at their beck and call. But those weren’t our target customer. Gia still took on a few of those clients, but she saw our more streamlined approach as a more sustainable business model.
Once the couple chose Gia’s services, then we faded into the background and only contacted them when they needed to make a decision on our particular specialty.
It was an amazing business opportunity for me. I had a rudimentary website, but I stayed afloat on word-of-mouth referrals. I hoped the partnership with Gia would expand my business, creating a more reliable income.
The couple we were meeting with today—Tasha and Zac—didn’t seem to know what they wanted.
“Why can’t I get married at Chesapeake Resort?” Tasha asked.
“You can, but we don’t offer wedding packages there,” Gia said patiently.
“Why not?” Zac asked as if he’d give his bride whatever she wanted.
“That particular resort employs its own wedding planner. It won’t allow outside planners to get involved.” Gia kept her voice even.
Tasha huffed. “If I want you as my planner, the venue should accommodate that.”
Gia stood from her desk chair and moved around the desk to lean against it. It was her way of being more approachable to the clients. “Unfortunately, I don’t have any control over that. It’s their policy.”
If a bride was set on Chesapeake Resort as her venue, we had to bow out.
“You’re welcome to schedule a meeting with them to discuss the possibilities,” Gia said, her voice saccharine sweet.
She was skilled at knowing when to push and when to back off.
Tasha needed to make her decision, and until she did, there wasn’t anything we could do.
“I’ll give you a few minutes to discuss your options.” Gia gestured for us to step outside. Lily and Sophie headed to the break area Gia kept stocked with drinks and snacks. I sat in one of the plush chairs in the reception area, pretending to scroll my phone. I knew Gia would go back in to talk to the couple by herself. It was her way of signaling to the client that they needed to decide before we moved forward.
She’d been burned in the past, helping plan weddings for couples who ended up moving over to resorts with planners on site. She was very careful not to get into a situation like that again.
I’d had difficulty focusing because my mind kept drifting back to the fact that Nick lived in Annapolis.
Watching the practice, I figured out that Brody was his. He was small but skilled at his position as catcher. If Nick had plans for Hunter to be one of the main pitchers, he’d be working closely with Brody. I wondered if it would mean extra practices outside the regularly scheduled ones. If it meant more time with Nick.
My skin tingled at the thought. I shouldn’t even be thinking about Nick as anything other than a coach. There couldn’t be a future there. First, because I never intended for there to be one. It was supposed to be one night, and then I’d never have to see him again. Second, because he was my son’s coach. Crossing that line wouldn’t be stupid.
An image flashed in my brain—Nick hovering over me, his cock filling me, his muscles contracting. My skin felt warm. My cheeks flushed. Was it hot in there?
“Are you okay?” Gia asked after she’d ushered the couple out of the office. Thankfully, it was our last appointment of the day.
“Sorry, I didn’t sleep well last night.” Something about seeing Nick again brought everything back in Technicolor. I’d woken up in the middle of the most delicious dream, and I could still feel Nick’s fingers on my body.
Gia looked at me with concern. “I hope you’re not coming down with anything. Even without that couple, our schedule is full.”
Our calendars were slowly filling up with weddings and engagement parties.
“You need to take care of yourself,” Lily said as she approached us.
“Let us know if you need any help,” Sophie added, her face filled with concern.
“I will.” They couldn’t help me with my business, and I had family to watch Hunter. There wasn’t anything they could do other than be my friends.
I understood their concern. I didn’t have a backup or an assistant if I got sick. I’d resisted hiring anyone. It felt weird paying someone to do a job I could technically do myself. But Gia kept reminding me that as our businesses grew, we’d need to hire more help. It would help our businesses expand. Though it was difficult for me to wrap my mind around spending money to make money.
Hunter only had me and my income. His father visited sporadically, and he was usually in between jobs, unable or unwilling to offer financial assistance. I knew my parents would step in if I asked, but I didn’t want to be reliant on them. I was an adult who could take care of herself. I needed the business to be successful.
“Let’s go over our schedule for the next few weeks while you’re here,” Gia said, and we moved into her office and shifted our chairs around her desk.
For a few minutes, I cleared my brain from anything related to Nick. Then my phone vibrated with a message. Thinking it could be a client, I opened it. It was Nick saying he’d picked the team and we needed to schedule a parents’ meeting. I let out a breath, positive any meeting would be during my already packed evening or weekends.
How would I manage it?
“Is everything okay?” Gia asked.
“Hunter got on a travel team. He wants it so badly, but I’m not sure how I’ll manage practices and meetings.” Or his attractive coach.
“I’ve heard those can be time consuming with practices and weekend tournaments,” Sophie said sympathetically.
Tournaments meant travel outside the state, hotel rooms, and multiple games a weekend. I couldn’t swing that with my schedule.
“You should probably make sure before you commit,” Gia said.
“We’ll help you if we can,” Sophie offered.
“Thanks for being there for me. I’ll figure it out.”
If it was something Hunter really wanted, I’d do it. There was a sense that he was already missing out on a father, and I didn’t want him to miss out on anything else. I wanted to be enough for him. I always worried I wasn’t giving enough to my business, my family, or my friends.
I was split in different directions, wondering when things would fall apart. Life didn’t get to be easy.
“We do what needs to be done,” Gia murmured, and I wondered if she was still talking about me or something else.
We were all business owners, wanting to expand our reach. The only difference was that I was the lone single parent. As much as they offered to help, or said they understood, they didn’t.
My heart was being pulled in different directions, and it hurt. Mom-guilt was the worst. I couldn’t explain it to someone who hadn’t experienced it. The guilt was tenfold when you added in the absentee father. I had to be both parents for Hunter.
I knew I couldn’t quite accomplish that. I wasn’t athletic like Hunter, but I tried. I’d do anything for him.
“Thanks for being good friends. I’m sure it’ll work out,” I said with more confidence than I felt.
Gia smiled. She prided herself on having it all together and never making excuses. “You’ve got this.”
While they talked about the possibility of squeezing in another wedding in October, I responded to Nick’s message asking if we could talk. I needed to know how far they’d be traveling before we committed any further.
My chest tightened with anxiety. Would I be able to make it work? Was it realistic to think I could? My phone buzzed. I held up a finger as the other women fell silent. “I’m sorry. I need to take this.”
I didn’t, but I was pretending Nick was a photography client to do so. I moved out of the room into the empty lobby where I finally pressed accept.
“Hello,” I said more breathlessly than I felt.
“I got your message. You had a question.” His low voice sent a shiver down my spine.
“I’m so sorry to bother you.” I didn’t even know what he did for work. “I forgot to ask about the distance the team will travel for games the last time we spoke on the phone.”
“I’m sorry. I must’ve forgotten to go over that.” His tone was so sincere it hit a note with me.
“Don’t worry about it.”
“In our league, teams don’t travel more than an hour away.”
I sighed, the relief palpable in my body. “That’s not bad.”
“Abby, if you need help with Hunter, just tell me. I don’t mind picking him up.”
My heart rate picked up rather than slowing down like it should have. Nick at my house, picking up my son. It felt good and a little weird. It was something Hunter’s father should be volunteering to do, not Nick. “That’s nice of you, but I’m sure I could handle it. My sister helps out, too.”
I was so used to turning down help, I didn’t even consider his offer.
“It’s good you have her.”
I was thankful he didn’t ask where Hunter’s father was. When I filled out the paperwork, I didn’t list Seth as the emergency contact because he wasn’t reliable. He was incapable of being responsible for anyone or anything. Instead, it was my sister and then my parents. The people who’d proven themselves to me time and time again.
The line fell silent, and I wasn’t sure how to fill the space between us. There might come a time when I need his help, so went I with, “Thank you for offering.”
“I want the team to be close, like a family, and families help each other out.”
It felt good that he’d said that, but even so, I wanted it to be more personal for him. Like he was helping me out because he wanted to. Separate from any obligation as a coach. “Of course.”
“Are you able to meet on Thursday night for the first team meeting?” he asked, his voice more professional.
I checked my calendar, noting I didn’t have any clients or events scheduled that night. “I can make it.”
“Good.” His approval washed over me, easing the tension between my shoulders. “We have a lot to go over.”
It was a good reminder that it wasn’t personal. Nick coached the team, and I was just one of the parents.
Staying on the team meant Nick was in my life. I knew in my being that Nick was the coach Hunter needed. I wouldn’t do anything to screw it up.
“Can Hunter come to the meeting?” I didn’t like asking anyone to watch him when I wasn’t working.
“Of course. I want the kids to bond. It’ll be at my house. There’s plenty for the kids to do while we talk.”
I had to remind myself it was a team meeting. He wouldn’t be talking to just me. It made it easier when I did that. Created the necessary distance and separation between us. Eventually, it would get easier. I wouldn’t need to keep reminding myself that Nick was Hunter’s coach. That he was completely off-limits. Or at least, I hoped it would.
“If you have any questions, please call me. I want everyone to feel comfortable with their decision.”
The way he’d said “everyone” was a good reminder that I wasn’t the only parent in the situation. It wasn’t a personal call. Nick wasn’t interested in me. I’d ruined any chance of that by walking out of that hotel room without leaving a note or even a kiss.
Severing our connection when I walked out was physically painful. I’d felt something far deeper than a one-night stand that evening. I’d felt a soul-deep connection with a virtual stranger. Something I’d never experienced before. Walking away from that had been difficult. But I’d done it. Because my life wasn’t my own. Not until Hunter was eighteen and safely moved to his dorm room at college.
Then I could relax. Until then, Hunter and my business had to hold my focus. I didn’t have time for distractions.
“Thanks for being so responsive.”
He chuckled. “I want to be a good coach.”
I could already tell he was. “You will be.” Wanting to know more about him, I asked, “Have you coached before?”
That was probably something I should already have clarified.
He cleared his throat. “I haven’t, actually.”
It felt like there was more to his story, but I didn’t have the right to ask.
“This is my first time, just like it is for you.”
Something about him being vulnerable made my heart clench. “We’ll have to be there for each other.”
Why had I said that? It was too much. Too personal. It hinted at what we’d shared, which we’d promised not to do.
“That sounds good,” he said, seemingly unaffected by my slip. “Just so you know, I’m not completely inexperienced. I played all through childhood and in college. Where I used to live, I played in an adult league.”
“You love baseball.” I could hear it in his voice. His passion.
“I do. I was a standout in my county growing up, but when you get to the college level, you realize how many kids play baseball and how hard the road to the minors, then the majors, is.”
“Did you take that road?” The question was out before I could stop myself.
“I did, but it didn’t work out.” Disappointment seeped into his tone.
He didn’t want to leave baseball, and I wanted to ask why, but we didn’t have that kind of relationship. I was supposed to be keeping distance between us. A heart-to-heart, delving into the past, wasn’t the game plan.
Nick cleared his throat. “I’ll see you on Thursday. I’ll provide snacks.”
“See you then.” As soon as I clicked off, I rested the back of my head against the wall.
“Who was that?” Gia’s assistant, Payton, asked from her desk.
I quickly straightened, not realizing she was back from lunch.
I smiled weakly, hoping she wouldn’t read anything into our conversation. “My son’s new baseball coach.”
“Oh. It sounded personal.” Her tone was light.
“Nope. Just his coach.” I hardened my heart against any residual feeling from our night together or Nick’s offer to help us. Because it wasn’t personal. He was a nice guy doing what he’d do for anyone. He wanted his players on the field, and he’d do anything to make that happen. He wasn’t singling me out. He didn’t want more.
I couldn’t conjure up the memory of us together when I was lonely in bed at night. Nick wasn’t my personal fantasy anymore. He was in our lives for the foreseeable future, and I needed to get used to it.
“Let me know if you have any more clients scheduled,” I said to her.
“Will do. Gia’s really been bringing them in lately.”
“She certainly has.” I was grateful she was good at procuring clients because it made it easier for me. I didn’t need to pay for advertising. I just hoped it would become a steady thing I could count on.
The one thing that I liked to rely on was me. I didn’t usually trust that others would step in to help. I blamed my ex for that. He let me down when I was at my most vulnerable. After feeling sorry for myself, I picked myself up and managed on my own with my family’s help.
It was a hard lesson to learn, and it was one I wouldn’t forget.