Chapter 7
Dax
Present day
L ooking at the glove in my left hand, I grin.
Shit. I caught the ball.
I might be as shocked and surprised as the other men on the team. Cheers come from the hometown players and the bleachers. Just before tossing the ball to the pitcher, I catch sight of someone in the crowd. She isn’t among those standing, but her pale blue eyes are on me.
My smile dims at her expression.
I’ve made mistakes in my twenty-eight years, but the biggest mistake is not getting back in contact with the beautiful woman sitting in the crowd, the one with no emotion on her face.
In a split second, I have memories of Kandace’s laugh, whether we were walking hand in hand or caught in the rain.
The way she giggled as we swam in the pond and the excitement in her voice as she talked about her plans…
Fuck.
I’d forgotten.
My stomach sinks.
Kandace told me once about a plan for a business similar to Quintessential Treasures.
Is that why Grandma left her the store?
“Hey, earth to Richards,” Cory calls. “Get your head in the game.”
With one more glance toward the stands, I nod.
We hold Trevor to no runs in the first and second inning. At the bottom of the second, I finally get a chance to bat. We have two outs and one man on second.
“Don’t strike out, Richards,” Sheers says.
I grin. “You mean the way you did.” I don’t know why I’m fucking with him, or why he has decided to ride my ass, but I can’t help but enjoy his expression as I walk past the bench.
It takes all my effort not to turn and see if Kandace is watching the way she did when we were young. My personal cheerleader, her voice calling above the others.
“Show them what you’ve got,” Ricky yells.
I take my stance.
Maybe playing ball is the same as riding a bike.
I hope it is.
The pitcher throws a fast ball.
Swing and miss.
“Strike,” the umpire yells.
“That was a ball,” Sheers yells. “You forgot how to read a pitch.”
The small hairs on the back of my neck stand to attention as I grip the bat tighter and do a couple practice swings. The pitch is released. It’s low—most likely a ball—but I can’t stop myself. I swing.
Crack .
The bat connects and I feel the impact from my hand to my shoulder as the ball sails high between second and third.
I’m too intent watching the ball to remember to run until I hear my team screaming.
I take off at full speed, rounding first as the outfielder jumps and misses. The ball lands over the back fence.
“Home run.”
My run slows to a trot as I make my way around all the bases a few steps behind Mick.
The Riverbend team starts cheering and offering high fives as Mick and I come back to the bench. Everyone except Sheers. He turns away as I walk by.
Riverbend is up three to two in the top of ninth when Trevor hits a triple.
I’d forgotten what an adrenaline rush it is to play sports. The only sport I play these days is golf and only because my parents think it’s important to show competence on the course to make deals in the boardroom.
Each time I steal a glance up at the stands, I see Kandace, though not since the first time is she looking my way.
That doesn’t mean I can’t see how beautiful she still is.
The hell with that, she’s prettier than I remember.
The only thing missing when I look her way is her smile.
Sometimes she’s leaning over and talking to Chloe.
I remember that they were best friends when we were younger. It appears as if that hasn’t changed.
“Fuck, you guys,” Cory says, excitement brimming in his voice. “We could actually beat these assholes. Sheers, you’re up and Richards, you’re on deck.”
Sheers huffs by me without a word.
On the first pitch, he hits a single.
“Don’t leave Sheers hanging,” Mick yells.
If the team wasn’t depending on this win, I might. After all, he’s been an asshole to me since this morning at the diner.
The pitcher has me figured out. Two strikes and two balls later, I’m feeling the pressure. Maybe this is why I don’t play team sports any longer. When I look at Cory, he gives me a hand signal.
A bunt.
Shit, I was never good at bunts and a bunt won’t bring Justin home.
Cory nods.
I set myself up as if I’m going to try to knock it out of the park and while the ball is in the air, I readjust the bat and boom, I bunt the ball—it rolls past the pitcher. Dropping the bat, I take off running for first.
With an error by the pitcher, Sheers is now on third and I’m on first.
The crowd is tense as Ricky and Aaron strike out.
Mick is up to bat.
When we were kids, Mick was a good baseball player. So far tonight, I haven’t seen that old spark.
Strike one.
Ball one.
Crack.
The stands erupt in cheers as the three of us take off around the bases. The ball is called fair as an outfielder misses it. My eyes are around the field. Sheers is safe at home. I’m rounding third as Mick keeps running.
I slide into home, dirt and dust filling the air.
“Safe,” the umpire yells.
My heart is hammering in my chest as I brush the dust from my jeans and see Mick is safe at third.
We’re tied with one runner on third.
The tension is high.
Cory, the team captain, is up to bat.
I peer over my shoulder, wondering what Kandace is thinking. My gaze searches the crowd. I lean this way and that, but I can’t find her or Chloe.
Crack.
My attention goes back to the field as Cory’s hit gets him to first and Mick slides into home.
The team and hometown crowd goes wild.
My excitement wanes when I realize Kandace is gone.
After we shake hands with the Trevor team, Cory pats my shoulder. “Come on to Decoy Ducks.”
I shrug. “I don’t know.”
“Oh, come on. You won’t be in town long, and we just had our second win of the season.”
“Second?”
“I told you, we weren’t swept.”
I nod. “Okay, for one beer. I’m working tomorrow from the hotel.”
My gaze goes back over the bleachers, wondering if I’m just not seeing Kandace.
“Do you have a date?”
I shake my head. “A date?” I haven’t wanted a date in too long. My guess is that it’s too late for a date with the woman who disappeared.
“For the signing,” Cory says, “the executor thing.”
“Oh, that kind of date. No, Jeffrey Murphy and I discussed some things today. I just don’t know what Grandma was thinking.
Quintessential Treasures has better sales numbers than I ever imagined.
Selling it under the provisions of the will would go against what she worked to accomplish.
” As I speak, I again remember Kandace’s business plan, the one she shared years ago.
Cory’s lips form a straight line. “Maybe Ruth wasn’t thinking about herself.”
“Murphy has some bullshit stipulations that Grandma wanted me to do first.” Before we can say more, a familiar brunette is hugging Cory’s neck with a small girl in tow.
“Dax, do you remember Judy?”
I grin. “I do. Nice to see you again, Judy.” I look down at the little girl with wavy dark hair and a beautiful complexion—a mixture of her dad’s dark and mom’s light. “And who is this?”
Judy lays her hand on the little girl’s shoulder. “This is Amber.”
I go down to my haunches. “How old are you, Amber?”
She holds up her one hand, spreading out all her fingers and thumb.
“You can talk to Mr. Richards, Amber.”
“I’m five,” she says in a sweet voice.
“Hi, Miss Amber, five years old. You can call me Dax.”
She nods.
When I stand tall, I turn and see Sheers in the parking lot.
He’s talking to someone in an SUV, leaning against the door, and the window is open.
By his body language, there is more to the conversation.
Maybe he’s just an asshole—not only to me.
When he stands back, he turns my way with a scowl.
Looking at him, I almost miss who he was talking to.
Almost.
The SUV drives away.
Kandace is gone.