Chapter 6
CAM
The smell of hot dogs and fresh cut grass hit me the second we walked through the gates at Truist Field. Opening day. The Knights versus the Gwinnett Stripers, and the energy in the stadium was electric.
“Can we get cotton candy?” Alice tugged on my hand, already eyeing the concession stands.
“Maybe later.”
“But what if they run out?”
“They’re not going to run out, monster.”
We found our seats about fifteen rows up from third base. Perfect view of the field, close enough to see the players’ faces but not so close we’d get knocked out by a foul ball.
Audrey settled into her seat and immediately pulled out the mini tablet I’d said she could bring. I bit back the urge to ask her to at least wait until the game started.
“Okay.” I set down the bag I’d packed with snacks and drinks. “Who wants what? Alice?”
“Cotton candy. And nachos. And a hot dog.”
“I brought granola bars and apple slices.”
Her face fell. “That’s not baseball food.”
“We can get other stuff later. This is for now.”
“But Daddy—”
“Granola bar or apple slices. Pick one.”
She heaved a sigh that belonged to someone much older. “Granola bar. The chocolate chip kind.”
I handed it over. “Audrey?”
She glanced up from her game. “Apple slices, please. And water.”
I distributed snacks and drinks then settled into my own seat. The stadium was filling up fast. First pitch was in twenty minutes and I was already feeling that familiar anticipation building.
This was good. Easy. Just me and my girls at a baseball game on a Saturday afternoon. No complications, no stress, nobody to worry about except the three of us.
“Daddy, isn’t that Emily?”
Or not.
My head snapped toward Alice, who was pointing across the aisle and down a few rows.
Emily. Wearing a Knights jersey, her blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail, sitting in an aisle seat with her phone in her hand. But she wasn’t alone. Some guy was next to her, leaning entirely too far into her personal space.
I took a moment to get a read on the situation. Emily was definitely not happy. Her shoulders were tight, her smile fixed and uncomfortable. She glanced around the stands like she was looking for an escape route.
“Can we go say hi?” Audrey had looked up from her game now. “Please?”
I should say no. I should tell them she was busy and to mind their own business. But then the guy shifted, practically boxing her in, and the smile dropped off her face completely.
“Pleeeease, Daddy. I just wanna say hi and we can come straight back.”
“Alright.” I zipped up the snack bag and stowed it under my seat. “Let’s go say hi.”
“Yay!”
Jesus, they were fast when they wanted to be. I’d barely made it to the end of the aisle, when the girls reached Emily’s row.
“Emily!” Alice’s voice carried over the crowd noise.
Emily’s head came up and her whole face transformed. The tight, uncomfortable expression melted into genuine surprise and then something that looked a lot like relief.
The guy turned away, focusing his attention on the players warming up on the field.
“Hi, girls!” She set down her phone immediately, attention fully on them.
“What are you doing here?” Audrey asked, bouncing slightly on her toes.
“Watching the game. Opening day is my favorite.”
“We’re watching too,” Alice announced. “But Audrey brought her tablet.”
“I got bored waiting,” Audrey said defensively.
Emily’s smile didn’t falter. “Makes sense. The pregame stuff can be pretty slow. But just wait until the first pitch. That’s when it gets exciting.”
“Do you want to sit with us?” Alice asked. “We have snacks.”
Oh no. No, no, no.
Emily’s eyes found mine over the girls’ heads and something flickered across her face. Maybe the same oh shit feeling I had.
“Oh, that’s so sweet, but I’m sure your dad wants to just spend time with you two.”
“He won’t mind,” Audrey said with the confidence of someone who had no idea what she was talking about. “Right, Daddy?”
The guy chose that moment to turn back, leaning close to Emily again, looking me dead in the eye. “Do you guys mind? We’re trying to watch the game.”
Emily flinched. That settled it. With my eyes locked on Emily’s, I said, “You’re welcome to join us if you want. We’re just up a few rows. I always get an extra seat for the space, so there’s room for you.”
She flicked the guy a look, then turned back to me. “Are you sure? I don’t want to intrude on family time.”
“You’re not!” Alice grabbed her hand, and just like that, my simple afternoon was over.
Two minutes later, Alice was patting the seat between her and my empty spot. “Emily, you can sit here. Right in the middle.”
Right in the middle. Right next to me.
Perfect. That was sarcasm, in case you’re wondering.
Emily slid into the seat, setting her bag down at her feet. The girls settled on her other side, already pulling her attention in different directions with questions and observations. I reclaimed my seat and suddenly felt desperate for a beer.
“Thanks for the rescue,” she said quietly, leaning slightly toward me.
She smelled good. Really good. Fuck. Why did I have to notice that? “Happy to help.”
“So do you guys come often?” She asked once we’d settled into our seats.
I shrugged. “I’m trying to get the girls into it, but I’m not sure that’s working out. And I’m not interested in coming on my own. So we don’t come as often I’d like to.”
“They’ll probably love it when they’re older. And they’ll love the memories you’re making, either way.”
I caught the note of sadness in her tone. What was that about? And why did I care? “My dream is to go to Yankee Stadium.”
“Oh yeah, for sure.”
“That would really be something special, don’t you think? It’s totally on my bucket list. I mean, I’m not a Yankees fan, per se. The Knights have my heart and always will, but to be there, whew. Yeah, it would be such an experience.”
Before my addled brain could come up with a reply, the announcer’s voice boomed through the stadium, welcoming everyone to opening day. The crowd roared as the players made their way out.
Emily leaned close to Audrey. “See that guy?” She pointed to a guy standing at the edge of the field.
Audrey peered down. “Yeah, who is he?”
“That’s Smyth. He’s amazing. Last season he had a batting average of .287 and thirty stolen bases.”
“Is that good?” Audrey had never been this interested in baseball.
“Yeah, it’s really good. Getting a hit is really hard. The ball is moving super fast and you have to judge exactly when and where to swing. Even the best players fail more than they succeed.”
I ate my apple slices and tried not to stare.
The players took up their positions on the field. Emily leaned forward in her seat, attention locked on the game. “Okay, here we go.”
The pitcher wound up. Released.
Strike one.
“Good pitch. His changeup is deadly this season.”
I glanced at her. “You usually go to opening day?”
“Every season. This is my twentieth one.” She didn’t look away from the field. “I’ve missed exactly three home games in the last two years.”
“Twenty opening days?”
“My dad started taking me when I was eight. I’ve been hooked ever since.”
“He couldn’t make it today?”
A shadow passed over her face and I could have kicked myself. You can’t go asking a woman you barely know intrusive questions in the middle of a baseball game.
“We, uh, we don’t talk much anymore.”
“I’m sorry.” Yeah, I really was a dick.
Her only answer was a shrug.
Strike two. She grimaced. “Come on, Smyth. You’ve got this.”
The count went to two and two.
“He’s going to walk him,” I said.
“No way. Smyth’s too aggressive.”
True enough, Smyth went down swinging on the next pitch.
“Told you.” Emily sighed. “He always does that.”
She gave me a wry smile that had my heart doing a slow roll in my chest. I did not fucking need that.
“Daddy, can I have cotton candy now?” Alice’s voice cut through the moment.
I dragged my attention away from Emily. “Yeah. Sure. Let me go grab some. You want to come with me or stay here?”
“Stay here.” She was already turning back to Emily. “Will you tell me more about the pitches?”
“Of course.”
I stood, grateful for the excuse to put some distance between us. “Audrey, you want anything?”
“Can I get popcorn?”
“Sure thing. Emily?”
She stood up to allow me to pass. “Do you mind grabbing me a Coke?”
“Sure, no problem.”
I held my breath as I brushed past her, knowing that I couldn’t risk catching even a whiff of her.
I made my way out of the aisle, rubbing my hand on my chest. She was just my neighbor. A neighbor who happened to love baseball and looked really fucking good in a Knights jersey. A neighbor who knew batting averages off the top of her head.
A neighbor I had zero interest in. None. Zip. Nada.
I’d been suckered in by a pretty face before. I knew the outcome. I was not prepared to go there again. That’s all there was to it.
I got the cotton candy, popcorn, and soda and headed back to our seats. The second inning was underway and as I climbed the steps, I could hear Emily explaining something about RBIs to Audrey.
“Here you go.” I handed Emily her coke, doing my best to ignore the current that shot up my arm when our fingers brushed.
“Thanks.”
I handed the girls their treats and settled back into my seat, trying to focus on the game. No easy thing with Emily’s knee pressed against mine and her scent washing over me.
And Jesus Christ, did my girls need to look at her like she hung the damn moon. I guess I should be grateful they were finally showing an interest in baseball.
They hadn’t even flagged by the eighth inning. Alice was practically sitting in Emily’s lap, jumping up and down every time something happened on the field. Audrey’s tablet had long since been dumped back in her bag so she could focus on the game.
Bottom of the ninth, Knights were down by one with two outs and a runner on second. The tension in the stadium was thick enough to cut.
“Come on,” Emily muttered. “Just get on base. That’s all we need.”
“He’s seeing the ball well,” I said.
“Yeah, but he needs to make contact. Can’t win if you don’t swing.”
“True.”
The pitcher threw the ball, the batter swung. The crack of the ball and bat connecting echoed around the stadium.
For a moment, the crowd held their collective breath as the ball sailed through the air and kept going, going and going.
“Holy shit, that’s a home run!”
The crowd exploded. Emily burst from her chair, arms in the air, yelling along with everyone else. Alice and Audrey were jumping up and down. I was grinning like an idiot.
Emily grabbed my arm, shaking it. “Did you see that? Did you see that swing?”
“I saw it.”
“How perfect was it?”
“It was amazing.”
She was laughing, her whole face lit up, and for a second I forgot where we were. Forgot about every reason I shouldn’t be noticing how absolutely fucking gorgeous she was.
Then Alice crashed into both of us, throwing her arms around Emily’s waist, and the moment broke.
Still, I couldn’t take my eyes off Emily as she hugged the girls, all of them laughing and talking over each other.
This was a problem. This was a big fucking problem.
“Alright, guys. Let’s get going before we get stuck in the crowd.”
“Great idea.”
We made it to the lot, the girls still buzzing.
“I’m just over there, by the light post,” Emily said, pointing to the far end of the lot. “So, um—”
“We’ll walk you.”
“There’s no need.”
“It’s dark. We’re walking you.”
“Oh, okay then.”
The girls ran ahead, squealing.
“They sure have a lot of energy for this time of night.”
“They’ll be asleep before we leave the lot.”
“Nice quiet ride home for you, then.”
“Yeah.”
As we walked on, the silence grew heavy and a little uncomfortable. It made me wish I was a better conversationalist.
“Thanks for letting me crash your afternoon,” she said finally.
“You didn’t crash anything. The girls invited you.”
“Still. I know you probably wanted it to just be the three of you.”
I glanced at her. “They had a good time. That’s what matters.”
“They’re great kids. You’re lucky.”
“Yeah. I am.”
We reached her car and there was that awkward silence again, stretching out for a second too long.
“Well,” she said, spinning her keyring around her finger. “Thanks again for the rescue. And the company.”
“No problem. Drive safe, Emily.”
“Always.” She hit the unlock, the chirp of the alarm cutting through the quiet lot. “Bye, girls! Thanks for sitting with me.”
“Bye Emily!” Alice and Audrey yelled in unison.
She slid into the driver’s seat and gave us one last wave before pulling out. I herded the girls back a few steps, watching her taillights fade into the line of traffic before I finally turned away.
Alice tugged on my hand. “I like Emily. She looks like a real life princess.”
“Me too,” Audrey said. “She knows everything about baseball.”
“Yeah, she’s nice,” I managed.
“Can we see her at the next game?”
“Maybe.”
“That means yes,” Audrey translated for Alice.
“Sometimes.”
“It means yes this time. I can tell.”
She wasn’t wrong.