4. Watch Your Step
CHAPTER FOUR
Brooke
Watch Your Step
“M ax, we’re going to be late for your game,” Brooke yelled down the hall of their small one-hundred-year-old Craftsman home.
“Coming!” She could hear her seven-year-old charging down the hall and trying to take the stairs two at a time, then appearing in his baseball uniform. “Ready.”
She couldn’t help but laugh as she ruffled his soft, light brown, wavy hair he insisted on wearing long on top. Then she kissed his forehead.
“Don’t forget your hat and sunscreen,” he teased as she grabbed her big tote with both already stuffed inside.
“Yes, yes, Mommy is pale and Max has a gorgeous olive complexion. No need to remind me.”
Although Brooke was half Colombian, it didn’t show in either her pale skin or her thick auburn hair. Max on the other hand got his tawny, tanned skin tone, light brown hair, and green eyes from his father’s side. He was shaping up to be a mini clone of his father, who couldn’t be bothered to show up to any of Max’s events or spend any time with him during his random visits to their hometown. In short, her ex-husband was a deadbeat dad. So Brooke played both parts, along with the help of her family.
“Is Pops meeting us at the field?” Max asked from the back seat as she settled her bag in the passenger seat and buckled up.
“Yes, and he said he was bringing the fully stocked cooler for your team.”
“Nice! I hope we win the first game so we can play a doubleheader.”
“Oh, me too,” she lied. Sitting for hours at the baseball field was not exactly her idea of relaxing on her one day off from the hospital. But it would have to do until she could hire more doctors. At least it was a chance for her to work overtime and make a little extra income.
Just one hour later it was clear that she would be spending the better part of the day at the field, because Max’s team was up by eight runs in the seventh inning. She lay back on the large blanket where she’d made camp away from the stands, comfortable under her favorite tree with a book. A few other families were spread out in the field where they had shade and a great view of the game. She could hear the music from the small bandstand and smiled. Sandy Point was the perfect place for a kid to grow up, even if she hadn’t expected to be a single mom raising a family in her hometown. She’d originally planned to live in Savannah, after being caught up in a whirlwind romance and marrying into one of the town’s prestigious families. But then she got pregnant within months, found her husband cheating, and her plans died forever. She left the city and moved back to Sandy Point alone, where her family could help her raise Max.
“You can’t really see much of the game with your eyes closed,” a familiar deep voice said from above her head.
Squeezing her eyes closed, she decided to try ignoring him.
“Mind if I join you?” the voice said.
She sat up straight. “Yah, I kind of do. This is my Zen blanket, my time to relax and be alone.”
Dalton Hart stood tall in running shoes, athletic shorts, and a white T-shirt, literally looking like a fitness model with his arms crossed over his broad chest, muscles flexed, and his legs spread shoulder-width apart. A slow smile pulled at one side of his mouth like he knew he was poking a sleeping bear.
“Alone time, in the middle of a little league playoff series on a Saturday morning?”
“I hear your skeptical and judgmental tone, but I’m going to choose to ignore it and get back to my Zen,” she said, lying back and closing her eyes again. “Most annoying things go away if you ignore them long enough.”
“I don’t plan on going away again anytime soon,” he said.
“That’ll be nice for your family,” she fired back. He didn’t even say goodbye the last time he left town, so why should anyone expect differently this time?
“Did I do something to piss you off in the last fifteen years, or is this just the adult version of Brooke Garcia?” he asked. “Unfriendly and indifferent.”
He was baiting her, or he didn’t understand how hurtful it was that he didn’t even know why she might be annoyed with him.
“No, you didn’t do anything to me, Dalton. I don’t even recall giving you much thought after you skipped town and never came back. We both grew up, and yes, this is the adult version of me. A tired mom taking advantage of my one day off at the ballpark while my son’s team wins this doubleheader. And I won’t apologize for not wanting to play catch-up with you while you’re in town for a few days.”
“Son?”
She laughed. “A lot has happened in fifteen years, Dalt. You didn’t expect to find us all frozen in time when you returned, did you?” She cringed at the use of her old nickname for him. They weren’t close anymore, and she needed to remember that.
“Mom, Mom, we won! Game two starts in twenty minutes. Jimmy’s mom brought sandwiches—can I have my special one so I can eat with everyone?”
She sat back up and saw Max with rosy cheeks and his hair matted to his head, sporting a beaming smile. Grabbing her tote, she pulled out a paper bag and handed it to him.
“Here, baby, don’t eat the other kids’ snacks, and no peanuts. Okay?” He eagerly accepted the bag holding a homemade sandwich and snacks.
“I know, I know.” He took the bag.
“Hey, great catch in the fifth inning, you tagged that kid out so easily.”
Max smiled big. “Thanks. Okay, you can Zen for a few more minutes before the next game starts.”
“Thanks. I think I’ll come down with you and then Zen later.” She stood and grabbed her smaller crossbody bag and left the rest on her blanket. She could use a walk and an excuse to get away from Dalton.
“Okay, I’ll see you over there,” Max said and bolted back down the hill to be with his team.
“He’s cute,” Dalton said, letting his hands hang at his sides. “So, you’re married and a mom?”
She heaved a sigh. “Divorced. It didn’t take.” She caught sight of another man she didn’t expect to see at the ballpark talking with her dad. He waved, catching her stare.
“You married Miles Banks?” Dalton said with a dark tone.
“No, his brother. Listen, as fun as this trip down memory lane is, I have to scoot. Enjoy your visit home, but don’t be surprised to find that a lot more has changed.”
Dalton’s eyes searched hers before his frown turned back into a faint smile on his undeniably handsome face. The man was storybook gorgeous, with a square jaw, baby blue eyes, and long blond lashes to match his thick sandy blond hair. She could still remember what it felt like to run her fingers through his thick locks. She’d been obsessed with him back then, when she’d thought they were friends. Back when she committed the worst crime of all, falling for the most popular guy in her high school. But that was a lifetime ago.
“Some things seem to have stayed the same if you’re still hanging out under my favorite tree to read.”
“This was my tree first,” she said, falling into his old trap when he would claim she was only at the ballfield to see him and steal his favorite tree.
“Well, I’ll be here indefinitely to help out my gran, so we may need to agree to terms to share the tree again.”
There was no reason she should care if he stayed or left tomorrow, but her stomach fluttered, and the excitement at seeing him again washed over her like a soft breeze.
“I still don’t like sharing—you’ll have to find a new one.”
And the only thing she could do to escape the feelings he was evoking was walk away.