Chapter 9
9
Josie
My fingers had been busy capturing the kinetic energy of the game through my camera lens when a ripple in the crowd caught my attention. Lowering the camera, my heart hitched as I spotted them: Nico and his daughter Haley, nestled amidst the red and white clad spectators like a pair of unexpected wildflowers in a carefully manicured garden. I shut my eyes hard and then reopened them, thinking maybe I was imagining it. He had been on my mind since I left, but they were still there. It sent an unbidden smile across my face.
Gathering my courage like the folds of a delicate shawl around my shoulders, I began to weave my way through the spectators. Each step was tentative, the gravel beneath my feet crunching in time with the accelerating beat of my heart. My hands, usually so steady behind the lens, now trembled slightly at the prospect of speaking to Nico. Why was I so nervous? We slept together and shared some dark truths, this should be a piece of cake. Come on, Josie. It's just a hello.
“Hi there, Haley!” I finally reached them, my nerves bouncing like the baseballs being tossed on the field. Haley's bright blue eyes sparkled up at me.
“Hi, Miss Josie!” Haley greeted, her innocence wrapping around my heart and giving it an encouraging squeeze.
“Hey, Nico,” I said, turning my smile towards him, hoping it didn't betray the nervous electricity sparking through me. “I didn't know you were a baseball fan.”
“Josie Keller, right? The photographer?” Nico's voice was warm and sarcastic, tinged with something that sounded like happiness.
“Guilty as charged.” I tucked a strand of wavy hair behind my ear, my skin tingling where my fingertips brushed against it. “I never miss a game. It's one of the perks of small-town life, isn't it?”
“Definitely.” Nico nodded, his eyes lingering on my face for a heartbeat longer than necessary, sending a trail of warmth down my spine.
“Can you take a picture of me and Daddy?” Haley chimed in, tugging at my sleeve with gentle eagerness.
“Of course, sweetheart,” I replied, my smile as natural as the light filtering through the leaves above. “Let's make it a great one.”
As I raised my camera, focusing the lens on the pair, my heart danced. I clicked the shutter.
Nico's gaze remained locked with mine as the world around us seemed to fade. His eyes, dark pools reflecting the late afternoon sun, widened in a silent acknowledgment of the serendipity that had brought me into his orbit again. A smile crept onto his face, part surprise, part delight, crinkling the corners of his eyes.
“Wow, I didn't expect to... It's nice to see you here,” Nico said, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through the air.
Haley, her curly locks bouncing jubilantly, beamed up at me, innocent blue eyes sparkling with unbridled joy. “Miss Josie, do you like baseball too?” she asked, her small hand finding mine, our fingers interlocking in a spontaneous gesture of friendship.
“Absolutely,” I answered, letting myself be swept up by the child's enthusiasm. I knelt down to Haley's level, my heart swelling. “The crack of the bat, the cheers of the crowd—it's all so exciting, isn't it?”
“Uh-huh!” Haley nodded vigorously, her curls dancing like springs released from constraint. “And Daddy says if I cheer really loud, our team will surely win!”
“Is that so?” I chuckled, glancing at Nico, who shrugged, his expression softening as he watched the bond forming between his daughter and me.
“Your daddy might be onto something there,” I winked at Haley. “But why don't we test that theory? Let's cheer the loudest on the next play.”
“Yay!” Haley clapped her hands, the sound crisp in the warm air.
“Looks like you've got a new fan,” he remarked, his voice betraying a tinge of admiration.
I rose to my feet, laughter still lingering in my voice. “Well, I'm honored. Aren't I, Haley?”
“Miss Josie is funny, Daddy!” Haley exclaimed.
The resonance of the bat cracking against a ball echoed, followed by the roar of the crowd. Amidst the excitement, my gaze met Nico's once more. In the background, the game continued, but within the little bubble we created, a different kind of connection was being forged—one that hinted at possibility, wrapped in the whimsy of an unexpected Saturday afternoon.
I stood with an ease that belied the fluttering in her chest, my fingers idly twisting a lock of my wavy blond hair as I watched Nico hoist his daughter onto his shoulders for a better view of the game.
“Seems like you're quite the hero today,” I said, nodding toward Haley with a playful gleam in my eye.
Nico turned, a grin spreading across his face, softening the hard lines etched by life's trials. “Only because I've got the best seat in the house reserved for this little one,” he replied, giving Haley a gentle bounce.
I chuckled, the sound light and airy, like the dandelion seeds that danced in the spring air of Lawson Ridge. “And here I thought the front row was the place to be.”
“Front row?” Nico arched an eyebrow. “You clearly haven't experienced a game from up high. The perspective changes everything.”
“Is that so?” My lips curled into a teasing smile, the corners of my eyes crinkling just so. “Perhaps you'll have to show me sometime.”
“Perhaps,” Nico echoed, the word hanging between us like a promise yet to be explored.
As we shared a laugh, the brush of our hands felt like an electric charge, sending ripples of awareness through my veins. I quickly withdrew, but not before noticing the way Nico's fingers had lingered just a moment too long, as if reluctant to break the connection.
Our eyes met again, and this time it was me who looked away first, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks. I focused on the chalky white lines of the baseball field, tracing them in my mind to distract myself from the pull I felt towards Nico.
“Your daughter seems to bring out the best in everyone,” I finally said.
“Like her father, perhaps?” Nico's words were light, but there was an undercurrent of hope that I couldn't help but catch. It was there, in the half-smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, eyes that were watching me with an intensity she found both unnerving and exhilarating.
“Maybe,” I conceded, letting myself fall into the depth of his gaze for a fleeting moment. I took in the rugged angles of his jaw, the slight stubble that framed his lips—lips that held stories I suddenly yearned to uncover.
“Miss Josie,” Haley's voice cut through the haze of burgeoning attraction, grounding me back to the present.
“Hey there, superstar.” I reached up to high-five the little girl, my heart swelling at the brightness of Haley's smile. As my hand touched Haley's palm, I felt another touch, subtle and brief, against the small of my back. Nico's hand had steadied me as I leaned forward, a touch that spoke volumes in its gentle assurance.
“Best view, huh?” I mused, retreating to stand beside Nico once more, my own smile betraying the effect of his proximity.
“Undoubtedly.”
The roar of the crowd swelled like a wave crashing against the shore, punctuated by the satisfying crack of a bat connecting with a ball that soared high into the sky. My eyes followed its arc, then drifted back to where Nico stood beside me, his gaze intent on the game, a small smile playing on his lips.
“Your first baseball game in Lawson Ridge?” I asked, leaning in slightly so he could hear me over the cheers.
“Second, actually,” Nico replied, turning toward me. “Haley insisted we come again after last week. She's thinking of joining the junior softball league.”
“Really? That's wonderful!” My voice lifted with genuine enthusiasm. The thought of Haley with a mitt on her hand and a cap perched on her head was endearingly quaint. “She'd be great at it.”
Nico's eyes softened at the mention of his daughter, and the pride was evident in his voice. “She's got an arm on her. Must've gotten it from her uncle.”
“Ah, the family talent,” I chuckled, imagining generations of Nico’s tossing a ball back and forth under wide-open skies. I brushed a lock of wavy blond hair behind my ear, feeling the warmth of the setting sun on my face. “You know, I used to play a bit myself. Backyard games with my brothers.”
“Is that so?” Nico's eyebrows rose playfully. “You'll have to show us your skills sometime.” He shifted closer, his shoulder almost brushing mine as we both turned our attention back to the field.
“Maybe I will.”
Nico was watching me, a question forming behind his dark gaze. “What brought you to photography?” he asked, his voice carrying a note of genuine curiosity amidst the noise of the game.
“Moments,” I said, my tone taking on a reflective quality. “Capturing them, preserving them. Life is fleeting, but a good photograph can make a memory last forever.”
“Sounds like a heavy responsibility.”
“Perhaps,” I admitted, “but there's beauty in that weight. And love—I believe in capturing love in its purest forms.”
“Love, huh?” For a second, Nico's muscular frame seemed to relax, the edges of his rough exterior softening. “That's something I haven't allowed myself to think about for a long time.”
Our eyes met. It was clear that beneath his protective shell, Nico harbored a depth of emotion that matched my own romantic spirit.
“Never too late to start again,” I whispered, half to myself, half to him, as another cheer erupted from the crowd.
“Isn't that a scary prospect?”
“Terrifying,” I confessed. “But maybe worth it?”
“Maybe,” Nico echoed, his glance lingering on my lips before returning to the field, where the players were high-fiving their latest victory.
“Game's over,” Nico said, reluctance lacing his tone as he released my hand. “But maybe we could…”
“Walk you home?” I ventured, my pulse racing with boldness.
A smile ghosted across his face, a silent promise that hung in the air like the afterglow of the day's last light.
“Maybe,” he started, but the roar of the crowd swallowed his next words.
“Josie!” A familiar voice called out. It was my best friend, waving frantically from across the bleachers. “We need you! It's an emergency!”
With a final glance at Nico, I hesitated. My heart raced, echoing the pounding footsteps of the departing fans, leaving me breathless with wonder and uncertainty at what might have been—and what might still be.
“Go,” Nico urged, his hand briefly touching my back. “I’ll be here.”
As I rushed away, the crowd's jubilation fading into the background, I couldn't shake the feeling that life in Lawson Ridge was about to change—in ways I couldn't yet imagine.