casserole.
“Do you want fresh parmesan cheese on top?” he asked, cheese grater in hand.
“Yes, please,” I answered. “It smells great.”
“Thanks,” Judd said with a smile, handing me a plate. “Sorry that I don’t have an actual dining room table. I usually just use the coffee table.”
“That’s fine.”
“I don’t usually have people over here, so it’s never been an issue.”
“I don’t mind, Judd. Really,” I said, trying to assure him. He’d been to my place, so he knew I wasn’t exactly living in a palace of my own.
I waited until he was seated with his food before I began to eat. After I swallowed the first bite I said, “This is wonderful.”
Judd smiled broadly at me and said, “Thanks, my mom used to make it all of the time.”
We enjoyed the food, and when we were done I took the plates to the kitchen and placed them in the sink. I was going to wash them, but Judd stopped me.
“Don’t worry about that, I’ve got ‘em.”
“Okay.” I turned to him and wrapped my arms around him. “I wish I didn’t have to go, but it’s a school night, so my babysitter needs to get home.”
“Yeah, I wish you didn’t have to go too. I’d love to hang out and watch a movie or something,” Judd responded, kissing me on the top of the head.
I pulled away and looked up at him. His face was laced with regret. This was one of the downsides of dating me. I wasn’t free to do whatever I pleased; I had a daughter to think about.
“Thanks for dinner and the massage,” I responded with a slight frown.
Judd leaned down and gave me a sweet kiss before saying, “Anytime.”
I gathered my stuff, turning to him when I reached the door.
“Coffee tomorrow?”
“Absolutely,” Judd said, brightening a bit.
I left him there, standing at the open door wearing only jeans and a smile.
It seemed like the last few weeks had flown by. I was deep into my last season of baseball, and we were kicking ass and taking names. We were number one in the league and were starting to hear chatter about scouts coming down to a couple of the upcoming games.
My dad was doing well in rehab, and I had been able to see him a few times. He still seemed a little sad though. I was afraid that would never change.
Sam and I met for coffee every Monday and Wednesday, but with practice, games, and both of us working, it was hard to spend as much time together as I would have liked.
Today she and Karrie had come to the game. I saw them sitting high in the bleachers, and having them there fueled my desire play my best.
“Some of the guys are going to get drinks, you in?” Tuck asked as we were packing up our gear.
“Nah, I’ve got plans,” I replied.
“Again? Looks like someone’s whipped,” Tuck said with a laugh, slapping me on the arm.
“Whatever, man,” I said, not taking the bait. “I’ll catch you at the gym tomorrow.”
All of the guys headed to the locker room, but I headed out to catch Sam before she left. They were coming down the bleachers as I rounded the corner.
“Hey!” I shouted, trying to get their attention. Karrie saw me first and broke into a run.
“Dudd!” I laughed at the pure joy on her face, and my chest tightened at the thought of someone being that happy to see me.
“Hey, squirt,” I said, picking her up and throwing her when she reached me. Karrie squealed with delight when she went airborne. I caught her and pulled her to me, her little arms coming around my neck and squeezing.
“Great game,” Sam said when she reached us.
“Thanks, it felt good,” I responded. “You guys still on for P-I-Z-Z-A?”
Sam smiled and looked over toward the dugout. “Aren’t the guys going out to celebrate?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to go with them?” she asked. “You don’t have to go with us, you know.”
I leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips, then smiled at Karrie, who was watching us intently. “I know that… I
“Do you want fresh parmesan cheese on top?” he asked, cheese grater in hand.
“Yes, please,” I answered. “It smells great.”
“Thanks,” Judd said with a smile, handing me a plate. “Sorry that I don’t have an actual dining room table. I usually just use the coffee table.”
“That’s fine.”
“I don’t usually have people over here, so it’s never been an issue.”
“I don’t mind, Judd. Really,” I said, trying to assure him. He’d been to my place, so he knew I wasn’t exactly living in a palace of my own.
I waited until he was seated with his food before I began to eat. After I swallowed the first bite I said, “This is wonderful.”
Judd smiled broadly at me and said, “Thanks, my mom used to make it all of the time.”
We enjoyed the food, and when we were done I took the plates to the kitchen and placed them in the sink. I was going to wash them, but Judd stopped me.
“Don’t worry about that, I’ve got ‘em.”
“Okay.” I turned to him and wrapped my arms around him. “I wish I didn’t have to go, but it’s a school night, so my babysitter needs to get home.”
“Yeah, I wish you didn’t have to go too. I’d love to hang out and watch a movie or something,” Judd responded, kissing me on the top of the head.
I pulled away and looked up at him. His face was laced with regret. This was one of the downsides of dating me. I wasn’t free to do whatever I pleased; I had a daughter to think about.
“Thanks for dinner and the massage,” I responded with a slight frown.
Judd leaned down and gave me a sweet kiss before saying, “Anytime.”
I gathered my stuff, turning to him when I reached the door.
“Coffee tomorrow?”
“Absolutely,” Judd said, brightening a bit.
I left him there, standing at the open door wearing only jeans and a smile.
It seemed like the last few weeks had flown by. I was deep into my last season of baseball, and we were kicking ass and taking names. We were number one in the league and were starting to hear chatter about scouts coming down to a couple of the upcoming games.
My dad was doing well in rehab, and I had been able to see him a few times. He still seemed a little sad though. I was afraid that would never change.
Sam and I met for coffee every Monday and Wednesday, but with practice, games, and both of us working, it was hard to spend as much time together as I would have liked.
Today she and Karrie had come to the game. I saw them sitting high in the bleachers, and having them there fueled my desire play my best.
“Some of the guys are going to get drinks, you in?” Tuck asked as we were packing up our gear.
“Nah, I’ve got plans,” I replied.
“Again? Looks like someone’s whipped,” Tuck said with a laugh, slapping me on the arm.
“Whatever, man,” I said, not taking the bait. “I’ll catch you at the gym tomorrow.”
All of the guys headed to the locker room, but I headed out to catch Sam before she left. They were coming down the bleachers as I rounded the corner.
“Hey!” I shouted, trying to get their attention. Karrie saw me first and broke into a run.
“Dudd!” I laughed at the pure joy on her face, and my chest tightened at the thought of someone being that happy to see me.
“Hey, squirt,” I said, picking her up and throwing her when she reached me. Karrie squealed with delight when she went airborne. I caught her and pulled her to me, her little arms coming around my neck and squeezing.
“Great game,” Sam said when she reached us.
“Thanks, it felt good,” I responded. “You guys still on for P-I-Z-Z-A?”
Sam smiled and looked over toward the dugout. “Aren’t the guys going out to celebrate?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to go with them?” she asked. “You don’t have to go with us, you know.”
I leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips, then smiled at Karrie, who was watching us intently. “I know that… I
Similar Books
