about halfway through the game and sat with their friends in the bleachers. Bennett couldn’t help himself from looking over at Mel. Unlike him, she was actually paying attention to the game, so she didn’t see him openly staring.
“Why don’t you just make a move already?” Tripp asked Bennett, as they waited for their turn to bat.
“It’s complicated,” Bennett said, pulling his gaze from Mel. He focused on the game again as Brendan hit a ball clear into the outfield.
“That’s just another way of saying you’re chickenshit.”
Bennett wasn’t even going to deny it. “It’s just a bad idea.”
“ Scary bad or bad bad?”
“That’s part of the problem, I’m not sure.”
“Yeah, but in my experience, in that situation the only way to figure it out is to try.”
“And what happens when it turns out it was bad bad?”
“You get over it. But it’s a lot harder to get over the regret of never knowing.”
Bennett had a feeling that was going to be true, that he would always wonder when it came to Mel. But Bennett also knew something else, that the unknown was scary as hell. He didn’t like unpredictable.
When Bennett went up to bat a minute later, he looked straight at Mel. That part of the stands was cheering him on, but he wasn’t really paying attention to anyone else. Only her. But she wasn’t cheering.
She was wearing sunglasses, so he couldn’t see where she was looking, but he could damn sure feel her gaze. There was a blush creeping up her chest and cheeks, and he had a feeling it had nothing to do with the September heat.
How the hell was he supposed to hit a ball in these conditions?
Focus, focus, focus. Yeah, right.
Bennett stopped at the plate, and pulled up the bat. He looked at the pitcher who wound his arm and let the ball fly. Bennett swung and—
“Strike one!” the umpire called out.
The catcher threw the ball back to the pitcher. Bennett rolled his shoulders and brought the bat back up. The ball flew through the air and—
“Strike two!”
He was choking. He hadn’t been close either time. He knew he wasn’t focusing on the ball but on the girl behind him, the girl who had him thinking about a different game altogether. Well, maybe a similar game. There were bases involved.
Tripp’s words repeated in his head: It’s a lot harder to get over the regret of never knowing.
Bennett already had a number of regrets in his life, and he didn’t want any more. And when it came right down to it, he needed to figure things out with her, no matter his fears.
The pitcher’s arm came forward and Bennett swung. The bat connected, and the ball sailed through the air and over the left-field fence.
Home run.
* * *
Mel watched Bennett round the bases. The man really was a sight to behold. When he got to home plate he headed into the dugout, and Mel stood up. Earlier, two extra kids had shown up, and it had gotten crowded in the concession stand. Stu had insisted that Mel go watch the game from the bleachers and take a break, but she would feel guilty if she left him in there the whole time.
“I should get back,” she said to the group.
“Okay,” Grace said. “You still coming tomorrow?”
Grace and Jax were having a barbecue, and everyone was going over to their place. Which meant Bennett would most likely be there.
Well, if she was going to get over him, there was no time like the present.
“I’ll be there,” She nodded and headed back to the stand.
“Good game?” Stu asked as Mel walked in the back door.
“Yeah.” But she wasn’t too sure. She’d been watching Bennett the whole time and not really paying attention to anything else.
Ugh, she still wanted him way too damn much.
Stupid man.
Mel grabbed a package of cups and stacked them by the drink machine. “How’s everything been back here?”
“Busy,” Ashley Rodriguez said, as she spooned some cheese into a nacho container. “But not bad at all.”
“Good. There are only two innings
“Why don’t you just make a move already?” Tripp asked Bennett, as they waited for their turn to bat.
“It’s complicated,” Bennett said, pulling his gaze from Mel. He focused on the game again as Brendan hit a ball clear into the outfield.
“That’s just another way of saying you’re chickenshit.”
Bennett wasn’t even going to deny it. “It’s just a bad idea.”
“ Scary bad or bad bad?”
“That’s part of the problem, I’m not sure.”
“Yeah, but in my experience, in that situation the only way to figure it out is to try.”
“And what happens when it turns out it was bad bad?”
“You get over it. But it’s a lot harder to get over the regret of never knowing.”
Bennett had a feeling that was going to be true, that he would always wonder when it came to Mel. But Bennett also knew something else, that the unknown was scary as hell. He didn’t like unpredictable.
When Bennett went up to bat a minute later, he looked straight at Mel. That part of the stands was cheering him on, but he wasn’t really paying attention to anyone else. Only her. But she wasn’t cheering.
She was wearing sunglasses, so he couldn’t see where she was looking, but he could damn sure feel her gaze. There was a blush creeping up her chest and cheeks, and he had a feeling it had nothing to do with the September heat.
How the hell was he supposed to hit a ball in these conditions?
Focus, focus, focus. Yeah, right.
Bennett stopped at the plate, and pulled up the bat. He looked at the pitcher who wound his arm and let the ball fly. Bennett swung and—
“Strike one!” the umpire called out.
The catcher threw the ball back to the pitcher. Bennett rolled his shoulders and brought the bat back up. The ball flew through the air and—
“Strike two!”
He was choking. He hadn’t been close either time. He knew he wasn’t focusing on the ball but on the girl behind him, the girl who had him thinking about a different game altogether. Well, maybe a similar game. There were bases involved.
Tripp’s words repeated in his head: It’s a lot harder to get over the regret of never knowing.
Bennett already had a number of regrets in his life, and he didn’t want any more. And when it came right down to it, he needed to figure things out with her, no matter his fears.
The pitcher’s arm came forward and Bennett swung. The bat connected, and the ball sailed through the air and over the left-field fence.
Home run.
* * *
Mel watched Bennett round the bases. The man really was a sight to behold. When he got to home plate he headed into the dugout, and Mel stood up. Earlier, two extra kids had shown up, and it had gotten crowded in the concession stand. Stu had insisted that Mel go watch the game from the bleachers and take a break, but she would feel guilty if she left him in there the whole time.
“I should get back,” she said to the group.
“Okay,” Grace said. “You still coming tomorrow?”
Grace and Jax were having a barbecue, and everyone was going over to their place. Which meant Bennett would most likely be there.
Well, if she was going to get over him, there was no time like the present.
“I’ll be there,” She nodded and headed back to the stand.
“Good game?” Stu asked as Mel walked in the back door.
“Yeah.” But she wasn’t too sure. She’d been watching Bennett the whole time and not really paying attention to anything else.
Ugh, she still wanted him way too damn much.
Stupid man.
Mel grabbed a package of cups and stacked them by the drink machine. “How’s everything been back here?”
“Busy,” Ashley Rodriguez said, as she spooned some cheese into a nacho container. “But not bad at all.”
“Good. There are only two innings
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