It’s a couple’s kind of kiss, and I still feel coupled with Zack.
“What was that for?” I ask.
“You’re just so adorable, cheering for my son like that.”
My heart thumps erratically. “He’s a great kid. And that was an amazing hit.”
Brett nods. “He is, and it was.”
“He let the boy on third base run to home plate!”
“I know.”
“I never knew a ball game could be so exciting.”
He laughs. “I’ve never seen you so enthusiastic before. I love this side of you.”
My pulse hops and quickens.
He grins at me. “I have to say, you seem really fond of Petey for a woman who doesn’t want to date a man with children.”
“Didn’twant to.Past tense,” I correct. “That was before I married Zack. I didn’t say I felt that way now.”He saiddate. Are we dating?I feel my face flush. “Besides, Petey’s a special case.” I’ve spent some time with him and Brett over the last few weeks, and the boy has stolen my heart. Just last Saturday, Petey, Brett, and I went to the Pacific Science Center. Petey was fascinated by all the exhibits and asked questions throughout the planetarium show. I love his inquisitive nature and his no-BS personality.
Brett smiles. “And me?”
That kiss still burns on my lips. “You’re a special case, too.” Our eyes meet, and a current runs between us. It’s more than attraction; I feel an emotional pull. But I know I need to tell him the truth. “I love spending time with you, but I’m not thinking of this as a date. It’s too soon after my split from Zack.”
“That’s completely understandable,” he says. “And I apologize if I was out of line. The last thing I want to do is make you uncomfortable.”
“Oh, I’m not uncomfortable. And I’m not disinterested.” I smile, and he grins back—a sexy grin that gives me another electric zap. “I’m just not ready.” I hesitate, then spill what’s on my mind. “I guess I don’t feel like things have fully ended with Zack.”
“I guess I’m not surprised.”
“You’re not?”
He shakes his head. “Not really. It takes some time for your head and your heart to sync up. But I’m also wondering...”
“What?”
His gaze connects with mine—really connects, in a way I haven’t felt with Zack in a long, long time. He rubs his jaw. “I hate to say this because it goes against my personal interests, but I wonder if you need to go back and have a heart-to-heart talk with Zack.”
“There’s no point. We’re in an irreconcilable situation.”
“Maybe so, but you walked out and filed for divorce without really talking things through.”
I stare at the ball field, where the coach for the opposing team is changing out the pitcher.
“I made a couple of pathetic last-ditch attempts with Sue Anne, and as bad as it felt at the time, it’s been important in the long run to know I did everything I could,” he says.
“You tried to patch things up, even though she was seeing another man?” I look a few bleacher rows forward and to the right, where she and her fiancé are sitting. I have to say, Sue Anne and Brett seem to have a friendly relationship. When we arrived, she and Brett greeted each other with a kiss, and the two men shook hands. Sue Anne even seemed genuinely glad to see me.
He nods. “For Petey’s sake, I felt like I had to try. And in the end, knowing I’d done all I could gave me peace of mind and closure.”
Another little boy is up at home plate. His freckled face is puckered in concentration as he holds the bat near his shoulder. The ball soars toward him. He swings so hard he spins around, missing it by a mile.
“Shake it off,” shouts a man in the stands—probably his father. “Just put it behind you.”
“I like that man’s philosophy better,” I say.
