Brigham
Try harder.
On the field, it was easy. Practice fundamentals, watch tapes and figure out how to play better. Trying harder was what I did every day. But my image? Showing Los Soles that I wasn’t a piece of shit who used drugs and bribed cops? There wasn’t really a playbook for how to do that. Gideon and Bummy sat at my island, their wives Fiona and Michelle next to them, and we tried to brainstorm different solutions. So far, we had shit.
“You could donate a ton of money to a charity?” Michelle said, frowning and giving me a worried look. “Fiona’s charity could use the money.”
“Right, but anything like that would look staged,” Gideon said, shaking his head. “When they made me coach that baseball team…that could work.”
“Dude, it’s the season. He can’t coach. Plus, it’s hot as shit outside,” Bummy said, moving to stand behind Michelle and place an arm around her. “But I like the idea of kids. Could you volunteer at a baseball complex for a day? A weekend?”
“Oh, great idea.” Fiona clapped her hands and hopped up onto the counter so her feet dangled. “I like where this is going. What else has theawfactor?”
“Awfactor?” I asked, tapping my pen against my Post-It note with two ideas.
“Yeah, like kissing babies, volunteering with kids.”
“Puppies,” Gideon said, shrugging. “Puppies are always a good move.”
Blue.My heartrate sped up thinking about her and my body flushed. It made no sense how someone as innocent and small as her could work herself into my mind at all hours of the day. But I didn’t question it. Spending time with her was becoming my favorite thing. Michelle gave me a weird look. “What?”
“Why are you smiling like that?” She narrowed her eyes. “You’re hiding something.”
“Uh, no I’m not.” I covered my mouth with my hand, fighting the urge to laugh. “I just like the idea of puppies.”
“Isn’t that blue-haired chick working with dogs or something?” Bummy asked, and the women’s eyes swirled with a million questions.
“Thanks for that, Bummy.” I held up my hands when Fiona pointed at me. “My blue-haired chick is my temporary neighbor. She pet-sits and is hoping to open up her own boarding business.”
“He brought her as a date,” Gideon said, the traitorous bastard. “We questioned her and were assholes and she held up.”
“A date? Brigham! You can’t just keep this secret. This is news. Big news!” Fiona practically shouted. “Is this the girl you’ve been photographed with?”
“Yes. And your screaming is why I didn’t tell you. You and Michelle are gossiping maniacs.” I crumpled up the note and tossed it at her. “We’re hanging out.”
Liar. It’s more.
“Ohhhh,” Michelle mocked, wiggling her brows. “Can we meet her?”
“Absolutely not.”
They frowned just as someone knocked on my door. It was noon on a Wednesday and my stomach dropped.Sarah.We had plans to hang out later, since there wasn’t a game today, but having her walk in with all of my friends would be a lot. Almost too much. “You gonna get that?” Michelle asked, eyeing the door.
“Uh, probably delivery.”
Gideon shook his head and checked the hole, looking back at us with a shit-eating grin. “Speaking of,” he said.
My gut tightened when he opened it and Sarah stood there with a tray of cookies. She wore a tiny bright red dress with skinny straps and had her hair in one long braid on the side. My chest got a light fluttery feeling seeing her here, with my friends, looking so damn cute. Her blue eyes took in the room before she saw me.
“Oh, hello. I did not bring enough cookies for everyone, so you monster men will have to share.” She walked in, set the plate on the counter and walked out. “Sorry to bother you, Brigham. I wanted to drop those off before I brought more for Fernie. I’ll see you later?” she asked, a slight blush to her cheeks.
“You’re leaving?” Gideon asked, still holding the door open. “Come join us. We’re brainstorming ways to help Brigham get his life together.”
“Oh, that’s… I don’t want to be a bother.” She bit her lip and twisted her hands around her middle, and I felt like an asshole.
“Blue,” I said, finally getting the nerve to speak. “You are never a bother.”
She smiled for a second before shrugging and coming in. “If you’re sure?”
