Javi grabbed his towel and headed for the showers. He’d brought nice clothes to wear after the game, but maybe they were overkill. After all, Cami was just wearing casual clothes. Maybe, instead of going out, they could grab some fast food and head back to his place. He wasn’t a huge TV guy, but he wasn’t opposed to cuddling up with Cami to watch something, even if it was another one of her conspiracy or true crime shows.
After he’d finished showering and dressing, he left the clubhouse and found Cami waiting for him.
“Good game,” she said as he reached for her hand.
It had been a good game. They’d won after a string of away losses and it had really helped boost the team’s morale.
“Did I earn a better kiss?” he teased.
She laughed. “You did.”
“Be ready to pay up after we eat. Where did you park?” asked Javi as he led them toward the exit.
“I took a ride share. I figured I would get a lift from you after the game,” she replied.
As they made their way out of the stadium, he asked, “Where do you want to go eat?”
“Um, honestly, I’m not super hungry. I shared some snacks with my uncle during the game and had ice cream,” she said sheepishly.
Javi laughed. “That’s okay. We’ll just grab some drive-thru and then head back to my place.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay at mine?” asked Cami.
“I’m sure. Mine’s closer, your ex can’t drop by unexpectedly, and your brother already knows, so there’s no reason for you not to come stay with me.”
“I didn’t pack a bag.”
“That’s okay,” replied Javi. “You can sleep in one of my shirts…or nothing at all, if you prefer. Tomorrow morning, we’ll go back to your place early so you can get ready for work.”
“It would be easier to stay at mine,” she protested.
“True. If we stay at your place tonight, you can pack a bag and stay at mine Monday and Tuesday,” he replied as a compromise.
She smiled. “You’re gonna be tired after your games. Do you really want me interrupting your rest?”
He stopped and gave her a look that could have melted ice. “I’ll have plenty of energy for you.”
She smirked and he pulled her to him. “Hermosa, as long as I’m with you, I don’t really care what we do. If you want to watchUnsolved Mysteriesthe whole time, we can do that. It won’taffect me wanting you. If you want to swim in the pool or work out in the gym, we can do that. If you just want us to lie together on the couch and read books, we can do that. I don’t think you understand yet, Cami. It doesn’t matter to me what we do, as long as we do it together.”
CHAPTER 15
A ballplayer has two reputations, one with the other players and one with the fans. The first is based on ability. The second the newspapers give him.
– Johnny “The Trojan” Evers, Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, 1946
Camdyn was starting to get frustrated. It had been five weeks and she’d done everything she could think of to help push Lola’s guardianship case. Everything had been filed, and she had reached out to every contact she had, yet the case seemed to be at a standstill. The worse part of her job was waiting on other people to do theirs. She knew there wasn’t much else she could do. She had spoken with everyone locally that she knew of who had any experience dealing with the Cuban government, she’d been in contact with the embassy, and she was in regular correspondence with the orphanage’s Mother Superior.
The head nun was a kind woman who had been helpful with everything that had been requested of her. She had even helped them obtain some documentation that wasn’t quite original, but no one had to know that. What mattered was the MotherSuperior knew what Isla would have wanted for her daughter, so she felt compelled to assist.
She may have also been swayed by Javi donating to the orphanage. He had known that his mother sent money to Isla and Lola. Juana had been sending her sister small amounts of money all of Javi’s life. He’d also known that his Aunt Isla had earned very little in wages and that she had mainly been compensated by being given room, board, and meals for her and Lola. Lola had been educated with the other children. However, Javi had not known that his mother had also been donating to the orphanage due to the government’s limitations. Once he’d realized what his mother had been doing, he’d begun to match her contributions. And Camdyn could tell from their interactions that the Mother Superior appreciated those gifts greatly.
The orphanage was run by the Catholic Church, and due to that, they received more funds than most organizations did in Cuba, but they still were by no means living a life of luxury. They simply helped as many as they could, even local children who were not orphans.
Lola was currently holding a spot in the orphanage that another child could benefit from, and that weighed on Camdyn as well.
She picked up her desk phone and dialed the extension for her grandpa’s office. He answered on the first ring.
“Hey, Pa, do you have a few minutes so we can talk about something?” she asked.
