The hit he got off me.
The play Tommy made at second.
How next year they’re going to beat us even worse.
I just listen.Let the sound of it settle somewhere deep in my chest.
For the last couple of years, it’s been just me.I only ever had joint custody of Maddox—lots of weekends and vacations.When he finally moved to Woodhaven, he was old enough to live on his own.
My life has been predictable.
Work.
Land.
Responsibility.
A house that used to feel too damn quiet most nights.
Then Kelly became available and my world shifted—for the better, of course.
This woman was made for me, and I know beyond a doubt I was put on this Earth to be with her.
She is soft where I’m rough.Bright where I’m dark.
And when I’m with her?Suddenly, everything that used to feel empty feels right.
The ride home is fast, and dusk is just settling over the mountain, creating a sort of ethereal glow around the place.It’s like magic.
But that might just beher.I turn my head and catch Kelly singing along with the radio and my heart squeezes.
God, I love her.
The minute we pull into the driveway, Evan bolts out of the truck.
“Shower!”Kelly calls after him.
“I KNOW!”he shouts back.
I chuckle and follow them inside.
The house smells like wood and mountain air.
It smells likecomfort.Like contentment.Love.Home.
“I’m gonna wash all this crap off,” I tell Kelly, brushing my hand along her lower back as she heads toward the kitchen.
She nods.
A few minutes later I’m standing under the hot spray of the shower, letting the day wash off me.
The sting in my wrist.
The ache in my knee.
The grit of the baseball field sliding down the drain.
My head tips back under the water.
