Because then we could be together without consequence. Until that day comes—until she decides to tell him—I’ll take whatever I can get from her.
“I’m thirsty.” Max runs back over and plops down in Joey’s lap. She pulls out a cup and hands it over to him as he sucks it down.
“Are you having fun playing?”
He nods, pushing the hat up his head. “So much fun. Can we come again?”
“We’ll see.” Joey smacks a kiss to his cheek before her eyes go wide. “Oh! Oh!”
She starts pointing as a fly ball is headed our way.
“I got it!”
Setting my beer down, I jump up to track the ball.
“Get it, Sam! Get it!” Joey shouts.
“I want it!” Max yells.
The ball is coming right toward us. Grabbing Max’s glove, I hold up and track its path before it lands with a smack in the soft leather.
“Yay!”
Max leaps into my arms as Joey is jumping up and down beside me.
“Here you go, buddy,” I say, setting him on his feet and passing the ball to him.
“I’ve never had a baseball before.”
“You do now.”
“Mommy, look.”
Max holds it up so Joey can see.
“So cool. What do you say to Sam?”
“Thank you.”
He stares at it in awe as the game starts again. The rest of the night goes by in a blur of bad jokes from Max and laughing along with Joey.
Before I know it, an inky darkness settles over the field as the game ends in favor of the Loggers. Max is sound asleep in Joey’s lap.
“Need any help getting him to your car?” I ask.
She smiles up at me. “If you wouldn’t mind.”
I pick him up and he barely stirs. Joey throws everything into her bag before leading the way to her car. She pushes the key into the lock and opens it while I help her get Max into his car seat.
“Thanks, Sam. I appreciate it.”
The lights from the field flicker in her eyes. What I wouldn’t do to give her a good night kiss right now.
“Anything for you, Joey.”
She lets out a long breath, her face softening. “When am I going to see you again?”
“You’re seeing me right now, darlin’.”
