Anything but Minor (17 page)

“Thank you,” I said as she looked over at me with a smile.

“Girl, I’m not a fan of too many women, especially the ones that come and go strictly to become part of the club or marry into it. I knew you weren’t one of those. And by the way you had Rafe looking at you...I was sure...”

I winced.

“Anyway, I know you’re good people, even if you did threaten to eat my son.”

I shot up in my float. “I was joking.”

“He’s a kid so he took it literally. I’m pretty sure I could hire you to come over and scare him into cleaning his room.”

“Sorry! I’m not really that good with the little people.”

“Neither am I, and
I’m
a mother,” she said as she joined me in the pool with a cup of her own. She lay back and looked up at the sky. “This is the life.”

I looked around her backyard. It was definitely a fitting playground for a little person, complete with a bike, a sandpit, and multiple water guns.

“I bet you’re an awesome mom.”

She looked at me, her hand over her eyes, shielding them from the sun. “I try really hard.”

“I can tell you are,” I said with certainty.

“It’s not easy, but worth it at times. I didn’t see my life turning out like this, that’s for sure. A bartender and a single mom. I imagined it much different. ”

I nodded because I understood it, at least the career aspect. As far as my romantic life went, I’d never really had any expectations. Rafe had given me a piece of something I now craved, and I felt like he’d taken it away just as easily. I wondered why he even bothered calling me and still I cringed at the thought of not speaking to him again. I’d left my phone in my purse inside Kristina’s house but was dying a little with each second that passed.

“Every available woman in Charleston has the t-shirt.”

I wouldn’t be that woman for him, though technically I’d already
been
that woman for him. I refused to let him look at me the way he did other women. I wasn’t a “piece of pussy.” But just the thought of being another insignificant fling had me in knots.

Hours later, and after drinking more wine than I ever thought I was capable, I found myself in a conversation with her that had me revealing everything about myself.

“Wow, that strict.”

“It was a nightmare. I was home by eight-thirty on prom night. It started at seven.”

“That’s a shame, girl. But here you are now, living it up.”

“True,” I said as I lay back on the float, my head spinning slightly. “A little too much maybe.”

“You want to tell me about it?” she asked, her voice mournful as if she understood exactly how I felt. For a brief second, I looked on at her, curious if she’d ever been in Rafe’s bed. She read my thoughts.

“No, we’ve never hooked up.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” she said as she pulled our floats together. “Andy has a thing for me. Rafe wouldn’t lay a hand on me. I’m kinda getting over...someone.” A brief silence followed. “Andy is perfect, you know...but the heart wants what it wants.”

Shocked by her admission, I looked over at her beautiful face and thought the world a screwed up place if a girl that beautiful whose insides seemed to match her outsides couldn’t have the man she wanted. If that was the case, I held out very little hope.

“It’s funny you say that because last night I could have gone on a date with a man worthy of my time and instead I blew him off for Rafe.”

She nodded as if she understood, and I reveled in our budding friendship. “What did he do?”

“He gave me a t-shirt.”

“I’m not following.” I told her everything, aside from the sex. As she listened and laughed about the fact that I peed on him, she held her hand up when I got to the part about the shirts and what Andy had said.

“Wait, you said there were how many?”

“At least a dozen.”

“Were they green with white writing?”

“Yes.”

“Oh girl,” she said with wide eyes. “I think you may have jumped the gun.”

I lifted to straddle the float.

“Rafe coaches little league on his Saturdays at home. I just ordered those shirts. He’s passing them out next week.”

When I really thought about it, the t-shirt had been a little snug. “Oh...crud.”

Kristina smiled and winked. “Let him sweat it out a little. You’re the type of girl he
needs
to work for.”

“You think so?” I said as my heart leaped into a steady stride.

“Absolutely. I saw the way he looked at you, kissed you,” she looked away briefly and cleared her throat. “He’s into you.”

I groaned at her admission. “And I just screwed it up.”

“If he gives up that easily, he’s not worth keeping.”

A few minutes later, I looked over at Kristina, who sipped her wine. “Thank you for today.”

“Anytime, girl, that’s what friends are for.”

I couldn’t help the pride-filled smiled that crept over my lips.

Hours later and mildly sober, I sat on my patio looking at my messages. He’d only sent one more text.

Rafe: Just let me explain.

I thought of Kristina’s words and to ensure I never felt that way again, I would make him work for it.

Alice: Explain.

The bubble started immediately, and I couldn’t help my smile.

Rafe: First of all, you are crazy as shit for starting a fire in my house, but I’ll forgive you because I kind of like you jealous so I’m willing to overlook it. Second, I coach a little league team on Saturdays. I don’t pass out t-shirts to the women I have sex with. I want you, Alice. I asked you to be mine last night. What part of that don’t you get?

Alice: I’m sorry I overreacted.

Rafe: So we’re good?

Alice: Yes.

Rafe: I’m on my way to Savannah now. I planned on spending the morning making you come and feeding you like a queen, but you screwed that up.

My face burned with embarrassment.

Alice: Raincheck?

Rafe: Oh, I’m going to get my hands on that ass of yours, I promise.

Alice: Text me when you get there?

Rafe: I will, and you owe me another shirt.

Unknown: Son, we need to talk.

It was the fourth text in a week. I could only curse my mother as I dialed her.

“Hey, honey!”

“Mom, have you talked to Dad? Did you give him my number?”

Silence followed as I blew out a breath of frustration.

“You know he’s truly proud of you and you cutting him out of your life like that—”

“Was my decision,” I snapped. “He’s never been a father, and you know it. He divorced you years ago, he left you, and you’re still siding with him. Why?”

“He’s a good man, Rafe.”

“No, he’s a self-serving asshole that abandoned you and damn near ruined my career. You need to get that through your head, Mom.”

“Things used to be good, Rafe.”

And she was right. When my father posed as a supportive coach and mentor throughout high school, things were good, until he got greedy and accepted a bribe.

“And things are fine now. Stop filling him in on shit that is none of his business! If he wants to watch my career, he can do it from the sidelines.”

“It’s just that this is your year. I wanted him to know that.”

“Exactly, Mom, my year!” Frustration rolled off me. “I gotta go.”

“Rafe, hon—”

“I may have forgiven you for going along with it, but I haven’t forgotten. It’s either him or me.”

She spoke quickly. “It’s you, Rafe,” she sniffed. “I’m sorry.”

“Mom,” I said on a sigh. “I have to go.”

“Okay, honey. Good luck tonight.”

“I don’t have a game tonight.”

“Oh, well, good luck at your next one.” I ended the call. She was just as self-serving as he was. She never had an interest in showing up for a game, just the bragging rights, along with my father who’d been far too involved in every aspect of my budding career. He’d taken a one hundred-thousand-dollar bribe from the Racer’s scout to get me on their ball team, and damned near broke my pitching arm to make sure it happened. It wasn’t until one of my high school coaches brought it to my attention that he’d accepted some money that I realized the implications of what he’d done. Senior night after my last game, he’d come out to the mound to congratulate me. Furious with the fresh information of his betrayal, I broke his nose in front of my class, high school coaches, and several reporters. After months of scout visits to my house, and hours of arguing, we were in a deadlock about my future, and he’d taken it upon himself to make sure I went in the direction he wanted. I washed my hands of him on that mound. The next morning, I held a press conference stating the facts and knew by coming clean I purposefully finished the relationship with my father as I denounced him publicly.

It was the worst day of my life.

Endless practices, games, and a bright future of ball and my father had thrown everything into a pile and lit it on fire.

He was my mentor, my driving force, and it was only after I went to play ball in junior college that I realized how truly devoted I was to the game itself. My love for ball had little to do with my father, and when I finally got my head straight, I realized I’d always played for me.

After the press conference ending our relationship, I left the house and never spoke to him again. He divorced my mother shortly after for siding with me but later told me in a text she’d agreed to take the bribe with him. I almost disowned her as well when everything was falling apart, and she told me “Everything would have been fine had you gone along with it.”

I had to let it go. She was hurt, and he was the cause of all of it. Our family had been torn apart by a rash and greedy decision. I still loved my mother, but I would never look at her the same.

Once in Savannah, I checked into another stale motel and scrubbed my hands down my face as I lay in bed, my thoughts on years of endless ball games. I’d ignored every possible offer after senior night and just resigned myself to being under the radar. My situation wasn’t uncommon, but I never thought it would happen to me. I turned down six-figure offers to simply pitch college ball and get my head together. Now, all I wanted to do was advance to the majors, something that could have happened long before now if he hadn’t pulled that stunt and I hadn’t let it screw with my head.

Even if I forgave him, I wouldn’t know how to act around him. That shady shit had completely shifted the way I thought of him. There is no doubt in my mind if I would have signed and played well, I would’ve taken care of both my parents as much as I could financially.

I’ll never understand why they couldn’t have just waited.

I’ll never understand why neither of them loved me enough to keep from stripping me of the future I’d worked so hard for.

My thoughts drifted to Alice as my motel door opened.

“What the fuck?”

“Fucking perfect,” Rodriguez said as he threw his gear on the floor.

“You aren’t staying.”

“If we don’t, Jon will know it. Suck it up, Hembrey.”

I wouldn’t put it past Jon to pair Rodriquez and me. Sometimes, he really was a bastard.

“Fuck you,” I said as I shifted to sit on the bed.

“You know,” he said with his hands fisted on his sides, “you’re the one who fucked
my girl.
Shouldn’t
I
be the one to pitch a bitch about sharing a room?”

“Well, you’re right about one thing,” I said as I stood and grabbed my packed bag. “You pitch like a bitch.” I pulled the door open.

“Think about it, Hembrey. If he finds out and we split rooms, you won’t play.”

I was only pitching every fifth game as it was, and I needed to keep my stats up. “I can afford to miss a game,” I spit out sarcastically.

“A Ranger scout will be at this one,” he pointed out.

“Fuck.” I paused, still at the door, and looked over my shoulder. “Why are you helping me?”

“I’m next,” he muttered under his breath. Rodriguez would be moved up to starting pitcher for the Swampgators if I made it to the big show. Though I gave him shit, he was a decent pitcher. One of the best in the minors, actually.

I shut the door and resumed my spot on the bed. After an hour of watching the Rangers play, I looked over to Rodriguez. He wasn’t much taller than me, and his feet hung off the full sized bed as he stared at the screen, indifferent.