Home Run (2 page)

“She didn’t need me around when she was trying to get things taken care of.”

“You’re right. Six surgeries on your leg and two toddlers at home is a piece of cake. Why have the man you love getting in the way?”

Christian swallowed hard. He didn’t need his brother poking at him. It had been a year and he felt bad enough.

Luckily, the food arrived just in time for his brother to shove some in his mouth and shut up. Christian, on the other hand, had lost his appetite.

He had become a pathetic loser and he’d lost the only thing that he’d ever cared about—Victoria.

He took another long, scalding sip of his tea. Maybe Ed’s wedding would be the perfect place to apologize for being an ass.

It wasn’t in him to be a father right now, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t be a friend. She looked as though she certainly could use one. And they’d been friends too—hadn’t they?

Christian tore open his chop sticks and broke them apart. As he picked up a pot sticker, he thought about his parents.

They’d been divorced when his mother was diagnosed with cancer and her husband had walked out on her to marry another woman and have a baby. She was alone with three kids.

He tugged at his collar because it was getting hot.

His own father, who was at the time engaged to Kathy, still stepped up and took care of his mother. Damn, he’d even shaved his head for her.

That was love. That was commitment.

It was right too. His father’s marriage to Kathy lasted less than a day and he was back with Christian’s mom and had been married, again, ever since.

What had Christian done when the woman he loved needed him? He backed away.

He put down the pot sticker. Again, he wasn’t hungry.

They’d both lost a lot that night when that drunk driver hit that car. Lives changed in a flash—a bright white flash.

Ed was right. He was pathetic.

But he was done being pathetic. It was time Christian Keller took his life back—and the woman he still loved.

Chapter Two

Weekends had once been for playing ball. Then, they became time to chill with Victoria. One day they became two more days to sit still on the couch and wallow in the misery of what life had handed him. But Chris had decided he was done with that.

After seeing Tori, he wanted normalcy back.

Saturday morning, he looked around the living room and admired the view. The curtains had been open for the first time in months. A breeze blew through the open window and he could smell fresh cut grass. Spring time was a good time to start over.

Avery had tapped on the door, he’d seen her pull up, but then she pushed it open and walked right inside.

Her hands were full of grocery bags and she stopped and looked around.

“A little spring cleaning?”

Chris nodded tucking his thumbs into the front pockets of his jeans.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen this place look this nice. Tell me you got the ring out of your toilet too.”

“Don’t give me crap.”

“Hard not to. Here help me with these.” She hoisted a bag in his direction.

“I can go to a grocery store you know.”

“I know, but seeing as you never do, I brought you some food so you won’t starve.”

Avery walked through the living room and back to the kitchen where she stopped again. “Chris, this looks great.”

“Y’all have been taking care of me for too long. I thought it was time to get off of my sorry ass and sweep.”

“There’s more to that.” She set the bags on the table. “Windows are open. There’s fresh air in here. What is that?” She walked over to a small cup on the counter. “Is this a dandelion?”

He laughed as he placed the bags on the table next to the ones she had set there. “He was an early bloomer. I didn’t have any flowers around to spruce up the joint.”

Avery turned, crossed her arms over her chest, and narrowed her stare on him. “What gives?”

Not much had ever slipped past his cousin. There was no reason to keep it from her now. “I saw Tori the other day.”

“Yeah, and Ed says you weren’t very nice.”

Christian rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. “I haven’t been too nice to anyone.” He waited for a comeback, but she didn’t offer one. “I can’t be a father to those kids. I think I’d be a lousy husband. But she really looked like she could use a friend.”

“And you?”

He let out a breath. “I could use one too.”

“Hallelujah, I think we might have cured you.”

He grunted. “Don’t get cocky. I might crawl back into bed tomorrow and stay there for a week.”

She studied him. “Nah, I think you’re going to be just fine.”

Yeah, he just might. But he had a long road ahead of him. He wasn’t truly happy working at Benson, Benson, and Hart, his uncle’s construction firm. Chris had never been an Erector Set kind of kid. Always, he’d been the boy with a bat and glove.

“Who are you taking to Ed’s wedding?” Chris asked as he peeked through the groceries and pulled out a bag of Doritos.

“Just that guy Paul from college.”

“Paul? Gay Paul?”

“Safe date, right?”

“Sounds good to me. Thought he had a boyfriend.”

“He does, but I’m not much of a threat.” She laughed. “It looks like you don’t need help with anything today. I guess I’ll head out.”

Chris pulled open the bag of chips. “You don’t have to hurry out.”

“I have a last fitting on my dress for the wedding. And then Darcy is taking us out to lunch.”

“Ah, girlie things?”

“And my mom arranged for a limo to pick us all up and take us to a spa.” Her faced glowed with excitement.

His Aunt Simone had been born into wealth and luxury. When he’d first met her, she screamed oil heiress.

But Avery’s grandfather had taken away her wealth when Simone became pregnant with Avery out of wedlock. To add insult to injury the Parisian heiress was in love with a common American. Even as a young man Christian remembered when the woman, who once strutted around in designer clothes and high heels with her fingernails perfectly manicured, struggled to make ends meet. Simone had taken a simple job, moved in with a stranger, and learned that there were many others who could use a helping hand.

He pushed his shoulders back a little more. If a Parisian oil heiress could learn humility, so could he. Sure, his aunt eventually got her trust fund back and Avery would never need for anything, but there she was, in his kitchen unpacking the groceries she’d bought with her own measly paycheck. Her long black hair was up in a ponytail, or a knot, or something he’d seen girls do when they didn’t care how they looked. But Avery Keller still looked beautiful.

“What’s going on in that head of yours?” She asked opening his refrigerator, taking out an Izzy and opening it.

“Just thinking about how happy everyone around me is. My brother is getting married. My sister
is
married and is living on a tour bus.” He licked the Dorito dust from his fingers. “You have a great new job. Spencer graduates college soon…” he stopped.

“And Ty is M.I.A.” She set the drink on the counter.

Christian felt the ache in his gut. “No one has heard from him?”

“I think Spencer has, but he won’t break that brother confidentiality.”

Christian understood that bond. He had that with Ed. But the fact that his cousin had up and left to “find himself” still didn’t sit well with the close knit Kellers.

His self-help time was completely understood. Christian was sure that if a woman came into his life claiming to be his sister that he’d never known about, he too would have to flee.

They all knew Tyler would come around. The question was when. After all, it was his long lost sister who was getting married to Ed. Wouldn’t Tyler want to be there for that?

Avery pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and checked the time before picking her drink back up and taking a sip.

“So who are you taking to the wedding?”

“No one.”

“Why not?”

“I haven’t been too social lately. Can’t think that anyone would want to go with me.”

She nodded. “I hear Tori’s going to be there—with the kids,” she added quickly.

“I heard that too.” He folded the top of the Dorito bag over and set it on the table. “Thought maybe it would be my opportunity to amend things. You never know where it could lead.”

Avery studied him and then pursed her lips. This meant she knew something. He’d seen her make that face many times.

“What’s up? You know something.”

She shook her head and sipped from her can again. “It’s nothing. I need to get going.”

“Now your cheeks are flushing. You’re lying.”

“I am not,” she started toward the door.

“Avery,” his voice resonated his desperation.

She turned around and dropped her shoulders. “Tori marked the RSVP card that she was bringing the kids and a date.”

The thought that she might bring a date or even that she might have someone in her life had never crossed Chris’s mind. It was completely possible that Tori had moved on.

Suddenly the smell of fresh cut grass was a bit too much to take. Chris waited for Avery to leave and then he closed all the windows and pulled all the blinds.

Chapter Three

Nashville couldn’t be lacking in spring wedding attire, but every store Victoria looked in, she was sure the town was dry.

She hated leaving the kids with a sitter, but she had to find a dress—the right dress. A knock-your-socks-off dress. But it didn’t look as though it was going to happen.

Stuck in the back of her closet she had a dress she loved. Once upon a time it had been her favorite.

Chris had bought it for her one day. Okay, she admitted to herself, not just one day. The day. The very day he proposed to her.

She pushed through yet another rack of unappealing dresses. There was no way she’d show up to his brother’s wedding wearing her own engagement dress. It was time to put the thought of Christian Keller out of her head. He wasn’t the man she thought he was and she didn’t have time to waste pining on him.

Scott Foster had been asking her out for months and she’d finally accepted, on the terms that he’d attend the wedding with her and the kids. He’d graciously accepted.

Scott understood the world she’d been thrust into. He was caring for his ailing mother, but he knew what it was to become care taker of someone you never thought you’d have to take care of. Christian Keller, on the other hand, couldn’t even seem to take care of himself.

Victoria pushed aside yet another dress and let out a breath. Maybe it was a mistake to even go to the wedding. Darcy and Ed would understand, wouldn’t they? It was just too hard. It just couldn’t happen. It…

“Tori!”

She spun around at the calling of her name to see Christian’s mother and sister hurrying toward her.

She didn’t have to try and smile—it came naturally.

Clara was already within a few steps of her holding out her arms and enveloping her in a hug.

“Oh, I’ve missed you,” she said as she hugged her tightly.

“How could you even have time? I saw you on the TODAY show last week. You and Warner have really made a name for yourself.”

There was a pride that resonated from Clara and the excitement was infectious.

“It has been the craziest year and a half ever.” Her face softened. “How are you?”

“I’m doing well.”

Madeline, Christian’s mother, stepped between them. “My turn.” She pulled her into her arms and now Victoria was sure she might cry. “I’ve been thinking of you.”

She pulled her back and kept her hands on Tori’s arms to look her over. “You look beautiful. What are you shopping for?” she asked finally dropping her hands.

There was no way she was going to tell them her dilemma. Nope. She was going to make up something. These women didn’t need her getting all emotional. It wasn’t going to happen.

“A dress for the wedding,” the words rushed out of her mouth before her contemplation of the situation was over.

“I’m so glad you’re still coming.” Madeline smiled wide. “Clara and I are headed just a few doors down to get our final fittings with the other girls. You should spend the day with us and we’ll find you a dress.”

“Oh, I couldn’t even think of it.”

Clara’s lips turned into a pout. “You have to. I miss you.”

“The kids are at a sitter.”

“I’m sure she wouldn’t mind. Oh, Tori, please. I haven’t had the chance to pal around in a long time and this is the only girlie day I’ve had in months. It wouldn’t be the same without you.”

Victoria had never been good with the guilt—never.

“I suppose I could call the sitter and…”

But the words never got out. Clara had her in another hug and Victoria couldn’t help but smile. She certainly did miss his family.

When Victoria walked through the doors of the bridal store with Madeline and Clara, the others were already there waiting. The reception she received from Chris’s cousin Avery and Darcy was much the same as she’d received from Clara. Then his aunts, Regan, Arianna, and Simone embraced her as though she’d been the missing part in their lives for the past year.

She wasn’t sure she was going to make it through the day without breaking down.

Her friend Sonia had told her to enjoy her day and that the kids were perfectly fine in her care. “I have three kids. Two more does not upset the balance in this house a bit,” she told her. “You deserve a day with women who care about you. If I see you before five o’clock tonight I’m locking you out,” she’d laughed. “Tori, go have fun.”

She couldn’t argue with that. It had been Sonia’s strength that had helped her though the past year. Perhaps she was as close to a replacement sister as she could hope for, but that thought tugged at her chest too.

Clara set a hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“This is a bit emotional for me,” she whispered.

Clara gave her a squeeze. “He’s an idiot, but you’ll always be one of my dearest friends. Don’t forget that.”