Senses 03 - Love Comes Home (DA) (MM) (12 page)

“Are you trying to start a league?”

“I think that would be cool, but mostly I’m hoping to get some other kids involved so they can have fun,” Tom explained.

“The equipment must be expensive,” Peter commented.

Tom smiled. “Money isn’t an issue, not for this. It’s about allowing kids to play who wouldn’t get the opportunity otherwise. Some of the blind support organizations in the area are publicizing what we’re doing.” Tom pulled out his wallet and extracted one of his cards.

“I’ll let the league know. Maybe they can help.” Peter took the card and put it in his pocket. Tom shook his hand again and then turned back to the group.

“Are you up for more?” Tom asked. Davey obviously was. “Then let’s field. When the ball is hit, the runner is out if the fielders pick up the ball before they reach the base. So your dad will take you into the field, and I’ll hit the ball in your direction. All you need to do is pick it up. Can you do that?” Tom asked.

“I’ll try,” Davey said.

Greg led him out onto the field, and Tom hit the ball. It rolled toward and past him. Davey raced after it and managed to find it. He held it up in triumph.

“I could really follow it,” he said.

Greg took the ball and threw it back. Tom hit another one, and Davey took off. He reached the ball more quickly this time.

“He’s fearless,” Gordy said from behind him.

“I think he’s home,” Tom said, as Greg threw him the ball.

He hit it again. It bounced right past Davey as he scrambled to stop it. Tom watched Davey turn and then fall to the ground. He saw Greg rush over, but Davey was already up and going for the ball. He reached it and held it high. “This is one of the things he’s been missing. He played baseball before, and now he can again.” Tom hit another one, and Davey raced for it. This time he came up with the ball before it got by him.

“You’re making it easy for him,” Gordy said.

“Of course. He needs the confidence to run and reach, and a little success is a great motivator,” Tom said, looking at Howard. “He can play too, if he wants.”

“Howard has never seen baseball or any sport. I doubt he feels the need, but we’ll both be here to do anything we can,” Gordy explained.

Tom caught the ball Greg threw and hit it one more time, this one a little harder. It whizzed by Davey, and he ran to get it.

“He’s very good.” Greg looked proud.

Tom nodded his agreement. “Let’s call it a day,” he called.

Greg guided Davey in, and they gathered up all the equipment. Sophia ran up to Davey, ponytail flying.

“You did great,” she said and then turned to Tom. “Do you think I could play too?”

That had never occurred to him. “I don’t see why not. We’d need to get you a blindfold, but that could work.” He turned to Gordy and Howard. “Talk it over with your uncles, but it would be nice to have another player. We need six for a team.”

“I will,” Sophia said and hurried over to Davey. The two of them chattered while the men packed the equipment up and carried it to Tom’s trunk.

“Are there additional things we need?” Greg asked as he brought the last of the equipment.

“I have four other balls as well as chargers. For fielding, I was wondering about gloves, but it would probably be better if they used their hands. Maybe with thin gloves for protection.”

“What if we don’t get any more players?” Greg asked.

“We’ll figure that out,” Tom said. “For now it doesn’t matter, and if necessary I’ll order a bunch of blindfolds and we’ll see if other kids are willing to join in, sighted or not.” He closed the trunk. “Why don’t you and Davey come over to the house? We can have some lunch, and Davey can explore a new place.”

“That would be nice,” Greg agreed. “I’ll get Davey in the car, and we’ll follow you.”

Tom invited Howard, Gordy, and Sophia as well, but they had another commitment, so Tom waited for Davey and Greg and then got in his car and drove the short distance home, making sure Greg stayed behind him.

“This is your place?” Greg asked once they’d parked and gotten out of the car. “I’ve driven by here a number of times and always wondered what it looked like inside.” Greg turned to Davey. “Do you remember the house with lots of colors and the round tower? That’s Tom’s house.”

“Cool. Does it have round rooms?” Davey asked.

“Yes. Come on inside and you can explore it,” Tom said, extremely pleased. He took Davey’s arm, and Greg allowed him to guide Davey.

Once inside, Tom described the house to Davey so he could find his way around. But what made him happiest were the sounds of awe he heard from Greg. “This is amazing. How did you get your hands on this place? There must have been a line of people wanting to get it.”

“It didn’t look like this when I bought it. I had to have the woodwork touched up, carpet removed, wallpaper stripped, and in some places, paint removed. They had done some awful things to the poor house. In the office”—he gestured toward the room in the front—“they actually paneled the walls with cheap crap. I had it removed and then had the plaster repaired. Crown moldings had to be fabricated and replaced. And the bathroom upstairs—it was two rooms, so I had them combined.”

“You must have had workmen here for months,” Greg said.

“There were a lot of people. The kitchen had to be done too, so I had a dozen people working here at one point. But I wanted it done, so the bath people worked upstairs, the kitchen people downstairs, and others in between.”

Davey had made his way to the staircase and started feeling his way up the banister.

“Be careful,” Greg said, and Davey retraced his steps back to Greg. “Are the windows original?”

“Yeah. They were here, but in terrible shape.”

“Did you have them sent out for repair?”

“No. That I did myself. I turned the basement into a glass studio. I’ve done that kind of work since I was a teenager. I wanted to be the next Tiffany, but it’s just a hobby. I’m working on one of the windows from the dining room now. It’s the last one I have to do.”

Tom led the way to the office. “I wish I had something for you to do. I have the stereo in here, and it’s hooked to the computer.”

“That’s all right. I brought my tablet,” Davey said. “Dad loaded some cool voice software so I can control it better.”

Tom led Davey to the most comfortable chair in the house. Davey sat and immediately settled and began issuing commands to the tablet. He pulled some earbuds out of his pocket and put them in.

“He’s listening to
Harry Potter
now. You really opened things up with the audiobooks thing,” Greg said.

“That’s good. I’ll show you the rest of the house if you like,” Tom offered.

Greg told Davey where he was going to be, and then Tom led Greg from room to room. “The fireplace mantel had been painted, and we found that chestnut under eight layers of paint. It took a lot of work to get that crap off, but it was worth it. The pocket doors still need to be stripped, but I could only take so much upheaval at once. I’ll have those done eventually.” Tom led Greg through the original butler’s pantry to the kitchen.

“While I’ve tried to restore as much of the house as I can to its original splendor, I believe in modern kitchens and bathrooms,” Tom explained as they stepped into the room. “There was nothing original in this room at all. As far as I can tell, it had been gutted in the fifties, so I used natural wood and materials to make a space that felt comfortable and not fussy.”

“I love the granite,” Greg said, and Tom watched him run his hand over it. He stepped closer and wrapped Greg in his arms.

“I’ve wanted to do this all morning,” Tom said, and then he kissed him hard. “Every time I looked at you, I thought about kissing your sweet mouth.” Greg chuckled once Tom broke the kiss. “That wasn’t the reaction I was hoping for.”

“It isn’t you. It’s just that no one has ever said things like that to me. It sounded sort of… strange.”

“Okay,” Tom said. “How about this? When we’re together, I have a hard time taking my eyes off you. We were playing the game and my attention kept wandering to the pitcher instead of staying on the ball.” His instinct at the moment was to be aggressive and go for what he wanted. It was what he was used to doing. But that wasn’t what Greg needed, so he backed away slightly. “I have this feeling that sometimes I scare you.”

“Not scare, but I wonder what you want,” Greg said.

“I don’t want anything other than some of your time and attention.” Tom motioned. “Look around. I have plenty. The garage has cars in it that cost more than most people make in years. I can buy whatever I want. But I want what I can’t buy.” Tom leaned back against the kitchen island. “This is so hard to explain. I don’t tell people what I have and where I live because I don’t want them to like me for my money. And yet in the past I’ve always used my money to get what I want, including the interest of other people. Like, I’d meet a guy in a club, and we’d go out on a few dates. Then I’d decide to impress him, so I’d show up for our next date in a Ferrari. He’d be impressed, and I’d have his attention, which is what I wanted. But I’d screwed up the relationship.” Tom began to fidget. “I almost made that same mistake the other day, but….”

“What is it you want, Tom?” Greg asked. “Why would you want me? I’m not that interesting, and I come with baggage.” He cringed when he said the word. “You know what I mean.”

“You have a kind heart,” Tom said. “And it’s been a long time since I’ve met someone like that.” He placed his hand on Greg’s chest. “What I want is the same thing most people want—for someone to care about me for me.” Tom stroked Greg’s cheek and then his hair. “I know you have a lot going on in your life. All I’m asking is that you let me be part of it.”

“Why would you want to be part of it? My life is a mess. The minute I drop Davey off at school, I go to work and get as much done as I can so I can be there when Davey comes home. He takes almost all my remaining energy, and once I get him in bed, I go back to work. In between there’s all the household chores and… life.”

“What are you saying?” Tom asked a little fearfully.

“I don’t know what I’m saying other than my life is so busy right now that I don’t have the time or the energy for much outside of Davey, work, and keeping myself together.”

Tom opened his mouth to say he could help, but stopped. He was about to make another of his mistakes. “How about we take things a day at a time? We spent yesterday at the beach and today we played at the park. Both were fun.”

Greg sighed. “Yes. But neither was a date or any time alone. It was with Davey and other friends. I can’t see us getting a lot of time alone. There are too many demands on my time.” Greg closed his eyes, and Tom highly suspected that Greg was becoming overwhelmed.

A phone chirped, and Tom pulled his cell out of his pocket. Greg did the same and groaned loudly.

“What is it?” Tom asked.

“Davey’s mother is coming to town to see him,” Greg said.

“That’s good. Maybe she wants to be part of his life, and you can work things out with her,” Tom suggested.

Greg shook his head definitively. “No. I don’t know why she’s coming, but if the conversation I had yesterday is any indication, this visit isn’t going to be pretty.” The phone beeped again. “She’s asking where she can stay.”

“Tell her the Hampton Inn,” Tom answered. “I know what you’re thinking, but you don’t have to put up your ex-wife in your house. If things go as badly as you suspect, then you’d have no way out. Best to keep her at a distance for both you and Davey.”

Greg bit his lower lip and then typed on his phone and sent the message. When his phone beeped again, Greg read the message and then turned the phone to him. Tom read what she had sent and said, “All the more reason. She has definite anger-management issues. And don’t delete those texts—you might need them.”

“Should I answer her?”

“I wouldn’t. Let her stew and she’ll get the idea. If she calls, let it go to voice mail.”

“She is Davey’s mother.”

“Who hasn’t been part of his life in years,” Tom countered. “You don’t owe her anything. If you want to respond, ask her when she’ll be here and tell her she needs to call before she comes over. You and Davey have appointments and a schedule that can’t be changed.”

Greg began to answer and paused. “Do you always do that?”

“Do what?”

“Take charge like that?” Greg clarified. “Not that your idea isn’t good.”

“It’s one of my many faults. I always think I have the answer to everyone else’s problems, but I rarely see the answers to my own with as much clarity,” Tom said, as Greg sent the text.

“I added that we can have dinner when she arrives. I want to sound firm without being mean,” Greg said. “Even if she can be abrasive, she is coming to see Davey, and he should know his mother other than the occasional phone call.”

Tom nodded. “See? You have a good heart.”

The text Greg received in response was much more civil, explaining when she’d be arriving and asking when she would be able to see Davey. Greg answered it and then put the phone back into his pocket.

“Like I was saying, you were nice to her even when she was rude and pushy. I would be equally rude and pushy back, but you were kind.” Tom smiled.

“Dad,” Davey called.

Tom backed away, and they walked toward his voice.

Davey stood in the hall. “I’m sorry.” He turned back the way he’d come, and Greg saw the tablet on the floor. “I heard it break. It slipped off my lap and I didn’t catch it in time.”

Tom walked into the office. The glass was cracked in multiple places. It would work, but was clearly unusable. “It’s all right. We’ll get another one. Maybe Uncle Howard can suggest what we can get.” Greg put his arms around Davey to soothe him.

“I have one he can use,” Tom offered. “Howard installed some of the voice command and recognition software on it a few months ago for testing purposes. It’s a few years older than the one you had, but it should get you through until you can get another.” Tom pulled open his desk drawer and found the tablet along with the charger. He plugged it in near Davey’s chair, figuring the battery was probably either very low or dead. Then Tom turned it on and waited for it to boot up. “You’ll need to be careful of the cord,” Tom explained, guiding Davey’s hand so he knew where it was. Tom then turned on the screen-reading and voice-command features.