Page 5

Chapter Five

David

“Ooof.” A voice I’m coming to easily recognize grunts. And an ironic smirk lifts the corner of my mouth.

For the second time today, I find myself apologizing to Cat for not paying attention to where I’m going and just rushing out of the locker room door. “I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”

“We have to stop running into each other like this,” Cat teases, gently rubbing her shoulder. “Seriously, though.”

Sighing, I pick up the planner I knocked from her hand. “I’m not usually this clumsy, I swear.” I hand over the book.

When she takes it, our fingers brush and a spark shoots through me. Her breath hitches, making my gut twist.

“I don’t think you’d have a job if you were.” She giggles, easing the tension gripping my shoulders. “It’s also normal to be jumpy with such a massive life change.”

My body tenses. Is she talking about Fiona?

“How are things going?”

“Going?” My brows pull together.

“With your new addition.” Ah, yes, the dog. Of course, she’s talking about Emmy. Why should she be talking about anything else?

My eyes narrow when she starts to chuckle, causing her to throw her head back. “You have the same befuddled expression many new dog owners have in the first few weeks.”

If only she knew the full reason behind my baffled look, but I quickly push it away and focus on the reason she mentioned.

“I’m so happy you can laugh at my pain,” I mock, sarcasm lacing my tone. “Please tell me it will get easier.”

“It always does.” She beams, that adorable dimple popping.

She glances down at her watch. “Do you need to go?”

“Yeah, I have a do—an appointment I need to get to,” she responds, shifting her gaze from mine before nodding toward the end of the tunnel. “Are you parked that way? Maybe we can walk together?”

“James!” The locker room door closes, and Logan slaps me on the shoulders. Why did he need to be the one to catch, no pun intended, the two of us talking again? “Stop harassing our new director of fan experience. I know she’s cute, but come on!”

Surprise flits through me, and I see Cat’s cheeks turn pink. I’m not sure if it’s because I found out this way or because Logan was winking at her. A surge of heat runs through me, immediately followed by a trickle of guilt. Tamping down feelings I’m not ready to look at, I focus on Cat’s job.

“So you’re the one who’s going to be harassing me now.” My lips twitch as her face gets a brighter shade of pink.

“Bro, if you would just embrace your social media responsibilities, you wouldn’t need a babysitter.” Narrowing my eyes at Logan, he laughs and then heads over toward the direction of the elevator, pointing at me. “The more you resist—”

“Yeah, yeah…the more it persists.” I roll my eyes, a reluctant grin tugging at the corner of my mouth despite him being so annoying. “See you tomorrow.”

“Bye, Cat!” He yells, before stepping into the elevator, winking again. My jaw clenches. Logan is a good guy and a true friend. But I definitely don’t like the idea of him dating my childhood crush.

Turning back toward Cat, her eyes dance with humor. “Hope said he’s a character.”

“Yeah, you could say that,” I grumble, then nod toward the parking lot and swing my arm out. “Shall we?”

We walk together in silence, the clicking of her heels bouncing off the concrete walls. Just as we through the clubhouse exit into the setting sun, Cat speaks softly. “I’m sorry you had to find out that way. I had intended to bring it up after I had settled in and got more details from Travis.”

“Makes sense.” I feel her eyes on me, but I keep walking forward.

“How do you feel about someone ‘babysitting’ you, as Logan so eloquently put it?”

“I’m not a fan, but I hate social media more.” I shrug. My gut drops at the thought of people getting a peek into my private life. “At least it’s someone I know. Sort of.”

She stops next to a light blue Honda CRV and starts digging in her purse for what I assume are her keys. Instead, she pulls out her phone and extends it to me. “Would you mind entering your number in my contacts?”

“That’s pretty bold, Bailey,” I tease, my voice coming out surprisingly gruff. Grabbing her phone, I start to send myself a text message when a call comes through.

Taking the phone back, she looks at the unknown number and hits decline before pushing the phone back to me. “Take two.”

My mouth curves. Opening a text, I enter my number and hit send. Then hand the phone back to her.

“Thanks.” She pulls out her keys, reminding me she has to be somewhere. “I’ll text you to coordinate a time to talk shop. Maybe catch up—if that’s okay.”

My stomach churns at the same time my heart leaps.

This is the first time since my wife passed that I’m even a tiny bit interested in another woman.

And it’s not just any woman, it’s the first girl I kissed.

The girl my twelve-year-old self thought he’d spend forever with.

Until she left, and Fiona came into my life.

I exhale and bite the inside of my cheek.

“Work only it is,” she chuckles nervously, fiddling with her keys and throwing a thumb over her shoulder. “I have to run or I’m gonna be late.”

I watch as she rushes over to the driver’s side door and pulls it open. “Cat,” I slap my hand on the tailgate of the SUV, my decision made. Her wide blue eyes meet my gaze, and something settles in my chest. “I’d love to catch up.”

Relief floods her eyes, and her cheeks pull up. “Perfect. I’ll text.”

I watch as she slides into the car, a slew of emotions swirling, leaving me confused. Walking to my truck, unbidden thoughts race through my mind.

“David?” I turn toward Cat’s voice to find her head sticking out the open window, a shy smile on her face. “I’d be happy to find some place where you can bring Scarlett and Emmy.”

I dip my chin, and give her a thumbs up. She waves as she drives past and I lift my hand in return.

“This isn’t a date, it’s just work,” I mumble. Shoving my duffel in the back and hopping in the driver's seat. Running a hand through my hair, I pull down the sun visor and look at the picture of my wife and daughter smiling back at me.

Tracing their faces, a sad smile lines my lips.

This picture was taken the morning of my season opener, before we found out Fi was sick.

Looking at this, you would never know she hadn’t felt well for weeks, had been to various doctors, and had a multitude of tests done without any clear conclusions.

Or that our lives would forever change the following Monday.

My throat tightens as I remember the steady decline. The brave face she put on every day for me and Scarlett. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t miss her. I’m not sure there will ever come a day where that ache goes away. And I’m pretty sure that isn’t fair to someone else.

My phone buzzes, and I glance down to see Ava video-calling me. I push down the lump in my throat and quickly check my reflection before answering the phone. I made a promise that Scarlett would never see me sad.

“Please tell me my house is still in one piece,” I tease. One thing I learned after Fi’s death is that if you shift the focus from yourself, people will follow where you lead them. The majority of the time, anyway.

“The house is still intact, right, Scarlett?” Ava moves the phone over so I can see the kitchen counter, where Scarlett is getting Emmy’s dinner ready. The smile she beams my way has my chest squeezing and the back of my eyes burning.

I haven’t seen her this happy in a very long time.

“Right, Aunt Ava!” She turns back to scoop food into the dog bowl and yells over her shoulder. “Isn’t Emmy being good, Daddy?”

“So good, peanut,” my voice comes out hoarse, and I clear my throat. “I’ll be leaving the stadium shortly and will be home soon. Are you and Duncan going to have dinner with us?”

I shift away from my voice being unsteady, but I can’t fool Ava if her knitted brows say anything.

“Are you okay?” She asks, walking into the dining room so Scarlett doesn’t overhear.

“I’m fine!” I start the car, hoping that movement will keep her from digging. When I shift my attention back to the screen, I see a questioning look in my best friend’s eyes. “Really. I’m totally fine.”

“Are you sure?”

I stare at her for a moment, debating on telling her everything. Everything? What does that even mean? What am I going to tell her? That I’m working with my middle school crush, and I’m starting to feel things I haven’t felt since her sister?

No. That’s crazy. It’s been less than a day. Instead, I tell her the truth that I can understand.

“I’m missing Fi today,” I say softly. “I wish she was here to see Scarlett and Emmy. She really would’ve loved it.”

“Yeah, she would have.” Ava gets a faraway look with a soft smile. “Did you know Fi mentioned talking to you about getting a dog in the letters you give Scarlett every year on her birthday?”

Surprise runs through me, and once again, my throat tightens. “No.”

Fiona wrote Scarlett letters to be given to her every year on her birthday. Now, Scarlett’s hounding over the last two years for a dog makes perfect sense. I thought it was because Duncan was bringing her to High Mile Mutts with him, but nope. It was my wife.

A grin crawls up my face, and a chuckle falls from my lips.

“She told me on the way to school today. It’s so very Fiona.” Her eyes shine, and she grins at me. My pulse races, and I take a deep breath to steady it. “She would be proud of you, David. Being a single dad is hard, but you’re really great at it.”

My lungs seize, and I bite my lip. “Thanks, A. I needed to hear that.”

“Where is this new dog I’ve been hearing so much about?” My brother booms through the front door.

Ava’s face glows, and my chest loosens. Then chaos erupts with Scarlett and my dog greeting Duncan like a long-lost relative.

“We’ll see you when you get home,” Ava chuckles, just before hanging up.

“Bye,” I say to the screensaver on my phone. I’m grateful that Ava and Duncan are there to handle whatever disaster might arise.

Driving onto the highway, thoughts of Cat fill my mind, and I immediately shut it down. “It’s just work,” I reaffirm.

But there’s a nagging part of me that’s pretty certain Cat could never be just work, and that part doesn’t know what to do about it.