Page 18 of Catching Dreams

After a few minutes, I looked at my watch and wondered why the game hadn’t started yet. Something had to be going on. “Attention, ladies and gentleman. Before we begin the game today, we have a very special announcement from one of the players on the Lightning,” a man said into a microphone that was just off home plate. How had I not noticed they had a microphone there, when there wasn’t normally one there?

“Hey! That’s Cooper’s friend!” Peyton called out, and I looked at where she was pointing.

“Honey, that’s Tyler, Molly’s boyfriend,” Pen said with a shake of her head.

I watched in shock as Tyler stepped towards the microphone. He had a paper in his hand that was shaking, so I knew he was nervous. When he looked up into the crowd, he made eye contact with me.

“Hi. For those who don’t know, my name is Tyler Stone. I’m the catcher for the Lightning. I began my professional baseball career at the beginning of the season with the Trinity Falls Tigers. I am sure many of you have heard by now about the tornado that tore through Trinity Falls yesterday afternoon. MiLB has asked me to ask you, the fans, for some extra support. Twenty percent of all ticket sales to any of the Midwest Conference MiLB games this Saturday will go toward the Tornado Relief Fund. That includes season tickets. If you are at the game today, you are most likely a baseball fan, so I ask that you invite your family, friends, and neighbors to the game on Saturday to fill the stands and help an awesome cause.” Tyler paused and looked around at all the people in the crowd.

“Trinity Falls will always have a special place in my heart because of the amazing coach and teammates I had there. Sadly, my former coach, Adam McAlister, lost his wife in the tornado. His young son is in the hospital but hopefully will make a full recovery. They can use all the prayers they can get.” I felt tears flowing out of my eyes as I thought about Mack and Nico and how they must feel about the loss of Ashleigh. I didn’t know her well, but from what I knew, she was a great wife who loved her husband and son. She wasn’t a huge baseball fan and didn’t attend as many games as the other wives and girlfriends, but you could tell she loved Mack. My heart broke for them.

I looked up at my husband as he wiped away his own tear. “But, back to the positives… Trinity Falls is also where I met my wife. I am so thankful that she was already driving here to surprise me and was not physically harmed by the tornado. Her bakery business was demolished in the tornado, so the relief fund will really help us. Her bakery’s name is Cupcake Curveball. How perfect is she for me?” Tyler gave me a wink and some people around us chuckled. Ty then thanked the fans for all the support. It was what he said next that caused me to really smile. “After I make this speech today, I, along with my wife and her friends, will be heading back to Trinity Falls to help with the clean up and whatever else we can. Thank you, again, and thanks to the Milb for starting the Tornado Relief Fund.”

“Do we get to go, too?” Camden asked.

“Of course!” Penelope said and then looked over at me. “How mad are you at him?”

“What for?” I asked. “He probably just found out about all this. He told me an explanation would come soon. He’s coming home for a bit, Pen!”

“Not that!” Penelope said. “He lied to everyone here when he said you were his wife. I’d be mad if my man lied like that just to make it sound better.”

Oh, that. Crap! I wasn’t sure what to say. Tyler probably didn’t even realize what he had said. I was saved by Melita coming over and sitting with us.

“Y’all work in a bakery? Hush up! Do y’all do wedding cakes? I’ve been lookin’ for somebody to make the perfect cake. I’d totally trust you, Pen!”

Pen looked at me and then at her cousin. “Molly is our baker. I just help. We’ve never made a wedding cake before.”

“I did some in culinary school, and we have all the time in the world. Let us know what you have in mind, and we’ll see what we can do,” I said with a smile.

“The only issue will be getting it here to you.”

“Well, the wedding is actually back home.”

“Oh.” Penelope visibly paled.

“Where is home?” I asked.

“Bless your heart. Magnolia Bay, Mississippi.” Melita said in her thick southern accent. “Y’all have to come now that we’ve reconnected! It’s not for another year. Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, we were able to get a June date at The New Beginning Bridge, you know where -”

“Both our parents got married,” Penelope finished for her cousin, quietly.

“Yes!” Lita said, obviously unaware of her cousin’s discomfort.

“Hey, ladies and Camden, are you ready to go?” a deep voice from behind me asked.

I turned around and hugged Tyler. “That was quite the speech!”

“Sorry, I couldn’t tell you more. It was sprung on me this morning.”

“We don’t get to stay for the game?” Camden asked.

“Well, we could, or we could get in the cars and head back to Ohio and go see your best buddy Cooper,” Tyler said with a wink.

“I want to see CJ!” Peyton began jumping up and down.

“I had a feeling you would say that.”

Penelope turned to her cousin and gave her a big hug goodbye.

---