Page 8 of Batter Up!

I sighed and thought about all the dates that Meadow set me up with during culinary school, and how none of those guys were ever good enough compared to my ‘T.’ I had one serious boyfriend in college, Tim, who I lost my virginity to. We went out for almost a year, but I never felt a very strong connection with him. Meadow teased me that I dated him because he had a ‘T’ name. He was a few years older than us, and when he graduated culinary school, he got a job on the west coast. We decided to break up as friends and not even try the long-distance thing.

“No one finds their soulmate at eleven,” I said. “Maybe I’ll find someone in my new city.”

“Yes!” Meadow said, and I could tell she was smiling. “That’s the spirit! Tonight, you need to go out and just say hi to the first hot guy you see who’s unattached.”

“Maybe I should have waited and brought you with me,” I said, suddenly unsure.

“You’ve got this!” Meadow answered with the confidence I wish I shared. “Just go up to him and say, ‘HI,’ and everything else will fall into place. But say the word, and I’ll be on the first flight to Nowhereville, Ohio.”

“You really are the best friend ever. Alright, I’ll try,” I said. “I’m going to let the realtor know I’m only a few hours away, so I better get off here. I want to make sure she knows I’m serious and not to let anyone else buy the property. I’ll send pics soon.”

“You better!” Meadow said. “Good luck, and I love you, Moll. You’ve got this. I’m a little jealous of you starting a new life. Your grandparents would be so proud of you.”

“Damn you, Mead,” I said while wiping a tear that fell from my eye. “I hope they will be proud of me.”

My grandpa had died of a sudden heart attack just a few months after the Little League World Series. It was our last baseball game together, and it will always have a special place in my heart. Maybe that is one reason my connection with the boy allergic to nuts continues to have such an impact on me so many years later. Just a few months ago, my grandma passed away after having a stroke. She was 81 and had lived a long, wonderful life. I missed them both like crazy.

I pulled off the highway, and once I was parked, I sent a quick text to the local realtor. I went to the bathroom, splashed water on my face, and looked at myself in the mirror. I still couldn’t believe I had done something so spur of the moment, but if this business space was everything the pictures made it out to be, it would be perfect for my dream.

I got back in my car and turned on a new romance audiobook about hockey players. I had just finished one about baseball players and wanted to try a different sport. The book was really good, and before I knew it, I saw a sign that said, ‘Welcome to Riverbend! Mayor Toni Robinson welcomes you! Population 7,215.’ I entered the town, and saw a few fast-food places and a gas station. I also saw a small car lot across from a hardware store. As I kept driving, I saw a row of brick buildings lined with sidewalks shaded by lots of trees. There was a small courthouse in the middle of a square, and I thought it would look a lot like Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls if it had a gazebo in the middle of the square instead of the courthouse.

“Your destination will be on the right,” my GPS announced.

I looked to the right and saw the red and white awning hanging over a glass door. The name of the previous business had been stripped off, so I wasn’t sure what had been here before. I smiled, pulled my older Honda Civic to the curb, and shut it off. This was really happening. It really began to sink in that I was on my own and going to open a business somewhere I didn’t know anyone at all. I got out of my car and walked up to the glass door that said 315 Main Street on it. Stepping back, I looked up past the awning and saw a window on the second floor with matching red shutters.

I did a slow turn, looking at everything around the bakery. I saw a florist, a small convenience store, a diner, and at the end of the street, I saw a building that might even be more beautiful than the building I was just going to purchase. I walked to the end of the street with a huge grin on my face. A construction fence was in front of a large brick building in the shape of a horseshoe with several arch shaped entrances. I touched the banner that read:

At the bottom of the sign was information to call about becoming a season ticket holder. As I was reading the sign, a cardinal landed on the banner and looked right at me. My papaw's favorite bird was a cardinal, and he told me he'd always watch over me. This was my sign that I was making the right choice, and my papaw was with me.

I picked up my phone and dialed Meadow’s number.

“You get there okay?” Meadow asked in lieu of saying hello.

“It’s my dream come true, and I haven’t even been on the inside. You’ll never believe what is down the street from my bakery.”

“What? A male strip club?”

“Oh my god!” I laughed. “Even better. Let's just say my car could get hit by a foul ball.”

“Explain,” Meadow said, and I could just imagine her eyebrows lifting in question.

“They are almost finished building a minor league baseball stadium just down the street from me. I can sell desserts to fans on their way to a game. I could even sponsor the team next year if my bakery does well!”

Meadow giggled, “Slow down, Moll. You haven’t even seen the inside of the building. But it sounds perfect for you. We can go to games when I come to visit and check out all the hot baseball players. You should have a baseball-related name for your bakery!”

“Oh, I already know what I’m going to call it. Papaw had an idea for my future bakery when I told Mimi that I wanted to go to culinary school in sixth grade. Mimi had rolled her eyes, but I loved it. My bakery is going to be called ‘Batter Up!’”

“This is just serendipitous!”

“Molly Green?” A female voice asked from behind me and made me jump.

“Oh my gosh. Yes. Hi. You must be Ms. Rhodes,” I said and spoke into my phone. “Sorry, Meadow. I’ll call you back.”

“Call me Autumn,” the realtor said with a bright smile. She was only a few years older than me but was at least a head taller and had shiny light brown hair that framed her face. Her makeup was flawless, and she had perfected her smokey eye shadow. She wore a cream-colored pants suit with a red shirt under the suit jacket and matching red heels. I knew I must look horrible compared to her in yoga pants, a baggy t-shirt, my hair in a ponytail, and no makeup to be seen. My flip flops didn’t help my short stature.

“Thank you so much for all the help in getting this place,” I said as we walked back towards the location I would most likely end up buying.

“You found it online. All I did was send you pictures, and if it’s what you want, I’ll do the paperwork,” Autumn said. “Ready for a tour and to see if you want to put down an offer?”

---