Page 94 of If We Never Met

She flushed at his words. "I don't know about that."

"Trust me, I know my brother. The way he talks about you—it's not like anything I've heard before."

"Really?"

"Really," he echoed. "Baseball has always been his passion. There have been plenty of women who have tried to divert some of that passion to themselves, but they didn't even make a dent."

"Maybe this is just a weird time for Dante. He doesn't have to choose between baseball and seeing me, because there is no ballgame for him."

"That's true," Micah said, a somber note in his voice. "I'm hoping he hears what he wants to hear tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

"He's meeting with his orthopedic surgeon."

"He said Grayson was coming to check on him, but I didn't realize it was tomorrow. He must be stressing about that."

"He's trying not to think about it. Dante has a way of locking away things that bother him and not taking them out until he has to. I guess it's how he keeps his focus. He doesn't let distractions take over."

"How do you think he would react if he couldn’t pitch the way he used to?"

"I hate to even think about it. Baseball has been his entire life. It was the way he connected to our dad. It was his escape when our mom died. The ballpark was his happy place. It's where he found himself, found a purpose to keep going. I don't know what he would do if he lost it all."

She could feel the pain of Micah's words. "I hope he won't have to face that. I want him to keep doing what he loves."

"So do I." He paused, giving her a smile. "You've been good for him. He was in a dark place after the surgery. He's like a different person now."

"His arm is getting better, so he's feeling better."

"And you've gotten him talking. He said he's told you more stuff than he's ever told anyone. How did you make that happen?"

"I have no idea," she said with a laugh. "When we first met, I felt like I was the one rambling on about everything. I'm very different from Dante. I don't lock anything away. When I'm feeling something, I tend to talk about it."

"Maybe you inspired him to talk, too."

"If I helped, I'm glad." She sipped her wine. "Tell me some Dante stories, and the more embarrassing the better."

He laughed. "Let me see…"

It was almost seven when the four of them sat down together to eat. Keira felt like she'd gotten some insight into Dante: the kid, the man, the ballplayer, and the annoying older brother. She had a feeling that Dante had probably gotten similar inside information from her mom.

"This is the best lamb I've ever had," her mother said, as she tasted a bite of the well-seasoned meat.

"Thanks," Micah said. "Your kitchen was well-stocked."

"But Micah knew exactly what to do with all the herbs," she interjected. "I never really know how to use spices appropriately."

"It's trial and error," Micah said.

"I would have to agree," Dante put in. "And I've tasted a lot of Micah's errors over the years."

"Very funny," Micah drawled.

She smiled at the fond, teasing look that passed between the brothers. "Micah said he started cooking for everyone after your mom died."

"He did," Dante agreed. "We were his guinea pigs. Those early years were rough, but by the time we got to high school, he was very good."

"The DeAngelis brothers never quit, do they?" she asked.

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