Page 10 of Love in the Outfield

“I know. I just came to get your number. We need to talk. That’s all. Okay?” My anger has deflated like a punctured balloon.

She nods again and pulls out a folded slip of paper handing it to me. “I was going to drop this off at the table.”

“You were?”

She gives me a watery smile. “Of course. What do you think I am?”

“I can’t answer that. You’ve kept it from me for almost two years.”

“I know. I reckon I’ll burn in hell for eternity but I didn’t know what else to do. You were called up to the big league. I didn’t want to hold you back by saddling you with a child.”

“What’s his name?” I ask softly.

Her face softens. “August Jacob. But mostly we call him Auggie.”

I grin. “Auggie huh? I like it.”

“He acts just like you. Stubborn as a mule but sweet as pie at the same time.” She covers her mouth realizing what she’d let slip out.

“Stubborn huh?”

She nods, her eyes soft with love. “You have no idea. Listen I have to get back inside.” She takes in a shaky breath. “Call me tomorrow and we’ll talk.”

“I’ll call, but I don’t want to talk about this on the phone. I want to make a date to meet you somewhere.”

With trembling fingers, she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “I figured. But not with Auggie. Not yet.”

“I know. I’ll call you tomorrow. What time do you get up?”

She rolls her eyes. “August seems to be an early bird like someone else I know.”

“Good. I have a game tomorrow night and I’ve got to be at the stadium by one o’clock. I’ll call you at nine.” Her red lipstick is slightly smudged so I use my thumb to rub it off. Her eyes meet mine and there’s no way I can even begin to decipher the range of emotions that flash between us. “Georgia, it’s all good. You don’t have to be afraid of me.”

She shrugs a shoulder and says, “It’s hard. It’s been him and me. That’s all about to change. I know it’s right, though.”

I squelch the anger that rises thinking about what I’ve missed. I don’t need to tear her down at this point. We’ve both made mistakes. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”

She pushes off the wall and heads inside. I stare down at the slip of paper with her flowery writing and feel the same kind of charge I felt when I got the call from San Diego. My life is about to change in a big way. I’m a dad! Hard to process everything I’m feeling right now. I follow her inside in a daze and join my table for dessert.

6

GEORGIA

“Auggie, quit pestering Jasper. I swear that hound has the patience of a saint,” I say. I take my first sip of coffee, dark roast, double cream, just the way I like it.

Auggie makes barking sounds as he wraps his arms around Jasper’s neck. Jasper looks at me with his soulful brown eyes, tail a thumpin’. He’s charming as all git-out, all white except for a dark brown patch circling his left eye with long Bassett Hound ears. He’s short to the ground with little bowed legs and big paws but long-bodied. He weighs in at a decent fifty pounds. He’s the best dog I’ve ever known. I’ve come to the conclusion that we humans don’t deserve dogs. They’re way too good for us. “Good boy Jasper. You take such good care of our sweet pea.”

Even though I’m expecting it, my heart races when my phone starts chirping.

“Good morning,” I say, sounding breathless.

“Hello Georgia.” I can’t help the thrill that goes through me at his low honey-toned voice. “Thanks for taking my call.”

“Cade, it’s not like I have a choice now, is it?” Auggie is on his morning roll now, already having moved on from Jasper, he’s waddling around our cramped living room jabbering tohimself. I swear, every single toy is out of the toybox and already discarded as Auggie moves on to greener pastures. Clarence, our cat, decides to stroll in at that moment and August’s eyes light on him.

“August, no!” I say sternly. Our cat is not nearly as forgiving as Jasper.

“Meow.” August totters towards Clarence who jumps easily onto the back of the couch and out of the toddler’s way. His tail twitches and his eyes narrow as if daring August to try.

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