Page 12 of Love in the Outfield

“I don’t know if I can do this. Your mama and daddy… your brother. I just can’t handle it right now.”

“I’ve got you, Gigi. You won’t be alone. We’ll worry about the family later. Let’s give ourselves time to catch our breath. One thing at a time. Okay? We’ll take it real slow.”

“Promise me you’ll have my back with your mom.”

“I promise. We’ll be a team,” he says confidently.

He always was that confident sort… born with that special something. Destined for great things. I call it stardust. He probably has every right to be arrogant, but he isn’t. My glass, on the other hand, has always seemed half empty. Until Auggie. Now everything makes sense. Hard to explain really. I’d have thought practically raising my little brother and two sisters would have been enough but apparently, they were practice. I was made to be a mom. I love everything about it. Most of the time anyhow.

“When do you want to meet?” I ask.

“I’ve got a three-game series beginning tonight then a day off before travel. After that, I’ll be on the road for the next ten days. How about we meet tomorrow morning, then, if you’re comfortable with it, I’ll meet August on Monday before I head out.”

I chew on my lip as I absently doodle around the edges of my to-do list. “I guess that will work. Where?”

“How about Nellie’s Diner around nine?”

“Okay. I’ll have to make sure I can find someone to watch Auggie. I’ll let you know if it doesn’t work. I’ve got your number now on my caller ID.”

“See you tomorrow, Georgia.” His voice sounds all warm and buttery, sex on a stick, but I refuse to fall under his spell a second time. Fool me twice, shame on me.

After we hang up, I sit there in confused silence until Ava’s voice interrupts my musings.

“Hey sissy,” Ava says, swirling in like a high-energy filly. She’s the youngest of the four of us. A little immature for twenty-one because we’ve all spoiled her half rotten but she has a beautiful heart and rescues any kind of stray, be it plant, animal or human. My baby sister is fierce and quite the idealist. Her living with Mom and Pops is very convenient for me. She adores August, and between her and Mama, I’m lucky to have built-in babysitters. She also fills in spur-of-the-moment when her busy social calendar allows it.

I smile at her, my heart full of love. Her wild corkscrew curls are in total disarray and from the vivid colors smeared all over her white tee-shirt I know she’s been in her basement studio paintin’ up a storm.

“What masterpiece are you working on now?”

“The same landscape series that’s due at the end of the semester.”

“Can I peek?”

“Always. Go on down when you drop off Auggie. I picked up a shift at the store so I won’t be there this afternoon.”

“Fine, be like that,” I tease.

She looks at me appraisingly. “So, Mama says the cat’s out of the bag.” August is now wrapped around Ava’s leg so she picks him up and props him on her hip.

“Unfortunately.”

“What are you going to do?”

I hold up my palms and shrug. “Not much choice. I either work it out amicably or I’m sure he’ll take me to court.”

“Jerk.”

“Ava, as much as we may hate it, he is,” I pause and nod at Auggie, “his father.”

“Damn that fickle fate that put you and him in that store at the exact same time!”

“Language,” I chide.

“Last time I checked youstillaren’t my mama even though you think you are.”

“No, but I’m August’s mama and I want to give him a fighting chance at being a good citizen instead of a potty mouth like you.”

“Ha! Before August you could curse with the best of us. Now, butter wouldn’t melt in your mouth. As a matter of fact, I learned most of it from you!”

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