Page 28 of Love in the Outfield

“How romantic. Let me guess, she was so impressed with your chivalry that she swooned right there in the deli section.”

“Produce, but no. We were both kind of shocked. Then the bomb dropped. She had a kid in her cart I hadn’t noticed until he called her Mama.”

“O-k-a-y I’m tracking… and?”

“The kid is a dead ringer for me and about the right age to coincide with our relationship.”

“Holy shit!”

“Shh, keep it down.”

“Holy shit!” he whispers.

“You already said that.”

“Did she confirm?”

“Yes. How could she not? I mean that boy is a mini-me.”

Dean whistles under his breath. “What happens next?”

“Yesterday I met Georgia and August, that’s his name, at a park. It went better than I could have hoped for. He wasn’t strange with me at all. We haven’t worked out all the details but she wants me to be in his life and I’m all in. I’m already invested.”

“Dude...”

I pull out my phone and show him the pictures I took.

He whistles under his breath. “Holy Hell! There is no way,” he says.

“Right?”

“Geeze Cadester, this is going to change everything for you.”

“I’m ready. I want to be more than financial help. I want to be a real dad. Toss him the ball, take him to T-ball practice.”

“What if he wants to be a ballerina?”

“Then I’ll take him to his dance lessons.”

“Any chance of you and Georgia getting back together?”

“Not according to her. If it were up to me, I’d be all over it. Can’t say I blame her. I cut out on her without even saying goodbye. Pretty bad.”

“Fo sho.”

“Throw me a crumb, bro.”

“Nothing to say, man. You messed up. Cost you big time.”

I blow out a breath. “You can say that again. All I can do is move forward from here. Try and make up for lost time with August.”

Dean looks thoughtful. “He’s still young… what about eighteen months you say?” I nod. “It’ll be natural,” he says.

“I hope so.”

“Now, about the girl, just use your obvious charm and wear her down.”

I grin. “Obvious, huh?”

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