Page 31 of Love in the Outfield

“You mean like he did me?” I say sweetly.

“You hadn’t been dating that long. Was he supposed to pack you up and take you with him? Do you have any idea what it takes to make it in the major leagues?”

“No, I don’t. But I do know what it’s like to have a dream and I wasn’t about to steal his away from him.”

Wendy’s eyes soften for a moment. “I’m sure you were scared.”

“I was at first, but mostly excited. I wanted him from the second I knew for sure.”

“That’s lovely. Now we need to get down to business.”

“Business?”

“As much as I would love to meet August, I’m here to see you. We need to discuss his future.”

“What do you mean?”

“Custody arrangements. Grandparent rights. Financial support. I’m sure that thought has crossed your mind.” She raises her perfectly plucked brow as her lips turn down and Itake back any earlier mercy I may have bestowed. She is still a nasty piece of work.

“Actually, Mrs. Jennings, I haven’t. As I mentioned to Cade, we’re doing fine. There’s nothing Auggie wants for.” Wendy takes that moment to slowly and deliberately scan the room making sure to pause a little longer on the old couch that admittedly has seen better days.

“Well, as a parent, I’m sure you want Auggie to have everything he needs. Raising a child is expensive. We want to help.”

“I don’t mean to be rude but shouldn’t that be between me and Cade?”

She waves dismissively. “We’re all family. As a mom myself, I understand how hard it is to raise children. And I was fortunate enough to be married to their father. I can’t imagine trying to do it all alone.”

My spine stiffens at her condescending tone. “I may not have a husband but I do have a family who love August with all their hearts and are here to help on the daily. August doesn’t lack for love or food on the table. He has everything he needs. I don’t want to raise him to think he’s entitled to everything or better than anyone else.”

“How lovely that your family was so fortunate to have the opportunity to help raise him. But to be perfectly honest, it seems almost unforgivable thatwemissed out on nearly two years of his life.”

I unclench my fists and take a deep breath before I speak. “Mrs. Jennings, I mean, Wendy, as much as I can appreciate your protectiveness over your son, and your disappointment, this is between Cade and me.”

“Cade has always had a blind spot when it comes to you. He is much too trusting. I have an appointment with our familyattorney tomorrow. I thought it might be nice for us to discuss the parameters before I meet with her.”

My blood goes cold and my hands start trembling. This woman is psycho. Terror tries to get its talons into me. She continues talking, oblivious to my distress.

“I’m sure you’d never want to deny August the finer things in life. That old notion that God prefers the poor isn’t true. Don’t be so prideful that you harm your own son.”

My voice shakes when I finally speak. “Does Cade know you’re here now?”

She at least has the decency to blush. “I… well… not exactly.”

“What does that mean… exactly?”

“The answer is no. He doesn’t know I’m here.”

I cross my arms over my chest and let her squirm for a minute. “Do you really want to start off by threatening me with a lawyer?”

“I wasn’t threatening. I meant it.”

“I guess we’ll see what Cade has to say about that. Won’t we?” I smile sweetly since I know by her expression the tables have turned. Booyah. One for me.

“You do not want to upset him during a series. He needs all his concentration for baseball.”

“So maybe you should cancel your appointment,” I say.

“You’re making a big deal out of nothing. It’s good to have an unbiased legal perspective.”

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