Page 109 of The Third Baseman

“Sounds normal.”

“Does it?”

Drew looked at me like Marnie did the time she was trying to explain black hole theory to me. “Yes, it’s normal. Girls are...” He paused. There wasn’t a good way to end that sentence. “Why are you rushing anyway?”

“I’m not!” I grumbled, because it sounded like the sort of thing Marnie had said to me. “I just… I never thought I’d find her again, and she’s all I thought about for so long. I’m not good at being patient.”

“Dude, I totally get it, but if you can keep your shit together, it’ll pay off.” He put his arm around my shoulders. “Now come on, I want to meet this girl who’s finally untwisted your panties.”

“Oh, fuck off,” I grinned, narrowly avoiding two older kids charging past with Super Soakers. “You’re the worst brother-in-law.”

“Nah, I’m the best and we both know it. But keep swearing in front of my son, and I’ll staple your mouth shut.”

I looked at Xander who let out an ear piercing shriek, and nearly tipped out of Drew’s arm because he’d spied the group of ladies we were heading toward, which included both his mom, and mine.

“There he is! Where’ve you been hiding?”

“Me?” I leaned down and kissed my mom’s cheek, peering over to where Marnie momentarily looked up from a conversation she was deeply involved in; her smile was like a rainbow to my chest. Then she went straight back to it, and I wasn’t sure what I was so worried about. “You disappeared with Marnie the second we arrived! You didn’t even bother to say hi.”

“I’m saying hello now,” she said, like my suggestion she should have greeted her only son any sooner was preposterous. It wasn’t like she hadn’t been calling every single day either – I spoke to her less when I’d lived a mile away, though now it became clear why she’d been so clingy.

“Uh huh,” I muttered and released myself from her grasp. “Enjoying the party?”

She clasped her hands together with the same kind of look that Drew had been sporting. “Oh, Jupiter, it’s so wonderful seeing Marnie again. She hasn’t changed a bit. I’m so happy that you’ve been able to work things out.”

I tried not to roll my eyes. It was no secret my mom wasn’t exactly a fan of me being single, and while she tried to avoid any ofthattype of press, the tabloids still loved to couple me up with anyone I was photographed with, even ones I hadn’t been spied with – someone new every week. Then after Emerson settled down and the kids came along, she really made her feelings about my social life known.

The fact Marnie was even here would probably be enough to sustain her for all future Christmas and birthday presents.

“Okay, well, I hope you had fun catching up with her. You guys are all sitting together tomorrow night at the game.” I twisted around as a cry let out from the unicorn to see my dad jumping off the top in a cannonball, then turned back to my mom. “What is he doing?”

“He’s been teaching them how to make the biggest splash.” She sighed the way you only could when you’d been married nearly forty years, then went back to find Marnie, clearly done with me.

I walked over and stood on the edge of the pool, just in time to see my dad emerging. “Hey, Pop.”

“Jupe, buddy! You coming in?” he asked, swimming over to me.

“Not today, no. I didn’t bring a change of clothes.”

“Shame, you should have. You were always the best at cannonballs.”

I grinned. “True, but I learned everything from you. You planning on staying in there much longer, or are you gonna come and have a beer with your only son?”

He laughed loudly. “Yeah, I’m coming. Let me get dressed and I’ll meet you by the barbecue.”

He hopped out and shook off the water. I was fit; a professional athlete in his prime, but I sincerely hoped that when I finally reached my dad’s age, I was still in as good a shape as he was now. That’s what a daily surf and living on the beach did for you.

“Deal.”

“Uncle Jupiter!”

I glanced down at the tugging on my shorts to find Gabriella standing wide-eyed and looking like butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth, something she got from her mom. I scooped her up in my arms, planting a kiss on her cheek. “Hi, birthday girl. How’re you doing, cutie pie? Where’s your brother?”

“He’s digging for slugs with Samson.” She pulled a face, and I pulled one right back.

“Slugs? Gross.”

“I know.” She shuddered dramatically and pointed across the yard. “Who’s that lady?”

---