Page 108 of First Love, Second Draft

“See?” her dad said. “I’m surrounded. Give her the hat, Shorty.”

“Dad, no. I mean it.No.” Shorty rolled over in his wheelchair and tugged her down close enough that he could plop a baseball cap onto her head. Noah must have left it behind after his last visit.

When her dad motioned her back over to him, he tapped the bill and whispered the words that did her in. “Win big. For me. For your marriage.” Tears gathered at the corners of his eyes. “Win big for you. Keep holding onto hope, babe.”

Babe.Her dad had never called herbabebefore. He sounded like Noah.

Why did he have to sound like Noah?

Made her consider leaving. Made her consider hoping. And the last thing she could afford right now was to hope. “Dad, you have to understand. Noah and me, we...”

“What?” her dad said, his voice sounding more tired by the second. “Love each other?”

“Belong together?” Wanda said.

“Are miserable every waking second you’re not around one another?” Shorty piped in.

“Well...” She wagged her head in a sort of nod.Yes, yes, and yes.“Thing is, it’s not as simple as that. I’ve been pushing him away for so long, what if it’s too late now? I can’t just run after him and tell him I’m sorry and I take it all back, can I?”

“Yes,” all three of their voices responded.

“Really?”

“Yes,” they said again, louder.

“Right now?”

“Yes,” the trio shouted.

“But what about—”

“We’re here,” Mona’s breathless voice interrupted from the doorway.

Gracie whipped her head around as Mona, Matt, and Rachel rushed into the room.

“We’re here,” Mona said again, tugging Gracie into a quick hug. “Would’ve been here sooner, but the storm slowed us down. Thankfully it’s clearing up. If you leave now, you might be able to make it down to St. Louis before the game finishes. Go on. We’ve got this,” Mona said, pushing Gracie toward the door.

“Are you sure?” Gracie looked back at Mona, then Matt, Rachel, Shorty, Wanda, and finally her dad. “Because I’m just not sure—”

“Go,” the entire room chorused.

“We’re here with Grandpa. Go be with Noah.” Matt wrapped an arm around Rachel and pulled her close to his side. “Everybody needs at least one person in the stands rooting for them.”

“Pretty sure I won’t be able to make it past security to get into the stands,” Gracie said with a watery laugh. But she’d do whatever it took to let Noah know she was back in his corner. “Oh, I can’t believe I’m doing this.” She rushed back to the bed and pressed a kiss to the top of her dad’s head. “I love you so much.”

He cradled one of her arms with his own. “I know you do. Now go love Noah.”

After another kiss to his forehead, she backed away, ready to do just that.

69

Noah’s cleated shoes scraped against the parking lot. Rain soaked into his jersey. Trailed down his arms. His steps stopped, uncertain. Was he too late? Again?

The glass doors to the hospital slid open and a woman wearing a ball cap ran out. Not just any ball cap. His ball cap.

Gracie.

She saw him the same second he saw her. “Noah,” she said, her footsteps slamming to a stop. Her head shook back and forth as if she didn’t trust what she was seeing. “You’re here?” She took a tiny step forward.

---