Page 2 of The One for Me
“Not nearly as much fun as mine. And what do you mean I have no idea what you look for?”
She has no clue that I am not the guy who is out there, trying to rack up my batting average with women who aren’t . . . well, her.
Devney is the girl I keep searching for, even though she’s right in front of me.
My brothers give me shit, and they’re right, but we can never be. Not because of the promises I’ve made to stay single and never marry. It’s that I can never marry Devney. She wouldn’t be able to handle the fact that I’d never be here. I travel too much, train too much, work harder because, if I don’t . . . I will get cut.
The only dream I’ve ever had was to play ball. I dealt with the abuse of my father, the pain of losing my mother, and the constant worry for my brothers because I always had baseball.
I couldn’t give it up. Not for anyone.
And Devney would need me to. She can’t love half in, half out, which is exactly what my life is. I’m married to the game, and she would be my mistress.
“Nothing, ignore that,” I say and then grab my beer. I can’t go down this road with her. I’ve had enough wrecks in my life and this friendship is worth taking a different road.
“No, I want to know.”
“I don’t think you do.”
She pokes my chest. “Yes, tell me.”
My lips part and the words stall. If I release them, there is no taking it back.
I take her glass, fill it again, and hand it back to her. “Just drink more and we can go back to making fun of my brothers or we can talk about why you’re still living in Sugarloaf when you had dreams to leave.”
That usually takes care of it.
What bound us was the want for more. Devney was going to be an architect, and I used to rarely find her without a pencil and sketchbook as she doodled buildings, houses, and any other kind of structure.
Then, when she came back from college, that all stopped.
“Sean,” she whines, “I am so drunk already. Oliver hates when I drink because I get too unpredictable. He likes that I always behave, that I’m always proper, and he never has to worry about me.”
I laugh. “Then Oliver doesn’t know you.”
“Oliver knows who I am now.”
“Well, it’s a good thing that I know who you are in your soul.”
We both raise our glasses, clink them, and then drink.
“I’m so going to regret this in the morning,” Devney complains as her head falls back.
Not as much as I will.
“Well, tell me about Oliver and his proposal plans.” I bring the conversation back to where I want it.
Her eyes lock on mine, and she shrugs. “I don’t know what to say other than he mentioned that it was time that we move things along. He loves me, and he’s good for me. He’s that steady kind of guy, you know?”
“Sounds like the makings of the perfect marriage.”
“Don’t even. I don’t judge your relationships—well, not that you have any.”
I smirk. “Damn right.”
Devney rolls her eyes and sighs. “Don’t play that crap with me, Sean Arrowood. I know you better. You want the wife and kids. You always have. The issue that you have is that you’re stupid.”
“Stupid?”
