Page 62 of Always a Bridesmaid
While he’d attempted to watch over Doris that night, he and Pyro had been at it for two days, and exhaustion got the best of him. He should’ve thought about the possibility of post-immersion syndrome—what people used to call dry drowning.
At some point in the night, Doris stopped breathing, and Ford awoke to find her dead, his promise about her making it to her granddaughter’s special event unfulfilled.
Whack.The ball hit the tip of his mitt and bounced by the fence.
Ford mentally shook himself and rushed to retrieve the ball. As he straightened, he caught sight of Violet, dark hair piled in a bun and camera hanging around her neck.
Funny how it took seeing her to feel the hole that’d opened in his chest. It’d bothered him since Saturday, this hollowness he couldn’t explain.
When he was training the puppies, he felt it, too. The lack of Violet by his side, giving him hell and making him smile.
The ump called everyone in to start the game. After a bit of friendly trash talk between him and Easton at the pitcher’s mound, a coin was flipped. His team—the Mighty Meerkats, as voted by the kids—would bat first.
During his pep talk, Ford’s gaze strayed to the bleachers. His eyes met Violet’s, and he gave her a small smile and nod.
As she returned the greeting, a warm slushy sensation filled the void in his chest.
Then she lifted her camera and snapped a picture.
Maybe my lifecouldbe fuller.
…
When Maisy had begged Violet to take cupcakes to the baseball field and deliver them toFord, she’d asked “Are you serious?”
“Would you rather mix and bake the next batch of cupcakes?”
“Yes,” Violet had said, earning a glare. Next thing she knew, her sister had shoved two giant boxes of cupcakes into her hands and practically shoved her out the door.
On the bright side, the game was a good opportunity to practice capturing candid emotional shots, so she lifted her camera andclick,click,clicked.
Kids with suckers.
Parents leaning in their seats, forward or to the side, in hopes it’d help their kiddos on the field run farther and faster.
Then there was the other subject she couldn’t get enough of: one super-sexy baseball coach who patted kids’ heads and dropped to their level to console, compliment, or fire them up.
The commands “retrieve” “sit” and “run” came from Ford’s mouth several times, in the exact same tone he used on Pyro and the TNT puppies. Violet sorta expected him to pull candy out of his pocket and toss them at the kids who’d done well.
It dawned on her that in Kid Land, cupcakes were the equivalent of doggie treats, and a grin spread across her face.
Same way it had at Ford’s simple smile and nod greeting earlier—so much for the firm front she’d planned on showing him.
“Excuse me,” a female voice said, and Violet turned. While most people in Uncertainty seemed vaguely familiar, she would’ve remembered this woman. She had long aquamarine hair, a septum piercing, and various tattoos. There was something about her that made Violet want to ask for tips on how to be cool. “Do you happen to take pictures professionally?”
Not a particularly difficult question, yet Violet simply blinked.
“I’ve been fixin’ to get family pictures retaken. My oldest was a baby last time we had them taken.” The woman pointed at the scrawny kid running in from the outfield. “He’s the one in a catcher’s mask. Dylan’s seven now, and I’ve had two more kids since.”
The woman indicated the three- or four-year-old at her side and then bounced the blond baby on her knee, who Violet estimated to be around eight months.
“Oh. Yeah. I take photos. Professionally.” Talking, on the other hand, was apparently not one of her specialties. Violet introduced herself and exchanged information with Shelby, thinking it’d be smart to book a few jobs here. Family sessions, and maybe eventually she’d be able to dip her toe back into engagement and wedding shoots.
The idea caused a mild twinge instead of completely wrenching her heart.
Violet excused herself and moved closer to the fence for some action shots.
“Good boy,” Ford said, high-fiving the kid who’d made a home run.
