Page 44 of Sweet Spot
“She won. Pay up,” Hank says to Bob as the two head for their cart.
“You can’t see that far.” Hank rolls his eyes and hops in next to Bob.
Lincoln and I exchange an amused smile and follow them. Even as the balls come into view, it’s impossible to tell whose is closer.
I’m about to ask how we’re going to determine the winner when Bob grabs a laser rangefinder from his bag.
“That thing won’t work, it’s too close. I’m going to walk it out,” Hank starts counting his steps from Lincoln’s ball to the tree while Bob continues pressing buttons on his rangefinder.
“That was the best drive I’ve seen from you yet,” Lincoln says as we stand back and await the results.
“Thanks. Yours was really good too. I saw it on some videos, but they didn’t do it justice. You have a great swing.”
“I’m rusty,” he says with a small chuckle. “I don’t get a chance to play much anymore.”
“Five steps on Lincoln’s,” Hank calls and moves to do the same for mine.
“I can’t imagine not playing.” I breathe in the smell and lift my head to the sky enjoying the way the late sun beats down on my face.
He’s quiet, and when I look over, he’s staring at me with a strange expression. Sometime this afternoon he’s developed a five o’clock shadow that I find myself wanting to reach out and touch, see if it feels and sounds the way I imagine as I lightly run my nails along his jaw.
“She won! Four and a half steps!” Hank exclaims, breaking the moment. He walks over to me with extra pep in his step and hugs me and bounces us around, shaking laughter out of me. Lincoln watches, looking happy and young, and I think I fall a little in love with him.
* * *
“Where are we going? I’m starving.” I sit in the passenger seat of Lincoln’s SUV. It’s nice; sparkling leather without a trace of dust, floors and compartments clean and tidy. He has one of those center console organizers where everything is put in its perfect place. It’s so very Lincoln.
We left my car at the country club and I’m collecting my winnings before I head back to Valley.
He turns into a subdivision where the lawns are green, and the houses get bigger with each one we pass. “Wherever you want, but I need to make a stop first.”
He slows in front of a beautiful tan-colored home with a large rose bush out front. It isn’t the type of place I expected him to live. “Is this your house?”
“No.” He laughs and pulls up behind a silver Mercedes. He puts it in park and sits back in the seat, making no move to turn it off. “Shit.”
“What?”
“Gram did it again.”
Knowing this is his grandmother’s house makes more sense. “Did what again?”
He rakes a hand through his hair and squeezes his eyes shut. Seeing Lincoln irritated at something that isn’t me is new and much better for appreciating how hot he looks when he’s grumpy.
“Is that her?” I point to the woman coming out the front of the house. She’s wearing a floral apron and looks an awful lot like Betty White with a head of big, white hair and bright pink lips.
Lincoln shuts the engine off and opens his door. “I’ll be right back.”
He embraces the woman, and they exchange words I can’t hear. She looks past him to me, and a big smile lifts her lips up even higher and then falls. She focuses back on Lincoln and there’s more back and forth.
Obviously, they’re talking about me, and even though he told me he would be right back, it’s completely rude of me to just sit here and not even say hello. Also, I kind of want to meet her.
I step out and walk a few steps toward them before either of them notices. Lincoln is telling her he’ll call later when his grandma stops paying attention to him and looks to me.
“Hello.” Her smile puts me at ease, and I close the remaining distance.
“Hi. I’m Keira.”
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