Page 20 of Wes
My brows raise into my hairline. Did this woman just curse in front of all these families?
“Sit down and watch the game!”
“Watch your mouth!”
The crowd yells at her and her cheeks darken. Looking around, I note the exasperated looks on their faces.
“That’s the coach’s ex-wife,” Mom tells me.
Bridgette.
I find Wes by the bench, kneeling at Reece’s side. Reece’s head hangs, and whatever Wes says makes Reece answer with a short nod. I remember Jeremy’s words and sigh.
My baseball knowledge isn’t the strongest, but Reece, Jeremy, Kenny, and two other boys I don’t know are easily the strongest players from what I can tell. All of them work together as a team and listen to instructions from Wes and another man I assume is their assistant coach.
The game continues much the same. In the end, our boys win and huddle together in celebration after shaking hands with the other team. Wes beams with pride, clasping each player on the shoulder, endearing me to him even more.
Bridgette finally calmed down but spent most of the game yammering about how unfairly her boy was being treated. The poor kid doesn’t need his mom adding to however he’s feeling.
Mom, Dad, and I work our way closer as the boys escape in varying directions. Jeremy finds us, and we share in his excitement. Past him, I watch Wes strolling toward us. My heart races, and all the noise fades.
He stops suddenly, and I see Bridgette has latched onto his arm. His eyes darken, and his lips pull into a thin line as they exchange a few words. I wish I could make out what they are saying. The need to stand by him hits me in the chest. I realize then the time for walking away from whatever is growing between us has long past.
“Natalia?” Mom asks, and I force myself to look away from Wes. “Is everything okay?”
“I’m not sure,” I mutter and take long strides toward Wes.
He turns from Bridgette. His eyes soften and his lips tip up. Something about this man is so different than the others. An invisible string is pulling me to him, and I’m done fighting it.
