Page 6 of Game On

She hugged her arms around herself, feeling underdressed as more guests poured into the great room. A few lined up at the bar while others admired the décor and table settings. She’d grown up in Last Stand and had known most of these women all her life, but that didn’t make her feel like any less of an outsider. Her father’s drinking had put a wall between her and everyone else. Despite the success of Windy Meadow Wildflowers, she knew her biggest claim to fame was being the daughter of the town drunk—the one to call when Jimmy Harper made a scene, caused a ruckus, or wouldn’t leave the bar at night. Keely had always been a one-woman cleanup crew. He might be sober now, but six months of relative peace didn’t erase a lifetime of bad choices.

Emma’s blue eyes were sympathetic as she linked an arm through Keely’s. “Then let me at least walk you out so we can talk longer without having to worry about Brittney descending on you and offering advice on how to snare a man.”

She appreciated the laugh even as she felt a pang of empathy for her hostess. In some ways, Nate’s stepmother was as much an outcast in Last Stand as Keely had always been. Seven years after her marriage to Clint Ramsey, Brittney was still viewed as a homewrecker. And maybe she was. But Clint sure never had to deal with being ostracized for trading in his first wife for a younger one. Something seemed wrong about that. Did Clint escape censure because he was a man? Or because he was a wealthy former pitcher?

Keely led them through the butler’s pantry and out the back entrance toward where her van was parked. Thankfully, she hadn’t seen Nate around the house while she’d been delivering her flowers. She wasn’t sure where he stayed when he came into town, but there had been a possibility that he would come here, to his father’s home. Nate had a complicated relationship with his dad—resenting him for pushing all of his sons into the baseball world, but admiring him for how far he’d gone in his career. Although that was oversimplifying things since Nate probably resented his father more for turning into a cliché by ditching Nate’s mom for Brittney. None of Clint’s sons had thought much of the second Mrs. Ramsey back when Keely was dating Nate. She remembered vividly the night that she’d helped Nate move out of this house, packing up all his things in his truck and taking them to the old farmhouse next door to his grandfather.

The grandfather who now thought she was farming on Ramsey land, apparently. She shook off the memories that had dogged her all day.

“So what’s the program tonight?” Keely asked to distract herself from all the thoughts of Nate. She might be able to duck the Daughters of Last Stand meeting tonight, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to escape her friend without at least a few minutes to talk.

And, if she was being honest, maybe Keely was the tiniest bit curious what Emma had heard about Nate’s trip home.

Emma dropped down to sit on the front fender of the old delivery truck, her purple tunic floating more slowly around her legs as she settled herself. The manicured lawns of the Ramsey mansion sprawled out in every direction from the horseshoe-shaped driveway. A fussy English garden and fountain on one side of the house was everything that Keely tried to steer clients away from when she advised them on their landscaping. It was so much easier on the environment when people planted things that were native to Texas. Things that thrived in the unrelenting summer sun. Even now, with sunset an hour away, the heat was oppressive.

“We’ll probably make some preparations for the harvest festival tonight,” Emma answered, glancing briefly at her phone screen before replacing it in her lap. “But I hope to start a discussion about helping local families who are struggling to keep their kids out of trouble.”

“What do you mean?” Keely opened the passenger side door of the vehicle, and waved her friend toward it. “And hop in for a minute. I had to leave it running because my battery is dying. We might as well get out of the heat.”

“Thanks.” Emma stepped up the running board and let herself inside while Keely slid behind the wheel on the other side of the wide cab. “There have been repeated bouts of vandalism at the school this summer. I think it’s the work of kids who don’t have enough to keep them occupied. It’s frustrating to see the school system lose more and more of its budget for the arts, music, and physical education. But as far as summer programs go, we have nothing. Nada. Zippo.”

“And you think Daughters of Last Stand can help?” Keely knew without question that school sports had helped her stay sane during her father’s backslide into alcohol. The friends she’d made in softball were the girls she remained in touch with now. Like Emma.

“Absolutely. The group is supposed to be about fund-raising and good works, even if Brittney wants to remake it into the Junior League.” Emma checked her phone screen again. “In fact, I’m waiting to hear from Coach Jansen to see if he heard back from Nate about maybe coordinating a baseball camp this summer.”

Keely’s thoughts snagged on Nate’s name, knowing she shouldn’t be curious about what her long-ago boyfriend was doing in town besides healing his hand. It had beenfive yearssince they’d called it quits, so his presence shouldn’t be even a little bit relevant. Maybe it was just because they hadn’t spoken in all that time until today. Or because he’d only broken the long silence to accuse her of making a land grab. But damn it, she was curious just the same.

“A baseball camp.” She repeated the words only because she wasn’t sure how else to respond. She needed to figure out a better way to deal with having his name mentioned in daily conversations.

For now, she focused on the gauges on her dashboard, willing her vehicle battery to last for another week or two until her sunflower crop came in. She had a buyer in San Antonio committed to taking everything she could deliver.

“Wouldn’t that be phenomenal? I guess Nate was supposed to get in touch with some people in the Houston Stars front office today to see if they’d be interested in backing it.” Emma sounded excited.

No doubt it would be good for her students and good for the town. For Keely? Her stomach knotted at the thought of having him become that kind of permanent fixture in Last Stand.

“But I’m sure he won’t stick around town for long,” she mused aloud, consoling herself with the thought. “As soon as he heals more, he’ll be back in Houston.”

Emma glanced her way, a speculative eyebrow arched. “I know. But having a big-name player start the camp would be a huge boost in getting it off the ground. Especially with Nate being a hometown hero and all.”

There was no denying that’s what he’d become. This year, he’d finally started living the dream he’d had since he was a kid.

“I’m just saying that a camp with his team’s affiliation would be a big undertaking.” She wondered why she hadn’t just nodded and changed the subject. “He’d have a tough time seeing it through to completion if he has to go back to Houston to resume traveling with the team in a couple of weeks.”

She suspected Nate would want to rejoin the team as fast as possible, even if he wasn’t playing. He’d always understood the value of good team chemistry.

“I know. But the Stars could send us another player after Nate leaves. With the resources they have, they could send a whole team of support staff, too. Trainers and equipment managers. Even physical therapists like Alexis.” Emma reached across the truck to give Keely’s forearm a squeeze. “How cool would that be to have your sister back in town?”

Keely’s stomach dropped. Her ears roared.

“I spent so long helping Alexis to get out of here so she could escape the taint of being a Harper.” She shook her head, not sure why Emma wouldn’t know that. “Why would I ever want her to come home and deal with my dad?”

Emma’s brow furrowed. She opened her mouth to speak and then shut it again, as if she thought better of what she’d been about to say. Then, slowly, she said, “I didn’t know you saw it that way. About being tainted, I mean.”

Keely’s shoulders stiffened, hearing the way her friend was tiptoeing around her. It made her self-conscious, even as she recognized the way she allowed her father’s drinking to color her own identity.

“I know not everyone feels that way about us,” she admitted, reaching for some of the lessons she’d learned through the Al-Anon programs that Alexis had insisted they attend. Keely had found them helpful, yes. But sometimes self-awareness could be a little daunting. “For now—until I’m sure my father is really and truly committed to sobriety—it just feels easier for Alexis to stay where she is. Safe from the drama.”

Emma nodded, but she looked unsure of herself, as if she didn’t want to rile her again. And while Keely regretted that, she couldn’t deny that was relieved when Emma left for the meeting, leaving Keely alone. Newly determined to make sure Nate had no reason to linger in town, she put the van into gear and pulled out onto Ash Street heading south. She needed to visit her wildflower fields and figure out what had Everett Ramsey all riled up about their property line.

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