Page 12 of Quintessentially

“I’ll take a Western omelet.”

“Hash browns or fruit bowl?”

“Both.”

With a nod and a smile she is gone. A quick look at my phone tells me that it is on the right time. It is me and my old watch that aren’t.

ChapterFive

Kandace

“What are you doing here?” Justin asks as he climbs up the aluminum stands to where Chloe and I are sitting.

I look at my friend. She grins and I turn back to my brother. “Getting ready to watch the final game of the season. I’d say to watch you guys beat Trevor, but we know that’s unlikely.” When my brother doesn’t grin, I add, “I think what we’re doing is obvious.”

His blue eyes, darker than mine, scan all around us. “Where’s Molly?”

“She’s at the farm with Mom. The game won’t be over until after her bedtime. She has school.”

He lets out a sigh.

The bleachers ring with the sound of footsteps on the aluminum.

My brother looks from side to side as his volume lowers. “You should know, he’s going to be here.”

Even though I know the answer, I do as I did this morning and play dumb. “He?”

“Richards. Ricky asked him to play tonight.”

My circulation races with memories of summer baseball games, watching all the guys, including Dax, play. He was always the best, much to my brother’s chagrin. I heard that he’d stopped at the diner, but I had no idea he’d be at the game tonight.

“We can go,” Chloe whispers.

“No.” I sit taller. “I don’t care where he is. I just want him to sign the papers and leave town.” My gaze meets my brother’s. “I’m not hiding from him.”

“Didn’t he meet with Murphy today?” Justin asks.

I shrug. “I don’t know what he’s done or doing. Mr. Murphy said he’d call when he had more information.”

My brother’s voice is a low growl. “Stay away from him, Kandi. I swear I’ll kick his ass.”

“You could try.”

Why am I sticking up for Dax?

“He’s gotten soft,” Justin says as he puffs out his chest. “I fucking work for a living.”

My brother is good looking, in the way a sister sees her brother. Since graduating from Purdue, he’s taken over most of the business of our parents’ farm. Dad is still present and relinquishing control a little at a time. With over 1500 acres the two of them work side by side with the hands they hire.

Justin continues, “Stay away from him. And keep Molly away from him. He doesn’t belong here.” With that, Justin turns and steps down the bleachers, two seats at a time.

Chloe lays her hand on my arm. “Let’s go. I didn’t know he would be here. We could get a drink at Bob’s or head to the Tastee Freeze for ice cream. I don’t care. I think Dax Richards’s return warrants one or the other, booze or ice cream. I’ll let you decide.”

As we talk, the stands fill with friends, siblings, spouses, and children all ready to cheer on our hometown team. The familiar greetings and smiles remind me of what Joyce told me this morning.

This is my town.

I shake my head. “No. I’m not letting him push me away from this ballgame. If Dax is as soft as Justin says, that visual will sustain me for the future.”

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