Just a Little Hope (4 page)
Read Just a Little Hope Online
Authors: Amy J. Norris
Mondays were never good for Tori. Actually, the more she thought about it, mornings in general never seemed to work. Grabbing her car keys, she then hurried down the steps of her apartment building to her vehicle. Tori skidded to a halt. She'd forgotten the keys to Pax's apartment. She needed to check in on things at her friend's place and make sure her cats were okay.
Daddy always said I'd forget my head if it wasn't screwed on.
She climbed the steps back to her apartment, unlocked the door and found the keys among a growing pile of unopened mail on her dining room table. “I should probably go through this soon. Like before the next century.”
Once again she hurried back down to her car. She had just thrown her purse in the backseat when she heard the specialized ring tone of her cell phone announcing her mother was calling. She grabbed her purse and dug through the side pocket, searching for the errant device. “Hang on. I'm coming. I promise. A-ha!” She pulled the phone out and pressed the answer button. “Hey, Mom. What's going on?”
“Tori! You sound out of breath, sweetie.”
“Only because I've been up and down the stairs to my apartment about forty-seven times this morning.”
“Well, dear. I just wanted to let you know your father and I are going to visit your Aunt Caroline and Uncle Brian in Arkansas for the next few days or so. I didn't want you to worry if you called and we didn't answer.”
“Thanks for letting me know.” She pulled down the sun visor and slid open the mirror to give her hair a quick once over. Suddenly, an overwhelming sense of dread came over her. “How's Dad feeling? Headaches any better?”
“He doesn't complain, but you know your father. He wants to go on the trip, so hopefully he's not feeling too bad.”
Her mom's tone had a hint of worry in it. But maybe she was imagining things. Her dad had been pushing himself too hard. A trip like this would be just what they needed. Pushing up the visor, she looked for her sunglasses in the glove compartment. “Well, I know you'll have a great time. It's never a dull moment when all of you get together.”
“You're funny. I'll give you a call sometime later after we get settled in.”
After putting on her sunglasses, Tori put the key in the ignition and started the car. “Sounds great, Mom! Give Caroline and Brian a hug for me.”
“Will do, sweetheart. Love you!”
“Love you, too!” Noticing the clock on the dash display 7:45, Tori ended the call and dropped the phone in the cup holder on the console. “I'm going to be late if I don't get a move on.” Throwing the car in reverse, Tori then shifted into drive and peeled out of the parking lot.
She'd stowed her purse in the drawer upon her arrival at the office when her desk telephone rang.
Who in the world could be calling this early?
Mentally putting a smile on her face, she answered in as chipper tone.
“Good morning. LLS, this is Tori.”
“Tori? I thought it might be Jessica?”
She pulled the phone away from her face and stared at it before returning it to her ear. That voice seemed familiar. It couldn't be⦠In an instant she could feel her heart beat double-time.
“Tori? Are you there?”
“Um. Carter?”
“You got it in one. How are you doing this morning?”
Had she entered the Twilight Zone somewhere between leaving her apartment and arriving at work? She needed to keep herself calm but was finding it more difficult as her palms started to sweat.
Oh come on, it's just a phone call. A simple phone call. With a really nice looking man. Whose voice is making my insides melt. Breathe, girl.
“I'm fine. It's Monday, so there's always that hanging over my head all day.”
Her heart twitched when she heard a soft snort on the other end of the line.
“Yeah. Mondays do seem to last a good twenty-four hours.”
She picked up a pen and began doodling on her desk calendar. Anything to get rid of her nervousness. “Um. Carter, can I help you with something or did you just call to freak me out?”
His laughter eased her nervousness. “Why would you be freaked out?”
“I don't know. I guess I didn't expect to be hearing from you.”
Like ever.
“Well, I thought after the way things went the other day, I owed you at least a phone call.”
Tori sat back in shock. Still a bit confused over the purpose of his call, she decided to make him squirm. Just a little.
“It's okay. I forgive you for the cruel way you taunted me in front of my friends.”
“Well, yeah. I am sorry. Really I am. And I'd like to make it up to you, if you'll let me.”
Now this was an interesting turn of events. “Make it up to me? How would you go about doing that?”
“Well, what would you say to me taking you to dinner sometime?”
Tori held her hand over the receiver and took a deep breath. She dropped her hand and answered in a nonchalant fashion. “Dinner sounds nice. It's the least you could do after how you treated me.”
A soft chuckle graced her ears. “I guess so. I'm only in town for the next couple of days, and then we're back on the road for the next nine. Do you have some free time before then?”
Did she have time to go out with a ridiculously cute professional baseball player? Um. Yes. Did she want to make him work for the date? Yes again.
“I'll have to check my schedule and get back with you, okay? How about you give me a call back before the end of the business day, and I can let you know for sure then?”
A moment of silence met her ears before he responded. “Uh, sure. That sounds fine. Have a good day, and I'll call you later on.”
“You too, Carter. Thanks!”
She hung up the phone and put her head down on her desk for a second before lifting it up, a smile on her face. Monday appeared to be turning into a good day after all.
****
Carter hung up his cell and walked back into the kitchen of his apartment. Was Tori toying with him? Then again, maybe not. Perhaps he'd totally misread things at the hospital when they parted. He was pretty sure she was flattered by his beautiful eyes compliment.
Grabbing a bottle of water out of the fridge, he then entered his den. Carter plopped into his leather recliner. He switched the channel over to ESPN to view the highlights from the previous night's games, but his mind drifted to the conversation with Tori.
Her green eyes were like firecrackers when they flashed. Before long he glanced at the TV and realized he'd missed the highlights. He couldn't go ten seconds without thinking about her.
What did he know about women anyway? Everyone assumed because he was a major league baseball player he was in fact a “player” in every sense of the word. It couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, it was a rare event if he went on a date at all in high school and college. He was picky about the type of women he wanted to ask out. Carter's parents had raised him to not just date but to figure out if someone could be a potential mate. He was looking for someone who had a spiritual life as well. Most girls who flocked to pro baseball players were only looking for someone to get them some notoriety â and not much else.
Morning sunlight coming through the window glanced off some photos on his mantle. The flash of light drew Carter's eyes to the pictures. Climbing out of his recliner, he then moved toward the fireplace and smiled as he gazed at the faces of friends and family.
One photo in particular stood out, and he grabbed it. It was a snapshot one of his teammates had snapped in the early part of Spring Training. Staring back at him was a photo of Seb and him at their first introduction in the clubhouse. The two stood with arms around each other's shoulders, Carter's face awash with joy as Seb ruffled his hair. He remembered the moment like it just happened. Meeting his baseball hero and getting to learn from him had been the highlight of his year so far.
Only a few months prior to Carter's first meeting with his teammate at Spring Training, Seb had lost his ex-wife and two daughters in a car accident. Only his reliance on Pax and then eventually learning to rely on God helped him endure such a horrible tragedy. It was another reason Carter enjoyed having Seb for a mentor. Seb was not only a star athlete, but he also knew the importance Carter placed on his faith. It helped having Seb around for both baseball and spiritual matters.
His cell phone buzzed to life, and Carter quickly replaced the photo on the mantle before grabbing the phone off the end table. Seeing his Mom's face on the display, he grinned. He could predict why she was calling. She was like clockwork with her daily check-ins.
“Yes, Mom?”
“Carter? How are you, son?”
“I'm doing fine, Mom. How are you?”
“I'm good. How've you been feeling? Any trouble?”
“Everything's great. Really, Iâm doing okay.”
“Well, you know as your mother I am entitled to worry about you.”
Carter shook his head and sighed. “I know, Mom. And I love you for it even if you drive me crazy sometimes.”
His mother's laughter rang through the phone. “Well, I'm glad we can appreciate each other. How's things otherwise?”
“Good. Good. Just getting ready to head out of town again for a few days. Team's doing well, which helps.”
“Your father and I have enjoyed watching the games. He's quite proud, you know.”
Images flashed through Carter's mind of his dad giving him his first ball and glove and the smile on his dad's face when, Carter eventually being able, they played catch in the back yard.
“I know he is. Tell him he's not a bad guy to know either.”
“I will, son, I will. Oh, I need to tell you what Dani did the other day. Your sister, I promise she'll be the death of me. You would think a twenty-four-year-old would have more common sense, but I don't know.”
Carter sank down into his recliner, knowing this wouldn't be a short story. He answered at all the appropriate times to his mother's complaints about his wayward sister's antics but found his thoughts eventually drifting to a spunky redhead in pink high heels and his growing desire to see her again.
Every time Tori looked at the clock, it seemed only one minute had passed since her previous glance.
Would this day ever end?
Not that she was anxious to have Carter call back. She ran her hands through her curls. Who was she kidding? She was desperate to hear his voice again. There always seemed to be a hint of laughter in everything he said, like he'd never experienced sadness. She could appreciate that part of his personality.
Tori had to think hard to remember the last time she had felt actual despair over something before Pax's wreck the previous week. Maybe back in high school when a classmate had died during their senior year? But even then, she couldn't recall truly being soul wrought over something. Perhaps it could explain her attraction to Carter. Well, besides the obvious good looks. From the twinkle in his blue eyes, to an ever-present hint of a grin on his face, Carter Manning liked to have fun. Tori could empathize completely.
She took a sip of the tea from the glass beside her computer. Should she hazard a look at the clock again? Giving up before she even thought otherwise, her eyes brightened to see the display read 4:15.
“That's close enough to call it a day in my book.”
She stared at the phone, willing it to ring.
Nature called. She squirmed in her seat but forcibly put the thought out of her mind.
Five minutes passed, then ten, and the phone just continued to just sit there, mocking her. And her need to use the ladies room only grew.
“What was I thinking, drinking tea at a time like this?”
Frustrated, she waited one more minute and then darted from her desk to the restroom door at the corner of the lobby. As the door to the restroom closed behind her, the shrill ringing of her office phone greeted her ears.
“What? No way. Not now. Oh, well.”
She sighed in disbelief and ran back through the door towards her desk, tripping over the decorative rug spread out in the center of the lobby. Hoping to catch the phone before it switched over to voicemail, she slid around the desk and picked up the receiver. As she put the phone to her ear, she heard a gentle click and a dial tone.
“You have got to be kidding me.”
She pressed the message icon on the phone and at the prompt entered her password. Within seconds Carter's voice came across the line.
“Hey, Tori. It looks like I missed you. I thought the office was open until 5 p.m., but I could have that wrong. I don't have another number for you so I guess I'll just try and catch up with you once we get back in town.”
She collapsed into her office chair. She'd missed his call, and with it she'd missed the opportunity to have dinner with him for at least a week, if not more.
But the message continuedâ¦
“This may sound crazy, but you can text me if you want. My number is 314-555-7823. I have my phone with me all the time, well except when I'm on the field. It would be kind of weird to have it out there while I'm trying to catch fly balls⦔
She grinned at his rambling.
“Text me if you want. Maybe we can meet up before I leave for Colorado. See ya' laterâJessica.
She reclined back in her seat. Tori knew the grin on her face had to be at least a mile wide.
Tori picked up her cell phone and pushed the icon for contacts and entered his number. When she started to put “Carter” in the field for name, she hesitated then giggling deleted the characters. She typed in a new name. Oh yes, that worked much better.
Now to come up with something clever to text.
****
“Carter, you look like someone stole your puppy. What's wrong?”
Carter quickly stuffed his cell phone in his back pocket and glanced over to Pax being wheeled out of her temporary bedroom and into the den by Janet.
“Oh, nothing's wrong. Just trying to get in touch with someone. I got their voicemail. How are you feeling today?”
“I'm feeling a little more human each day. Mom's going to take a break and have dinner with her friends. I think Seb's going to order pizza. Interested in joining us?”
“I don't want to intrude. I didn't even think before showing up over here.”
Janet lined up Pax's wheelchair beside Carter's chair. Once she set the brakes, she kissed Pax on the head. “I don't think it's a bother. Pax is probably thrilled to have another face to look at besides mine for a while.”
Janet grabbed her purse from the coffee table and slung it over her shoulder. “I'll have my cell with me if something comes up.”
“Have a good time!” Pax waved as her mother left the room and then turned to face Carter.
“So, Seb said you've got a little crush on Tori.”
Her words felt like a fastball to the gut, and he reeled back in his seat. “What?”
“Carter. The first thing you need to know is there are no secrets between Seb and me.” Pax leaned back in her chair, “so spill.”
Still shocked by Pax's pronouncement, Carter swallowed before he formulated a response. “Well, I mentioned to him I thought I might ask her out sometime.”
“And did you?”
“Kind of. But I don't think she's interested.”
Pax reached over and placed her hand on his arm. “Carter, how did you kind of ask her out?”
Fidgeting with the hem of his T-shirt, Carter waited a few moments then raised his head to look her in the eye and told her of the brief conversation he'd shared with Tori that morning. “â¦So I waited until around 4:30, which I thought was close to the end of the day and called, but all I got was her voice mail. I guess if she was interested, she would've waited for my call.”
“Hmm. You guess so, huh?”
“Well, maybe. I think she was a little ticked off at what happened at the hospital andâ”
He stopped when the alert of a text message sounded from his cell phone. Pulling it from his back pocket, Carter couldn't help the smile that tugged at his cheeks when he saw Tori's name. He'd read her text later when he was alone. But the part of him that was so worried now relaxed. She'd contacted him. Whew.
“Good news I take it?”
Carter tugged his eyes from the screen to look at Pax. “Yeah. It's a text. From Tori. I'll read it later.”
Pax laughed and her face brightened. “Ah-ha! So maybe you don't have her as figured out as you thought?”
“Maybe so.”
Seb entered the room and leaned over to give Pax a kiss on the cheek. “What's got you so tickled, babe?”
Pax reached over to take Seb's hand. “Oh, just getting entertained by Carter here and his attempt to understand Tori.”
Seb shook his head and laughed. “You can give it the good college try, but I don't think anyone will truly ever understand that girl.”
Seb released the brakes on the wheelchair. “Come on, sweetie, let's grab some sunshine for a few minutes.” He motioned in Carter's direction. “You coming?”
“I'll be out in a moment. I need to answer this text.”
“Sure you do. You tell Tori we said hello.”
The heat coming over his face couldn't match the apparent joy Pax was finding in his situation. “Thanks. Get out of here, why don't cha'!”
Carter watched them until Seb situated Pax out on the deck. He marveled at the gentle way Seb cared for her. Those two were so crazy in love it was almost sickening. Almost. Carter tamped down a bit of jealousy as he watched them sit beside each other holding hands. Could he and Tori be like them one day?
Good grief. You haven't even had dinner yet.
He picked up his cell phone to read her message, chuckling to himself as he did.
“Leave it to you to time your call when you knew I would be away from my desk. You planned it that way, didn't you? I almost broke my neck trying to answer the phone. You about owed me not only dinner but a doctor bill to boot.”