Rookie Mistake: A Sports Romance Novel (The Beasts of Baseball Book 1) (79 page)

We walked back into the house to find the girls in the kitchen, and Clark’s dad and the kids asleep on the couch watching a Disney movie.

“Your dad would shit bricks if he knew we saw him passed out to a Disney movie.” I glanced over at Clark and laughed.

“Right? Take a picture and let’s tease him later?” Clark pulled out his phone and snapped a few pictures of the old man.

“What are you boys doing in there? Clark… leave your daddy alone.” Mrs. Beeler’s voice hadn’t changed much over the years.

“Yeah, Clark. Leave your dad alone.” I walked into the kitchen as he pushed me from behind. We were almost in our forties, but you couldn’t tell it being around the two of us together.

“There you are.” Alisa moved up to stand in front of me, pulling me into a hug and giving me a quick kiss on the lips. “I was starting to worry about whether these two hit you over the head with something and buried you in the back yard.”

I laughed and turned to Clark as he introduced his wife. “Cat, meet my best friend, Zek. Zek, this is Cathy.”

I shook her hand and smiled. “Nice to meet you. We should have Mrs. Beeler start a prayer chain for you. Being married to someone like Clark has to be quite difficult.”

She laughed and pulled Clark into a hug. “He’s a bit rough around the edges at times, but he’s all mine.”

“Yeah, so roll that up and put it in your pipe, Kellington.” Clark wagged his eyebrows before yelping as his mother popped him with something.

Mrs. Beeler smiled and twisted a hand towel around her fist. “Get out of the kitchen and act your age. Wake your father up too. He’ll not sleep tonight if you don’t.”

I followed Alisa out the front door and took the seat on the swing next to her as a smile lifted my lips. “I love this. We need a big old place like this out here in the hills.”

“It’s a lot like your place in the woods. Maybe we should sell your big house and just move up to the cabin. You can work remotely, and I can too. We’ll just come into the city for two to three days a week together.” She shrugged, and I pulled her in closer.

“And stay in an apartment or what?” I pressed a kiss to her cheek.

“Yeah. We can get something that’s not too bad downtown.” She turned and touched the side of my face. “Or we can keep your place and the cabin, and just move back and forth between them whenever we want to.”

“I like the idea of that better. I love my house. There are lots of memories there and we’re going to make new ones.” I leaned in for a long kiss.

Someone hit the window beside us hard, and damn if I didn’t jump like I did when we were kids.

Alisa got up and walked to the door, yanked it open and yelled at her brother before walking in to get him.

I sat on the swing and reveled in how good it felt to just sit in the middle of my past and my future. Pretty soon, Alisa and I would be married, and then it would be time to start thinking about kids. I wanted at least four, but something told me that she wouldn’t be too thrilled about that.

Mrs. Beeler poked her head out of the front door and smiled at me. “Dinner is ready. I made those biscuits you used to use up all my honey on when you were a kid.”

“Oh yeah?” I got up and walked toward her. “That has to be one of my fondest memories. I’d brag to my mother about those biscuits all the time. She tried to make them once, and I think Clark and I used them as skipping stones on that lake behind our house.”

Clark laughed as he walked into the kitchen. “You talking about your mom’s biscuits? Horribly nasty things.”

“Clark Beeler. Watch how you talk about someone’s mother’s cooking.” Mrs. Beeler rolled her eyes and gave me an apologetic look.

“It’s all good. He’s right. They were horrid.” I moved into the kitchen to help carry one of the many dishes back to the table. “This is a lot of food. What are we celebrating today?”

“You finally manning up enough to ask my girl to marry you.” Mr. Beeler popped me in the back and took his seat at the head of the table.

“Honey. Really?” Mrs. Beeler sat down beside him, and I moved in to sit between Clark and Alisa.

“He’s right, you know. We all figured it was going to happen, we were just waiting for the day.” Clark picked up a piece of ham and ate it while his mother chastised him.

“I’m glad you decided I was the one.” Alisa glanced over at me and reached for my hand.

“I’m just glad you accepted me after all these years of me being a damn fool.” I lifted her fingers to my mouth and kissed them.

“Get your glass and let’s give a toast.” Mr. Beeler lifted his tea glass in the air and smiled down at all of us. “To the beautiful women who make our lives what they are. May they never wake up from their haze or we’ll all be in trouble.”

The women groaned, but the rest of us lifted up our agreement with the old man’s sentiments. I might have taken the long way around to get to the life I’d always dreamed of, but sitting at that table with all those people surrounding me left me assured that I’d made it.

Alisa Beeler was mine and I wasn’t trading that treasure for nothing.

Certainly not for success.

CHAPTER 10

e

Alisa

Six months later…

“A
re you nervous, butterfly?” My father glanced down at me as we stood in the small Sunday school room at the church. My only bridesmaid was Lizzy, and even though Zek had a few guys he’d wanted up front, he’d finally relented and just let his brother stand beside him on our special day.

“Not at all. I’ve wanted this for as long as I can remember?” I turned to face my dad and slide my arms around his portly waist. “Were you scared the day you and mom got married?”

“Hell, yes. Her daddy had a shotgun pointed at me the whole time. Back in the old—”

My mother cut him off. “Oh, brother. Don’t listen to this madness.”

She tugged me away from him and brushed her hands down my shoulders. “I love you so much. I’m proud of the woman you’ve become, and I’m proud of the man who’s standing at the front of the church waiting for you. I’m going to head in there now, but promise me one thing.”

“Sure, Mom.” Tears blurred my vision.

“You don’t listen to a damn thing your daddy says once I leave.” Her smile was wide and laughter a treasured staple from my childhood.

“Never. I know him too well.” I moved into her embrace and pressed my cheek to her shoulder.

“I’m right here. I can hear you both.” My dad threw his hands in the air, and we all shared a good laugh before my mom walked out.

Lizzy poked her head into the room and wagged her eyebrows at me. “You ready? We have three minutes left. You still have time.”

“Are you saying I should run?” I smoothed my hands over the front of my gown as I watched her.

“Yes. Absolutely. I’m married to the older one and they’re a lot alike. It’s not going to get any better. You hear me?” She winked.

My father moved up beside me and cleared his throat. “Hogwash. We’re like aged wine. We get better over time.”

Lizzy huffed. “More like you guys are an acquired taste.”

I couldn’t help but reflect back on how close Lizzy and I had become. She was like the sister I wanted as a child and needed as an adult. We’d worked closely to bring Dellup and Brown to stand trial for their indiscretions. It would seem Ronnie Dellup wasn’t the only one throwing cases. His partner Jason Brown was involved in more counts of collusion and fraud than I could stomach to think about.

Jon Mills was no longer in business either, and though it was horrible to say, having both of the legal giants out of the way simply cleared the path for me and Lizzy to open our firm. We had cleaned up with both of Mills and Dellup’s clientele, and everyone was better for it.

I pulled from my thoughts as my wedding coordinator yanked the door open behind Lizzy, almost causing her to stumble as she leaned against it.

“It’s time. Make sure you listen to my commands and follow my cues. We want everything perfect for the pictures.” The woman gave me a stern look like I was a wild-ass teenager. Truth be told, I still was deep inside of me.

Zek had forced me to get a coordinator and all the bells and whistles for the event, and though I hadn’t denied him anything, he would be paying for the angst this woman had caused me over the last four months.

“Will do, Sergeant Madam Sergeant.” My father saluted her and turned to me, blocking my view of everything else. “You ready, baby girl? Today’s the day.”

“I’ve done this before, Dad.” I smirked and rolled my eyes playfully.

“Yeah, but not like this. The first time was because you were lonely. This time is because you’re in love. It’s different.” He squeezed my shoulders and placed a kiss on my cheek. “This old boy at the front of the church is getting far more than he’s giving.”

“Daddy.” I popped my father in the chest and moved to walk down the hall with him. His arm was trembling slightly, and it melted my insides to know that no matter how old I got, my father was still going to treasure me and want to protect me.

I watched Lizzy walk down the aisle, and the way Mark’s eyes lit up left my heart fluttering in my chest. After all their years of being together, they still reacted when the other walked into the room. I had no doubt that Zek and I would have a very similar story.

The wedding march started and everyone stood up in the small church my parents had raised us in. It seemed the whole city was trying to squeeze into the building, but I didn’t care. My focus shifted and the only thing I could see was my man, standing at the edge of the crowd with a loving look on his face.

“I’m nervous. Hold on tight, Dad.” I glanced up at my father as a tear dripped down my cheek.

“Me too. Don’t let me trip and eat it in front of all of these people.” He smiled as I laughed softly.

The walk to the front of the church took forever, but then again every memory I’d had concerning Zek Kellington brushed by my vision, each more endearing than the last. After having loved the same man for over twenty years, I was ready to be his fully. We had a future to create together, and having been through all we’d walked through over the last few years, I had no doubt that we’d not only make it, but thrive in the midst of it all.

“Who gives this bride away today?” The minister moved up to stand in front of me and my father.

“Her Ma and me.” My father’s voice couldn’t have been dramatically more country if he tried. A subtle chuckle resounded around the room behind us, and I smiled so hard that it hurt my face.

I kissed his cheek and moved toward Zek as he took his place beside me.

“You look like an angel.” He leaned down and kissed the side of my ear, whispering softly. “But I know what’s under that dress.”

“Alright. That part comes later.” The minister responded loudly, embarrassing me and Zek right along with me.

“Behave.” I popped his chest as everyone laughed again.

“Me? Never.”

*

The ceremony was beautiful, but went entirely too fast. I found myself giving out hugs to people I’d never met and pretending to remember names and faces I hadn’t the slightest clue about. Zek and I had started the night by each other’s side, but with so many groups of people at the reception to interact with, we’d split up to make our rounds.

I stopped by the cake table and turned to find him standing with a group of guys, his eyes solely on me. A smile lifted my lips and I motioned for him to join me.

He didn’t hesitate for a second before leaving them and walking toward me like a panther stalking its prey. The sexy look on his face let me know he was ready to leave and find a private place to explore each other.

The man was sin with a sugary coating, and though I’d had him a million times over the last few years, I wanted more. Lots more.

“You look like you could use some attention.” He touched the side of my face and moved down to brush a kiss over my lips. “You ready to get out of here?”

“Soon. I was just admiring how good you look in this suit.” I ran my hands down the lapels of his jacket and tugged him closer. “It’s making me hot.”

“No, baby. You were already hot.” He wrapped his arms around me and kissed me a few more times. “What part of that bucket list are we starting on next? We’re now locked together forever. You want to start practicing our baby-making techniques tonight?”

I laughed and shook my head at him. “Always, but honestly, I’m thinking I want to jump from a plane, or maybe swim with sharks.”

He rolled his eyes and took my hand as we walked out to the dance floor. “How did I know you would find some rebellious way to destroy the calm we just settled into?”

I moved into his arms as the music started and everyone crowded around the edge of the floor to watch us.

“Because, I’m still the girl you remember. I’m just in this grown up body with responsibility and stress now.” I pressed myself to his front. “Let’s find her again together. I like her.”

“Mmmm… me too. She likes to swim naked and tease me until I can’t catch my breath.” He nipped at my lips as cameras flashed all around us.

“Don’t ever let me go. Promise.” I stopped us from moving and lifted to my toes as Zek’s arms tightened around me. He lifted me off my feet and kissed me hard, neither of us caring who was around.

“Never. You’re stuck, baby.”

“You are too.”

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