18. Cat

18

CAT

Being back on the field was a mixed bag. But being back on the field with Cleo felt like a dream.

By the time we were walking back to our cars, we were back to teasing each other like the old days. It was familiar but somehow entirely uncharted territory.

"All I'm saying is, I'm not the only one whose form is off. Those rec women are letting you get away with murder." I raised my hands in surrender.

Rolling their eyes, Cleo shoved my shoulder. "Yeah, right."

"Ow!" I hollered as I feigned pain.

"Grow up." They groaned as we approached the parking lot, the gravel crunching under our cleats.

A silence fell over us as we watched a couple walk into the field with their dog. New Winford was awake now, as stay-at-home parents brought their toddlers to play at the park and retirees strolled through town.

Our cars, parallel but a few feet away, forced us to stop walking forward. Instead, we stood in an awkward standoff, unsure who would decide to turn back to theirs first.

But I cleared my throat as Cleo rocked on their heels. "Sorry again that I was late. I appreciate you coming out to help me."

They nodded. "Yeah, happy to help. Your pitch was getting cleaner by the end there." Their hair was slicked back from sweat. Looking at their face, I felt my throat tighten. They'd grown more beautiful since our twenties, light wrinkles freckling their skin.

"That was all you." I rubbed the back of my neck, my equipment bag rustling as I moved. I still wasn't sure what exactly had worked about their methods. It may have just been stripping back to basics.

But a part of me knew that it was just having Cleo there.

Cleo shrugged. "Probably. See you next time?" Without waiting for my answer, Cleo turned around and headed toward their Corolla, unlocking the car as they moved.

Watching them for a moment, I felt my stomach flip. I hated watching them walk away. I'd let them do it one too many times.

"Cle," The nickname was out of my mouth before I could stop it.

It stopped them in their tracks, looking over their shoulder. "Yes, Catherine?"

"I forgot that I was so good back then because I was trying to impress you."

My heart pounded harder every millisecond that they didn't answer. I wasn't sure why I'd said it – other than the fact that it was probably true. But a part of me needed them to know that it wasn't just the coaching; it was their presence too. That even now, after all of these years, I still wanted them to be amazed by me.

Chuckling, Cleo opened their car door. "Well, I guess you don't want to show off anymore." They winked at me as they hopped inside the small sedan, and turned on the ignition.

Frozen in place, I couldn't bring myself to turn toward my Benz. Instead, I watched them pull out of the parking lot and into the street. While watching the road, they waved goodbye and disappeared from view.

I wasn't sure what was getting into me. Other than a lowkey obsession with seeing what they'd been up to. I'd never questioned whether or not our breakup was the right call. But spending time with them, like this, like we had when we first fell for each other…

I shook my head. I knew what I was here for. I needed to get back to my team, to my career.

And Cleo was a means to that end. I wouldn't let them be anything more.

"Everyone out!" Daniel hollered as he parked the car.

The sliding of the minivan doors pulled me out of my trance. I hadn't stopped thinking about Cleo since I left the field that day. And I was hoping this outing would help me take my mind off of them for a couple hours.

Lily and Jacob tumbled out onto the asphalt parking lot, Meredith hopping out after them from the passenger's seat.

I stepped out into the bright afternoon sun and bustling noise of the New Winford Farmer's Market. At the edge of the festivities, the parking lot was relatively quiet compared to the chaos that awaited us on Main Street.

Daniel gave my pack a bat as he locked the car with his key fob and walked ahead to hold his daughter's hand. He'd been desperately trying to pull information out of me since Cleo and I practiced together. But I hadn't relented.

After all, I wasn't exactly sure what there was to tell. We had a decent time. I had a lot of work to do. And I was obviously still attracted to them despite how terrible our last few months together had been.

As I walked on Main Street, a flood of pedestrians and shoppers pushed against me as they made their way back to the parking lot. Once I broke through the bottleneck, the market opened up to the wider street where dozens of vendors stood under a rainbow of tent colors.

Lily and Jacob had already stopped in front of the goat cheese stand where the farmer had brought two of his calmest goats to entertain the kids.

It was wildly overwhelming and a welcome reminder that New Winford was still the quaint small town I remembered from being a kid. Even if the farmer's market was more crowded now.

As I moved down the street, peeking into each stand, I tried to find something worth stopping for. But I wasn't doing much cooking these days and I didn't really have anywhere to put any trinkets that looked cool.

Eventually, I stopped in front of a bakery tent. The display case, conveniently on wheels, was full of fresh loaves of bread, pastries, and sweet treats. Eyeing the tightly wrapped brownies, I smiled at the woman manning the tent.

"How are you, sweetie?" She asked, a gentle smile returning mine.

I nodded. "Good, thanks. These look amazing."

Waving me off, she shrugged. "Fresh-baked this morning. Let me know if you need help finding anything."

"I'm going to have to come back for sure. This is all amazing." I shook my head as I took one last look at each item before turning back to the street and marching along.

A cool breeze passed down the center of the street where the crowd parted slightly. Fall was starting to take hold, the leaves sounding more crisp by the day. For a moment, I slowed my pace and lifted my face toward the sun.

Just be here. I took in a breath, trying to feel the warmth on my face. It wouldn't last forever. Soon it would be too cold to really take it in.

I shook my head. That's a later problem. One more time .

Closing my eyes, I let the fresh air fill my lungs. The sound of giggling kids and market bartering filled my ears. But underneath all of that was the rustle of tree branches brushing together.

My cheeks warmed as the sun kissed them lightly and a hint of apple cider donuts hit my nose. Just as my shoulders began to drop, a familiar voice whispered into my ears. "How does that feel?"

A smile crept onto my face.