28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Jesse

"Okay, I think that's it." I stood and shoved the screwdriver I'd been using in my pocket. "Do you think we'll have to teach her to use it since it's been a while?"

I reached down and hit the flap on the doggie door, making it swing.

"No, we'll just show her where it is, and she'll figure it out." Andy leaned over and kissed my cheek. "Thank you for doing that, Daddy. She's been a good girl, but she likes being able to go in and out whenever she wants."

He turned to watch her out in the yard, and I stepped up behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist.

"Since you're staying here, it's her home, too, and this will make it easier on the days you're on shift, and I have to work at the club. I don't like leaving her outside, but it doesn't seem fair to leave her cooped up inside, either."

He relaxed back against me. "It wasn't like she was actually stuck inside the whole time. Gigi came over and let her out."

He wasn't wrong. My grandmother loved Andy, and she adored Seph, so she never minded coming over and letting her play outside for a bit.

"While you were playing sexy handyman with all your power tools and shit, I was looking at cabins at Lake Bishop. It wasn't easy, so you know. You're very distracting when you're all look at my muscles doing all this manly shit and stuff ."

"Well, I'll have to keep that in mind. Maybe I'll wear my tool belt to bed for you one of these days."

"You've got the only tool I need." He waggled his eyebrows, and I cracked up.

"You're a mess. Now tell me about the cabins you found. I'm guessing most of them are available this late in the year."

"A lot of them are, but apparently, it's trout season"—he rolled his eyes—"so not as many as you might think." We'd had a pretty good time at the lake, but fishing hadn't been my boy's thing at all.

"Yeah, they actually stock the lake with the trout. So did you find any that were pet-friendly?" Once we decided we did want to take a quick trip to the lake for a few days, Andy was insistent that Seph go with us.

"There were a few that took pets, but then I found this… take a look." He motioned to the patio table on the porch where he'd been vacation planning while I installed the two doggie doors. We walked over there, and he turned the laptop around so I could see what he'd been looking at.

It was a huge A-frame-style cabin with a windowed front that overlooked the lake.

"See, it even has a boat dock." He clicked on that listing, and sure enough, a boat dock jutted out over the lake.

"That's great, but we don't really need a boat dock to put in our kayaks," I said.

"No, but we could buy a boat if you wanted one."

"We could, but where would we put it?" It was enough of a hassle to haul my kayak back and forth. I wasn't really sure I wanted to deal with a boat trailer.

"We would just leave it there. People do that, right? Leave their boats at the lake?"

"I'm pretty sure the homeowner wouldn't want us leaving our boat there, but there might be a storage place if you really want one."

"The homeowner?" His brows crinkled as he looked at me like I was insane for a second, but then his eyes widened, and a smile spread across his face. "Oh, I see what the issue is. This isn't a rental, Daddy. This cabin is for sale. I thought since it isn't too far away, and you and Vic both like to fish"—he made a face—"that it would make sense for us to just buy a cabin. What do you think? I like this one because of the lake view, but we can keep looking if you don't like it."

I sat down and clicked through the pictures. I'd often thought about buying a lake-front cabin, but it had always seemed like a waste of money since I could just as easily sleep in a tent. But it wasn't just me anymore. The cabin had plenty of space for guests, not to mention it had a massive downstairs bedroom with a gorgeous ensuite bathroom.

"And look at this." He took back over the computer and clicked through pictures of a beautiful backyard with a large deck until he stopped on a gazebo with a bar and a hot tub. "Wouldn't that be amazing?"

"It's a beautiful place," I agreed.

"I think it would be a good investment, don't you? I could leave my money sitting there, or I could use it for something we would enjoy, but it wouldn't be throwing it away because if we don't use it, we can always just sell it. What do you think?"

"I think that's a smart way to look at it, and I think it just goes to show that you don't need anyone to tell you how to handle your money."

He grinned at me and leaned over for a kiss. "Maybe, or maybe not, but it makes me feel safer knowing I can run it by you, and if it's a bad plan, I know you'll tell me."

"You know I will."

"Okay, so how about if we drive up tomorrow and take a look at it?"

"I think that's a great idea, but today, you have a softball game to play."

"I do, and Keith is really excited. Did I tell you that they're going to give some of the money we raise to help Cody get his record store back on track?"

"Really?" I wasn't actually surprised at all. I'd been around these firefighters enough to know that they all considered themselves to be family.

"Yeah, and Cody has no idea. He isn't even playing in the game because he's on an out-of-town trip to buy stock from some guy in Denver. He'll be totally surprised."

"Well, hopefully, they'll catch this guy soon, and Cody will be the last person who loses something because of him."

"I hope so, too. The Vesper police department have volunteered to provide security for the game today, so we should be good today, but I can't help but wonder when he'll strike next."

He took in a deep breath and shook his head as he let it out. "But anyway, enough about that. I don't want to give that psycho any more space in my head. Let's look for furniture for the cabin instead."

"As you can tell by my old couch, I'm not picky about furniture, so I'll leave that up to you, baby boy."

"Does that mean I can pick a new one for this house, too? Cause seriously, Jesse, it's bad."

"Anything you want is fine with me." And it was. He could decorate the house in bright purple crushed velvet for all I cared. All I wanted was him here with me, and I was happy.

Andy

The crisp fall weather was perfect for a softball game, and the field buzzed with energy. The turnout had been even more than we'd anticipated. The stands were full, and there were other people spread out on picnic blankets, while kids ran around playing. Keith had made arrangements for multiple food trucks to be here, and the mouth-watering smell of burgers and BBQ drifted through the air. The community had shown up for this, and it felt like more than just a game.

We'd arrived early to make sure everyone had a place to sit, which was a good thing considering how many people were there. Jesse and Vic were sitting up in the stands with Del, Caleb, and Mika, as well as pretty much all of Jesse's family.

I waved at them up there, and Carter waved back enthusiastically. Seeing them all up there in the stands together warmed my heart. I'd been so alone and lost for those first couple of years after my parents died, and having all these people show up to cheer me on felt good.

Firefighters from different stations around town mingled on the field, laughing, teasing, and enjoying the break from our usual grind. I felt sorry for the crews that had to work today and were missing all the fun. And we were having fun, especially since our team was winning.

I adjusted my cap, squinting against the sunlight as I focused on the batter from Station 22. He had a determined look on his face, but he already had two strikes, and I had a good feeling about this pitch.

"Come on, Andy! You got this. Strike him out." I heard a familiar voice shout from the stands, and I glanced over to see Jesse smiling at me.

I set my stance, winding up for the pitch. I threw it, and the batter swung—a complete miss. The cheer from my team was immediate and loud, and I couldn't help but chuckle as the batter shook his head, playing up his frustration.

"Nice one, Probie!" Kevin called from the outfield.

The next batter was from Station 19, and apparently, she played in a rec league, so everyone expected her to be good. She grinned at me, twirling her bat like she was a pro.

"Alright, Andy, give me your best shot!" she yelled.

I wound up and threw the pitch. She swung hard. The bat hit the ball with a loud crack, but it went high instead of far. It arced toward the centerfield, and Jeremiah dove for it. We all held our breath until he held up the glove with the ball in it. The batter groaned, throwing her hands up in mock defeat.

On the way to the dugout, I jogged over to the fence. Jesse had come down out of the stands and was waiting there for me. He handed me a cold bottle of water, like we didn't have full coolers with drinks over in the dugout.

"You're killing it out there. Who knew you had a hidden talent for softball?"

"Oh, didn't I mention that I played baseball in high school?" I laughed and took a long drink. "Gotta get back to it."

I was an excellent pitcher but just an okay batter, but I still managed to get on first base with my first swing. Terrance hit one far into the outfield and that allowed us to score two runs that inning.

As we headed into the final inning, our team was still in the lead. They were up to bat first, so if we could keep them from scoring, we would win the game. We got two outs quickly, so it all came done to this one throw. If I could get him out, the game would be over.

I threw the pitch with everything I had, and he connected solidly. The ball flew toward third base, but the chief was ready for it. In a smooth play, he caught the ball, and just like that, we won the game.

My teammates rushed the field, cheering and high-fiving each other. We took a minute to thank the other team for a good game before heading back to our dugout to collect our stuff.

"Good job, Andy." Keith clapped me on the back.

"It was a team effort for sure. Ronda was amazing, and Terrance was a powerhouse. We were lucky to get paired with his station for sure.

"True, but still, you weren't kidding when you said you could play ball."

I shrugged. "It's been years since I played. I'd forgot how much I missed it, but I may sign up for a rec league next spring."

"You should do that. Now, let's go get our men and find ourselves some food."

We found Caleb, Mika, Jesse, and Victor standing off to the side talking with Kevin's husband, Jamar, the Chief's son Steven, and another man I didn't know.

"Hey, Andy!" Mika yelled when he saw me walking up. "Awesome game."

"Thanks, Mika."

"It really was," Jesse said. "It was fun to watch."

I stepped up beside him, and he wrapped his arm around me and kissed me on the side of my head. "Did you guys eat?"

"Vic, Caleb, and I waited for y'all. Molly and Dylan took the kids on over to get food. They said they would see us over there, and I don't know about anyone else."

"How about y'all?" I asked Jamar, Steven, and his friend or boyfriend, maybe? I wasn't sure.

"I'm waiting on Kevin. He's still on the field," Jamar said.

"Yeah," Steven said. "He's with my dad. Mars and I are waiting on him, but y'all know how he is. He'll be forever."

I took in the man with Steven. They weren't giving off couple-vibes, so maybe just friends then. He was on the shorter side and was wearing a pair of cropped pants, a white t-shirt, and a crocheted multi-color vest. I wondered if I could learn to make a vest like that.

"Mika was right," Mars said, grinning at me. "It was an awesome game."

"Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Are you from Vesper?"

"No, I grew up in Bison Bend. It's a small town about an hour from here, but I've lived here in Vesper for years."

"Well, it's nice to meet you," I said.

"I give up," Steven said. "I'll starve to death before he's finished talking. Let's go get something to eat. They'll come find us when they're done."

"I'll shoot Kev a text and see if he knows what he wants to eat."

Together, as a group, we all headed over to the area where the food trucks were parked.

"So you know what you want?" Jesse asked.

"Not really, do you?"

"How about burgers? I saw someone walk by with the fries, and they looked delicious."

"That sounds good to me. How about you, Vic?"

"You know, I think I'll get going. The club will be opening in a few, but it was a good game, Andy. You did good. I was already in college by the time you were playing ball, so I didn't get to go to any of your games. I had fun watching you kick ass out there." He pulled me into a hug. "I'm proud of you, kid."

"Thanks, Vic."

Jesse reached down and took my hand. "Come on, slugger, let's go get you something to eat."

We walked over and stood in line, and I let out a contented sigh. I had my brother, I had my Daddy, and I had my family, even if they weren't the ones I was born with. What else could I possibly want?