Chapter 27

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Cole

“Yes, I’m starving.” Adriana says.

“Are you excited about the gala?” I ask her.

“I am. It’s going to be such an amazing event. How about the team? Are they ready to put on those big smiles to open up some pockets?” She laughs out.

“Funny. Yeah, the guys like the theme you and Heather picked.”

“I mean, I obviously do too. It’ll be fun to dress up but not be stuffy.”

“I think most of the team is going for a Peaky Blinders look. So I agree. Do you have your outfit yet?” he asks me.

“That’s going to be a sight. Not yet. Heather and I are going shopping on Thursday, since Ty said the team had plans.”

“Yeah, I’m having the guys over after the game to see the house. We also just got a new guy traded to the team since Dean’s out for about half of the season that’s left at the very least.”

“Oh, who got traded?”

“Rick Jones.” I tell her.

“Rick, the pitcher?”

“Yeah, it sucks. He was a great guy.”

“Who did the team get?”

“Dylan Crawford.” I say.

“Is that the guy who’s making the news?”

“That would be him.”

“Yikes. How do you feel about that?” she asks.

“I’m not sure yet. I haven’t heard a lot of good about him as a person. As a player, he’s one of the best. That’s why the team brought him on. I just hope that his antics don’t mess with the team’s bond.”

“I’m sorry, Casanova. I hope it works out for the better.”

“Me too, babe. We’ve been playing like a well-oiled machine and I’d hate to see that change.”

“You guys have. I’m hoping to have a front-row seat for you guys going all the way.”

“You and me both.”

“How’s your food?”

“It’s fantastic. Yours?”

“It’s good. The company makes it better.” I say and shoot her a wink.

Adriana giggles like a schoolgirl and it’s endearing.

“You look beautiful, as always.”

“You don’t look too bad yourself.”

“Thanks. So, what was it like growing up in Colorado?”

“It was amazing until it wasn’t. I loved being close to the mountains because they were just majestic to look at from my bedroom window growing up. My parents did okay for themselves. They bought us a house where we had space and weren’t on top of each other. It even had a white picket fence and a huge backyard.”

“Now I’m disappointed I didn’t get to go on the tour with you and Heather of your old stomping grounds.”

“Trust me, it’s nothing to be disappointed by. The new owners built a new one from scratch on the property. Outside of that, there wasn’t anything really noteworthy.”

“I highly doubt that. You are one of the most intriguing people I’ve met.”

She laughs. I can tell she thinks I’m just trying to sweet talk her, but I’m really not.

“I’m being serious. You’ve dealt with some real shit situations and you’ve made the best of what you could. Only a strong person can pick up the pieces, even when it feels like there is no end in sight for the number of pieces left.

Adriana has this look in her eyes and I’m afraid she is going to cry.

“Thank you Cole. I try to be positive, but it hasn’t and doesn’t always happen. But you’re one to talk. Look at yourself. You and Ty have turned into incredible men. I may not have known you when a few years ago, but you two have had a shitty hand, too.”

I take a moment and let her words sink in. She’s right. Maybe it’s why I feel this connection with her. It’s like our souls just recognize the hurt of the other.

“Yeah, shit has sucked. But I’ve had Ty and now Heather. It wasn’t always easy or like it is now.”

“I’m glad you had Ty. It was hard when it came down to just me. My parents were high school sweethearts, and they gave me the best example of a relationship. How it’s not always 50/50, but it’s give and take. To sacrifice for each other, love and be there for one another.”

I see the tears in her eyes and get up from my chair and walk around the table to take the seat next to her. I take her hand in mine, intertwining them, and cup her cheek with my other hand.

“It sounds like they were amazing people. I’m sorry I’ll never get to meet them. But A, I feel in a way I have. You are the product of their love and I see the way you care about the people in your life, your ability to pick yourself up when you felt the world was beating down on you to get to be here in this moment speaks to who they were. They live on through you, babe. Be proud of that.” I gently tell her.

Adriana nods her head. A tear spills out from her right eye, and I move my hand to catch it.

“Thank you Cole. That means the world to me. I think they would’ve really liked you.”

“My parents would have liked you more than me.” I tell her with a smile.

She smiles back at me and squeezes the hand that’s holding hers.

“What were your parents like?” She asks me.

I take a second and look up at the sky to see the shapes of the clouds.

“They were everything you could want in parents. Never missed a game once Ty and I started tee ball. Supported our dreams to make it to the big leagues. They prioritized our baseball dreams over their own needs. They always called us out on our behavior when we were being rude. Outside of Ty, they were my best friends.” I tell her.

“I love that for you both. Can I ask what happened? If you don’t want to tell me, I understand. I know how hard it can be.”

“It’s okay. I would rather have us talk to each other about this instead of you having you hear it from Ty or Heather, honestly.”

I take a moment to gather my emotions because I don’t talk about mom and dad often anymore. The thought makes me sad, but I’m determined to keep their memories alive in the world instead of just in my head.

“My parents died in a car accident caused by a drunk driver. They were on their way home from seeing The Sound of Music at the movie theater. It was Mom’s favorite movie. Dad would always take her to go watch it when it played as a special showing. He would always tell us that just because you get married doesn’t mean you stop courting your wife.” I tell her

“I’m so sorry, Cole. I know it doesn’t ever really help, but I am. They sound like amazing people.”

“Thank you. They really were.” I give her a smile and I know it isn’t my normal one.

Adriana laughs a little to herself, which has me giving her a perplexed look.

“You know it’s funny. My dad said something along those lines too about dating my mom. He said romance doesn’t stop just because she got a ring from me. I have to keep showing her she is the one for me. Even when he was sick, in the hospital or when he came home and was on hospice care. There was a point where he couldn’t talk very much but he would write a few words down on a piece of paper and give it to her before she went to sleep so she knew how much he loved her even when he couldn’t say it.”

“He was a very smart man. I miss having talks with my dad like that. Sometimes I wanted to call him for advice, but then I remember I can’t.”

“I get that. I kept my mom’s phone on for a month after she passed so I could hear her voice. There’s still one voicemail saved where she tells me happy birthday and she loves me. Every year I listen to it.” She tells me with a sad smile.

“That’s so special, A. I love that you have a piece of her in that way.”

“Me too. It’s something I could never delete.”

“Stand up, woman.” I tell her not leaving room for a debate or question.

Adriana gave me a look of who are you talking to like that but moves to get up. Before she can cross her arms over her chest, I pull her into me for a hug. She wraps her arms around me, head on my shoulder, and I squeeze her. She understands a part of me that no one that I’ve dated since my parents passed away does. The conversation was deep and emotional, but tells me that this isn’t just a surface level attraction for either of us.

This hug is for both of us. We’ve lost key parts of our lives but carry them with us every day. It feels refreshing being able to speak about my parents with someone other than Ty and Heather. I kiss the top of her head. In my mind, it’s a way of saying thank you.

She lifts her head from my shoulder and smiles at me. The look in her eye makes me think she is having the same thoughts. Adriana pulls back a little, not out of my arms but she pulls her arms from around my waist and moves them around my neck. She has to stand on her tippy toes in order to get me to bend a little towards her.

“You just might be my game changer, Casanova.” She says.

Then Adriana shocks the shit out of me by pressing her lips to mine. I take a second to fully register, but I won’t waste a second of her opening up to me like this.

If anything, our conversation reminds me you need to show the people you care about in your life that they matter. Always be in the moment with the surrounding people. And right now, in this moment, she’s putting her guard down.

Her lips are soft and fit perfectly against mine. I sweep my tongue against her lips and she opens for me. The hunger takes over that’s been waiting for this moment. I move my left hand to cup the back of her neck while my right hand is on her back, pulling her in closer. Adriana doesn’t let it get out of control but slows the kiss down from the frenzy that I would have let continue. She bites my bottom lip softly and I groan. I can feel myself start to harden and hope I don’t scare her off if she feels just how much her kiss turns me on. Before I can pull her bottom lip in between my teeth to see if it drives her wild too, she pulls away.

I rest my forehead on hers while we both catch our breaths. I’m so gone for this woman. Fuck. I was not expecting her to kiss me. Maybe this is what she meant when she said, let’s see what happens. I’m not mad at it. In fact, I can’t wait for more of her.