Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 54966 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54966 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
“Holden… I can buy dinner.”
I run my finger across her now swollen lip. “Not when you’re with me, Cat.”
She rolls her eyes. “Fine. We’ll be home around seven. Now go and enjoy being with your teammates and tell them to get their game together. I can’t do another nine innings of sitting on the edge of my seat. They barely squeaked out that last win.”
“I’ll tell them.”
I kiss her again and stand in the driveway waving at her until she pulls out. I have a whole new fire under me. It’s only now, after hearing her talk, that makes me want to be on that field and her cheering for me. I want that… I want to look up into the stands and see her and Cole and know they’re there for me. As I make my way back inside, I’m determined to light a fire under my teammates because one way or another, they’re getting to the playoffs, and I’m going to make sure I’m there to play.
20
CATHERINE
“Have you told him yet?”
I laugh and shake my head. I’ve never seen this side of Holden. He’s so excited that he can barely contain himself. “No, I didn’t tell him. I thought you should be the one.”
He walks to the door of the kitchen and hollers up the stairs, “Cole, you about ready?”
Almost instantly I can hear Cole stomping down the stairs, and he comes into the kitchen with his backpack on and a smile on his face. This has been planned for a week, and he’s excited to be going to his friends’ house to spend the night. “I’m ready.” He grins.
Holden is nodding his head. “Okay, so I know you’re staying the night at Brad’s, but I was wondering if you two would like to do something before you went to his house.”
My laid-back child shrugs his shoulders. “Yeah, sure. What’s up?”
Holden leans against the wall. “Well, I thought you and Brad may want to go check out the Bears game tonight.”
Cole’s mouth drops. “The Bears game? Tonight?” His mouth is hanging open, and he’s so surprised he doesn’t know what to do.
Holden smiles, nodding his head. “Yeah, I thought we could get there early and I could give you a tour of the locker room before the game. And then I thought we’d sit in a box—”
Cole’s eyes get even bigger. “Like a VIP box?”
Holden nods. “Yep, I had them stock it with food, but of course you guys can order whatever.”
Cole literally clutches his chest. “Are you for real right now?”
Holden nods. “Yeah. You want to call Brad and see what he thinks?”
I’d already called Brad’s parents so they knew what was happening, but I let Cole walk out of the room to call his friend. As soon as he’s gone, I put my hand over my heart. “Do you have any idea what you just did for my son? Thank you, Holden, really. Thank you for doing this… I hope you guys have a great time.”
Holden shakes his head and walks over to a box on the top of the kitchen counter. “You act like you’re not going.”
I point to myself. “Oh, am I invited? I just thought…”
I let my voice trail off as he pulls some jerseys from the box. “Nope, you’re going with us.” He hands me a shirt. “Here you go, put this on.”
I grab the shirt. “Are you sure about this? I don’t want to ruin boys' night or anything.”
He crosses his arms over his big barrel of a chest. “First of all, you could never ruin anything. Second of all, I want you to go. I want to sit side by side with you at the game.”
I hold the shirt up. “I’ll be right back.”
I go up the stairs and don’t realize I’m holding my breath until I’m behind my closed door. I remove the shirt I’m wearing and pull on the jersey over my tank top. I put on some jeans and tennis shoes and after reapplying my makeup and tousling my hair, I look at myself in the mirror. I turn to the side and then point my butt at the mirror, wanting to see myself from all angles, and seeing the name Gray on my back is like a jolt to my system. All of a sudden, I feel hot all over, but before I can analyze any of it, I hear Cole hollering up the stairs, “Come on, Mom. I’m going to Holden’s truck.”
“I’ll be right there,” I holler back, and then after taking a few calming breaths, I grab my purse and walk downstairs. Holden is waiting for me by the front door, and I stutter to a stop when I see him looking me up and down.
“What is it?” I ask him, pressing down the front of my shirt as I try to figure out what he’s looking at.