“Gage moved out already,” she adds. “But Blythe’s and his house is just a hop away on the ranch. Most of the time, they’re still hanging out here with the rest of us.”
“That’s—kind of delightful, actually,” I say. Still slightly off if I think about the semantics too long. But she’s close with Warren and her friends. I’d probably do the same thing if I were in her shoes.
“So, the ones who you said aren’t my type—Tripp? And Heston? Just trying to learn all the new names.”
“That’s right! Oh.” She lifts a hand to her forehead. “I am so sorry, Mesa. I should have introduced you before we disappeared to my room.”
Her thumbnail meets the corner of her mouth. Sweet Savannah.
“Oh, stop. It’sfine.” I smile to reassure her. “You don’t have to apologize to me, silly. And I don’t need a formal introduction to them anyway.” I point to myself after pulling the dress over my thighs and slipping my arms through the thin straps. “Recovering romantiholic, remember?”
“Right! Love that for you. I should be extra supportive and join you in your love protest, but I’m tied up in that department.”
“More like tieddown,”I say, pointing to the rope on the nightstand.“To the bed, no less.”
“That’s for cows.”
“Oh.”
“The one for the bed is in that drawer.” She points to the nightstand on the opposite side of the bed frame with a smirk.
“Lucky bitch.”
She bursts with infectious giggles, and I can’t stop myself from laughing along with her. When we first met, Savannah wasn’t nearly this light. Even though I didn’t press her for details at the time, I knew she carried a significant weight with hereverywhere she went. I’m happy to see her like this now, more free than the version of her I once knew.
“You’re positively jolly and in love. It’sfine. Every girl needs a spinster friend, and I’mjazzedto fill the role.”
“Your sarcasm could use some work.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I extend my arms and slowly turn in a circle. “Think this will work?”
Savannah claps with a satisfied smile. “That dress fits you like a dream! Let’s show Blythe.”
“Are you going to make me walk out there in this get-up alone or are you trying yours on, too?”
6
TRIPP
“Liner to short.Clean hop and an absolute bullet from Martin to second, with time to kill. Graves steps on the bag for the easy out. And . . . no flip! That’s going to be ruled a hit after no throw to complete the double play at first.”
My lips purse as I imagine the groans from the crowd. I turn to face the wall with my head down and the phone speaker held up to my ear. Missing most of the game tonight to try on wedding attire seemed inevitable when I first became aware of the girls’ fitting party scheme.
Then, I remembered Riley was on the call tonight. I don’t miss her play-by-plays for anything, so pulling up the radio broadcast when I finally got the chance was a no-brainer.
Growing up, the local junior college would send free tickets to us boys at the group home. A city bus would pull up outside the gate, and we’d run at full speed from the house to catch a ride to the field.
The coaches and players knew us well. We had our own little spot behind the bullpen in left field, and I ate up every minute of it out there. After I moved to Westridge when I turned eighteen, I stopped going to the games, but I never quit being a fan.
For me, baseball started as a distraction. My head was too full of things that scared the hell out of me. Sad things. I savored every morsel of serotonin that the team gave me each spring.
I was never allowed to play organized sports as a young kid. As I got older, I didn’t have the money to join a team or someone to drive me to practices and games, either. Despite never getting a shot to play for a team myself, over the years, I fell in love with the game and never missed following a season of college baseball.
There’s been a mix of good years and bad, just like with any team. Midway through conference play this year, the team is currently shittier than the bottom of my damn boots, but there’s a lot of season left.
I have full faith in them as long as they can pull this one out and regroup. It’s embarrassing to admit how much of my current emotional state is invested in the outcome of this weekend’s series. Between that and waking up with blue balls every weekend, I need this win and then a good, toe-curling, head-clearing fuck.
With those two things, I’ll be back to my normal self again.
