Chapter Six

Skeet

 

It had been days since I had seen Celeste. She wasn’t at my meeting with the owner of Saphyre. They said something about being sick. I just hoped she wasn’t making up excuses. My only hope for her to start coming around to me was that she had sent me an order for my wines. It was my perfect way of seeing her on her territory again. I couldn’t get what had happened in the wine cellar out of my head.

I was walking around with a smile on my face and then it fell.

How could Celeste let Dale take her to the diner—our diner—where we shared just about everything on the menu? Liver and onions were something we both turned our noses up at and made scrunchy faces.

I wondered who the little girl was sitting across from them in a booth by the window. Her scrunchy facial expressions while she looked down at something on the table reminded me of us.

Did Dale have a kid?

Was he hoping to make my Celeste his daughter’s stepmother?

Not going to happen I wanted to shout in his face.

Instead, I remained silent and out of view as best I could because, for some reason, I couldn’t drive off even though it was pure torture.

With their next stop of the day, it wasn’t as easy to get a good view of them. They had headed to a minor league ballpark. Dale’s father was some big deal in the baseball world so I wasn’t surprised that they’d go there. He probably liked to show off and show Celeste how important he was...because of his father. Dale tried to become a ballplayer but even his father’s power couldn’t make him worthy of the pros. He hated that I was a natural at the game and wanted nothing to do with it.

I still had no desire to even watch a baseball game, but I wanted to see what my competition was up to with my Celeste. So I paid for parking, bought a ticket and went inside of the ballpark. Thankfully it wasn’t as big as a major league baseball field, but I still had to look for them. Although it wasn’t too hard to figure out that he would have the best seats in the house for them—right behind home plate. Unlike the pro stadium, they didn’t pay as much attention to the fact that I didn’t have a ticket for the seat I plopped down in. I just had to hope that no one came to claim it.

I got lucky and was able to watch their interaction. I, instantly, loved that little girl for separating Celeste and Dale by sitting in between them. She seemed to be quite a character she danced during inning breaks and she got up with the crowd waving her little arms. When a beach ball came to her she hit it up into the air using the entire strength of her body, wearing the biggest smile on her face. I wished I was close enough to hear her squeal with delight.

I don’t know why she captured my attention so much. It was quite possible that she was the enemy too. She was capturing my heart just watching her and the way Celeste leaned in to cuddle her. It was sickeningly sweet to see them both get so excited when a cotton candy guy came around. And I was really happy to see Celeste wave Dale off like she was going against him to give the little girl her own big pink floss on a stick. It looked like two against one and I loved it.

 

I was having the best time I had ever had at a ballpark. That was until I got busted. Not that I couldn’t be there in the stands, but Celeste knew I hated sports and the stadium would be the last place I would want to go, willingly.

A beach ball came my way and I let it fall to the ground. Not picking it up and tossing it back into the air appeared to be a crime and I was being booed. Figuring I better make them stop, I went to get the ball about the same time that the little girl with a long dark braid, adorable freckles and bright blue eyes went for the same ball.

All at once, I was shocked by Celeste looking at me inches away from the little girl as I handed her the beach ball. “Veeta! Come back!”

“I’m okay. Not talking to the stranger. Just getting my ball.” Her voice was so cute. It added to her character. “Thanks, Mister.” She made me want to scoop her up into my arms. She couldn’t be Dale’s daughter. I wouldn’t feel that strongly about his child and she looked nothing like him with his blond hair and dark eyes.

Was it possible that she was Celeste’s daughter? How old was the little girl? She was pretty small. If I had to guess, I’d say she was about four years old. The thought turned my stomach. There was nothing wrong with Celeste having a baby but only if it was mine.

What had I missed out on when I was gone?

I didn’t want to miss out on anymore. I needed to tell Celeste how I felt about her and that I was fine with raising someone else’s child. Dale wasn’t right to be that little girl’s father. I realized that. He wasn’t interested in her tugging on his arm. He seemed to ignore her too. Celeste was so attentive to her needs, wiping her face and cleaning off her hands which had to be totally sticky.

I wanted to be in Dale’s seat and I needed Celeste to know it right away.

Those thoughts led to me following them out of the stadium and to the Corday Peach Farm. It looked like Celeste was still living at home...or... Maybe the little girl belonged to Clancy or Conrad?

Nope. I was right the first time. Dale dropped them off and drove away alone.

Thank God he didn’t kiss Celeste goodbye.

With him out of the picture, I pulled my car up close and got out to approach Celeste who had shooed the little girl into the house. I could hear her yelling, “Coco” and “Grandpa.” She had to belong to someone in the family.

“I love you, Celeste. I’ve always loved you.” There was nothing subtle about my moves. I was putting it all out on the line. “I made mistakes. But no one will ever feel about you like I do. Dale’s not right for you.” She just looked at me.

I couldn’t handle the space between us any longer. I took her into my arms and kissed her with everything I had in me and then I released her and stood back.

“Friday night. Do you work?” She shook her head. “Good. I’ll be here at eight o’clock to pick you up. Wear jeans, a t-shirt and your old leather jacket if you have it.”

Then I turned around and headed quickly for my car.

I needed to find a vintage bike in my pop’s garage.