I’d like to say that when I left the park with Kaden, I went to my class and never gave a second thought to the pretentious, egotistic Tucker Michaels, but that didn’t happen. In fact, I couldn’t get him out of my head. I don’t know why he’d taken over my every thought. It wasn’t like I was actually interested in the guy. I’d never been one to go for the sexy player type. I’d always been more comfortable with safe guys, the type I could trust—guys like my ex-boyfriend, Lucas. He was my high school sweetheart and was known for being an all-around good guy. Lucas was the kind of guy who would help little old ladies cross the street and pick up strays from the pound. While he was attractive, he was no heart-throb. Actually, I’d never really dated anyone who I would consider to be a heart-throb. I dated men who were harmless, and Tucker Michaels was far from harmless. Knowing a guy like him would only bring me a world of heartache and frustration, I returned my focus to my English professor and continued taking notes, pushing all thoughts of the sexy ballplayer to the back of my mind.

By the time I arrived home from class, I was worn out. All I wanted to do was to take a shower and go to bed. Unfortunately, Jessie, my roommate and best friend, had other plans. When I walked into our apartment, she was already in her pajamas with her hair twisted on top of her head and was propped up on the sofa with the remote in her hand. There was Chinese takeout on the coffee table, and as I walked into the living room, she gave me one of her looks. Without asking, I knew it was time for a movie night. It was something we’d do whenever one of us had had an exceptionally bad day. I dropped my bag on the floor as I sat down beside her and asked, “What’s going on with you?”

“Nothing.” She rolled her big, brown eyes and whined, “Just an all-around crappy day. I bombed my Biology exam. I’m bloated. I have the world’s worst cramps … and I’m pretty sure I’ve got a zit on the inside of my ear.”

“That’s gross, Jess.”

“Yeah, it is, and it hurts like hell. But at least you can’t see it.” She pouted as she glanced down at her stomach. “I wish I could say the same for my gut. Good Lord. I look like I’m six months pregnant or something.”

I loved Jess, but she tended to be a bit dramatic, especially when it was that time of the month. With her long, black hair and olive skin tone, she was beautiful without even trying, and she had a body that any girl would kill for. I looked over at her petite figure and shook my head. I knew better than to try and convince her that she didn’t look puffy, so I asked, “So, what movie do you want to watch?”

“Movies,” she replied. “I want to have a scary movie marathon.”

“Why? You don’t even like scary movies.”

“Yes, I do! I love them.”

“Then, why do you sleep with the light on after you watch them?”

She thought for a moment before she answered, “Because if something is going to get me, I want to see what it is before it gets me.”

“You know that makes no sense, right?”

“I think it makes perfect sense. If something is going to kill me viciously in the dark, I want to know if it’s some guy with a samurai sword or a blood-thirsty vampire with oozing puss draining from its veins. It’s as simple as that.”

“Oh, good grief. You’re such a dork.” I giggled as I reached for a box of takeout. “So, what’s it going to be? Are we going for the old stuff like The Amityville Horror or The Exorcist, or something new like Annabelle?”

“Hmm …. Let’s go with one of the newer ones, but first we’ve gotta see what’s even on,” she said and started flipping through the movie channels. Once she’d found what she was looking for, she purchased the movie and started it. As the credits started to play, she turned to me and asked, “I forgot to ask. How did things go at ball practice with Kaden?”

“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “All things considered, it was pretty good I guess. I mean, Kaden seemed to have a good time.”

“Why do I get the feeling you aren’t telling me something?”

“It’s nothing really.” I took a bite of my lo mein, then asked, “Have you ever heard of a baseball player named Tucker Michaels?”

“Who hasn’t?” she scoffed. “He’s a great pitcher, and he’s hot.”

“Well, he’s helping out with Kaden’s Little League team, and he’s a—”

“What?” She sat up in her seat with an animated expression. If I hadn’t known better, I would’ve thought she’d just won the damn lottery. “He’s here, in town, and you’ve actually seen him?”

“Yeah? Like I just said, he’s helping out with Kaden’s baseball team.”

All her woes were suddenly forgotten as she started pounding me with questions. “Was it for just that one practice or is he coming back?”

“I think he’s going to be there for a couple of weeks. I think it’s because he hurt his knee or something.”

“Oh my God, Kaci. I can’t believe you are just now telling me! You do realize that he’s—”

“A jerk? Yes. I realized that right away,” I grumbled.

“He can’t be that much of a jerk. I mean, come on! He’s one of the best pitchers around, and here he is taking the time out to help with your little brother’s baseball team. And he’s doing it while he’s hurt! He can’t be all bad.”

I watched as she reached for her phone and started typing. “What are you doing?”

“Holy cow. Just look at him.” After several seconds of drooling over the screen, she finally turned it towards me, revealing a picture of Tucker with no shirt. “If I lick him does that make him mine.”

“I don’t think that’s how it works.” I rolled my eyes and laughed. “Besides, I don’t think Zach would appreciate it if you went around licking other men.”

“Probably not, but it never hurts to look,” she replied as she continued to flip through all the different pictures. “So, when is the next practice?”

“Tomorrow afternoon. Why?”

“Just curious.”

“Umm-hmm.” Hot or not, I was growing tired of talking about Tucker Michaels, so I changed the subject. “Are we going to watch the movie or are you going to sit there staring at your screen for the rest of the night?”

She looked up from her phone just long enough to ask, “You really don’t think he’s good-looking?”

“I didn’t say that, Jess. I said the guy was a jerk, but like you said, I could have him all wrong. I don’t know, and honestly, I don’t care. Now, let’s watch the stupid movie.”

“Seems like Mr. Tucker made quite an impression.” Jess snickered. When she saw the irritated look on my face, she shrugged and said, “Fine. We’ll watch the movie.”

“Finally.” I huffed.

“One last thing … You might wanna fix yourself up a little for that practice tomorrow. It wouldn’t hurt.”

“Jess!”

“I’m just saying.” She giggled. “If I know you, I’m sure you made quite an impression on him, too.”

Thankfully, the movie started playing before either of us could say anything more. We actually made it through the rest of the night without any further talk of our bad day, cramps, or Tucker Michaels. By the time we finally went to bed, Jess’s mood had improved dramatically, but as expected, she wanted to keep all the lights on in the house.

The next morning, I struggled to get out of bed. All I wanted to do was lay there and enjoy the comfort of snuggling under my warm quilt, but I didn’t have that luxury. First, I had an early morning class; afterwards, I needed to pick up Kaden for practice. I threw the covers back, forced myself out of bed, and headed into the bathroom for a shower. As soon as I was dressed, I hurried downstairs and was surprised to find Jess in the kitchen making coffee.

“Good morning, sunshine.” She smiled as she gave me a quick once over. “I see you took my advice about fixing up today.”

Even though I’d chosen the outfit because I thought it flattered my figure, I rolled my eyes and grumbled, “I’m wearing shorts and a tank top, Jess. This isn’t exactly dressing up.”

“If you say so.”

“Whatever.” Ignoring her smirk, I poured myself a cup of coffee and asked, “What are you doing up so early?”

“I guess you were right about the scary movies after all.”

“Next time, I’ll pick the movies.”

“That’s probably a good idea.”

“Well, I’ve gotta get to class, so if there’s any paranormal activity going on around here, you’ll have to deal with it on your own.” I teased as I took my coffee and headed towards the door. “You might want to steer clear of any weird-looking dolls today.”

“Gee, thanks.”

Even though I was running late, I still managed to make it to class on time. After suffering through an hour and a half lecture on the deteriorating ethics of our American government, I headed over to the house to pick up Kaden. When I pulled up in the driveway, I was surprised to see that Mom’s car was still there. Worried that something might be wrong, I jumped out and headed inside. I’d barely gotten to the front door when she came barreling out.

“I’m late!” she shrieked as she rushed towards the garage. “Your father called.”

“And?”

She turned around and graced me with one of those smiles that I haven’t seen in quite some time as she said, “Looks like he might be coming home next week.”

Dad’s been gone for months, and while he called often, it wasn’t the same. We all missed having him around, and it was clear from her expression that my mother was tickled with the news. “Really? That’s awesome!”

“Don’t say anything to Kaden. I don’t want to get his hopes up in case something comes up. You know how things don’t always go the way we think they will.”

“I know. I won’t say anything.”

“Thanks for taking him to practice. I can’t remember when I’ve seen him so excited about anything.”

“I know, and wouldn’t it be great if Dad could be here for his first game?” I asked enthusiastically.

“It would be wonderful. Keep your fingers crossed!” She got in her car, and before she shut her door, she said, “I should be home around five, but Nana will be here.”

“Okay.” When I moved out, Nana, my mother’s mom, moved in. Mom was worried about her health and thought it would help to have her close by. Personally, I always thought it had more to do with Kaden than her health, but they all seemed to be adjusting to the change. I just hoped that Dad would feel the same way when he arrived home. “Have a good day at work.”

“I will. Love you, sweetheart.”

“Love you, too.” Once she pulled out of the driveway, I went inside the house and shouted, “Kaden! Let’s roll, dude!”

“Kaci,” my grandmother called from the kitchen. “I was just about to fix him some lunch.”

“That’s okay, Nana. There’s no need for you to go to any trouble.” I walked over and wrapped my arms around her. Like always, she smelled like fresh lemons as I gave her a tight squeeze. “I’ll grab us something on the way.”

“Are you sure?”

I loved my grandmother, but I wasn’t a big fan of her cooking. Even her peanut butter and jelly sandwiches seemed to taste a little strange. “Yeah, I’m sure. It’ll be faster if we just grab something.”

“Well, okay. Come on, Kaden. Let’s get your stuff together.”

“I got it, Nana.” He ran past her and grabbed his bag on the way out the door. “Bye.”

Shaking my head, I told her, “We shouldn’t be long. Let me know if you need anything while we’re out.”

“I’m fine, sweetie. You two have fun.”

“We will. Love you, Nana.”

When I got to the car, Kaden was already inside with his bag in the backseat and his seatbelt buckled. “Let’s go! I don’t wanna be late.”

I knew he was eager, so I decided to ignore his rude behavior and started my car. After I bought us both a quick sandwich for lunch, we headed over to the field. Before I got out, I took a quick look in my rearview mirror and fixed my mascara. Normally, I wasn’t one to care about those kinds of things, so it was no surprise when Kaden asked, “What are you doing?”

“Nothing.”

“Looks like something, and what’s up with your hair?”

I looked back at the mirror as I asked, “What’s wrong with my hair?”

“Nothing. Just looks like you actually brushed it today.” He mocked.

“Shut up and get your stuff, Kaden,” I scolded as I reached for my book. Following him over to the field, I was surprised to find that the bleachers, which were practically empty the day before, were now full of parents, mainly moms. I could only assume that the sudden rush of parental support had something to do with Tucker, especially since the mothers were dressed in their cutesy little outfits with perfect hair and flawless make-up. I looked down at my black tank and khaki shorts; suddenly, my perfect outfit didn’t seem so perfect. To make matter’s worse, just as I was getting settled in the bleachers, I noticed Jess walking towards me. The dirty, rotten little slut was dressed like she was about to hit the club with her short mini-skirt and skimpy halter top.

Acting like her presence was nothing out of the norm, she plopped down next to me with a big, innocent smile. “Hey. How’s it going?”

“Really?”

“What?”

“What are you doing here?” I growled.

“I thought I’d keep you company for a bit.” She turned her attention to the field; after several seconds, she took in a deep breath. “Oh, my. He’s even hotter in person.”

“Does Zach know you’re here?”

“Not exactly.”

“Umm-hmm.”

“I’m just here to look, Kaci. Now hush and let me enjoy the view.”