When Sparks Fly (14 page)

He’d been avoiding her since last night. After the yard had been cleaned up, the few dishes washed and put away, and three sleepy girls put to bed, he’d peeled out of the driveway, ostensibly to meet Loren and Frankie at Deuce’s. She’d been disappointed that he hadn’t stayed, and waited up until well after midnight listening for his truck. The last time she’d looked the clock had read ten past one and she’d forced herself to go to bed. She had no idea what time he’d finally arrived home.

But today was a new day, possibly her last day in Celebration, and she was determined to make it a good one. Smiling at Kimber as they rode in the back of the SUV, she couldn’t help but think her daughter looked especially adorable in her royal blue and white polka-dotted jumper, with white sandals on her feet. She’d insisted on wearing her hair down that day, the way Hannah wore hers, and Monica had agreed though she’d tucked some ponytail holders in her purse, just in case.

Bill had given each of the girls miniature American flags that morning and they waved them proudly, holding them up high. Kimber held onto hers tightly, not wanting to let go even in the restaurant. She found it difficult to eat this way and before long it was added to the contents of Monica’s bag. Several other families had the same idea about finding the best spot to watch the parade, and plates of eggs, French toast, and sausage were not dawdled over. Monica had to laugh at the way Fran ordered the waitress around, demanding she bring the check before they had finished eating. Kathy rolled her eyes and explained that the Callaghans took their parades very seriously, which earned her a dark look from her mother and an enthusiastic nod from her father.

After a less than leisurely breakfast, they set up folding chairs on the sidewalk in front of town hall. Bill proclaimed that this was the best spot to see the parade and judging from the number of people that crowded in around them, he wasn’t wrong. As the sun rose higher in the sky so did the noise level, as more and more residents lined up along the parade route. Monica scanned the crowd for Joe; certainly he wouldn’t deliberately miss the parade on account of her, but she didn’t find him. The clock over the courthouse rang ten o’clock and as the chimes faded away music could be heard from down the street.

Everyone stood as the Celebration High School marching band led the parade, drums, flutes, and tubas belting out a patriotic tune, and each bystander saluted the American flag that was carried by the color guard. Though most residents had brought chairs with them, no one sat down for the rest of the parade, as participant after participant marched by. Local businesses had adorned their vehicles with streamers and balloons, the elementary school children rode colorfully decorated bikes and trikes, and the 4-H club pranced horses up and down the street. Kimber was especially excited when she saw the dogs walk by dressed as clowns, led by none other than Ted Rutledge, who was dressed like Uncle Sam.

“Mommy, look, it’s Leroy!” Sure enough, the Australian Shepherd was sporting a fluffy blue tutu and red dog shoes on his feet. He carried an American flag in his mouth, similar to the ones Bill had given the girls that morning and she didn’t think she’d ever seen a more patriotic looking canine.

Kimber laughed and clapped her hands, her expression one of pure joy, and Monica suspected that Joe had included the dog in the parade just for her. A tingling sensation crept down her back and she looked around again, this time spotting him across the street, leaning against a lamppost with his arms crossed over his chest, watching her. She mouthed a ‘thank you’ and he nodded, then disappeared into the crowd. Assuming he was going to collect Leroy, she wondered how long he had been standing there and why he hadn’t joined them.

As the last of the procession passed by, the crowd began dispersing to head over to the park, again vying for the best picnic spot. Monica found all of this competition amusing and had the thought that the people of Celebration would fit in well on the streets of New York. Carrying several folding chairs in one hand and holding onto Kimber’s with her other, she hurried to the Excursion, halfway believing that they’d leave her behind if she didn’t. The ride to the park was a short one but once again Fran’s take-charge attitude served her well. She secured a parking spot right in front and quickly stepped out to save the one next to them for Rick and Kathy. Yup, she’d do great in the city.

Unloading the SUV, they all pitched in carrying picnic items to one of the pavilions. Joe had reserved it for the family earlier in the week and he was already there, firing up the grill. Kimber ran up to him and threw her arms around his waist. “Hi Joe! Did you see Leroy in the parade?”

He knelt down beside her. “I sure did. It’s been awfully hard keeping his secret but he wanted to surprise you.”

She looked at him suspiciously. “What secret?”

Looking all around them, he leaned closer and whispered conspiratorially, “Well you see, he’s not a dog at all. He’s really a furry clown.”

Scrunching up her face, she pondered his explanation, debating on whether she should believe him or not. Logic won out and she called his bluff. “You’re teasing me!”

Keeping his expression serious, he asked, “Are you sure?”

“I am! Leroy is a dog…and a clown!!”

Everyone burst out laughing and Joe pulled her to him, giving her a big hug. “You’re a pretty smart girl, you know that?”

“I do,” she replied, nodding her head vigorously. “I take after Mommy!”

He looked up at Monica, his eyes full of admiration. “You do at that,” he agreed, releasing the girl and standing, turning back to the grill.

An uncomfortable silence followed until Bill cleared his throat. “Well, whaddya say we head on over to the ballfield and pick teams? Gotta work up an appetite, you know.” Leaving everything spread out across the table, the group headed for the baseball diamond, Hannah, Erica, and Kimber running ahead to find their friends. Monica was a bit nervous about letting her daughter go off without supervision but Fran and Kathy both assured her that there would be at least one adult overseeing the kids.

Arriving at the field she saw what they’d told her was true. A couple of college-aged girls had put together a scavenger hunt and were organizing the children into teams. She watched for a minute to make sure Kimber was alright but she needn’t have worried. Her daughter wasted no time in finding her first object, tossing it into her red, white, and blue bucket, and hurrying to find the next one.

Turning her attention to the game, Monica saw that teams had been picked and Joe was first up to bat. The sight of him in khaki shorts made her mouth water, his tight ass and muscular legs conjuring up images inappropriate in a public setting. He swung the bat and a satisfying ‘crack’ echoed through the stands. She was on her feet, cheering with the rest of the crowd as he ran the bases. Slowing when he got to third, he looked over his shoulder to see that the player in the outfield had just retrieved the ball. Deciding to risk it, he put on a burst of speed and headed for home.

The crowd yelled, none louder than Monica, who screamed along with Kathy and Fran, urging him on to home plate. His foot touched the base a split second before the ball reached him, and in the first play of the day he scored a home run. Waving to the crowd, he ran to the dugout, his teammates giving him congratulatory pats on the back. She tracked his progress to the end of the bench where he sat down and took off his sneaker, emptying dirt out of it.

The crack of the bat and a cheer from the crowd caught her attention and she turned back to the game where she saw Rick heading to first. A man she didn’t know stepped up to bat and it was only then that she noticed Loren pitching for the other team. Thinking how good Joe must feel having hit a home run off of his best friend, she looked back in the dugout to find him staring right at her. Their eyes met and the same live wire she felt every time she looked at him sizzled and hummed.

The air crackled around her, growing thick, making it hard to breathe. She was faintly aware of the game, could hear the cheers of the crowd but they sounded distant. Losing interest in everything else all she could focus on was Joe. His blue t-shirt fit snugly across his chest, emphasizing his torso and the thought of running her hands under the cotton made her woozy.

Players started filing into the dugout, pushing against him as they took a seat on the bench. He didn’t move, hypnotized by some invisible force, unable to look away from her. She was wearing a bright red sundress that hugged her body in all the right places. It wasn’t tight or indecent but the sight of it clinging to her curves provided him with the most impure thoughts. Her hair was twisted up into a knot but soft tendrils had escaped confinement, brushing lightly against her neck and shoulders. He wanted to kiss the curve of her neck, around to the hollow of her throat and down….

Someone tapped him on the shoulder but he ignored it. The tapping grew more insistent and he whipped around to face the offender. “What?” he snapped.

“You’re up, bro,” Loren said, pointing out at the field. His team was waiting for him to exit the dugout so they could begin the next inning.

Mumbling “thanks”, he ran out onto the field, his mind no longer on the game. Home runs didn’t matter; he wanted Monica and come hell or high water, he was going to get her. If he had to follow her all the way to California to convince her they belonged together then by damned he’d do it!

The rest of the game was a blur. By sheer luck he got a base hit in the eighth inning but the next man up struck out, ending their time on the field. Three strikes in quick succession for the other team ended the inning, and he was back in the dugout waiting for his turn at bat.

Formulating a plan to spend some time with her alone, he approached Rick, needing his family’s help on this one. His brother-in-law nodded, promising to do his part and speak with his wife after the game. The last inning was the longest of Joe’s life and whether it was because the players were tired, hungry, or both, it ended with strike-outs on both sides, Joe’s team winning 7-4.

His mind wasn’t on the victory, however, and as soon as congratulations were exchanged, he took off at a lope across the park to put the rest of his idea in motion. After a quick conversation with his parents and receiving confirmation from Rick that Kathy was on board, he headed to the parking lot.

“You’re leaving?”

The sound of her voice stopped him and he pivoted to face her. “Uh, yeah, only for a little while. I, uh, have something to take care of.” Not a very good liar, he avoided her eyes so he wouldn’t give anything away.

All Monica saw was a man in a hurry to be somewhere else, somewhere not with her, and pain stabbed her heart. “Well, have a good time,” she said frostily, doing an unsuccessful job of keeping the hurt from her tone.

“Monica, look, it’s not what you think.” Attempting to offer an explanation, he took a step forward but she spun on her heel and ran. He stood looking after her, cursing himself that he’d hurt her even a little but certain that once she knew the reason, she’d forgive him. Returning to his truck, he got in, giving one last look to the park as he drove away.

Rick took over at the grill, serving up burgers and hot dogs, but Monica wasn’t hungry. The entire family, well almost, was eating lunch under the pavilion, chatting about the game and the upcoming speeches, each laying bets on which council member would speak the longest. They took turns glancing in her direction and, tiring of what she thought were their pitying looks, she excused herself and went for a walk. Kimber showed no interest in joining her, preferring to stay behind and feed pieces of hot dog to Leroy.

Strolling along the lakeside, she passed by couples holding hands or sharing a kiss. She’d kidded herself thinking this thing with Joe was anything more than a fling. Not even a fling, really, since they’d barely reached second base. More like some damn intense make-out sessions. She was glad to be leaving in the morning. Staying in Celebration had been a nice distraction but it was time to get on with her life.

By the time she returned from her walk, the speeches had started. Elbowing her way through the crowd, she saw Kimber standing beside Kathy and slipped in next to them. “Has Joe come back yet?” she whispered, failing in her attempt to sound casual.

“No,” Kathy answered. “He said he had some things to take care of. He’ll probably be gone a while.”

“It’s Fourth of July. What could be so important?”

“One never knows with my brother,” came her cryptic response.

Tuning out the drone of the politicians, having no opinion on new zoning regulations, she began mentally tallying all the things she needed to do to get ready to leave. Wanting to be on the road as early as possible, she debated skipping the fireworks show so that she could go back to the house and pack. Leaning over to Kathy, she whispered, “Would you mind if Kimber stayed with you and the girls to watch the fireworks?”

“Where are you going?”

“I need to pack if I’m going to be ready when Frankie drops the car off in the morning. You know how kids are. There’s no telling where Kimber has hidden her things.”

Kathy gave her an odd look before nodding. “Sure, she’s welcome to stay. As a matter of fact, I was going to ask if she could join Hannah and Erica tonight for a sleepover in the back yard. I’ll be out there with them.”

Pressing her lips together, Monica looked uncertain. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. She’d never been to a sleepover before.”

“All the more reason for her to join us. Besides, seeing as it’s her last night here, she won’t get another chance.” Kathy knew how to use parental guilt to her advantage.

“All right, I’ll ask her. If she wants to, she can. Thank you. I appreciate you looking after her. And it’s not like I won’t be right there in the house if she misses me.”

“Right,” Kathy agreed shrewdly.

Any disappointment she thought Kimber would show over her mother missing the fireworks was quickly replaced with excitement in anticipation of a campout. The girl was elated to spend the night with her new best friends and didn’t seem to care at all that Monica would be leaving the party early. Feeling a pang of disappointment that her baby was growing up, she agreed to stay long enough for the dance to start because the girls had choreographed their own moves and were anxious to show them off.