****
Carter opened the text message. “Off the beaten path sounds fine. Why not? I mean, who needs a normal everyday restaurant when we can forage in the forest with the rabbits and squirrels? I’ll be sure and wear my best poncho and rain boots in case the weather stinks. :P”
Carter choked on the water he’d just swallowed and coughed several times to clear his throat. After several deep breaths, he read her text again. “I should take her out into the forest just to spite!” She never ceased to amaze him. That’s for sure. He quickly typed out a reply and hit send.
“Save your poncho for next time. For tonight, keep your heels on. See ya’ at 5 p.m.”
That might get her to thinking.
Carter hopped out of the recliner and headed back to the bedroom. He was tired but exhilarated all at the same time. His long run outside a few minutes earlier had been just what he needed to get his mind focused on the next few games of their upcoming road trip. His swing had been off as of late. As his feet pounded the pavement, he worked through the last few at-bats he’d taken, trying to figure out what he was doing wrong.
Of course, his mind strayed to dinner tonight, too. Carter knew exactly where he wanted to take Tori. Sure, part of him secretly wanted to see how she would react if he took to her something like a tractor pull. But, if he wanted to make a good impression, a nicer restaurant might be the best bet for their first date.
He started to turn the water on in the shower when he heard the trill of his cell phone ringing. Shutting the shower door, he then wiped his damp hands on the nearby towel. Carter grabbed the phone off the bedside table where he’d placed it minutes earlier. The face staring back at him caused him to grimace for a brief moment. He sighed.
“What do you need, Dani?”
“Is that anyway to greet your sister?”
Carter rubbed his forehead before answering. “Hi, Dani. How are you? What do you need?”
“You hurt me, Carter. Really you do.”
“Yeah, well. Mom said you got in a little trouble last week.”
Dani’s sigh echoed through the phone. “Mom overreacts. I just went out with friends and had a bit of car trouble.”
“That’s it? Car trouble at two in the morning equals you goofing off with your friends and hitting a parked car. Were you drinking?”
“Carter, just mind your own business, will you?”
Her deflected answer told him all he needed to know. “Sis, I don’t know how much more Mom and Dad are going to put up with. You gotta get your head screwed on right. You hear me?”
“Well, we can’t all be the perfect child like you, Carter. Some of us don’t have fancy cars and big sports contracts. We’re just regular people. But you’ve never been regular in your life, have you, Carter?”
Carter dropped his head and took a deep breath. Their conversations always ended the same.
“Listen, I can’t help what happened to me as a child, but I can help what I do as an adult. I’ve worked hard for everything. You know that. You can have the same success, Danielle. I know you can.”
“Whatever, Carter. Anyway, I may need to borrow a few bucks to get the car fixed. You think you can spare some?”
“I don’t know. Aren’t you working and bringing in a paycheck?”
“I am working, but Java Joe’s coffee shop doesn’t exactly have me rolling in the dough, you know? I’ll pay you back. I just need a couple of hundred bucks to get me over the hump. Come on, CJ, please?”
Carter closed his eyes. Telling Dani no was never easy, especially because he knew deep down the Dani he really loved was in there. She was hidden behind years of jealousy and frustration. But right now, he didn’t recognize his sister. And using her old nickname for him, she knew what she was doing.
“I don’t think so. You’re going to have to take care of this problem yourself.”
“Thanks for nothing, brother.”
The click of her ending the call reverberated in his ear.
Chapter Ten
Tori grabbed all the sticky notes off her monitor, stuck them together not-so neatly, and stuffed them in the drawer of her desk. She swiped at the crumbs and dust that covered her desk and threw them into the garbage can. Tori brushed her hands together to rid them of any remaining grime. Rolling her chair back from her desk, Tori observed the results of her light housekeeping.
“There. My desk looks about as neat and presentable as it can be.”
She pulled her makeup bag from her purse and started for the nearby restroom. A touchup would make her feel a bit more confident. Tori slowed at Michael’s voice as it echoed down the hall.
“Tori, have you seen the O’Donnell file? I can’t seem to find it anywhere.”
Pausing to exhale, Tori redirected down the corridor to Michael’s office. “Um, isn’t that the packet you had me drop off with Pax today? Or at least, it’s the packet I took over there. Did I take the wrong one?”
Seated behind his desk, Michael put his head in his hands. “No, you’re right. I forgot I asked you to do it. My mind is all over the place these days.”
“Don’t worry about it, Michael. You’re doing the work of two. It can get overwhelming.”
He lifted his head and smiled. “Thanks for all your extra work. I’d be barely breathing without you.”
She waved her hand at him. “Nah, you’d be fine. Although, I do appreciate the compliment.”
Tori started to go back down the hall when Michael stopped her again. “So, big plans for the evening?”
She spun around in his direction. “Um, why do you ask?”
“You’ve got your little bag of stuff in your hands. Elisa has one just like it. It’s your primping bag.”
Tori’s mouth dropped open. She closed it and swallowed before responding. “Well, you’d be right. It is a makeup bag. I don’t think I’ve ever heard it called a primping bag. Wait a minute, who’s Elisa?”
Michael’s eyes twinkled. “Maybe I met someone new myself.”
“Do tell, Michael, do tell!”
He laughed at her antics. “Well, there’s not much to tell yet. She showed up at church last week. She’s new to the area, and I offered to show her around. We’ve gone out a couple of times and have plans to meet tonight for dinner.”
“A couple of times in less than a week? That’s a good sign. And Elisa. I like the name. I like that she likes you even more. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you.”
“Thanks. And I’ll do the same for you. So, are you going to tell me who you’re seeing?”
Tori bit her lip. “Well, it’s Carter Manning. He plays ball with Seb.”
“Sure. I know who he is. Up and coming superstar they’re saying. And I hear he’s a super nice guy. Wow, Tori. Good for you.”
“Well, we haven’t gone out yet. So, don’t be thinking I’m a about to be married or anything.”
Michael shook his head. His eyes crinkled as a smile spread across his face. “No matter what happens, I think Carter will never know what hit him. Have fun!”
“Thanks, Michael. Enjoy your dinner with ‘Alluring Elisa’!”
****
Carter entered the lobby of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society expecting to be greeted by Tori first thing. He knew she was the receptionist. Her nameplate sat on the front desk, but no one was there. A quick glance down the hall proved Tori didn’t seem to be in.
He glanced at his watch confirming the time. Five o’clock on the dot. Carter frowned. We did say today didn’t we? He reached in his back pocket for his cell phone and scrolled through the text messages, wondering if perhaps he’d mistyped something along the way.
Just when he was about to send Tori a text, the door to the ladies room flew open. Carter swung around at the sudden noise only to do his best to keep from bursting into laughter when he saw Tori’s face. She appeared mortified. Why, he didn’t know, but something had her off kilter.
She pushed a flyaway curl back behind her ear and slowed her steps.
“Oh, hey. Um, wow. So I didn’t realize it was already time for you to be here. I was in there. Well, you don’t need to know why, but I’m here now. So, hey how are you?”
Carter stifled another laugh and smiled. “I’m fine. How are you?”
“Good. Great, actually. And you? Wait, I asked you that already.” Carter couldn’t hear the next few phrases she muttered under her breath.
He put his hand over his mouth and coughed, only to hide his laughter. Embarrassing Tori now probably wouldn’t be the best way to start the evening.
“You okay?”
“Yeah. I have reservations for us at six o’clock. And it will take about thirty minutes or so to get there. You ready?”
“Sure. Let me grab my stuff.”
He noticed her try to hide something from him as she walked back to her desk. Carter peered over the desk as Tori stuffed a multi-colored bag into her purse. Aha. She was re-doing her makeup. She’s pretty enough without it.
“You like Italian I hope?”
Tori’s head popped up. “Italian? I have been known to eat a piece of lasagna. Or two. Maybe some ravioli. Perhaps. Not all at the same time of course.”
“Of course. I thought we’d try Gian-Tony’s on The Hill. I haven’t been there, but the guys assured me it was delicious.”
“Gian-Tony’s? I’ve heard the same thing. Believe it or not, I’ve never been to The Hill. Good choice, Carter. Well done.”
She patted him on the arm and smiled.
Carter knew she meant it playfully. It only stirred the desire in him to grab her by the hand and pull her close. Maybe see if her kiss would be as sassy as she was. Pushing the thought from his mind, he smiled.
“Thanks. I’m glad you approve. I’m surprised you haven’t been to The Hill yet, but I’m kinda glad this is something we can both experience together.”
A flush rose over her cheeks, and her voice came out in a near-whisper. “Me, too.”
He hadn’t remembered her being so quiet since their incident in the hospital a few days before. Carter loved all the aspects of her personality she let leak out every now and then.
He opened the office door, waiting for her to exit. Once outside, he bowed and flourished his hand. “Your chariot awaits.”
She cocked her head in his car’s direction and grinned. “Hmm. I think I might have met this chariot a few times before.”
Laughing, he pressed his hand to the small of her back as they walked toward the car. “That could possibly be true. In fact, it is true.”
“Well, at least this time I’ll be inside the car instead of trying to crawl under it.”
Carter’s laugh couldn’t be contained, and Tori turned to him, a smile forming on her lips. “I kinda consider it a victory for both of us. Now you don’t have to worry I’ll crash into your car with mine or somehow disengage something vital underneath it. I don’t have to fret over getting my skirt all covered in greasy grime. A true win-win for us all.”
Carter knew he was going to have one of the best nights of his life, for she was going to keep him smiling all evening. A victory for sure.
Chapter Eleven
“So, Carter. Tell me your life story.”
Tori’s request took him off guard enough that Carter knew he waited longer than he should have to answer. If Tori noticed the delay, she didn’t comment. Carter poked at his spaghetti with his fork.
“I’m not sure what exactly you want to know. I was born and raised in Oklahoma, near Tulsa. My folks are still there. Dad has a cattle ranch in the county. He does pretty well.”
“Any siblings?”
Carter swallowed hard. Putting down his fork, he wiped his mouth with his napkin before answering. “I have a sister, Danielle — Dani, we call her. She’s a couple of years younger than me. How about you?”
Tori’s smile reduced the pang of sadness about Dani. “My folks live nearby. Well, they’re visiting relatives in Arkansas right now, but I’ve been from the St. Louis area my whole life. I don’t have any siblings. Mom and Dad wanted more, but it just didn’t work out.”
“Do you miss having a sister or brother?”
“I don’t know. How do you miss what you’ve never had? I think I would’ve enjoyed having someone to talk to about silly things, but I’m blessed. I’ve got Pax. She’s a great big sister even if it’s not a true blood relationship.”
“Sometimes blood relatives aren’t any better,” Carter muttered under his breath as he took a sip of water.
“What?”
Startled when he realized he’d spoken out loud, Carter stammered. “Oh, nothing. Did you go to college around here, too?”
Tori laughed, and Carter didn’t understand why such a simple question made her laugh.
“What is so funny?”
“I was just thinking about my dad. I used to be a total homebody. Seriously. I was content to hang with my parents all the time.”
Carter had a hard time believing her with the apparently fun-loving girl across the table.
“It’s true.” Tori put down her fork and leaned across the table pointing at him, a smirk on her face. “I see the doubt in your eyes.” She sat back in her seat and toyed with the napkin in her lap. “Anyway, when I graduated from high school, I knew I was planning to go away to a small junior college in Arkansas. Not too far away from home, but far enough I couldn’t visit Mom and Dad all the time. I think Dad knew it would be difficult for me, so the Sunday after I graduated on Friday, my folks shipped me off to live with my Aunt Pat in Nashville for the summer. Talk about rocking my world! I was pretty upset for a while. But of course, looking back now I know Dad was right. I would’ve never survived unless I was forced to make it on my own. Well, sort of on my own.”
Carter thought about how difficult it must have been for her. And what a hard decision it had to be for her folks to send their only child away for the summer knowing she would be out of the house permanently not too long after. “Wow. Good for your dad for being proactive, though. My dad is great, too. My mom worries about me too much, I think, but I guess it goes with the territory.”
“Moms are that way, for sure. Mine is great, though. She can be tough, but she’s always there when I need her. And my dad…he gives the best hugs.”
“It’s neat you are close to your parents. Many people wouldn’t have a relationship like yours.”
“Yeah. I know, but they raised me so we’d have a good relationship. I’m thankful to God for it.”
“My faith is important to me. It’s part of the reason I’ve enjoyed getting to know Seb and Pax. It’s pretty rare in my profession to find people of faith.”
“I actually wanted to ask you about that. When Pax met Seb, he was living the life I imagined most professional baseball players do. I guess I didn’t know there were some who tried to have an active spiritual life. Not that I am saying it can’t be done; Seb’s proof of it. But I would think it’s difficult.”
Carter clasped his hands together and rested his elbows on the table. “It is hard. Quite hard, actually. But if you surround yourself with the right people — like Seb — it makes it easier. Even though he can’t be with the team right now because of his injury, calling him when things are tough helps a lot too. And he’s pretty new at this. But pretty advanced spiritually, considering.”
“You can thank Pax. She’s a rock.”
Carter nodded his head in agreement. It was nice to see the serious side of Tori, although he loved her fun side too. He found himself staring. Perhaps he’d done it a little too long when she squirmed.
“This has been an amazing meal. Thank you so much for asking me to join you.”
“I’m glad you agreed to come. Even if you thought we were going off-roading in the woods somewhere.”
Tori threw her head back and laughed.
Carter noticed the people around them smiled as they too enjoyed her happiness.
He signaled for the check. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”
***
*
Butterflies took flight in Tori’s stomach. If she’d been nervous before dinner, the thought of what might happen next caused her to be anxious in anticipation. Did Carter have more plans for the evening? Would he just take her home? Would he try and kiss her? Slow down girl, just enjoy the moment.
They left the restaurant, and as they walked back to his car, Carter pressed his hand to the small of her back, igniting a sudden surge of warmth within her. A slight gasp escaped her lips, thankfully too quiet for Carter to hear.
Carter opened the passenger door for her. She slipped into the Lexus and deliberately tried to slow down her breathing. You’ve been on dates before, silly. Act like it!
Carter’s voice broke through her thoughts. “Would you like to go over to Ted Drew’s and get custard or something? We’re not too far away.”
He wasn’t ready to end the night. Tori breathed a sigh of relief. “Sure. Something sweet sounds nice.”
She thought she saw a smile cross his face as he started the car. It was hard to keep from smiling herself.
“What does your sister do?”
Carter’s smile disappeared and a frown replaced it only to be quickly covered with a tight smile. Tori thought she’d noticed something similar at the restaurant earlier but had waved it off to her nerves overreacting. Now, she wasn’t so sure.
“Dani works at a café, I think. She’s had a few jobs recently. It’s kinda hard to keep up with her. She’s still trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life.”
Tori thought she understood Carter’s avoidance. Dani, it seemed, might be causing some trouble for his family somehow, and Carter didn’t want to share. Sorry to have brought her up, Tori decided to change the subject.
“You must have been excited to hear you were being called up back in April.”
Tori could sense a relief in tension in Carter’s body at the question. She made a mental note to refrain from discussing his sister anytime soon.
Just a Little Hope Page 5
