Love of a Lifetime: A Sweet Contemporary Romance (Finding Love Book 3)

by Delaney Cameron

  Landris’s lips firmed at the mention of his ex-wife’s name. “I’ve got other things to worry about right now. Penelope’s mother fell and broke her hip last night. She left this morning for North Carolina. She hopes to be back by the end of next week. Meanwhile, I’m supposed to be in Marietta on Monday. How am I going to do that without my housekeeper here to watch Olivia?”

  Taryn drummed her fingers on the table. “I’ll just plan on staying until you get back.”

  “You can’t miss three days of work.”

  “What’s the alternative? Take Olivia with you?”

  “I’ll figure something out.” Landris stood up as Olivia came running back to where they waited.

  “The butterfly flew over the fence, Daddy.”

  “It might come back later. Listen, cupcake, I need to get ready to leave. I’ll be back before you go to bed. Be a good girl for Aunt Taryn.”

  “I will, Daddy.”

  He leaned down to kiss her cheek. “I know you will.”

  An hour later he drew up to an elaborate entrance gate and punched in the code he’d been provided. As he followed the winding driveway, he couldn’t help but be amused at the coincidence of him living in Eric Gibson’s hometown. The two men had played against each other in college and in the minors, but lost touch once they moved to the majors. They met again last fall when Landris was in St. Marys scouting a catcher. He never imagined that nine months later he’d be back here to stay.

  He parked his SUV, followed the sidewalk to the front of the house and rang the doorbell. Eric must have been close by because the door opened almost immediately. At his heels was the little dog Landris remembered seeing when he’d come to the house before.

  “Hey, Landris. Thanks for coming early.”

  Landris shook the outstretched hand. “No problem.” He bent down to pet the dog sniffing his feet. “Hello, Delilah. Do you remember me?”

  “I’m impressed that you remembered her name.”

  “A dog named Delilah. That’s not something I’d forget.”

  Eric laughed as he scooped up Delilah and put her back in the house. “She’ll never forgive me for that, but there’ll be too many people here today to let her run around.”

  “We’ve got ourselves a nice day for a baseball game.”

  “Sure do. Do you mind helping me get the field ready? I’d normally have my brother here to do this, but Matt and his wife are out of town this weekend.”

  “I haven’t chalked a batter’s box since college. This will be like old times.”

  Eric led the way along a path behind the house. “How did the move from Augusta go?”

  “Not too bad. My sister’s fiancé helped me arrange the furniture while she organized the kitchen and decorated Olivia’s bedroom. All that’s left is my room and office.”

  “Seen any good prospects lately?”

  “I found a couple of outfielders with good bats in Milledgeville. Next week, I’m going to a wooden bat tournament in Marietta. I’ll see a lot of good players, but so will the other scouts.”

  Eric smiled. “Better you than me. It’s going to be sweltering up there.”

  “That’s funny coming from a guy who mows lawns.”

  “I haven’t mowed any lawn but my own since Julie’s father became terminally ill. We’ve been in Columbus more than we’ve been here. Two weeks ago he passed away. It’s been a tough time for her. She and her father were close. Because I wasn’t available, Matt hired two part-time guys. They’re both in college and need the work. When and if they move on, I’ll go back to helping him.”

  “How did your little league team do this year?”

  “We won district but lost in the state tournament. Have you thought about coaching? Little League needs guys like you who know and love the game.”

  “I’m already away from Olivia too much. I can’t justify taking on something else that would demand so much of my time. If I was married, it would be different.”

  Eric nodded. “I understand. If I had to choose between my family and baseball, my family would win every time.”

  When the miniature baseball field came into view, Landris let out a low whistle. “As a hitter, I’m loving those short fences. Hitting a homerun off you would be icing on the cake. I haven’t forgotten that you struck me out last time we faced each other.”

  “Don’t get too excited. We’re playing with Wiffle balls and bats. My knuckle curve is going to leave you swinging at air.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  Eric laughed as he waved a hand toward the building in front of them. “You can’t have a baseball game without food. Julie and Faith are getting everything set up in the concession stand.”

  Landris had stopped to tie his shoe. His head jerked up at the mention of the name Faith. It couldn’t be the same woman, could it? There must be hundreds of females with that name in the state of Georgia alone. If that was the case, his heart didn’t believe it. That annoying organ was jumping around in his chest like he’d just finished a session on the treadmill.

  As they got closer, he could hear voices coming through the open window of the bright green building. At this point, he couldn’t decide whether he wanted it to be the Faith he knew (and hadn’t been able to forget) or not. His inability to put her out of his mind hadn’t been helped by the fact that Olivia asked about her almost daily. He’d hoped his daughter’s fascination with Faith would fade, but so far it had shown no indication of doing so. As for his own, that was another of those things he preferred not to analyze too deeply.

  * * * * *

  The cool air coming from the air conditioner was a welcome relief from the heat outside. Without it, the candy wouldn’t be the only thing melting. Faith opened the box of M&M’s and stacked it next to the one containing Snickers. “I’m not sure how much longer I can hold out surrounded by all this tempting stuff.”

  Julie emptied a bag of ice into the huge coolers sitting underneath the wooden counter. “I know what you mean. I’ve got boiled peanuts on one side and popcorn on the other.”

  “I should have eaten more lunch before I came.”

  “It wouldn’t have mattered for me. I can eat this kind of food anytime.”

  “When does the game start?”

  “At two. The policeman at the gate won’t let anyone in until one-thirty.”

  “How many people will be here?”

  “About two hundred including the players.”

  “Wow. That’s a lot of people to keep track of.”

  “There are barricades and off-duty policemen patrolling the area to keep everyone in the right place. We’ve never had any problems. Eric used to do it once a year, but so many retired players have asked to participate that he does three of these charity games between June and August. All the proceeds go to buy baseball and softball equipment for local kids. I appreciate you filling in for Darcy today. Eric had to change the date at the last minute.”

  Faith heard the catch in the other woman’s voice and remembered that the reason they had to reschedule the game was because Julie’s father passed away. “I wasn’t doing anything. Wasn’t it sweet of Matt to take Darcy on a cruise for her birthday?”

  Julie grinned. “Yes, it was. I never thought he’d be able to keep it a secret for so long.”

  “What did they do with Darcy’s seizure dog?”

  “Darcy’s sister Cason came by yesterday to pick her up. She has a fenced-in yard and a daughter who loves animals. If Mindy had stayed here, she’d have had to spend most of the weekend locked in her kennel.”

  “Between this game and Nerina, you’ve got your hands full.”

  A smile touched Julie’s lips. “I can’t believe my baby is thirteen months old. It seems like only yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital.”

  Faith tried not to be envious, but at times like this, it was really hard. “Who’s watching her today?”

  “Our housekeeper, Mrs. Parsons. She’s like a second grandmother to Nerina.
”

  Faith noticed movement at the window. Her glance collided first with Eric and then moved to the man behind him. A man who looked remarkably like Landris. The box of candy in her hands dropped to the floor. With heightened color, she bent down to pick up the Milky Way bars scattered around her feet. Through the slight roaring in her ears, she could hear Julie talking and then she felt the sweep of warm air indicating the opening of the door behind her.

  Keeping her eyes fixed firmly on the floor, Faith concentrated on slowing her galloping heartbeats. Before she was able to do so, a masculine hand with a sports watch strapped to the tan wrist moved into her line of sight. Turning her head, she looked straight into the same sleepy blue eyes that she’d seen exactly three weeks ago today.

  “Hi, there,” Landris said with a grin. “You’re not going to threaten me with 911 again, are you?”

  He was so close that she instinctively moved back, aware of the sudden silence of the other two. “Of course not.” To make it look less like the defensive action that it was, she grabbed the last stray candy bar and returned it to the box. When she went to stand, his fingers slid under her arm to help her up. Her skin burned under his touch. So much for her efforts to downplay what happened over Memorial Day weekend. The only reason that would account for such a reaction was too ridiculous to contemplate let alone put into words.

  “We seem to meet in the strangest places.”

  “Yes, we do,” she agreed, willing her voice to sound normal. Whether from tact or their own desire for privacy, Julie and Eric walked out the door, closing it behind them.

  Landris looked quickly around the small room and then back at Faith. “You know, you’re the last person I expected to see today. I thought you lived in Brunswick.”

  “I thought you lived in Augusta,” she countered.

  “I did until a week ago. You don’t look very happy to see me. Is this town not big enough for the two of us?”

  It probably wasn’t big enough to avoid running into him, especially if he knew Eric. “I’m just surprised.”

  “You and me both. So you live here and work in Brunswick?”

  “I grew up in St. Marys and went to school with Eric’s brother Matt. He and my husband were best friends. They served in Iraq together.”

  Landris leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. “I met Eric when I was in college. He’s one of the few pitchers who struck me out more than one time.”

  Faith belatedly remembered the box in her hands and set it on the counter. “I don’t know why I didn’t think of that before. It would be unusual for two professional baseball players around the same age and from the same state not to know each other.”

  “I guess it would. Olivia will be thrilled when I tell her about meeting you.”

  She wondered how he felt about it. He seemed pleased to see her, but she didn’t know him well enough to make a comparison. “I’d love to see her again.” As soon as she said it, she realized she’d put him on the spot.

  He sent her a long, penetrating look from which she couldn’t pull away. “That shouldn’t be difficult to arrange.”

  The door opened, and Eric stuck his head inside. “Sorry to interrupt. I’ve got the chalk marker ready to go.”

  “Coming,” Landris replied, not taking his eyes off Faith. “Are you going to be in here all day?” At her nod, he smiled and pushed away from the wall. “Good. You won’t be hard to find.”

  Faith didn’t have time to recover from the sudden reappearance of someone who should have been forgotten by now. Not two seconds after Landris disappeared through the door, Julie returned with a large package of napkins in her hands.

  “I think this will be enough,” she said, stacking them on the counter. “If not, we’ve got more in the back.” As she filled one of the dispensers, she glanced at Faith. “How do you know Landris?”

  “In a strange turn of events, he and I ended up at the same cabin a few weeks ago.”

  “There’s a first meeting neither of you will ever forget.”

  Faith wouldn’t be forgetting the second meeting either. “That’s for sure. I had no idea he was moving here.”

  “It just goes to show how small the world really is. Did you meet his daughter?”

  Faith nodded. “Olivia’s adorable.”

  “I’ve only seen pictures of her and that was last year when Landris came over for dinner. I assumed his wife had died, but Eric told me later that he’s divorced.”

  “From what I could tell, Olivia’s mother isn’t in the picture.”

  “I picked up on that, too. This is one of those times I wish Eric was more curious about people, but he’s such a private person himself. He won’t ask questions.”

  “It’s probably a defense mechanism for having lived in the public eye for so long.”

  “Could be. Eric’s first wife made sure their marriage and divorce stayed in the tabloids.” Julie pointed to the window. “The players are arriving which means the ticket holders won’t be far behind. Can you put the hotdogs in the warmer? I’ll set up the condiments on the table outside.”

  Over the next half hour, the metal bleachers gradually filled with adults and kids. It wasn’t long before there was a line outside the concession stand. In the few idle moments she had, Faith tried to follow the action on the field. She was aware that the game had started, and even heard Landris’s name a few times; but by the time she got over to the window, whatever he was supposed to have done was long over.

  It seemed ironic that all those feelings of anticipation and excitement that she’d wished to experience with Connor had been awakened by a man she knew almost nothing about. Her mind quickly amended that; she did know some things about Landris. He was a loving father and an affectionate brother. He was also kind to strangers who showed up at his family’s cabin.

  The two days she’d spent there had taken on a dreamlike quality. At times, she could almost believe it never happened. Upon her return, she’d been swept up in committee meetings at the college and assisting Connor with a research project. The reason that had driven her to the mountains in the first place had taken a backseat to those other concerns. But the problem hadn’t gone away; it was out there looming in the distance and would have to be dealt with sooner rather than later.

  When Julie returned from taking Gatorade to the players, she also brought the news that the game was almost over. “Whatever can’t be saved, we’ll give away. Put those hotdogs on buns and wrap them in foil. I’ll bag up the popcorn and boiled peanuts. Immediately following the game, the players line up along the fence for autographs. They won’t leave until every kid that wants one gets one. After that, Eric brings them to the house for a meal.”

  Within seconds of the P.A. announcement about the free food, there was a flurry of activity at the concession stand. It didn’t get quiet again until the players emerged from the dugout. Faith finally located Landris. He was signing a baseball cap for a beaming little boy.

  What had he meant when he said she wouldn’t be hard to find? Was he planning to seek her out? She didn’t need the excitement gathering in the pit of her stomach to know how much she hoped he would. Admitting such a thing - even as a mere thought in her head - was a little scary. It meant leaving the security of indifference and heading into the dangerous waters of interest.

  * * * * *

  By the time Landris finished signing autographs, the window through which he’d kept track of a certain attractive brunette was covered by a roll-top shutter. Much of his motivation for sticking around had been Faith. With her gone, the thought of getting home to Olivia was more appealing. He wasn’t concerned about being able to find Faith again. Julie and Eric could supply that information. What worried him was how much he’d been looking forward to continuing their conversation from earlier.

  Looking around, he spotted Eric coming out of the opposite dugout, a trash bag in his hand. Some things never changed. Baseball players had to be the messiest bunch in sports.

&nbs
p; “Ready for some food?” his friend asked.

  “I was thinking of heading home.”

  “At least get a plate to take with you. There’s pulled pork and ribs.”

  “That’s tempting. I might do that.”

  “If the food’s not tempting enough, I’m sure Faith is still around for you to flirt with.”

  Landris grinned. “You call that flirting?”

  “Nothing else to call it. She never blushes when she talks to me or Matt.”

  When they entered the pool area, groups of men were sitting at tables under the covered portion of the patio. Just to the left at a small circular table sat Faith with Eric’s daughter Nerina on her lap. Julie was opposite her talking to an older woman he didn’t know.

  As Landris followed Eric to where the caterers had set up the food, he knew he wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon. Once he’d gone through the motions of filling a plate, his feet didn’t take him to where the other players were. Instead, he found himself walking in Faith’s direction. It couldn’t have worked out any better. Julie and the other woman were taking Nerina into the house. If he hurried, he could catch Faith before she left, too.

  When he sat down at the empty table next to her, she turned her head and smiled. It was the kind of smile that makes nonsense of a man’s defenses and makes him feel all soft inside. Landris remembered the last time it happened to him: it was when he, Olivia and Faith were baking cookies.

  “Hello, again,” he said. “Did you eat already?”

  “I’m stuffed from snacking in the concession stand. Why do hotdogs always taste so much better at a ballgame?”

  “I think it has something to do with the atmosphere.”

  “I wasn’t able to watch much of the game. How did you do? Did your team win?”

  She was probably asking just to make conversation, but he found her interest pleasing. “We lost five to four. On a happier note, I went two for three against Eric.”