The Only One for Me

by Bridget Anderson

  Corra’s face grew solemn. “Yes, let’s not go there.”

  * * *

  “Woo-hoo! Come on, Jamie!” Corra cheered, then bit her bottom lip as her baby stepped up to bat.

  “Attaboy, Jamie!” Rollin’s deep throaty cheer could be heard above all the parents in attendance. He stood and clapped so hard it hurt Corra’s hands.

  She held her breath as Jamie swung at the ball.

  “Strike.”

  Rollin continued to clap. “That’s okay, we’ll get the next one. Focus on the ball. Come on.”

  “Strike two.”

  Oh, no. Corra crossed her legs and glanced over at Tayler and Katie who sat on the edge of their seats as they cheered Jamie on. His Sunday afternoon games had become a family affair, and Rollin hadn’t missed one yet.

  Jamie tapped his bat against the base before getting into his squat, serious about the next pitch. Corra crossed her fingers.

  The crack of the bat sent Corra to her feet screaming with joy as her baby took off running for first base. The sight of his little legs moving so fast brought tears to her eyes.

  “Run, Jamie, run!” Rollin yelled at the top of his lungs.

  “Run!” everyone screamed.

  When Jamie slid in for a home run Corra just about lost her mind. Being the proud mama she was, she yelled out. “That’s my baby right there.” Before the game was over Jamie scored two more home runs.

  After they won the game, the coach pulled all the boys and their fathers together for a photo. Rollin quickly ran down the benches to take a picture with Jamie. Not every boy on the field had his father at the game, but most of them did. Jamie and Rollin looked like a proud father and son, but they weren’t, and that hurt Corra a little.

  On the way to their usual hot dog stand after every game, Jamie came up to Corra and hugged her.

  “Baby, you were phenomenal today.” Corra stroked his back.

  “Mom, is my daddy ever coming back?” Jamie asked, with a quiver in his voice.

  A lump formed in Corra’s throat, big enough to choke a horse. How long would she keep telling her children their father was working in California, and had to stay for a few years? They coped with the divorce pretty well because they were so young. But what was she doing to Jamie?

  Corra kneeled down to Jamie and smiled. “Honey, you know your daddy’s working in California, but I promise you he’ll be home soon.”

  “Why doesn’t he call us?”

  The sad look in his eyes tore Corra’s heart apart. A few months ago he asked for his daddy, and cried himself to sleep.

  She lowered her head. “Baby—”

  “Your dad asked me to take care of you until he gets back,” Rollin said as he walked up. “Is it okay if Uncle Rollin pitches in for a while?”

  Jamie nodded and stepped back from Corra. She stood up with tears so big she could hardly see her baby.

  “Hey, Jamie, why don’t you go see if your sister wants an ice cream cone. My treat.” Rollin pulled a few bills from his pocket and gave them to Jamie.

  “Okay, thanks.” Wide-eyed, Jamie took off in the direction of his sister and Tayler who were sitting on a bench still eating.

  Corra dug into her purse for a tissue and wiped her eyes. Eric’s absence was getting harder to cover up.

  “Why do you keep telling him that?” Rollin asked.

  “Because one day he’ll be back.”

  “Do you want him back?” Rollin looked a little stunned by her answer.

  She stopped wiping her eyes. “Hell no, I don’t want him back. But right now Jamie needs him in his life. As long as Eric’s parents are here he’ll eventually come back.”

  “You truly don’t know where he is, do you?” Rollin asked.

  “No I don’t.”

  “Well, maybe you should find out for the kids’ sake.”

  She nodded. “I was thinking the same thing when I watched all the fathers and sons gather for pictures. Jamie barely smiled for the picture.”

  “Why don’t you bite the bullet and contact his sister, Cookie? I heard she’s a changed woman now that she’s found religion. I bet she knows how to reach him. He needs to be a father to his children.”

  The tears started again and Corra blotted her eyes. She didn’t like to let the kids see her cry. Rollin was right. She needed a plan to do something she dreaded, but knew she had to do. Find Eric.

  Chapter 6

  Chris tackled Monday morning with a vengeance. The usual 9:00 a.m. webinar with his direct reports went off without a hitch. Afterward, he attended a meeting at the Boyle County Chamber of Commerce. He even managed to squeeze in a conference call on his way back to the office. Terry was still conducting interviews for customer support representatives. By the end of next week, the business would be fully staffed, and Chris could relax a little.

  He spent the afternoon responding to emails and thinking about Corra. Opposite of his desk was a framed poster that he liked to live by. “Truth builds trust.” He hadn’t been totally truthful with Corra about why he hadn’t contacted her.

  It was true, his workload had increased in Philly, but he knew as well as she did that he could have made an effort to see her. He flew back whenever his parents needed him, and she knew that much about him. But the accident had shaken him and made him second-guess his decisions.

  Plus, he’d never been involved with a woman who had children. Corra was the only woman who’d made him want to reconsider his position when it came to children. But, he couldn’t exactly tell her that, so instead he’d stayed away.

  He leaned back in his seat thinking for a minute. If he truly wanted to start a relationship with her he’d have to overcome his apprehension. And he had to end it now.

  He picked up the phone and called Corra on her cell phone.

  “Hello.”

  “Hey, Corra. It’s Chris, were you busy?”

  “I’m closing shop and going over to the house to talk to Tayler. The Color of Success has an event this week that we need to discuss.”

  “How long do you think that’s going to take? Because I’d like to see you this evening. I thought we could take a ride and talk.”

  Silence came from her end. Was she trying to decide if she’d give him a chance or not?

  “A ride where to?” she finally asked.

  “Nowhere in particular. I just want to spend some time with you.”

  “Really?” Corra asked, sounding surprised.

  Chris laughed. “Yes. What time do you think you’ll be finished? I can pick you up.”

  “Don’t bother coming out here. I’ll call the babysitter and you can pick me up at the house. Do you remember where I live?”

  He smiled. “I know exactly where you live. How does seven or seven thirty sound?”

  “Make it seven thirty.”

  “Okay, see you then.” Chris hung up hoping his plan would bring Corra around. She’d seemed rather cool on the phone just now. He wanted to bring fun-loving, laugh-out-loud Corra back. The rest of Chris’s workday was a blur. He ran through everything in anticipation of picking Corra up after work. He didn’t even go home to eat; instead, he grabbed some fast food that would no doubt give him heartburn later.

  At seven thirty on the nose he pulled up in front of Corra’s modest split-level, two-car-garage home. The house had great curb appeal in a family-friendly neighborhood, and conjured up thoughts of a gingerbread house. Several of her neighbors were sitting on their front porches taking in the evening breeze. His hometown had a certain charm that he never found in Philly.

  He turned off the engine and jumped out of the car. To his surprise Corra was already walking down the steps. She waved to her neighbors.

  He walked over to open the door for her. She looked beautiful in
a long sundress with a short jacket. Her toes were painted hot pink in some flat sandals; her purse was slung across her body like the college kids wore theirs.

  “As usual, you look great.” He leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before she could protest.

  “Thank you very much, sir.” She swiveled into the passenger seat.

  “You’re welcome, my lady.” He waited until she had gathered her dress before he closed the door, then walked around to the driver’s side.

  “You ready?” he asked, as he started the car.

  She shrugged. “I don’t know where I’m going, but I trust you won’t take me too far. So, I guess I’m ready.”

  Chris pulled off. He wanted to take Corra to the first place he’d realized he had feelings for her all those years ago. He thought they had an unspoken past that neither of them could have acted on at the time, but he needed confirmation that it wasn’t all in his head.

  “How are things at the bed-and-breakfast?” he asked.

  “Busy,” she replied.

  “The code to download your new software should arrive this week. Of course, I’ll come over to walk you through the setup. I think you’ll be very happy with it.”

  “I hope so.”

  When Chris drove up to their old high school Corra looked over at him. “We’re going to school?”

  “We’re going to practice.” He eased the vehicle to the edge of the parking lot across from the football field and parked. “Come on, let’s watch them practice.”

  After exiting the car, he took hold of Corra’s hand as they walked across the grass to the bleachers. Then he helped her climb the steps before taking a seat. Just watching the team brought back memories of being on the field himself and seeing Corra and her friends in the stands watching them.

  “When’s the last time you played football?” Corra asked.

  Chris leaned back on his elbows. “Whew, it’s been a while. Maybe five years or more. I used to volunteer with the Boys and Girls Club in Philly so I played around with them a bit. But that’s about it. All I do now is watch football.”

  “I bet you could still play!”

  “Oh, I can run the ball, as long as I don’t get tackled. One good hit and I’m out of commission.”

  “Well, I can tell you still work out.”

  Was that a compliment? Maybe she was coming around. “Almost every day. That’s part of my effort to stay in shape. Football or not, I have a business to run.”

  A play on the field caught their attention and Chris stood and applauded. “Nice move.”

  “I remember watching you make moves like that. You were good. I had such a crush on you in high school.” Corra pressed a palm to her forehead and laughed.

  “I’m flattered.” Chris was happy the feeling was mutual. “And I remember looking up in the stands at you and your friends.”

  “But you were watching Josleen. You had a thing for her.”

  Chris sat up. “I wasn’t looking at Josleen, I was looking at you. A couple of times I wanted to take you to a movie or something after the game.”

  Corra grew silent again and looked around before responding. “Then why didn’t you ask?”

  “Come on. You know Rollin would have broken my legs.” Chris leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. “I wanted to ask you to my senior prom too, but I valued my life too much for that.”

  “Rollin wouldn’t have hurt you.”

  “Huh, on the football field Rollin’s a different man. One night after a game a bunch of us went to a party and maybe had a little too much to drink. I mentioned something about going out to his house looking for you. He jacked me up against a wall and told me if I ever so much as looked at you wrong he’d make me regret it.”

  Corra smiled. “He said that?”

  “Yeah. He was looking out for you. At that time I was sowing my wild oats, as they call it. So full of myself that I had to have everyone who wanted a piece of me. Rollin didn’t want you to get caught up in that.”

  Corra kept smiling.

  “But, then you hooked up with Eric.”

  “Oh, we’re back to him. Whatever happened between you two?”

  His dislike for Eric Hayden was not something he wanted to discuss with his ex-wife. “He started dating you.”

  Practice died down so Chris stood up and held his hand out to Corra. “Come on, I have somewhere else I want to take you.”

  Never in a million years would she have imagined that he had a crush on her as well. She was a simple country girl. What had he seen in her then? Now she was a single mother of two, yet he still seemed interested in her.

  They walked back to Chris’s car and he continued to reminisce while he drove around to some of their once popular stomping grounds. Corra continued to laugh and have a good time as he cruised through a park, and by an old ice cream parlor where everybody used to hang out.

  “You know, I can’t remember when I laughed so hard. How do you remember all of that?” she asked.

  “Football didn’t take away my sharp memory. I even remember the first time I kissed you out in the back of the barn.”

  Corra bit her bottom lip. “I wondered if you remembered that. It was the highlight of my freshman year. Even though I believe you actually bumped into me and we accidentally kissed.”

  “That was no accident,” Chris said with a wink.

  Corra smiled and looked out the side window.

  The date ended because Chris had an early meeting the next morning. He drove Corra home and saw a light on in the living room.

  “What time do your kids go to bed?” he asked.

  “Mrs. Baker puts them to bed by nine, so they should be fast asleep.”

  Chris walked her up to the front porch.

  “Thank you, Chris. I enjoyed the evening. It was different. A ride down memory lane.”

  “I hope you don’t mind that we didn’t go anywhere fancy. I just wanted to spend some time with you.”

  She smiled. “It was perfect.” She dug in her purse for her door keys.

  “Uh, I was going to ask if you wanted to—”

  The front door swung open, and two little faces peered out.

  “Why aren’t you in bed?” Corra asked with a hand on her hip.

  The door opened farther and a frustrated looking Mrs. Baker shook her head. “I’ve put them to bed twice now. Every time they hear a car outside they come running down the steps. Quit your gawking, and go on back to bed,” she instructed.

  They couldn’t take their curious little eyes off Chris. Jamie waved and Chris did the same.

  Corra opened the screen door and did the introductions. “Katie and Jamie, you remember Mr. Williams, don’t you? He helped with the fund-raiser last year.”

  Jamie’s eyes widened with recognition. “Hi, Chris,” he said.

  “Hey, Jamie, how you doin’?”

  Jamie didn’t know what to do with his hands as he suddenly held them over his head, and then around himself. Corra rolled her eyes. Why did he get so shy around Chris?

  “Katie, say hello,” Corra instructed her.

  In typical Katie fashion, she held up her hand and stumbled into her brother’s back. Of course, he turned around and pushed her away. Which sent Katie into a whining frenzy.

  Corra stepped inside. “Okay, that’s it, you two, off to bed right now. Jamie, leave your sister alone.” She caught his hand before he grabbed Katie’s hair.

  “She started it,” he exclaimed on his way up the steps.

  Corra turned to Chris. “I’ll be right back.”

  Chris smiled, but kept his distance on the front porch.

  Corra tucked the kids in while Mrs. Baker cleaned up the living-room-turned-playroom. Corra couldn’t help but wonder what
Chris thought about her kids.

  “I’m sorry.” Corra stepped back out onto the porch. “They wanted to see you, and I’m afraid at times Mrs. Baker is no match for them. She’s wonderful with them, but they can be stubborn.”

  Chris turned around with a smile on his face. “Cute kids.”

  “Yeah, wait until you catch them in the light of day, when they have a full tank of gas. Right now they’re operating on fumes, it’s bedtime.”

  “Speaking of which, it’s mine as well.” He licked his lips and boldly took a step closer to Corra. She immediately held out her hand.

  “Good night, Chris.”

  He smiled and absently scratched behind his ear. “Okay, I need to work for it,” he mumbled.

  “What was that?” she asked, knowing full well she heard him.

  He shook his head. “Nothing. Well, thank you for spending the evening with me. I hope this isn’t the last time I see you this week?”

  Corra stepped back inside and turned around. “You know where to find me.”

  Chris backed down the steps. “See you soon.”

  Chapter 7

  Chris walked through the wide central hallway of his fixer-upper and out onto the porch as his father’s car pulled into the driveway. Standing between the four columns and two bronze lions that had survived all these years without being vandalized, he felt a real sense of pride. He wanted to lift his head toward town and say, “look at me now,” to all the naysayers and haters he’d encountered growing up in Danville.

  His father spent many years running errands up to the big house, as it was referred to years ago. But not once had he been invited any farther than the foyer. This was the first time Nathaniel would explore the home he’d admired for so long.

  “I see you brought your tools with you,” Chris said, pointing to the toolbox in his father’s hand.

  “Yeah, I figured you’d need more help than me just looking around the place. I might be able to repair something for you.”

  Chris smiled and patted his father on the back as he stepped up onto the porch. “Thanks, Dad, but I’ve hired a contractor so we’ll let them handle most of the major work.”