Out of My League, Part 3

by Sharon Cummin

  “What about Parker?” my grandma asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

  “What about him?” I asked.

  “He's here,” she said.

  “What does that have to do with me?” I asked.

  “Cassie,” she said.

  “What?” I asked. “How's the baby?”

  “Super cute,” she said.

  “How's Lauren?” I asked.

  “She's doing okay,” she answered. “They said it won't be much longer.”

  She didn't give me a moment before she spoke again.

  “Your parents are really upset, Cassie,” she said. “Your dad was so upset when James asked him not to say anything. They didn't do it to hurt you. Your parents had just found out you were here and heard everything you were going through, so when James asked them to give you some time before telling you, they agreed. James wants you here, Cassie. I hope you don't leave.”

  “You do?” I asked, shocked at her words.

  “Oh, I'd love to have you home,” she said. “I also don't want you anywhere near Jeff. You have a lot of support here. Parker is here too.”

  “Stop mentioning Parker. He has nothing to do with me staying here,” I said.

  “If you say so,” she said, and I could hear the grin through her voice. “Who knows, maybe I'll move here too.”

  “Grandma,” I said in surprise.

  “I mean it,” she said. “I want to spend every minute I have with my kids.”

  “Your kid lives with you,” I said, with a laugh.

  “You know what I mean,” she said. “Don't be a smart ass. Everyone except for your mom and dad are here now. Even if I didn't see you, I knew you were there, but now you're not.”

  “I don't know that I can stay, Grandma,” I said.

  “Think about Jenny, Jeff, and Jake,” she said. “It's not just about you, but you already know that. I'm proud of you, Cassie, so damn proud. Don't be mad at us. You kept something too, and every single one of us forgave you.”

  “I don't know,” I said.

  “Is that really why you're mad?” she asked.

  “Yes,” I said. “I don't know.”

  She didn't say anything back, and I knew she was waiting for me to explain.

  “They're so close,” I said. “Even mom seems close to her.”

  “Your mom feels bad for what she's been through,” she said. “James had your dad, your mom, you, and me. Lauren had a mom that treated her horribly. She had her grandparents. She lost one, and when she lost the other, her mom kicked her out.”

  “I know,” I said.

  “How?” she asked. “Did Lauren tell you?”

  “No,” I answered. “Parker did.”

  “Parker,” she said.

  “Do not start,” I said.

  “Not everyone is Jeff,” she said.

  “Not everyone is a Pirate either, Grandma,” I replied.

  “He's a person, Cassie,” she said, defending him. “He's a good one too.”

  “I'm going to get some sleep,” I said. “The kids are already in bed, and I think I'll join them. Tell James and Sammie I said congratulations, and tell Lance and Lauren as well, once they have theirs. Text me and let me know everything is okay.”

  “I love you, Cassie,” she said.

  “Love you too,” I said.

  I'd just gotten into bed, and my phone dinged. I let out a long breath. Then I reached for it. When I hit the button and saw the message, I burst into laughter and instantly felt so much better.

  Sexy Beast: How's it going?

  Me: Really?

  Sexy Beast: What?

  Me: Everything is okay. Thank you for the laugh, sexy beast.

  Sexy Beast: Oh, no problem. So you talked to your grandma.

  Me: Yes.

  Sexy Beast: Did she talk you into staying?

  I had to change his name. There was no way I could leave it like that. The guys were already having a fit about us being friends. I couldn't have them accidentally seeing my phone with his name like that. All hell would break loose. Just as I hit the button to save the changes, another message came through.

  Parker: I hope she did.

  Me: Aren't you supposed to be asleep?

  Parker: How can I be when my friend is hurting?

  Me: Your friend will be fine. Get some sleep. You need to be rested for tomorrow. Goodnight, sexy beast.

  Parker: I could get used to that. Goodnight!!

  I knew he was trying to get me to respond to him, but I wasn't. He needed sleep, and I wasn't going to be the reason he didn't get it.

  When I woke up the following morning, I had a text from my grandma saying that Lauren had a little girl and that they named her Jessica.

  As hard as it was to do, I stayed home the whole day. Texts came through from every single one of them. James sent them more often than the rest, but I stood strong. What they'd done had hurt me. It wasn't just a little secret. My brother had another sister. That was fucking huge.

  We were in the middle of a game when a message came through from Parker.

  Parker: The game will be on thirty minutes. Will you be watching?

  I couldn't help but smile.

  Me: Since I'm home, not talking to my family, with nothing else to do, I guess I could turn it on. I'm sure Jenny will want to watch you. I'll turn it on for her.

  Parker: Because you have nothing else to do, really? As least she likes me. I think I like her better than I do you.

  Me: That's fine with me. I'll probably watch it with her. What else am I going to do?

  Parker: You're just talking shit because I'm so far away. Just wait until I get home.

  Me: Is that a promise or a threat?

  Parker: You are something else, Woman.

  Me: That's why you love me.

  I hit send. Then I read what I typed. Oh shit! Would he think I meant it? I was just kidding. Damn! I forgot who I was saying that to. How many times had he called me a friend? I began quickly typing before he could reply.

  Me: I didn't mean that. It's just a saying. Shit! I know you don't love me. I'm sorry, Parker. We'll be watching the game. Good luck! Goodbye.

  I made hot dogs. Then I got out chips, popcorn, and peanuts. We put a blanket out on the floor, sat down, and ate while we watched the game. The team did great, and they won by a landslide.

  After the game, one of the reporters was talking to Parker, and I couldn't take my eyes away from the screen. He looked so damn good with sweat still on his forehead and his uniform pants clinging to his ass. He was telling the reporter how good the game had gone when I finally pulled my eyes away from the screen. Then I heard something that had me turning back again.

  “I'd like to say hi to a friend of mine,” he said. “Her name is Jenny.”

  “Did you hear that, Mom?” Jenny yelled, as jumped up and her ketchup, mustard, and chili filled hot dog landed on the carpet, just inches away from the blanket. “Parker just said hi to me.”

  “I did,” I said, as I hurried to get to the hot dog, before it could do too much damage. “That was really nice of him.”

  Once I finally had all of the chili and condiments scrubbed out of the carpet, I grabbed my phone.

  Me: Nice one, Parker.

  It was only about thirty minutes later that I got his reply.

  Parker: What?

  Me: Please tell me it was my daughter you were talking about. If it wasn't, please do not tell her.

  Parker: Told you I liked her better.

  Me: She jumped up from the floor and all around the room.

  Parker: That's good. I'm glad she was happy.

  Me: Good for her. Bad for my carpet. She launched her ketchup, mustard, and chili covered hot dog into the air.

  Parker: She was eating in front of the television?

  Me: We were having a ballpark picnic.

  Parker: See, you do like the game.

  Me: I did it for her.

  Parker: So did I. I could have said your name. Tha
t would have been interesting. You know damn well your entire family was watching that game from their hospital rooms.

  Me: Even if they weren't, Jenny will most definitely let them all know what happened.

  Parker: At least she's not afraid to claim me.

  Me: What?

  Parker: I have to get to the bus. I'm glad she got to see the game. Thank you for letting her watch it. Goodbye, princess.

  What did he mean, I wondered? Was he saying I wouldn't claim him? I most certainly did. I'd admitted to being his friend so many times. Did he think I was embarrassed that we talked? What the hell did his words mean? Neither of us said another word after that, but his words played through my mind for the rest of the day and all night long.

  When I showed up for work the next day, I was shocked to find James sitting at my desk waiting for me.

  “My office,” he snapped out, and I didn't move. “Now!”

  “Go home where you belong,” I said.

  “I said now,” he said.

  “Should a boss really be speaking to his employee that way?” I asked.

  “This is your brother speaking,” he said. “Now get your ass in my office, or the entire company is about to hear a whole lot more than they need.”

  “Fine,” I hissed, as I walked into his office. When he followed me in, he shut the door behind us. “Look, James. I really need this job, just until the divorce is final. I'll do exactly what I'm supposed to do. I won't cause any trouble, I promise. Then I'll pay you back for everything, including the second lawyer, and be on my way.”

  “Enough,” he snapped out loudly.

  I jerked back when he took a step toward me.

  “Sit!” he snapped.

  I instantly did as he demanded. It had been a very long time since I'd seen him the way he was right then. He hadn't even been that pissed when I'd shown up at his house or when I'd told him about Jeff and the divorce.

  “I'm not firing you, Cassie. You actually do an amazing job,” he said, as he sat down in the chair next to me. “I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't. You'd just shown up, after years of not seeing you, with my niece, nephew, and a baby I didn't even know you had, and honestly, you were a total mess. There was no way I could tell you that my loser dad had another child and that Lance was married to her. You didn't tell us about the baby, and we forgave you.”

  “That's different,” I said. “You're close to her. You all are.”

  “She's been through a lot,” he said.

  “That's what I keep hearing,” I said.

  “From who?” he asked.

  I just shook my head.

  “I love you, Cassie,” he said. “You are my sister, and you always will be. Lauren is my sister too, but that doesn't mean I feel any less for you.”

  “Listen, James,” I said.

  “No,” he snapped. “You listen. I love you and those three kids more than you will ever know, and I am begging you to forgive me. I should have told you. I just didn't know how. If you're going to be mad at anyone, it needs to be me and me alone. I asked them to give me time to tell you on my own.”

  “What about Lauren?” I asked.

  “She was hurt that I wouldn't tell you,” he answered. “Thought I was embarrassed of her. Then she let me know how wrong it was for you. Said you deserved to know. You like her, don't you?”

  “Not when I first got here,” I answered, remembering how she'd acted toward me. “She's okay, I guess.”

  “Come on, Cassie,” he said. “Please don't leave.”

  “I need time,” I said. “My world has been turned upside down these past six months. I can't even think straight anymore.”

  “I know,” he said. “I'm so damn sorry I wasn't honest from the beginning. I love you.”

  “Love you too,” I said.

  “You can work here forever,” he said. “I'll leave you alone. Just please think about staying.”

  “How's Sammie and the baby?” I asked.

  “They're both great,” he answered.

  “I want to meet him,” I said. “I want the kids to see him too.”

  I stood up, opened his door, and walked out to my desk, feeling horrible that I wasn't there for him when his son was born like I'd wanted to be. When I sat down, I saw a message and thought it was from Parker, but it wasn't. It was from my grandma.

  Grandma: We're leaving. We all love you, and we will be right there with you when you come to Michigan for the divorce. If you think you'll get by us on that, you won't, so don't bother. That gives you three months to get to forgiving. Love you!

  Reading her message brought a smile to my face. I loved my grandma so much, and I regretted the fact that I'd wasted the little time she'd been there.

  Would I forgive them? Of course I would. That's what you do for family, right?

  Chapter 24

  Parker

  When I'd gone home the night Cassie had found out about Lauren, I took my jeans off and pulled a folded piece of paper from my pocket that I'd totally forgotten about. When I opened it, I laughed. It had a phone number on it with the word grandma above it. She was the glue that held that entire family together. Each of them talked about her like she was the one person they'd love no matter what, and it was true, I'd seen it with my own eyes. She was special to each of them, and they were special to her. She'd take in anyone that one of her own cared about. I'd seen that with Lauren, but more than that, I'd seen it with Lance, Lucy, and their family. If they hadn't told me, I would have thought they were her own flesh and blood. She made it easy to forget that they weren't.

  I grabbed my phone and entered her name and number into my contacts. If she was offering me a spot in her very important group, I was taking it without question, and I was pretty sure I'd also be utilizing her number a lot.

  The next three months were super busy. I talked to Cassie and text her often. I'd even spent time at her place with her and the kids when I didn't have mine. We were friends and nothing more, but I missed her, and she missed me too. She never said it, and neither did I. Each time I left, she'd ask when I'd be back, but that was it. We were definitely getting closer. She'd say we weren't, but she'd be full of shit. If I went a whole day without communicating with her, I'd get a worried message, and then I'd answer, to put her mind at ease.

  Cassie was talking to her family again, all of them, including Lauren a bit. Things weren't perfect, but they were getting better. The kids were still in daycare, and Sammie hadn't picked them up once since she'd had the baby. She'd offered, but Cassie wasn't having it. It was her job to take care of her kids. I'd offered to help. I'd even asked if I could take them to play ball, but I always got the same answer Sammie did. I was proud of Cassie and the amazing mom she was, but her stubbornness drove me so damn crazy.

  I was sitting in a team meeting, and I felt the vibration of my phone in my pocket. When I took it out and read the message, I replied without thinking.

  Princess: I'm selling the vacation home.

  Me: Are you sure?

  Just as I stuck the phone back into my pocket, I felt it vibrate again.

  Princess: What? Do you want me gone?

  Shit! I was trying to concentrate on the coach, and I hadn't taken the time to think about my damn words. Of course I didn't want her gone. I just didn't want her to stay and end up regretting it later.

  Me: That's not what I meant. It's just, if you stay, I want it to be because that's what you want.

  Princess: It's fine. You're right. I'll think on it some more.

  Fuck! I shoved my phone back in my pocket.

  “Right, Parker?” I heard the coach ask.

  Shit! I'd totally missed what he'd just said and had to ask him to repeat it, which earned me a very dirty look.

  As soon as the meeting was over, I pulled my phone back out and hit the call button next to her name, but she didn't answer. I wasn't home and wouldn't be for a few days. What was even worse was that her divorce would be final by the time I got back to Pennsyl
vania, and I didn't want to wait that damn long to talk to her, not at all.

  When Cassie didn't answer, I pulled up my messages and sent one to the only person I could talk to about her, her grandma. I'd used the number she'd given me right away and had been using it ever since too. The more we talked or text, the more I got it. She was definitely the glue, and she was amazing. She loved every person she considered family with all of her heart, and she was hilarious too. She'd even text after games to either tell me congratulations or to give me shit about the mistakes I'd made. That woman paid attention.

  Me: I messed up.

  It didn't take long for me to get a reply.

  Grandma: What did you do now?

  Me: You know how she is, right?

  Grandma: I do. She's just like the rest of the stubborn bunch, but what did you do?

  My next text explained exactly what had happened while we were sending each other messages during my meeting.

  Grandma: So, just because you asked if she was sure, she thinks you don't want her.

  Me: Yes.

  Grandma: Now she won't answer the phone so you can explain.

  Me: Exactly. The damn woman would change her mind and move just to prove something to me.

  Grandma: You do know her family, right?

  Me: Yes.

  Grandma: Just give her time, Parker. Don't give up on her. Tell her how you really feel. Type that shit out if that's what it takes. You know she'll read it, even if she doesn't answer.

  I was walking through the hall, toward my room, and when I didn't reply right away, she sent another message.

  Grandma: How do you feel, Parker?

  A second ding came right after the first.

  Grandma: About my girl?

  Me: I don't know.

  Grandma: You like her as more than a friend, don't you?

  Me: I'm not sure.

  Grandma: How can you not know after all this time?

  When I didn't reply, she got me again, except the next text had my emotions going wild.