by Mae Nunn
“I have some vacation days on the books. I suppose I can ask the boss to give me one on short notice.”
“Attagirl!”
A smile of pleasure spread from one corner of Cullen’s kissable lips to the other. He reached across the space between their two chairs, caught Sarah’s hand and squeezed it. The gesture was filled with silent promise, even if it did only last a second or two.
“I saw that,” Carrie grumbled.
“Good,” Cullen responded. “Get used to it.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
DON’T EXPECT TO fall in love with your partner’s children overnight. Get to know them. Love and affection take time to develop. Insist on respect. You can’t make people like each other, but you can require that they treat one another with respect.
Judging from the second point on his list, Cullen was holding his own. He was getting acquainted with the girls individually and was confident that the affection between them was the real deal. For the most part they showed him respect but they sniped at one another regularly, in spite of their mother’s warnings. The book said he shouldn’t intrude on Sarah’s efforts to discipline her kids, but it was hard to keep his mouth shut.
The trip to Six Flags today would be the baseline test of how they might behave as a family. Cullen pulled the Explorer to a stop outside their apartment building, flipped down the visor and checked his teeth for signs of this morning’s spinach omelet. Satisfied he was looking his best, he tugged on his favorite old Texas Rangers baseball cap, blew out an anxious breath and loped up the path in comfy sneakers.
“Let’s go!” Sarah’s command reverberated from behind the closed door.
He checked his watch. Not quite seven o’clock in the morning and the shouting had already begun. But to be fair, their raised voices had nothing to do with anger and everything to do with being heard. It seemed in their family, the one who talked the loudest was the winner. Unlike the males he’d grown up with, who’d settled disputes with their bare knuckles, the weapon of choice for these females appeared to be the decibel level.
“Mama said, ‘Let’s go!’” Hope followed her mother’s lead, calling her sisters at the top of her voice.
Cullen smiled, shrugged off the fight or flight instinct that threatened and knocked on the door, hard so they’d hear him.
“Good morning!” Hope greeted him with a grape-jelly-smeared smile and a sticky-fingered hug.
“Is everybody ready to go? We should get on the road.”
“Carrie’s being a butthead.”
“Do you kiss your mama with that mouth?”
“Huh?”
“That’s ugly language for such a pretty little girl. You shouldn’t call your sister bad names.”
“She calls me a stupid baby,” Hope countered.
“Which is wrong since you’re really a smart young lady.”
“But she’s really a butthead.”
“Hope, watch your mouth,” Sarah instructed her youngest as she pulled Hope out of the doorway to let Cullen enter.
“Difficult morning?” he asked as he stepped into the family room where a pizza box might have exploded the night before.
“Normal actually. Please excuse the mess. I worked late so I could take today off. Carrie ordered pizza delivery for dinner, and by the time I got home it was late and I was too tired to clean up.”
“I wish you’d called me, Sarah. I was home at my desk all evening. I could have taken them for a bite to eat and brought some dinner by the office for you.”
“I’ll keep that in mind if you’re still speaking to me after today.”
Carrie and Meg appeared, but grudgingly so, eyes still half-closed. The family made their way to the SUV and the girls climbed in back.
“I’m tired,” Carrie moaned.
“Me, too, and sleep deprivation has terrible effects on the cerebellum,” Meg advised. “Research shows it causes death in lab animals.”
“Since your cerebellum is about the size of a rat’s, you should definitely be worried,” Carrie sneered.
“You can all sleep during the drive over and when we get there this bellyaching comes to a grinding halt. Do I make myself clear? Otherwise, you’re going to sit in the shade all day while Cullen and I enjoy the rides.”
“Mama, how long will it take to get there?” Hope asked.
“A few hours so y’all should be rested and in a fine mood when we arrive at the park,” Sarah replied.
“From your lips to God’s ear,” Cullen muttered.
“What does that mean?” Hope asked.
“It means lean your seat back and take a nap so your mama and I can visit.”
Thankfully, all three were down for the count before Cullen made it to the interstate and pointed the Explorer toward Arlington. He adjusted his rearview mirror, checked for three pairs of closed eyes in the seat behind him and then reached across the console to take Sarah’s hand. She laced her fingers with his as naturally as if they’d done it for years.
“Thanks for working this all out. I imagine it’s not a simple matter to get away from an attorney’s office in the middle of the week.”
“I had to juggle a few things around, but otherwise it wasn’t a big deal.”
“I would have taken them by myself.”
When she didn’t respond he glanced over to see Sarah pressing her lips tightly to hold in a chuckle.
“You think that’s funny, huh?” He squeezed her hand.
A sweet smile spread across her face, curving the freckles on her cheeks upward toward her eyes, which were the color of Texas bluebonnets this morning.
“I think it’s brave that you’d offer to spend a day by yourself with my girls.”
“I’d have found myself a bodyguard.”
“I’m happy to fill that role.”
“Do you mind if I turn the radio on?”
“Please do.” She slanted her eyes to check the huddle of sleeping females behind them.
Cullen released Sarah’s hand long enough to find George Strait on a classic country station, then resumed their handholding and enjoyed the trip with his favorite crooner and best girls along for the ride.
* * *
“ONE MORE ROLLER coaster and my eyeballs are gonna pop out of my head,” Cullen insisted.
“That last one was a doozie,” Sarah agreed.
“You said Meg was afraid of heights.”
“I guess she’s gotten over it because she hopped right onto Dive Bomber Alley as if she had good sense.”
“I hopped on, too, but that guy at the end of the track had to pull me off. My legs were Jell-O.”
He caught her hand but Sarah wasn’t sure if it was to pull her close or to steady himself. She was fine with it either way. His low-key displays of affection had been steady throughout the day. Once the girls got past the giggling and pointing they didn’t seem to mind.
“There was a time when my stamina was off the charts. An all-day baseball tournament was no hill for a stepper like me. Boy, that’s changed.”
He wagged his head at the memory. Dark curls in need of a trim poked from beneath the cap he wore in faithful support of his team.
“In those days I could play centerfield in the heat for hours and still hit the dance floor that night.”
“You dance?”
“Does a coyote howl at the moon? What boy from East Texas can’t at least two-step?”
“Joe.”
“How long since you’ve been on a dance floor?”
“My wedding day, and then it was only for a few painful minutes. Poor Joe was born with two left feet.”
“Pretty lady, we’re gonna fix that real soon. But for now—”
Cullen stepped back, stretched her hand above her head a
nd twirled her until she fell dizzy and laughing into his arms.
“Just what I needed today, another head spin.”
“Today seems to be what your girls needed, too.”
“That’s an accurate observation. It was nice for them to release all their bottled-up summer energy on something besides one another. I’m not used to all this sniping and name calling and it’s wearing me out.”
“So, that’s not standard behavior at your house?”
“Heck, no!”
Did he believe she’d always allowed them to talk to one another as if they were the Hatfields and McCoys?
“Now, don’t get me wrong, they’re sisters and the tongue of a sibling can cut deeper and faster than a Ginsu knife. You should understand that after growing up with three brothers.”
“That wasn’t my experience, though. We didn’t settle our issues with insults and eye rolls. We took it to the boxing ring or the batting cage. Popping a jaw or a fast ball always makes a guy feel better.”
“I like the sound of those options. Maybe I should get the girls into a gym and let them duke it out.”
“Or sign them up for a softball league and let them battle it out with others their age on the diamond.”
“Did I hear someone say diamond?” Carrie approached, catching the tail end of their conversation. “Holding hands is one thing but don’t you think it’s too soon for a diamond?”
“Baseball diamond,” Cullen corrected.
“Why do they call it that?” Hope wanted to know.
“Baseball is played on a field that’s called a diamond because of the way it’s shaped.”
“I like baseball,” Meg chimed in.
“You do?” This was news to Sarah, but then Meg was a constant source of news flashes.
“What makes you say that, Meg?” Cullen guided the conversation as Sarah steered them all to the next waiting line.
“There aren’t as many contact injuries in baseball as there are in football and soccer.”
“That’s an excellent point,” Cullen agreed.
“And the uniforms are really cute,” Meg added with a grin.
“And all the guys hang out at the ballpark in the summer,” Carrie mused.
“Would you girls be interested in playing ball?”
“Me, too?” Hope bounced up and down on her toes, reminding Cullen of Rocket at dinner time.
“You’re too little and dumb.” Carrie dismissed her baby sister.
“Am not!” Hope’s heels dug into the ground to make her point, then turned pleading eyes to Cullen. “Can I play, too?”
“Of course you can. Carrie’s yankin’ your chain.” Cullen glared at Carrie as he reassured Hope. “There’s a game level for every age and the earlier you start the better.”
“Could we really get on a team?” Meg’s voice was hopeful.
“Sure. But you have to learn the basics about the game first, and if you’re willing to cooperate with me and with one another I can teach you.”
“Mama, Cullen says he’ll teach us.” Hope was bouncing again.
“Under the condition that all three of you participate and that you show respect for one another. That’s how athletes are expected to behave,” Cullen said.
“What about the players on TV who get into big fights on the field?”
“Sometimes emotions get heated, but you have to understand that hundreds of games are played in a season and it’s rare for a ruckus to break out.”
They reached the front of the line for the next ride. The girls were herded into a half-moon-shaped vehicle, secured by a bar across their laps and reminded to keep their hands inside the car. Then off they flew out of sight, echoes of nervous squeals trailing behind them.
“Why don’t we pass on this one and meet them at the other end?” Sarah offered.
Cullen was quick to step out of the line and allow the folks behind them to pass.
“I’m fine with that,” he agreed, and pulled Sarah along toward the exit area for the Tilt-A-Whirl.
“Cullen, you just offered to take on a big commitment with the girls for the rest of the summer. Wouldn’t you like a few days to think this over?”
“I admit it was a spur of the moment idea, but I have a lot of experience in the sport and it’ll be fun for all of us.”
“Are you sure you have the time and the patience for this project?”
“You let me worry about those things. Besides, the book says we should experience real life together, and playing on a team is more similar to real life than a day at an amusement park.”
“What book?”
“Um, I’ll fill you in on that some other day. Here come the girls, and your purple-haired daughter looks like she might hurl. How funny is that?”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
GIVE AS MUCH one-on-one time, love and affection to your new partner’s kids as possible. Consider it making small investments that may one day yield a lot of interest.
During their drive home from Six Flags, Cullen had considered that advice over and over again. There was a strong nudging in his spirit to invest a heavy dose of Temple male influence in Sarah’s daughters.
She’d mentioned wanting a day on her own to shop and run errands. It was the perfect opportunity, so he’d offered to take the girls on Saturday.
She’d agreed, and here he was on a sweltering summer morning teaching Carrie, Meg and Hope about baseball with Rocket in tow while Sarah and her mother had a ladies’ day together.
When it got entirely too hot outside, Cullen moved the girls to the indoor batting cages for some relief from the sun.
“Now, the most important thing to remember is to keep your eye on the ball. With practice you’ll start to swing where you’re looking and the bat will connect with the ball every time.”
“I’m gonna knock one over the fence!” Hope insisted.
“Honey, that would be quite an accomplishment since you’re in a cage, but you stay positive and you’ll get plenty of chances during a real game.”
“When will it be my turn?” Meg asked. Her patience had just about run out as she’d waited for him to get Carrie and then Hope set up with individual slow-pitch machines.
“Come with me and we’ll get you into the next open spot.”
She followed dutifully with Rocket at her heels. All three girls were tired and quiet from their morning of practicing the basics in the park before making the trip to the local hitting academy. Meg had a natural stance with a bat on her shoulder and Cullen was excited to see her take a few promising swings.
She’d just gotten into the rhythm of the mechanical pitcher when a male voice rumbled, “Is that you, Temple?”
“Depends on who’s asking,” Cullen responded, already certain of the answer.
“I’m not surprised you don’t remember since you haven’t been in this place for about twenty years.”
“Coach Uprichard, how the heck are you?”
The two grasped hands, stepped into a man-hug and did some serious backslapping. Coach had been exaggerating about how long it had been, but Cullen honestly couldn’t remember the last time he’d made contact with a fast ball.
“I’m well,” Coach answered. “Doing a little reconnaissance to make sure my team is keeping up with their practice routine during the summer.”
“Some things never change.”
“That’s the pot calling the kettle black. Manuela tells me you’re still single after all these years on that campus with a thousand women to choose from. Finding a wife should be as easy as shootin’ fish in a barrel.”
Manuela Uprichard taught in the chemistry department and they ran into each other now and again at university functions.
“At my age it would be less like fishin’ and
more like cradle robbin’. I doubt their East Texas mamas would approve since they expected their daughters to get more out of college than a ‘Mrs.’ before their name these days.”
Coach chuckled and nodded toward the cages where Sarah’s girls were swinging a lot more than they were connecting.
“Since I’m fairly certain they’re not yours, what are you doing in here with the three young’uns? And a dog to boot!”
“Something of an experiment,” Cullen explained as he stooped to scratch Rocket behind the ears.
Coach Uprichard’s brow furrowed, a question in his eyes.
“This little guy is mine but the girls are the daughters of a good friend. I’m hoping that learning a team sport will wear them out a little bit and help ease their constant bickering.”
“Would that friend happen to be a single female?” Coach nudged his elbow against Cullen’s sleeve.
“Yes, she is,” Cullen admitted
“Seems you’re workin’ pretty hard to get into the lady’s good graces.”
“Scoring brownie points never hurts, but mostly I wanted to see if the girls would take to baseball the same way my brothers and I did at their ages.”
“That’s an admirable thing for you to do, Temple. As we both know from experience, getting kids involved early can create a love for the game that will last a lifetime.”
“That’s what I’m hoping, Coach. They’re catching on fast, especially for girls.”
“Don’t underestimate the potential of female ball players. If you end up volunteering in one of their leagues you’ll find out they’re every bit as aggressive and competitive as the boys.”
Cullen conjured up a mental picture of himself as the third base coach waving Meg into home. Or teaching Carrie the fine points of windmill pitching. Or sitting next to Sarah behind home plate, cheering on little Hope as she dashed to beat the tag at first.
“I’ve never given much consideration to helping out with one of the rec leagues but I have to say the idea is appealing.”
“Give these girls a day or two for the muscle aches to set in and then you’ll find out whether or not they’ve got the chops to join a recreational team.”
