Clutch Player

by Ash, Nikki

  “You’re such a perv.” She pushes my chest playfully. “Let’s get cleaned up before the paint dries.”

  Lifting her off the sink, I carry her into the shower and set her down under the spray of hot water. Grabbing the loofah she has hanging, I squirt some body wash onto it and then get to work scrubbing the paint off her body. I start with her face and move down her neck. When I get to her luscious tits, I give them extra special attention to make sure every spec has been removed. I quickly scrub her belly, so I can move on to the main attraction.

  When I bend so I’m parallel with her perfectly trimmed pussy, she tries to close her legs, but I shake my head. “Open,” I command, and she obeys. I scrub the streaks of green and orange paint off her inner thighs, then work my way up, until I’m gently scrubbing her pussy.

  “I’m pretty sure there’s no paint in there,” she says with sass, glancing down. One corner of her mouth is pulled into a knowing smirk.

  “Doesn’t hurt to double-check.” I shrug.

  “My turn,” she says, grabbing the loofah and backing up. I pout, annoyed I didn’t get more time with her pussy, but still stand so she can scrub me.

  As she runs the loofah all over my body, scrubbing certain areas harder than others, I take a moment to look at Harper. I never imagined in a million years she would ever come back into my life, but here she is, standing in the shower with me. I know we have a lot to talk about, and we’ve only just reconnected, but I’m going to make damn sure she never walks away from me again.

  Once we’re both cleaned up—her in new clothes and me in my boxers while she washes my paint-covered clothes—we spread the Chinese I brought across the coffee table and sit on the floor across from each other.

  “All right, now talk to me,” I say, taking a bite of my chicken lo mein.

  She sighs. “After we broke up, I was feeling down, so Melissa and Angela dragged me to a college party for Halloween. It was at Richie’s—I mean, Richard’s fraternity.”

  I’m about to take another bite of my food, but when she mentions Melissa’s name, I drop my fork and it clatters against the plate. I haven’t heard that name in years.

  “Melissa wanted me to let loose,” she continues. “I had a couple drinks, and Richard and I were dancing and…” She shakes her head. “This is going to sound so stupid.”

  “No, it’s not.” I swallow the lump in my throat. “Whatever it is, it’s okay.” I move around the coffee table to sit next to her, so I can comfort her.

  “I thought he was you,” she says, sniffling. “When we hooked up, I thought it was you.” Her body racks with sobs, and I pull her into my lap. “Melissa… she—”

  Fuck, I can’t do this. I can’t sit here and listen to this. Any of this.

  “I don’t care,” I tell her, cutting her off. “I don’t care what happened or how it happened. It’s in the past.” I lift her chin so she’ll look at me. “I don’t want to dwell on the past. It can’t be changed, no matter how much we wish it could be.” I kiss her lips and then pull back. “I just want to live in the moment with you.”

  She nods her understanding, but then says, “That’s the problem.” She closes her eyes briefly to collect herself. “If I could change it, I wouldn’t. It gave me Hunter and Ella, and…” Fresh tears fill her gorgeous green eyes.

  “Hey, hey, stop crying.” I run my thumb under each of her eyes. “I get it. They’re your world. It’s okay.” I turn her so her legs are wrapped around my waist. “Choosing to leave you to go to Salem was the hardest decision I’ve ever made. I’d like to say if I could do it over again, I wouldn’t have left. I would’ve stayed with you and we would’ve lived happily ever after. But the truth is, we don’t know what would’ve happened if I had stayed. Maybe we would’ve made it, maybe not. But looking back and thinking about what-ifs is pointless. I did leave, and you got pregnant and then married, and later, divorced. But the roads we took led us to right here, right now, and that’s what we have to focus on.”

  “Okay.” She nods. “You’re right.”

  “I have a question for you,” I say, needing to know the answer before we can go any further. “Do you see a future with Richie?”

  “No.” She scoffs. “I care about him as my children’s father, but that’s it.”

  My heart constricts at her words. I would give anything to have been the one to give her children, but I meant what I said. We can’t go back. And as much as I hate the idea of Harper caring about Richie in any way, the fact she does care about him speaks volumes about the person she is. It also reminds me that in order to have any future with Harper, I’m going to have to accept Richie will always be in her life through their children. She already mentioned before she’s worried he might try to fuck shit up, and I saw the way he acted when he was with her to pick up Hunter from camp. So I already know if I’m going to have a chance with Harper, I’m going to have to be the bigger man. That’s if she wants a future with me…

  “Can you see a future with me?”

  Her eyes widen. “Like as a couple?”

  “Yes.” I laugh. “As a couple.”

  “I just thought…” Her cheeks turn a light pink. Is she embarrassed?

  “You just thought what?”

  “I don’t know.” She shrugs. “I guess I thought we were just having fun. Like friends with benefits or whatever the kids are calling it these days.”

  Is she fucking crazy?

  “Did you not listen to what I said outside your window the other night?”

  “Yeah. We talked about getting to know each other again, but I didn’t think you were interested in anything serious. You deserve better than me, Landon. You deserve to have your own family. If you’re with me, you’ll be reminded every day of what I did to us all those years ago.”

  “I think I need to make something clear right now.” I look into her eyes so she understands how serious I am. “I could never have meaningless sex with you. I’ve been thinking about you for the last twelve years, and when you walked into that restaurant… Fuck, I’m gonna sound like a wuss, but I don’t even care. It was fate.”

  I cup her soft cheek with my palm. “I’m not saying it’s going to be easy or that it’ll be perfect. No, I’ve never been around kids other than helping them play baseball or when my niece is making me play dolls with her. But I want you, Harper, and everyone who comes with you. You’ve got to stop feeling bad about the past. We were young. Shit happened. You can’t change it, and you wouldn’t, because like you said, it led you to having those two amazing kids. We might’ve lost the last twelve years, but if we start right now, we can still have a good sixty together.”

  She releases a sob. “Oh, Landon.” She throws her arms around my neck and burrows her face into my shoulder. “I want that. You don’t know how bad I want that.”

  I exhale a deep sigh of relief. “Then we can have it.”

  Twenty-One

  Harper

  “I’ll take an iced Caramel Macchiato, please,” I tell the barista before turning to Bridget. “What would you like?”

  “Oh, I’ll get it.” She waves me off.

  “Nope, it’s my treat,” I insist. “You are kind of the reason Landon and I are getting our second chance. The least I can do is buy you a drink.”

  “Chocolate milk, please!” Eleanor begs.

  “Yes! Chocolate milk,” Elizabeth agrees.

  “Two chocolate milks,” I say to the barista. “And what would you like?” I ask Bridget again.

  “I’ll have an iced Caramel Macchiato as well,” she says, “but can you make mine half-decaf, please?”

  The barista nods and adds her drink. I scan my card and pay and then we find a seat. The twins run over to the kiddie area the coffee shop has so they can color a picture.

  “So, half-decaf, huh?” I smirk.

  “What?” She laughs.

  “How far along are you?” I’ve known Bridget long enough to know there’s no way she would drink decaf unless there’s
a reason.

  “Six weeks.” She beams. “I have a doctor’s appointment in two weeks.”

  “Congratulations!” I reach over and give my friend a hug.

  “Thank you.”

  The barista calls my name and I grab our drinks, bringing the girls over their milks before sitting back down with Bridget. “So, is Simon ecstatic?”

  “Of course! He was counting down the days until I would give him the go ahead to knock me up again.” She giggles. “I was only off the pill for a couple weeks and it happened. Now he’s swearing he has super sperm.” She rolls her eyes.

  “That reminds me I need to make my appointment.” I pull up my calendar to set a reminder to call my gynecologist’s office.

  “Especially since you’re finally getting laid again.” Bridget waggles her eyebrows. “Your text was too vague. I need more details.” She leans forward, her eyes going wide in mock seriousness. “Are you two a couple now?”

  “We’re taking it one day at a time.” I take a sip of my much needed caffeinated drink. Landon and I were up until way too late talking and making love, and then Bridget was calling at six in the morning begging me to join her for some yoga.

  “Are you going to tell the kids?” she asks. “You know Hunter will be excited. He thinks Landon walks on water.”

  “We’re going to hang out with them today after camp. Landon’s offered to show me how to play baseball so I can try to connect more with Hunter since Richard’s too busy to help him. I want him to know at least one of his parents cares.”

  “You’re going to play baseball?” Bridget cracks up. “Oh, I have to be there to see this for myself.”

  “No way! Not happening.” I huff in annoyance.

  “Oh, yes, it’s definitely happening. I can’t believe Landon is going to let you swing a bat and throw a ball.” She snorts out a laugh.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Harper, you are without a doubt the most clumsy person I know.” When I open my mouth to defend myself, she raises her hand. “I’m not saying it’s a bad thing… but you and baseball…” She shakes her head as she pulls out her phone.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Texting Simon to tell him to meet us at the field.”

  “Bridget!” I try to grab her phone, but she pulls it back.

  “This is going to be fun.” She laughs. “And I’ll get to see you and Landon together!” She squeals, clapping her hands while I bury my face in my hands and groan, wondering what the heck I was thinking asking Landon to help me and then telling Bridget. She’s right. There’s no way this is going to go over well.

  After our yoga class, Bridget heads home to give the girls a nap and I go home so I can shower and change. I spend a couple hours working on some lesson plans. I still have several more weeks until school starts, but I don’t want to wait until the last minute.

  Before I know it, it’s time to grab Ella from camp. When she sees me, she comes running over with the biggest grin on her face. “Guess what?”

  “What?” I ask, handing her her flip-flops so she can slip them on. Since we’re meeting Landon at the park to practice, he said he would keep Hunter with him until we get there, which means I don’t have to rush.

  “For the end of the camp talent show, they’re having me do my own balance beam routine.” She jumps up and down. “And I get to make it up myself!”

  “Wow! That’s awesome.” Ella started in gymnastics when she was three years old. Well, it was more like tumbling at the time. She loved it and has been going full-time ever since. Between her gymnastics and Hunter’s baseball, they keep me busy, but I love that they’re both so passionate about something. It reminds me of my love for art. My mom was too busy providing for us to really help me pursue anything related to art, which is why I try to make sure no matter how crazy our life gets, Hunter and Ella are able to do so.

  “Did you have fun with Madeline?” I ask as we drive over to the baseball field.

  “Yeah, Aunt Renee made us popcorn and we watched McKenna.”

  “Again?” I laugh. McKenna is an American Girl who does gymnastics. My daughter has watched the movie no less than two dozen times.

  “I love it.” She shrugs.

  We pull up to the field, but instead of going through the car line, I park.

  “Why are we getting out?” she asks, scrunching her nose up.

  “My friend Landon has offered to show me how to play baseball so I can practice with Hunter.”

  Ella looks horrified. “Why?”

  “Because he likes to practice… Just like when I help you with your routines.”

  “But it’s hot outside.” She blinks rapidly. My daughter is one hundred percent girly girl.

  “You can hang out in the dugout,” I suggest. “Or you can practice your routine in the grass.”

  “Ugh, fine.”

  We find Landon, Brendan, and Hunter near the field. When we walk up, Hunter is asking Landon questions about baseball, and Landon is answering him.

  “Hey!” I give Hunter a half hug. He cringes, embarrassed, but lets it happen. Landon notices and grins. “So, what’s first? Batting or pitching? Or should you first show me how to catch?”

  Hunter groans. “Mom, what are you talking about?”

  “Landon is going to show me some moves so you and I can practice at home.” So when you ask your dad to help you and he bails, I can offer and not look like an idiot, I think to myself but don’t say aloud.

  “What?” Hunter gasps. “Mom, you can’t play baseball.”

  “Well, neither could you until you did,” I argue, kind of offended.

  “C’mon, it’ll be funny,” Landon says. “I mean fun.” Hunter, Brendan, and Ella all laugh, and I glare. Landon just winks.

  “All right, what should we work on first?” Landon asks the boys.

  “I can work on my pitching while she bats.” Hunter shrugs. “Brendan, you can go in the outfield to catch the ball, in case she actually hits it.”

  “Actually?” I scoff. “Just for that I’m going to knock the ball out of the park.”

  The boys laugh.

  Ella runs to the side of the field and starts working on her routine, while Hunter heads to the pitching mound, and Brendan runs out a little ways behind him.

  Landon takes my hand in his and guides me to where a bunch of bats are leaning against the chain-link fence. “Here, put this on.” He lifts a helmet over my head.

  “Umm… no.” I shake my head. I just did my hair, and if I put that helmet over it, it will ruin it. “I’m good.”

  Landon chuckles. “Until a ball smacks you in the side of the face and knocks you out.” Well, when he puts it that way…

  “Fine.” I roll my eyes as he places the helmet on my head. It’s heavy and my head falls to one side. When I try to right it, it falls to the other. “This is heavy,” I whine.

  Landon laughs. “You’re so damn adorable, Harp.” He glances toward the field then surprises the hell out of me when he leans in, and with both his hands holding on to the sides of my face, quickly kisses me. “Sorry, I had to,” he murmurs. “No one was looking.”

  “Mom, Landon, c’mon,” Hunter yells.

  “Thank you for doing this. I tried to ask Hunter to show me before, but he wasn’t having it. But since you’re doing it…” I roll my eyes playfully. “I guess it’s okay.”

  “You don’t have to thank me. Whatever you need, I’m here.” He taps the end of my nose with his fingertip. “It’ll be fun.”

  Pointing to the bats, he says, “Grab one,” then heads out of the dugout, toward home plate.

  “All right, I’m going to show your mom how to bat,” Landon says to Hunter. “Go easy on her.”

  Hunter laughs. “I’ll try.”

  I grab a bat and step onto the home plate. Landon stands behind me, and wrapping his arms around me, shows me how to hold the bat. It shouldn’t be sexual, especially with my children right here, but the way his groin
rubs against my backside, and the way his strong arms envelop me from behind, has me wanting to turn around and attack him.

  “Put this hand here.” He places his hand over mine and glides our hands down the bat. “And this one here.” He does the same thing with my other hand, and I swallow thickly, trying to ignore the way my body is reacting to his touch. “Your knees should be slightly bent and your toes should be pointed toward the plate.”

  I do as he says.

  “Good, now spread your legs just a little more so they’re wider than your shoulders.”

  When I spread them, trying to figure out what he means, he chuckles into my ear. Then letting go of my hands, he bends and wraps his hands around my ankle. “Like this.” He moves my right foot back a little bit. As he stands, his fingers graze the side of my leg and a shiver runs up my spine. He’s totally doing this on purpose.

  “Stop it,” I hiss noncommittally.

  “I’m not doing anything.” He chuckles, knowing exactly what he’s doing. “Hunter, you ready?” he shouts.

  “Yep.”

  “When you see the ball get close, swing,” Landon instructs.

  Hunter throws the ball, but the second I see it coming for me, instinctually I shy away and jump back. My butt hits Landon’s front and he grips my hips, saving us both from falling over.

  “Looks like we’re here just in time!” Bridget laughs, holding each of the twins’ hands. They spot Ella, who is now using the white chalk line drawn onto the grass as a balance beam, and go running toward her.

  “Great, an audience,” I grumble.

  “You got this,” Landon says, helping me set up the bat again. “The ball can’t hurt you. Just swing with everything in you.”

  Hunter throws the ball, and I do as Landon said, swinging the bat as hard as I can. Not realizing how heavy it is, my entire body ends up swinging around with the bat. Landon jumps back just before it whacks him in the shoulder.

  “Whoa! Sorry!” I drop the bat. “Are you okay?”

  I can hear the peals of laughter around me, but I focus on Landon, who looks to be torn between laughing and running for his life. “I’m all right,” he says. “This time, I’m going to stand back.”