Rounding the Bases by Jaqueline Snowe

Chapter Seventeen

Sarah

This was a dumb idea.

I pretended to study something in the distance, but really, I was staring at Brigham’s nice polo shirt and khaki shorts. He looked nice. Delicious, sure, but professional and handsome and why did I think this was a good idea?

“Any particular reason you’re staring at me?” he asked, smirking and reaching out to grab my hand. We were walking to meet up with my parents for lunch. It was ridiculous to feel this nervous. Sure, we’d been hanging out for five weeks now, saw each other every day he wasn’t out of town, and the adoptathon was the following Saturday.

“Uh, nope.”

“Liar.”

“Okay, fine. I’m nervous. My parents are…hard to like. You’re…all sports and they are academics. The fact that I dropped out of college was enough to have them disown me.” I tried tugging my hand away, but it had the reverse effect. He laughed and pulled me toward him. “Stop wooing me with your devilish eyes and stop smiling at me!”

“Wooing you?” he repeated, his smiling growing. “God, you’re cute. I’m smiling because this is the first time, ever, someone is actually embarrassed by what I do. Most people, women or men, can’t wait to show me off. This is so refreshing, honestly. My sister will die when I tell her.”

“I’m not embarrassed by you!”

“I know,” he said softly. “I meant my profession is making you nervous instead of giving you a bragging point. Tell me. If I were a professor of econ or something, would you be this nervous?”

“If you wore sweaters with elbow patches, then no.”

“See?” He grinned again. “My profession is what has you all rattled. I can handle your parents. Shit, after this past year, yeah, your parents won’t bother me.”

“Ugh, we’ll see,” I mumbled, continuing our walk to a cute restaurant right in the center of downtown. They had the best breakfast food for lunch and we arrived three minutes before we were scheduled to. I chewed my fingernail until Brigham took my hand out of my mouth and placed it between his.

“You’re a mess right now.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Did you bring the flyers to tell them about next week?” he asked, all smiles and chilled vibes. “It’s impressive how you got it all together.”

“Yes, I brought them, but I’m telling you, they won’t care.” I prepared myself for the worst-case scenario—them laughing and telling me it was dumb. No one would be there. I’d go bankrupt and have to move back in with them. They were all things that kept me up at night and preparing myself for the verbal onslaught would be wise. It was easier to deal with if I lowered my expectations. That way, it would hurt less.

But that didn’t help the small flicker of hope that grew in my chest when they arrived, waving at me from the other side of the terrace. “They’re here.”

“Let’s do this,” Brigham said, all happy and cheery as we walked, hand in hand, to meet my parents.

“Hello,” my mom said, eyeing Brigham head to toe in a way that felt like a teacher singling out her problem child. “Who are you?”

Before I could introduce him, Brigham held out a hand. “Hi, I’m Brigham Monaghan. I’m currently dating your daughter. It’s wonderful to meet you.”

“Hm,” my mom replied, shaking his hand and giving me a pointed look. “I wasn’t aware we were needing reservations for four. We only got a table for three and they look busy.”

“I know the owner here, so I don’t think it’ll be a problem.” Brigham nodded in greeting to a man dressed in a suit before shaking my dad’s hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Blue.”

My dad responded, because manners had been pounded into him, but his face paled. “You too, Brigham.”

“Should we find a table? Order some food?” Brigham asked, putting his arm around me. “This place is great and I’m starving.”

“Right, yeah,” I said, sweating buckets at the accusatory glances my parents were tossing my way. “Food.”

“I’m sure you want to eat before you tell your parents about next Saturday,” Brigham said, definitely loud enough for my mom and dad to hear, and I elbowed him in the side. “What?”

“Not subtle, man.”

“Tell us about what? You’re not…running away together, are you?” my mom asked with the same tone she used to talk about trash.

“God, Mom. No. Just wait until we sit down.”

She shrugged and the hostess led us to our table. We got seated and ordered coffee and our meals, before Brigham put his arm on the back of my chair. “Show them,” he said.

I took a deep breath and took the folded flyer from my pocket. “Next Saturday I’m hosting an adoptathon with Paws Inc. from the valley and with three players from Los Soles baseball team. We’re hoping to raise funds for my business as well as get the dogs adopted from the no-kill shelter.”

My mom read the flyer, her eyes moving frantically over the words, while my dad remained stiff. My throat hurt and Brigham moved his hand to my shoulder, rubbing gentle circles on it. I hated how I wanted their approval. It was childish and something I wouldn’t get unless I had a PhD in PhDs. But my dad nodded. “This is impressive.”

“Thank you.”

“A foolish pursuit of trying to make a living, but an event this size will bring in donors. How much are you hoping to make? A couple thousand?”

Brigham snorted and raised a hand in the air in mock surrender. “She’s already had, what…fifty thousand donated already? Even before the event?”

“Correct.” I slid him a smug look. That amount of money shocked the shit out of my parents. My father’s face of indifference cracked and he gasped. “To answer your question, I’m going in expecting nothing because I’m set to open at the end of this year. I should be able to run without making a single penny for at least one year and I doubt I’ll make no profit.”

“Yeah, now with Megan’s marketing campaign. She is killing it.” Brigham smiled at me and reached under the table to rest his hand on my thigh. “Blue Bell has worked her ass off for this.”

“Blue Bell?” my mom asked, almost showing a hint of a pride. “Is that a nickname?”

“Yup. First time I saw her, she had blue hair and wore a blue dress. When she said it was her last name, I about fainted.” He squeezed my thigh and met my parent’s eyes. “You should be proud of her.”

“Brigham,” I warned, hating the way my body tensed and my mouth became dry.

“What? They’d be fools not to.”

“They can hear you. Us. This.” I waved my hand between us, but it only made him laugh. “Ugh, you. You’re lucky I don’t hate you.”

“You guys seem close,” my mom said, eyeing us now with a different look in her eyes. “And, Sarah Bell, we are proud of you.”

“Uh, you’ve literally never said those words in my entire life.” I widened my eyes and laughed. “This is a revelation.”

“Don’t be dramatic, darling.” My mom sat up straighter and sipped her water like the Queen of England was judging her technique. “We just don’t agree with what you’re choosing to do. I never thought you didn’t have grit or determination.”

“Hm.” I thought about how to respond but didn’t get the chance before the suited man came up and greeted Brigham.

“Dude! Great to see you. It’s been a while, huh?”

“Hey, Everett.” Brigham stood up and did a bro hug with the guy before glancing at me. “He attends games all the time. His family has season tickets behind our dugout.”

“Oh, that’s cool.” Dugout?

“This is Sarah Blue and her parents. Hey, if you and the fam aren’t busy next Saturday, stop on by. Me, Gideon and Bummy are helping Sarah with an adoptathon and I know your mom would trade you in for a dog.”

“Dude,” he said, smiling down at the flyer Brigham passed him. “Let me snap a pic of this.” He got out his phone, took the picture and widened his eyes at me. “My wife will be all over it. And my mom. Honestly, they overpower me most days.”

“As they should,” Brigham joked, laughing with ease, and I could only stare at him. He had the best smile when he laughed, but then my mom cleared her throat, ruining the moment.

“He is not your type.”

“Do I have a type?” I tilted my head, running a hand over my jaw. “I haven’t dated.”

“Right, but bookish, skinny guys were more your style,” she said, staring hard at Brigham talking to Everett. “He’s large.”

“Your point?” I snapped back, annoyed that his size was a topic of conversation. Would this be happening if I were dating a girl? Would we be talking about girl sizes? No. “He’s kind, considerate, and makes me stupidly happy. That’s enough for me.”

“You’re right,” my dad said, his face serious despite the warning look in his eyes. “I’m glad you brought him to meet us, Sarah.”

I beamed at my father just as Brigham rejoined us, giving us a sheepish smile before scooting closer to me. “Sorry about that. He’s a good guy.”

“Don’t apologize.” I swatted his arm and laughed when he pretended I’d actually hurt him. “That’s cool you know him and his family from the seats.”

“Yeah, season-ticket holders get special passes to games and events, so sometimes we get to know them.”

“I think I’ve seen your face somewhere,” my dad said, causing Brigham to shift gears like a switch went off. “ESPN highlights?”

“Probably,” he said, the tone of his voice much more somber. “Are you a baseball fan?”

“Yeah, Craig, are you?” my mom asked, acting like he’d said he’d dated Satan in college.

“It’s on in the breakroom at work sometimes. I’m bored when I eat lunch.”

“Hm,” my mom said, lifting her nose and staring at people who walked by. My stomach soured at the thought that my parents might’ve heard about Brigham’s troubles and how they would judge him. I leaned into his body, regretting that I’d brought him here. But my dad seemed interested and asked him a question right when our food arrived.

“So, what are your intentions with my daughter? This is the first time she’s ever introduced us to a guy before.” He smoothed his napkin over his lap and cut his food into small pieces.

“Dad, god.” I covered my face in my hands but Brigham pulled me into a half-hug. “I regret this whole thing.”

“This is fascinating.” Brigham took a sip of coffee before replying. “I plan to date her, continue to get to know her, and we’ll see what happens. You said this is the first guy she’s brought to you—well, this is my first time meeting the parents, so this is new for me too.”

“Does your job mean you get around, as they say?” my mom asked, pursing her lips, and I groaned. “What, Sarah?”

“Just stop. Either act appropriately or we’re leaving. Make fun of me, sure, but not him. You’re being an ass for no reason.”

She dropped her fork, causing a loud clank, and my dad paled and coughed. He righted himself before he put a calming hand on my mom’s shoulder. “Rose,” he said, a warning in his voice.

I wasn’t sure if it was for my benefit or for hers. But I wasn’t backing down. My pulse raced and my chest heaved as she stared me down. I wasn’t on their payroll. I provided for myself. This bullshit had to end, despite the fact that it sucked and I could very well throw up. “I mean it, Mom. You’re crossing a line, and if that’s what you want, fine. But don’t expect me to share my life with you when all you do is judge it.”

She gasped, like I’d smacked her, and I leaned back into the chair, done with the entire thing. “Yeah, we’re not gonna solve this today. We’ll head out.”

“You sure?” Brigham asked, voice sweet as can be, and I shook my head.

“Yes.”

He tossed a fifty on the table before sliding out and waiting for me to take his hand. We got two steps away before he headed back. “Come to the event. She’s worked her ass off for it. It was nice to meet the parents who raised Sarah. She bakes for a grumpy man in our building and has a heart of gold. I credit that to you two, but I will not sit by speechless when you belittle what she’s doing. Not everyone needs a degree to make a living.”

My hands shook as we walked away and I couldn’t decide if I was mad or impressed that Brigham spoke up. We went down the escalator, and right at the bottom, he pulled me to his chest and gave me a loud, possessive kiss. “Woah.”

“I’m sorry, Blue Bell.”

“Wait, why?”

“I shouldn’t have spoken like that to your parents,” he sighed, running a hand through his hair, a tormented look crossing his face. “It was rude, but fuck, they were assholes.”

I hugged him, hard. “Thank you for apologizing.”

“You’re mad, aren’t you? Shit. I would be too.”

“No.” My voice came out all muffled against his nice shirt. “I wish I had the nerve to do that. It’s long overdue, but it’s hard, you know? I love them, but struggle with their own version of what my life should be.”

“I get it, baby,” he said, resting his chin on my head. “You’re working so hard, and it sucks they can’t support it.”

“It makes me sad when I think about it, but Megan and Ethan’s parents are supportive and they make me feel better, like it’s not totally dumb.” I looked up at him, staring at his sharp jaw line, and my chest got fluttery and light. “I’m glad we met, Brigham Monaghan.”

“So the fuck am I, Blue Bell.” He squeezed tighter. “So the fuck am I.”