Rounding the Bases by Jaqueline Snowe

Chapter Nineteen

Sarah

Showtime.

Megan handed me my third cup of coffee as the final touches for the event took place. Ethan manned the tent where donations could be dropped off in person or electronically, Megan would float between taking pictures of the event and running the photobooth, and I would go between Paws Inc’s tent and Los Soles, talking to people and encouraging them to visit the dogs. Paws Inc had brought twenty rescues that were ready to be adopted that day. And I couldn’t stop staring at the twenty little faces looking up at me from their fenced-in areas. “God, he’s cute,” I said, bending down to see a part-chihuahua mix. “Walden is his name?”

“Yup. Been here with us for a year.”

“What a rascal,” I said, watching him try to play with another small dog in the pen. “How do you not take all of them home?” I asked Clara, the woman I had been communicating with.

“Ha, yeah, I have four dogs. My husband would leave me if I brought one more. That keeps me at bay for a while.” She organized the clipboards with information for people to fill out if they wanted to take a dog home. “This event is wonderful, Sarah. Thank you so much for thinking of us. It really gets me emotional, seeing this much attention to the adopt-not-shop campaign.”

“You’re welcome. This is a huge passion of mine and I’m happy to help. I’m wondering if you and I, maybe another shelter, could do a once-a-year event like this? Like, every summer or fall, we team up, make a big event of it.”

“I like your thinking. Yes. Let’s not lose touch after this.”

I nodded and adjusted the radio on my hip. Megan’d had the brilliant idea of purchasing them, mapping out how we could use them here and at the business. “Ethan, you ready to go?” I asked.

“Eagle. My radio name is Eagle. And yes.”

I scoffed and frowned. The misters weren’t turned on and it was going to be a scorcher. I walked toward the line where the hoses connected and almost hit my forehead with a loud doh. It wasn’t turned on. Problem solved.

“Um, this looks incredible,” Fiona, Brigham’s beautiful blonde friend, said. “Sarah, this kicks ass.”

“Thank you.” My ears warmed and I was glad the misters started working. “Glad you could join us.”

She put her hands on her hips, looked around the set up and nodded a few times. “Very impressed, that’s for sure.”

I wiped the moisture on my black tank top. The event wasn’t opening for another thirty minutes and everything seemed to be in place. My heart about burst in my chest at how happy and proud I was. This was me doing it. Yes, the fear lingered, but Brigham’s advice meant a lot. I had to try. If I failed, I’d make a new plan, but I couldn’t stop trying. With a big exhale, I took a couple of pictures of the event on my phone before putting it in my pocket. Brigham arrived with his teammates. He wore a black hat, a Soles T-shirt and shorts, and my heart skipped a beat when he looked over at me and smiled.

How this guy could like me…it didn’t make sense, but I didn’t care. I started walking toward him, and his grin grew. “Blue Bell. Holy shit. This looks amazing.” He bent down and put a hand on my shoulder, leaning in for a long kiss. “And you were worried.”

“Still am, a bit,” I admitted, blushing when he rubbed my neck. Waking up next to him that morning had been a special sort of torture, because I didn’t have time to enjoy his body. “Why are you smirking like that?”

“Because I am proud of you.” He scrunched his nose and pulled something out of his back pocket. “I did something.”

“Uh, what?”

“It’s not great, but I stole the logo you had and got it printed on a T-shirt. It’s not fancy, but I figured you should rep your business here, you know?” He held out a small black shirt with Blue Bells Boarding written on it with the logo of a paw and heart mixed together. “What do you think?”

My throat got real tight and I launched myself onto him, wrapping my arms around his neck, not caring that people could see us. “I love it. Oh my god.”

“Yeah?” He held me tight against him and slid me down his hard body. “I wasn’t expecting that reaction.”

“I didn’t even think to get T-shirts. Damn. I wish I had more!” I put it on over my tank, maneuvered in a way so that I could take off the tank top without flashing anyone. “How does it look?”

“A bit big.”

I tied the shirt to one side on my hip, exposing a little skin, and Brigham’s grin widened. “Better?”

“Yes.” He scrunched his nose and laid his hand over the back of his neck. “Is it okay if me and the guys wear one too? You can say no if you’re not comfortable.”

“Wait! You have more of these?” I asked, my voice rising.

“Yup.”

“Hell yeah. Pass them out like candy. Wear them. Wear the shit out of them!” I jumped up and down a bit, and Gideon and Bummy smiled in our direction. “Take off your shirts now,” I yelled, causing them to raise their eyebrows. My face blushed. “Shit, I meant, wear the logo! I love them!”

They laughed and Brigham tossed them each a matching shirt to mine. Seeing them wearing the logo to my business sent a thrill I couldn’t even name through me. I had never experienced so much joy in my life and it was intoxicating. My brain spun, partially because of the shirts and lack of sleep, but also because I was so happy. My parents had made it sound like not going to school meant my life would be hard and an uphill battle, but…this was beyond any expectation I’d had. My eyes watered and Brigham frowned, leaning closer to me. “What’s wrong? What can I do?”

“Ugh, you’re too much.” I sniffed and wiped my eyes. “I’m overwhelmed with good feelings. I’m not programmed to enjoy it—I question them and for the first time… I’m not. It’s a lot.”

“You deserve all the good feelings.” He narrowed his eyes and waited until I looked up at him. “Make sure you take a moment to enjoy this day, okay? I know we have our assignments and locations, but I will find you and force your ass to sit and enjoy.”

“You sound a little sexy when you get bossy,” I replied, loving how he took care of me. “Dating you is kinda nice.”

“Kinda?”

“Yup. Just kinda,” I teased, drunk on giddiness. Ethan called me over to the table and I held up one finger to him. “I cannot thank you enough for your help with this, Brigham. Seriously.”

“You’re welcome, BB.” He bent down, pressed a soft kiss on my mouth and pointed toward Ethan. “Go get to work.”

I squeezed his butt before taking off toward the tent. Ethan and I went over all the different forms and ways people could donate, and soon enough, it started.

* * * *

Three hours later, there wasn’t a single puppy left and my feet hurt so much from walking that I had to sit when my parents strode toward me. “Uh, hi?”

“Sarah, this is incredible.” My dad looked around and had a hint of a smile on his face. “Did we miss most of it?”

“We’re about to start clean-up soon.” I massaged my calf muscle and winced at the dull ache. For the most unathletic human on the planet, today had tested my strength. “I’m so happy you could make it.”

My dad’s smile reached his eyes that time and my mom looked nervous. Interesting. I stood and pointed at various locations, giving them the low-down of each station. Ethan and Megan waved at them, and my mom looked down at my shirt. “You have a design for the business?”

“Yes.” I grinned, hard. “Brigham surprised me and got them printed for today. I have the logo for social media and the website, but this is the first merchandise with the name. With the donations and those interested, Ethan projected that we can buy the place now.”

“Wow, Sarah.” My mom blinked a lot and took a deep breath. “I think it just hit me that you’re growing up.”

“Better late than never, I guess,” I said, lightening the leftover tension from the previous week. “I need to touch base with the shelter. Walk around. Talk to Ethan. Explore before it all gets picked up.”

They nodded, and I didn’t have the gross feeling in my gut talking to them. The day was a success, and I didn’t care if they liked it or not. That revelation meant everything. Clara loaded the last box she had into her van, walked toward me, arms spread wide, and gave me a huge hug. “Oh, Sarah. This was amazing. We got so many donations. Enough to feed the rascals for a year!”

I squeezed her back. “I’m so happy. And all the puppies were taken!”

“Yes. It always guts me seeing them leave, but knowing they get their homes now…ugh.” She sniffed and gave a self-deprecating laugh. “Thank you so much. I’m excited for you.”

“No, thank you! You brought the pups, and honestly that’s why people even show up.”

She reached over and squeezed my forearm. “Seriously, thank you. I’m gonna head back and take the funds to the bank, but stay in touch, Sarah. For real.”

“You got it.”

She drove off and I barely took another step before I was lifted off the ground. “Hey!” I yelled, kicking my feet until Brigham set me down with a huge smile. “Was the swing really necessary?”

“Yes.” He kept his hands on me and dipped his head low, capturing my mouth in a kiss that sent tingles down my spine. “I’m fucking proud of you.”

“Yeah,” I said, blushing and boasting at the same time. “I’m proud of myself.”

“That’s sexy. You being all confident and shit. It works for me.” He wiggled his eyebrows before his expression softened. “Your parents came, too?”

“Looks like it.”

“Come on, let’s go talk.” He slid an arm around my shoulders, holding my hand, and led the way. “That took guts for them to come. It might not seem like it, but it’s an olive branch.”

“Yeah, yeah, okay.” I leaned into him, walking over to find my parents talking to Megan and Ethan. The situation hit me. My best friends, my parents and Brigham. My worlds were colliding, and instead of freaking out or panicking, I loved it. Sure, I was mad at my parents a bit, but I loved them. All the people I loved, talking and celebrating a huge, successful day for me.

Loved.

Wait.

My pulse skyrocketed and I stared at Brigham’s profile as he talked with Ethan. Brigham Monaghan, baseball guy who was in the middle of a drug investigation, who had a heart of gold and was patient and kind. I love him. That’s what this is.

While the moment was simple, just a group of us talking, it felt monumental. The feeling was new and gripped me tight, overwhelming my senses and thoughts. Loving Brigham was easy and happened so quickly, it should’ve scared me. But the second that thought entered my mind, he reached over and took my hand in his, rubbing his thumb gently over my skin and looking at me with so much tenderness, I knew in my bones that he had some feelings for me too.

Possibly love. At least a strong like.

I grinned, drunk from the event, from Brigham and the direction my life was taking. I refused to let anything ruin this moment, even when Brigham’s phone went off and his eyebrows drew together in a frown. “I gotta take this—be right back, Blue Bell.”