Page 56 of Love's Home Run

She smiled at him.

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They arrived at the Bob Williams Baseball Camp at 4 PM. It was a hot, muggy afternoon, and the Florida humidity attacked Melissa like a grumpy, fluffy cat. She stood with Ross outside a caged area and watched several high school boys go through batting practice with machines that kept baseballs coming at them.

Mike came up to them. “Hi, Ross, Melissa. Glad to see you finally made it.” He turned to her. “Thanks for helping Ross get here.”

She smiled. “This has been a rough week, but we’ve helped each other.”

Ross placed an arm around her and pulled her close. “Melissa has been great.” At Mike’s questioning look, Ross continued, “My father is hanging on, but Melissa’s father had a heart attack. We went back to New Hampshire to see him, and then we came here.”

“I’m sorry. Is your dad going to be okay?” Mike asked her.

“Yes, but any thought of reviving Fins is gone forever,” said Melissa. “That’s fine with me.”

“And me,” said Ross, turning to Mike. “Melissa is staying in Lilac Lake regardless of what happens. She might even help us out at the sports center.”

“Whoa! I’ve not committed to doing that,” said Melissa, chuckling.

“Right. It’s just an option, and we’re keeping our options open,” said Ross, grinning at her.

“I wanted to meet you here,” said Mike, “because Bob Williams has a unique building with enough room for indoor training for batting, pitching, and even a small track for running sprints. Because of the weather in New Hampshire, let's add that to our sports center. We’ve got the room.” He gave Ross an impish grin. “It means we might have to raise more money, but I think it’ll pay off. And quickly. I’ve got a contact with the Boston Red Sox, and you have one with the Yankees.”

Melissa could see the excitement on Ross’s face as Mike continued to speak. “Lilac Lake makes a fantastic retreat in the winter. Signed players might not be allowed to ski, but they and their families can enjoy a winter wonderland. We might be able to work something out with the inn.”

“I’m liking that idea,” said Ross. “Let’s you and I meet with Bob, go over his construction plans, and do some cost analyses before we make any decisions.”

“I’ve set up a meeting with Bob tomorrow morning. And I’ve made hotel reservations for the two of you right on the beach,” said Mike.

“We only need one room,” said Ross.

Mike’s eyes widened. “Oh, no problem.”

Melissa was happy she was standing in the hot sun so no one would notice how her cheeks got even redder.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

The hotel was right on Jacksonville Beach and boasted an exercise center, restaurant, bar, shop, and other amenities. Best of all, for Melissa, a brick sidewalk led to a wooden boardwalk onto the nearby white, sandy beach.

After she and Ross settled in their room, Melissa said, “I want to go for a walk on the beach. Want to come with me?”

“A little later. I’m meeting with Mike to develop a game plan for tomorrow’s meeting. We need to review the cost estimates to construct a year-round baseball training center. It’s important to me to work it out because I know you want to stay in Lilac Lake, and so do I.”

She gazed at him.

Ross came over to her and drew her into his arms. “I don’t want to do anything to mess up this, whatever it is, between us.”

He lowered his lips to hers, and she felt herself dissolve in his arms. She’d waited for so long to have a man kiss her like this that she didn’t want to mess it up either.

Melissa changed into the turquoise bikini. After covering her limbs and face with suntan lotion, she put on a cover-up, said goodbye to Ross, and left for the beach carrying a hat and her phone.

After she reached the edge of the beach, she slipped off her sandals, wiggled her toes in the white sand, and sighed with pleasure. She gazed out at the water rolling into the beach in a continual pattern and drew a deep breath of the salty air. She’d been to a beach before but not often, electing instead to stay and work by her favorite lake in New Hampshire.

Melissa put on her hat, tucked her phone into a pocket, and strolled down to meet the water. Their heads bobbing, sanderlings, sandpipers, and other small birds scurried along the water’s lacy edge, looking for food.

Above, seagulls and terns wheeled in the wind, crying mournfully as they circled.

A peace came over Melissa as she strolled along the hard-packed sand at the edge of the breaking and receding waves. She lifted her face to the blue sky and whispered thanks that her father would be okay. She felt so lucky compared to Ross, who was facing his father’s death.

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