Page 46 of Moonshot

Walking through the parking lot to my car, I turn to take in the shelter once more before climbing inside. I say a silent prayer for a miracle. One where all of the animals inside find forever homes. Homes where they’ll all feel loved.

Slipping into the driver’s seat, I grasp the steering wheel and take a deep breath. I’m giving myself permission to have a good cry. I’m allowed this. But then I’m turning this page. I’m not going to allow Dr. Stark to continue to mistreat me. It may take a while to find a new job, but find one, I will. And until someone comes along who proves they’re worthy, I’ll focus on living my best life. It may make me a frigid bitch, but I’ll decide who stays or goes from now on. I’m not giving any man that kind of power. This ice queen doesn’t need a man to save her.

Being cold and alone never bothered me anyway.

CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE

Mick

It’s late. Another day is done. They all seem to be running together. It’s no different than before, but why do I feel so much more hollow now?

Get it together, Mick.

Grabbing a beer from the minibar of the hotel I’m staying in, I plop myself down on the bed and grab the remote. Sports Center. Now that’s a reliable relationship.

Bzzz. Bzzz.

Zach Hunter

9:20 p.m.

Zach: Just checking on you. Give me a call this weekend after your game. I’m taking Otis to the cabin this weekend. Pack a bag and bring your sorry ass along.

I don’t have it in me to respond. He wouldn’t expect one anyway. How does he do it, day after day? Just him and his dog. I take a long pull from my beer, hoping this might be the sip that cools the burning sensation in my chest. I think I preferred the curry pork to this ache.

Might be nice to get away after the game. Even if only for one night.

Tilting back my amber bottle, I continue to flick through the channels until I give up and return to Sports Center, as I always do. My life’s predictable. I snort, placing the nearly empty bottle on the nightstand.

Beer, baseball, a weekend trip to the mountains… who needs women?

I do, that’s who. But not women. Just one woman. Her.

God, I miss her.

CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO

Mick

It’s Thursday night. I should’ve gone by the Central Ortho office today, but I’m putting it off until tomorrow. I’m hoping I can somehow avoid Ava, but if not, I’ll just have to deal with it. I can’t lose my job over this. If I have to see her, I can spend the rest of the day with a stiff drink.

“Coach. Did you see that?” Billy yells from the hill.

“Yeah, bud, that was an awesome pitch. Keep it up, and we’ll strike out that team on Saturday.” I try to encourage, knowing there’s about as much luck in that this season as there is of having someone like Ava back in my life.

“Hey, coach. Mom sent me with some cookies for the boys,” Emmaleigh shouts from behind me as she walks to the pitcher’s mound. There’s about a ten-second delay before the boys realize what she’s carrying. Once they’ve figured it out, poor Emmaleigh is bombarded by ten-year-olds. It’s like watching piranhas attack a fresh piece of meat.

I walk over to my little sister and give her a big hug. “That was nice of her. Tell her we all said thank you.” I direct toward the boys whose mouths are now full of chocolate chip and sugar cookies.

“Thank you,” they all shout in unison.

“What’s the occasion?” I ask.

“I don’t know. I think she’s feeling sorry for the underdog lately.” She gives me a suspicious look with one brow cocked I can’t quite decipher.

“Are you referring to the team or me?”

She just shrugs her shoulders, face appearing deadpan. “Whoever fits.” She manages to swipe a treat from the plate before the vultures grab for seconds. Chomping into a still warm, gooey chocolate chip cookie, she asks, “Hey, can I borrow your phone? Mine died on the way here, and I forgot to bring my charger.”

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