Page 19 of Embers in the Outfield

“Hey, you okay?” Concern laces my tone.

“Me? Of course.” He grabs one of my bags and strolls out. I know there’s something up, but I don’t want to push him. I doubt being at a wedding after longing for that life he had once built with his ex-wife is an easy transition.

Luckily, he seems to take the hint from my expression that now isn’t the time, and we head to the valet to retrieve the car. The ride home is quick, and I can’t wait to get back and rest off this headache that is in no way an alcohol hangover.

I think this headache stems from the realization that what started as Kennedy being a thorn in my side is now this unknown I’d like to explore. But she headed out before I could talk to her, and now I feel like the opportunity has passed.

* * *

“So, what made you want to be a veterinarian?” It feels like I’m pulling teeth on this date. To top it off, I’m going to have to find a new vet after this disaster.

“I love animals.” Seriously? That’s her answer? I work diligently not to roll my eyes, but I’m cringing internally at how awful this is going.

It’s two weeks since the wedding, a timeframe I have felt each day that passed slowly. I assumed, even with Kennedy’s quick departure from the hotel, I’d hear from her, but the silence was deafening. I have opened my phone, ready to text, at least a dozen times, but each time I’d write something out, it sounded lame, and I held back. As each day went by, it felt more awkward to reach out, and now, it feels like the opportunity is gone now.

I know Kennedy keeps herself at a distance from pretty much everyone, but I honestly thought we would explore this new side we found between each other. In all honesty, I had been growing tired of this turmoil we always conjured up when wewere around each other. So when things turned more playful and sexual, I was ready for it. But just as much as I haven’t texted, neither has she. It’s probably best we don’t complicate things more. In all honesty, I’m finding more excuses the more I ponder the reasons why I’ve let the time lapse and I’m now sitting across this disaster of a date.

The woman across from me, my dog’s veterinarian, is quietly back to sipping her tea. The boredom is palpable between the two of us.

This woman has been giving me the vibe she’s interested in me since I started taking Lola, my three-year-old golden retriever, to her a year ago. She would treat my dog, but she’s been giving me flirtatious glances for months now. When I came in to pick up Lola’s flea medication, she ran after me, asking me out for a coffee.

As much as my gut told me not to accept the offer, I decided it might be better to throw myself back out there. This plan backfired quite quickly, I now realize.

I look down at my watch, maybe for the hundredth time, and see I’m inching closer to my departure time. Maybe if I walk slowly to Ashton’s place, it would make sense to leave now.

“Listen, Tabitha, I just realized the time. I should get going.” I thumb my finger toward the door to the small coffee joint we decided to meet at. “Do you want me to walk you back to the office?”

Did I mention I made sure there was an out-clause in this whole date situation? Maybe, subconsciously, I knew this was going to be craptastic, so I called Ashton yesterday to see if I could come by this afternoon. I haven’t seen him since the morning after his wedding.

“Actually, I’m going to stick around. You can head out.” The eagerness is hard to ignore, and it’s the most enthusiastic she’s sounded since we both sat down here forty minutes ago.

Before I can say anything else, someone clears their throat behind me. I look over to see a man around my age, looking at Tabitha like she hung the moon.

I can’t help but ask, “May I help you?”

The man ignores me and goes straight to addressing the vet seated across from me. “Hey, Tab. It’s good to see you.”

I see the flush of her cheeks and her smile grow wide. What is happening? “Do you two know each other?” Seems like a pointless question, but I honestly don’t know what’s going on here. I’m having a hard time connecting the dots.

“Hey, Danny. It’s good to see you too.” She takes a shy sip of her tea, batting her eyes at him and doing all the things I would have expected her to do while on a date with me, not this guy. Again, what the fuck is happening right now?

I keep looking between the two of them, waiting for someone to clue me in. “Oh, um, Danny, this is one of my client’s owners, River. River, this is my ex, Daniel.” The pieces are starting to fall into place.

I stand up, grab the remainder of my coffee, looking at Tabitha. “Thanks for joining me for coffee. I hope you have a good rest of the afternoon.” She nods an acknowledgment of my words but keeps her eyes on her ex.

The moment I move toward the door to leave the shop, I see Danny taking the seat I just vacated. Either this was purely a coincidence, or this woman used me to make this man jealous. I could bet my left nut I was set up as a pawn in her little scheme to make him jealous.

“I nearly peed my pants.” Sammie is retelling a story of Ashton when he went down the zip line in Hawaii. She’s laughing so hard, there are legit tears streaming down her face.

“I wasn’t that embarrassing.” Ashton moans next to her, running his hand down his face.

“You’re right. It wasn’t the volume of the scream you let out; it was the pitch I’m talking about, sweetie.” She pats his cheek mockingly.

I grab the beer sitting in front of me and take a swig. I have an easy smile painted across my face, enjoying this relaxed feeling I get when I’m around the two of them. For just a second, a pang hits my chest, wishing I had this type of relationship with someone.

My shifts at the firehouse have been nonstop lately, but the moment I walk through my front door, the loneliness becomes more evident.

Right around the time of the wedding, some of the guys at the station came down with the stomach flu. Clay and I have been covering some extra shifts, so I haven’t had a chance to see my best friend and his wife since they returned from Hawaii two weeks ago.

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