Page 31 of The Perfect Catch

Kate grabbed her keys from a bowl in the entryway, following the rest of the group out the door.

“Kate, you don’t have to take me home. I can go with one of the others.”

She frowned, her lips puckered and eyebrows drawn together. “Why? I asked you to the dance. I can drop you off.”

The way she said it, I wondered if I’d been misinterpreting her tone for the past couple of weeks. But then again, it had been a long night. It was possible she was just tired and things would be normal again on Monday. I hoped she’d be back to her normal self on Monday.

Chapter 22

Kate

Ispent most of Sunday in my room, cleaning, organizing, or just lying on the bed and staring up at the ceiling. I didn’t come out for much more than to grab a snack and head back up, not in the mood to talk to others in my family. Then the next few days sped past, and I kept wondering if I was going to make it to the next weekend at the rate I was going.

The conflicting emotions inside me warred against the need to please my mother and all the other people in my life. I really liked Dax, though I wasn’t sure if he liked me more than to spend time with me at a dance and then the mandatory time during Senior Committee. But the fact that she’d basically implied I needed to stay away from him made me both angry and frustrated.

I waved hello to Dax in the halls and talked a bit, feeling that same chemistry again in fourth period, but once we left that room, it was like the spell had broken and panic settled in, making it so I didn’t know what to do.

It would be so easy to just say, “Forget my mom,” and move on, do what I wanted to do. But there were so many things she’d gone through while married to my father and then after he passed away. All that experience had to count for something.

“Hey, you want to come to the baseball game tonight?” Penny asked, shutting her locker after school let out Thursday afternoon.

“They have a game?” I asked, trying to remember if I’d talked to Dax about that.

“Yeah, it’s just down the road at Groveton Park. They play tonight and then again Friday and Saturday.” She paused, her small smile alerting me that she was waiting for my response.

I had to teach the dance class and pick up Bree on the way. It would be fun to see Dax in action, if only to support as a friend.

A friend that would love to kiss him.

There were several moments when I’d replayed the scene in my stepdad’s man cave, my breath hitching and the air almost crackling as he leaned in. If only Zane hadn’t barged in, I would have known what it felt like to kiss Dax.

“Yeah, I’ll meet you there. I have cheer right now, and then I can make it after. What time does the game start?” I twirled a piece of hair around my finger. It usually helped me clear my head and figure out what I needed to do with situations in my life.

“Seven.”

“Sounds good. I’ll meet you there.”

I strolled out to my car, turned it on, and pulled out of the parking lot. Again, I thought about the near kiss, which in turn, brought up the Masked Kisser from months ago. Some of the details were fuzzy, but I didn’t think I could forget his lips on mine.

As I pulled up to the Stratton trailer, I saw Dax’s car sitting outside, and my heart rate sped up, excitement flowing through me. I got out and knocked on the front door.

Dax opened it, a small smile on his face. He turned and called over his shoulder, “Bree! Kate is here.” When he looked my way, he said, “How was your day?”

The way he said it, with that genuine sincerity, set my insides on fire. “I’m good. Just another day.” I paused for a minute and then said, “You have a game tonight, huh?”

I pointed to his jersey, which he hadn’t yet tucked into his pants.

He looked down and pulled it out a bit near the chest before glancing back up. “Uh, yeah. We play Groveton tonight. You should come if you have time after Bree’s class.” The hope on his face was evident.

I smiled. “I’ll try to make it.” I didn’t have much going on after class for once, and I was grateful for that. As much as I didn’t want to ruin things with him, I was still curious about his life. He always made me feel like the best person in the world.

“It would be fun to have you there.” He flexed his arms a bit, his lips puckered in exaggeration. “I’ll have to try and hit a home run or two while you’re there.”

“Really?” I said dryly.

He shook his head with a laugh. “I’m just kidding. I’ve hit a couple of home runs, but I’m usually a gap hitter. Whatever gets me on base, I’ll take it.”

I liked the honesty there, grateful that the arrogant façade hadn’t stuck around for long.

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