Page 41 of Playing for Keeps
“I missed you more,” Caroline breathed. “Happy birthday.”
Justin set her feet on the ground without releasing her. “Thanks. What smells so good?”
“Is it the pot roast or the cookies?” she asked.
Justin’s eyes bulged. “I get pot roastandcookies?”
“Of course!”
He lifted her again. “Best birthday ever.”
The steady thud of his heart pounded against her ear as she melted against him. She missed the smell of him when he was at school. She missed the way he held her and the sweet way he spoke. It tore her apart every time he left.
“Are you hungry?” she asked as he started to sway with her wrapped up in his hold.
“Starving.”
She pulled away and grabbed his hand to lead him toward the kitchen. “How were your grandparents?”
Justin was silent for a moment before speaking. It was almost as if he needed to prepare himself for the conversation. “Not great. Jan has pneumonia again, and Keith isn’t doing what he’s supposed to at rehab.”
Caroline released Justin’s hand to pull a large tray out of the cabinet. “What did the facility say about that?”
He leaned his back against the counter beside her, crossing his arms over his chest that had filled out even more in the last few months of practice. “They said he has to either start trying or they’re going to kick him out.”
That brought Caroline to a stop with the large spoon hanging over the slow cooker. “What? Can they do that?”
Justin shrugged. “It’s a rehab facility. If he isn’t willing to do the rehab, I’m sure they’ll find someone who will.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I have to find him another place to stay.”
They’d talked about this before. Most assisted living facilities were too expensive for Justin or his grandparents to afford. In fact, they were more than Caroline and her family could afford either. “Have you found anything?”
Justin pushed a hand through his hair. “Not yet. They just told me.”
“Right. Sorry. You know what? Let me do some looking around. I’ll show you the ones I think are best, and you can just choose.”
Justin stilled, looking at her with an expression she couldn’t read. He’d been so stressed and tiredlately, he rarely smiled anymore. “You don’t have to do that.”
Caroline rested the spoon into the pot and laid her hands on his chest. “I want to.” She kissed his chin. “I can help you.” She kissed one cheek. “Just let me. I know how much you care about them, and I love how adamant you are about helping them.”
Justin’s arms immediately wound around her waist, pulling her in. “I don’t deserve you.”
“I just want to help,” she whispered back. “We’re in this together.”
He pressed a kiss to her forehead and stepped to the side. “Get the plates. I’ll get this out of the pot.”
That brought a smile to her face. “It’s your birthday. I’m doing everything, mister.” She pointed toward the table. “Sit.”
He told her about baseball and school while she moved the roast, potatoes, and carrots to a serving dish. Since she didn’t plan on going to college, soaking up his stories was as close to higher education as she’d ever get.
Her dream didn’t require a degree, and Justin’s technically didn’t either. Playing on a college baseball team was the only way to get noticed by the minor or major leagues, and he was pretty adamant that baseball was all he knew. Sure, he could get a job in town, but Redemption Ridge didn’t have many glowing opportunities for someone who needed to provide expensive healthcareto aging relatives who had no means to support themselves.
Justin hadn’t grown up in a home with plenty. In fact, he’d often gone without, and the thought turned Caroline’s stomach. How could a father care so little about his son? Her family loved with everything they had. Justin’s was a completely different life that she didn’t understand.
Once they were both at the table, Justin blessed the food, and they dove in.
