Page 77 of Bourbon Bliss
While June went back to her home office to work—it was a Thursday, after all—I headed to my rental to get in my PT. My knee was getting stronger. Whether it was the hot springs, my physical therapy exercises, or time—probably a combination of all three—I was healing. My balance and strength were both improving, and I was regaining some of the knee mobility I’d lost.
I was drying off after a shower when my phone rang. I wrapped the towel around my waist and answered. It was Andrea.
“Hey, GT. Do you have a second?”
“Sure, what’s up?” I sank down on the couch. Mellow hopped over, so I scooped her up and set her on my thigh.
“I have everything ready to file your taxes. Just a heads up on that.”
“Thanks. Anything important in the mail lately?”
“Um, no, not really.” She paused for a second and it sounded like she was thumbing through paperwork. “Just the usual stuff. Speaking of mail, when are you coming back to Philly?”
“Not anytime soon,” I said.
“So, you’re just… staying out there?”
“Yeah.”
“Hmm.”
This was odd. Andrea didn’t usually have much to say about where I went or what I did with my time. Not unless it required travel arrangements or dinner reservations. Those were part of her job. But my staying in Bootleg didn’t require her to do anything new.
“What are you hmm-ing about?” I asked.
“Oh, nothing. I’m just surprised you haven’t gone home.”
I petted Mellow, running my hand over her impossibly soft fur. “I like where things are going out here. And it’s not like I have to get in shape for training camp.”
“True. Well, I just wanted to touch base, and let you know I’m going out of town this weekend.”
“Have a nice time.”
“Thanks,” she said. “I will.”
What June had said about Andrea before poked at me. She had worked for me for a long time, but I also didn’t follow-up on things very often. I just let her do her thing and assumed everything was fine. And it should have been. I’d have heard about it if Andrea was messing up somewhere, wouldn’t I?
I told myself I was worrying over nothing. Andrea was good at her job. It was one thing I didn’t need to be concerned about.
* * *
Saturday,I picked June up for a late breakfast. Afterward, we decided to walk off the meal. We wandered hand-in-hand through town, both of us quiet. Hints of spring were in the early April air, the cool breeze fresh, rather than biting.
We got all the way to Bootleg Springs High School and walked past the main building. The ball fields were in the back. June stopped in front of the chain link fence.
“My dad used to coach baseball here.”
“Did he?”
She nodded. “He only retired as coach a few years ago. He still goes to all the games.”
“I take it your dad got you into sports.”
“Yes. At first I just wanted to know what the numbers meant. But it gave us something to do together. Something to talk about.”
“Did you come to the games here?” I asked.
“All the time.”
