Free Waylaid by Ruth J. Hartman Page B

“So… I saw you, you know, hit that pole with your bat.” I turned to watch him. I had a pretty good idea why he’d done it because it happened right after he’d looked over and saw his teammate pawing at me.
    “I feel like a jackass about that.”
    “Why?”
    “I let my temper take over. You might not believe me, but I really don’t get mad very often. It takes something very upsetting to get to me that much.”
    “So um, why did you do it?” Please say the words . Because if it was about me, then that meant he cared.
    “When I saw him sitting so close to you, Addy… I don’t know. Something snapped. I didn’t like it one bit what he was trying to do. What I really wanted to do was run around the fence and pound him. But that’s not my style. So… what are you thinking right now?”
    “It’s good to know that you don’t usually have a bad temper. But I will admit that it makes me feel good that you cared enough to want to do something.”
    “I… I do care, Addy.” He shifted in his seat. Was he uncomfortable saying the words?
    I rubbed his shoulder.
    He turned his head toward me and grinned.
    “Anyway, Mr. Stewart, your pitching and hitting were quite impressive.”
    “You did seem to be into the game.”
    “Both of my older brothers played baseball in high school, and my dad used to take me to see their games.”
    “Yeah, when I met your mom at your house, she said something about raising four kids. Since I didn’t see anybody else, I’m guessing you’re the baby of the family?”
    “You could say that.” I squirmed, never having liked being called the baby. It made me sound like I wasn’t an adult, and I definitely wanted Graham to see me as grown up. “How about you? I did get to, uh, talk to your aunt.” Interrogation was more like it.
    “Sorry about that, Addy. Aunt Paula is nosy and has always thought she should know whatever was going on with me.”
    “Do you have brothers or sisters?”
    “One sister.”
    “Are you the baby?”
    “No. I’m the oldest. She’s just bossy and acts like she can tell me what to do.”
    I chuckled. “So just you and her, then?”
    “Yep. She’s away for the summer doing a college internship. I’m two years older.”
    “Paula did make a point of our age differences.”
    “Does it bother you?”
    I looked at him. “No. Not even a little. You?”
    “Honestly?”
    My heart gave a little lurch. Did he have a problem with me being so young? “Okay…”
    “When I first found out you were Kendra’s age, it threw me a little.”
    “Oh.”
    “But that didn’t last long. As soon as I got to know you a little better, I realized it didn’t matter at all.”
    I released a deep breath. “I’m glad.”
    “There’s something you’ll learn about me, Addy. I will always be straight with you.” He slowed the truck to negotiate a sharp curve on the road.
    “Same here.”
    “My friends would probably tell you that I’m sort of quiet.”
    He’d been anything but quiet with me. “But…”
    “I am a lot of times.” He shrugged. “Well, not so much quiet as I don’t say anything unless I feel it’s important. Not talking just to make noise, you get what I mean?”
    “Sure. You’re doing fine with me, though. Not staying super quiet or anything.”
    “That’s what I mean. With you, I feel like I have so much to say.”
    I gripped my hands together in my lap, excited, yet nervous that he felt comfortable with me. Liked talking to me. “You do? Why do you think that is?”
    “I don’t know. I really don’t understand why, but for some reason, being with you makes me want to tell you things about myself. And to find out things about you.” He glanced at me. “Have I scared you?”
    “No. I’m not scared. And it doesn’t even have anything to do with you being a giant.” I bit my lip, trying not to smile.
    He laughed. “Now that we’ve cleared that up, any other items of world importance we should talk about?”
    I giggled and