Free Last First Kiss by Kimberly Killion, Lori H. Leger

baseball.”
    Bill lowered his sunglasses to look down his nose at his nephew. “You know, your attitude of not dealing with things, not talking about anything...Well, hell, boy. That can’t be healthy.”
    Jackson turned to his uncle wearing a stern look of warning. “Trust me, Uncle Bill. You don’t want to go there.”
     
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    CHAPTER 6
     
     
    The rest of the week continued to be a succession of drizzly, dreary days. Every morning, Giselle woke early to the sound of deep rolling thunder and rain pounding on the roof of her home. Every morning, she thought of Toby then rolled over and reached for the Percocet. She swallowed a pill with the glass of milk Carrie placed on her nightstand then went back to sleep for another two hours.
    Every morning, Jackson called Carrie’s cell phone to ask how things were going. As of yet, the reports hadn’t varied. The girls were fine, although they missed their dad terribly, but Giselle was not so good.
    On Friday morning, the rain finally stopped, allowing the sun to break free in a brilliant display. Carrie got the girls off to school then went home to do a few things while Giselle slept. As she pulled up into her empty parking spot beside Sam’s truck, he came out to meet her.
    “Hey Sugar,” she said.
    Sam pulled his wife into his arms. “I miss you, Babe. Going to bed without you brings back bad memories.”
    “I know, Sam. Maybe by Monday she’ll feel well enough so that I can come home at night. Right now there’s no way she can handle the girls. I’d tell you to come meet me, but I’m sleeping on the sofa because the mattress in the master bedroom is so bad.”
    “Is she still camped out in the guest room?”
    Carrie nodded. “I was hoping she’d have tackled that by now.”
    “She may need a little more time, hon. That house is so full of the feel of Toby. That’s got to be difficult for her to live with.”
    “It’s learning to live without it that’s difficult for her.” Carrie took her husband’s hand and walked inside.
     
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    By the last week in March, Giselle was better physically, but still wallowing in depression. Carrie and her girls visited often and tried to get her to come out of the house, but she wouldn’t budge. The melancholy atmosphere of their home began to take a tremendous toll on Mackenzie and Lexie.
    Jackson and Sam took turns doing Giselle’s yard work the first few weekends, but with the approach of ball season, Sam was busy getting the park’s baseball fields ready for play. As a result, Jackson had spent the last two Saturdays working in Giselle’s yard.
    Mac and Lexie, drawn to anyone who paid them attention, usually spent the day helping him out in the yard. Jackson’s heart ached for the little girls he’d grown so fond of. He knew they missed the life they had before their father died and he tried to compensate wherever he could.
    The day before Kenton’s opening day of baseball season, Carrie walked into Jackson’s office and plopped down in a chair across from his desk. She kicked off one heel and leaned over to rub her foot, before catching his curious gaze.
    “Are you and Bill still interested in making Mac and Lexie’s ballgames?”
    He stacked the set of plans he’d been studying on top of another set. “Absolutely. Tomorrow is opening day, isn’t it?” At Carrie’s nod he continued. “You don’t think Giselle will mind, do you?”
    She slipped her shoe back on and stood up. “I can’t imagine why, but I guess it wouldn’t hurt to call her.”
    “I’ll do it as soon as I get a chance,” he said.
     
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    The chance didn’t come until around eleven o’clock. He waited nervously for her to answer and took a deep breath.
    “Giselle, it’s Jackson. How are you?”
    “I’m okay.”
    “I know your girls have games tomorrow for opening day. Would it be okay if Bill and I go to watch them?”
    “I’d forgotten about opening day,” she said. “I don’t know. I