Chapter 13
The late July sun beat down with brutal intensity on our trio as we sat on the narrow wooden bleachers at the Sand Gnat baseball stadium. Despite the heat this was a wonderful surprise for Sam and one that I could more than appreciate as a mother. Any man who would do this for my son, and on our first date no less, was more than worth a second look in my book. That put him firmly in the keeper column.
A little smile played on my lips as I remembered Heath showing up at my door true to his word this afternoon. He was dressed casually in kaki cargo shorts, a white polo shirt, and battered Nike sneakers. In other words, he looked gorgeous. Seeing him like that made me glad I had taken a little extra time to make myself look my best despite our casual date.
I finally settled on a knee length blue maxi dress and leather sandals. The outfit was casual and cool but still very female. Sam had the grace to tell me I looked beautiful. That was praise enough for me, but my heart had skipped to its own tempo when Heath’s eyes had joined in the positive appraisal.
Not only was I apprehensive about how I would react to Heath, but I was also terrified over how Heath and Sam would react to each other. It seemed that I worried for nothing because they bonded instantly in the way that only sports obsessed males can bond. At first, Sam held back afraid to make a mistake and unsure of how to approach a man. Heath took pity on him and soon had him eating out of his hand with stories about baseball and all of the other things he had done at Sam’s age.
Sam was wide eyed and so excited that he could hardly contain his enthusiasm in his small frame. Despite his happy nature, I’d never seen him strike up such a fast friendship with a man. Sam still bore the scars of having his father abandon him. It was more than I could have hoped for. To hear Sam joke with Heath and to tell him all about his little league team and how he played third base on his team this year filled me with hope.
Heath kept up the flow of conversation as he escorted us to his Navigator parked in the drive. He opened the passenger door for me and gave me a hand up into the seat. Then he opened the back and tossed in Sam’s booster and then Sam in two deft movements. Sam’s wide grin spoke volumes as he hopped in his seat and rushed to buckle himself in. We eagerly waited for Heath to get in and tell us where we were going!
Heath leaped into the driver’s seat and turned to face both Sam and me with a boyish grin on his face, “So do you want to know where we are going?”
Sam and I both shouted at the same time, “Yes!!”
We all laughed about that. Heath shook his head, “Well, it seems that I made some very good plans since I didn’t really know what you like to do, Sam.”
Sam looked even more excited now. “Really? What?”
Heath looked at me and then at Sam. “We’re going to the Sand Gnat’s baseball game!”
Sam’s whoop of joy drowned out any other reply from Heath or from me. We could have made mud pies in Forsyth Park for all I cared. Sam was happy, and we were with Heath; that was what mattered most to me. Heath started the car and pulled out into traffic guiding us expertly to the stadium parking area. Soon the tickets were purchased, and Sam chose seats for us. When we were seated, or rather Heath and I were seated, while Sam stood at the rail. Heath turned to me a bit uncertain, “Is this okay with you?”
I smiled back at him, “Sure, these seats are fine, and it’ll be great that Sam can stand at the rail; that’s probably where he will stay for a lot of the game. He is so short; I don’t think anyone will mind, do you?”
Heath shook his head, “No, I don’t think anyone will care. I imagine that other kids will flock down there too once the game gets started. These games are usually pretty relaxed, nothing too fancy. But that’s not really what I meant.”
I stared at him confusion written on my face, “What were you asking about then?”
He took my hand in his and laced our fingers together. As we sat there looking at each other, hand in hand, it was hard for me to concentrate on the words that he said…..so not surprisingly I had to ask him to repeat himself. “Huh, what did you say?”
Heath chuckled, “I said is this okay with you for a date? I wanted to see you and Sam today, but there wasn’t much going on today that I thought would be good for Sam. I don’t know much about 6 year old boys except that I once was one.”
“Oh, Heath, this is perfect. I like a baseball game once in a while, but more than that I love to see my son happy and laughing with a man no less. You have no idea what you have done for him today, and what you have done for me.” I raised our joined hands to my lips and kissed the back of his hand.
Heath, God bless his soul, looked taken aback by my honesty, “What do you mean?”
I sighed, “Sam’s father used him as leverage to keep me trapped in our bad marriage, not because he wanted Sam. He did it to hurt me. It was perfect for him. I was stuck in a situation that I could not easily get out of, and at the same time I had to watch him hurt Sam with his carelessness and indifference. He even tried to fight me tooth and nail for custody of Sam in the divorce proceedings. Luckily for me, Marcus and Dana built a solid case against him. Once the judge announced his ruling, Flynn refused his visitation rights and signed over any legal claim to Sam right there in divorce court.”
Heath’s eyes had gone from confusion to fury in the space of a few seconds. Heath glanced over to make sure that Sam was still down at the rail out of earshot and then turned back to me, “You mean that bastard doesn’t see Sam, ever?”
“Yes, that’s what I mean. He never sees Sam, never sends him letters, or even gives him a phone call. I think to Flynn, Sam does not even exist. It makes me so angry sometimes, and I wonder if that’s what Flynn wants or is getting out of all this.”
“I promise you, Miranda, you and Sam will never have to wonder about me. I want to see you, and I want to be with you. I say what I mean, and I mean what I say, darling.”
I brushed my fingers gently down his cheek, “I know, Heath, and that is more than I could ever ask for in any man.”
Sam ran up to us unaware of the currents that raged between the two of us; excitement dripped from his every pore. “Hey, guess what? The game is about to start. I can’t wait. Who do you think is going to win?”
Heath reached over and ruffled his hair, “I don’t know, but I hope it’s the Sand Gnats!”
Sam howled, “Me too. What about you, Mom?”
“I just hope that it’s a good game, period…no matter who on the field wins.”
Sam rolled his eyes and looked at Heath conspiratorially, “See what I have to deal with?”
Heath chuckled and pulled me close, “I think you have a great mom, Sam.”
Sam grinned back at him, “Me too, but I like to tease her. She already knows that she’s the best mom in the whole wide world!”
Then the players took the field, and Sam was lost to the action before him. Despite the heat, it was a good game. Even as distracted as I was by Heath’s presence, I was still able to get caught up in the plays on the field. The game was fast paced, and the action was good. By the end of the 9th inning, the Sand Gants were up 9 to 3 against the Charleston River Dogs.
As the game finished and the Sand Gnats took a victory run around the bases, the crowd began to move from their seats to the exits. Sam was exhausted after so much excitement and the heat of the afternoon. It was only about 8:30, but his eyes were beginning to droop. Heath noticed and scooped him up on his shoulders for a ride. It was such a natural gesture of a father and son that tears lodged in my throat for what should have been between Flynn and his son and what still might be between Heath and Sam. With Sam seated proudly on his shoulders like a conquering king, Heath reached back and grabbed my hand pulling me to his side, “We can’t have you getting lost on us now, can we?”
I shook my head no and gripped his hand tighter, thinking that my world had been torn down again, but this time; it was an addition, not a demolition project. I was taking down wal
ls and adding room in my heart for Heath. Looking up at Sam, I knew that he was doing the same thing.
I looked up to the heavens and prayed that Heath was thinking the same thoughts. From the tender look on his face, I suspected he was, but my heart still shuddered in fear at the idea that I could be wrong again…..and find myself loving a man who did not love me or my son.
The ride home was much quieter than the initial ride to the stadium earlier in the day. Sam had chattered endlessly on the ride to the stadium, but now he was worn out and dosed in the backseat as Heath expertly steered us through the busy streets. I enjoyed the easy silence that filled the front seat. Neither Heath nor I felt the need to fill the space with inane conversation. This closeness was enough for now.
I snuggled in the luxury of the leather passenger seat and watched Heath’s profile as he concentrated on the drive home. His face was a chiseled profile that some might mistake for hard, cold or uncaring. They would be so wrong. Even when I was but a stranger, this man had cared for me because of his humanity and compassion.Men like him in this day and age were rare. In fact, I only knew two other men as kind and rock steady, my father and Marcus.
I sighed softly to myself. Perhaps I was biased and not thinking clearly. Perhaps I saw only what I wanted to see. Heath looked over at me then and in that moment, any doubt that I harbored in my mind was chased out by the rush of love that overflowed from my heart. I always let my heart lead me; now was not the time to change that position. Now was the time to seize the dream and hold tight.
Heath steered the SUV into the drive and parked behind my car. I continued to gaze at him. I dreaded the end of the night and of our time together. He seemed to feel the same. Soft snoring emitted from the backseat, and Heath looked back to see Sam slumped over in his booster seat lost in his own private dreams.
He smiled at me and said, “Tell you what, Miranda. I’ll grab the sleeping beauty if you’ll grab the car seat and unlock the door.”
I chuckled, “You’ve got a deal, but if I were you, I would pray that Sam never finds out that you called him Sleeping Beauty.”
Heath wrinkled his nose in male distaste. “You’re right. It’s horrible to call a guy that, but honestly, he is sleeping and he sure is a beauty.” He paused and gazed tenderly at me then. “He takes after his mom in that way.”
I reached out and ran my hand over his cheek. “Thank you, Heath.”
After a long moment, Heath pulled back and my hand dropped down to the car seat. With regret in his voice, Heath declared, “I guess we had better get this boy to bed.”
I nodded and opened my door to exit the car and unfortunately end the evening. Heath had already gotten out and made his way around to my side of the Navigator. My heart thudded in a strange rhythm as I watched him gently scoop Sam from his car seat and settle him firmly against his shoulder. They looked so right together, father and son. I pulled in a shaky breath and reached in to grab the booster seat. I tried to shut the car door as quietly as possible, but there was still a small metallic ringing that sounded in the still of the night. Sam stirred against Heath’s shoulder but only burrowed deeper into his embrace and never opened his eyes.
Together we walked up the steps to the front door where the light burned in the period style wall sconces that Mike had installed last week. I opened the door to let Heath and Sam into the house. I followed, closed the door, and set the alarm behind me.
Heath stopped and waited for me to lead the way to Sam’s room. I pointed to the stairs. We slowly climbed up until we reached the landing. From there I led him down the hall to Sam’s bedroom and opened the door to reveal a room dressed out in Super Hero attire. I flipped on the night light in the room to cast a gentle glow to light Heath’s way as he picked a careful path through Sam’s toys to his bed. I followed and turned back the covers as Heath settled my son down into the soft confines of Iron Man sheets.
I bent over and slipped off his shoes and socks and tossed them under the bed for lack of a better place to stow them easily. Since he was dressed in a loose comfortable tee shirt and a pair of soft worn shorts, I left him in his day clothes and pulled up the sheet to ward off the chill of the air conditioner.
I took Heath’s hand and pulled him out of the room and back downstairs to the family room for some alone adult time. Once we were happily ensconced on our scandalous sofa, I snuggled into Heath’s embrace and sighed. “It was a wonderful day, Heath; thank you.”
Heath’s arm tightened briefly around my shoulders, “I’m glad because I had an amazing time too.” He paused then and continued a moment later. “I’m wondering when we can do this again.”
A ghost of a satisfied smile bloomed on my lips. “Humh.” I pretended to mentally flip through my calendar as I searched for a day on which I could squeeze him in. “Ah, well, Sam and I have brunch with my parents on Sunday following church, so tomorrow is full, I am sad to say.”
Heath’s face was a comic display in dismay, but his eyes danced with humor. I grinned back at him, “I am free any other day next week.”
He chuckled, “You had better not tell me that, love, or I’ll have you monopolized all week long.”
My foolish heart skipped a beat, but I knew that I was not a child anymore and had to put away childish things such as selfishly spending all of my time with a man who interested me. I shrugged, “As good as that sounds, I had better leave some time open for the other important people in my life.”
Heath grudgingly admitted, “You’re right, but how about we settle for two nights next week. One night we make plans for you, me, and Sam. The other night is just you and me.”
“That sounds wonderful. How about you join Sam and me here for dinner and a movie on Tuesday night? I’ll join you for a date another night of your choosing.”
Heath readily agreed. “You’ve got a deal. I will come for dinner about what, 6:00, on Tuesday?”
I nodded against his solid chest, “Yeah, that sounds good to me.”
With a regretful sigh, Heath stood up and pulled me into his arms. “Then I guess, I should kiss you good night and be on my way, Miranda.”
Before I could respond, his lips covered mine with a firm, sweet pressure that turned my bones to liquid fire and caused me to fall into his capable arms. His taste filled my senses and when his tongue slipped into my mouth, it caused me to moan with longing. To my displeasure, it also caused Heath to break off the kiss.
He touched his forehead to mine. “Miranda, you tempt me beyond reason.”
I ran my hand up his neck and into his hair as I tried to pull him back into the kiss. However, I was met with iron resistance that I could not overcome. He shook his head. “I can’t, Miranda. if I don’t stop now, we’ll end up naked in your bed and as much as that would please me, I don’t think this is the right time for that.”
With regret, I too pulled away from him so that we stood slightly apart and nodded my acquiescence. “I understand Heath, and I agree with you. This is not the right time,” I smiled ruefully. “However, the right time had better happen soon.”
Heath’s eyes flashed with dark emotion. “Damn right, woman. It will be soon. Now, you best show me out before I change my mind.”