“Shh,” I whispered in her ear. “We aren’t the only ones in here.”
Most of her kitchen staff was here too. Some were baking, some were chopping, and others were cooking. It’s how I’d found myself next to the pot of simmering chicken and dumplings while trying to stay out of the way.
“Follow me,” she said. I followed her to a stainless-steel table with a wooden stool. “Sit.”
She busied herself around the kitchen and came back with a cutting board, knives, and an assortment of vegetables, mostly onions. “I need these to be chopped. You know how onions look on top of street tacos?”
I nodded.
“Just like that,” she said and kissed my cheek. One of the cooks laughed as she watched us. I was used to a crowd of over forty thousand people staring at me and analyzing every move I made, but this was different. This was Delilah’s domain, and everyone here was watching me because of her.
With every new person I met, I became more content with her setup here. Everyone looked after her and loved having her as a boss. I cut the onion in half and watched Delilah flit from station to station, leaving each person smiling. My chest swelled with pride. She caught my eye and made a chopping motion. I smiled and got to work.
After I finished, I stood and popped my neck and back. I had a neat pile for each vegetable. They weren’t perfect, I could see uneven pieces, but I was pretty damn proud of what I’d been able to do. I slid up behind Delilah as she added cracked pepper to the pot of soup and stirred.
I wound my arms around her waist and kissed her neck. “I’m done,” I whispered. “Do I get a reward now?”
“What did you have in mind?”
I tugged on her earlobe with my teeth and spoke quietly into her ear. “Nothing that we can do here. Unfortunately.”
I heard a door pop open behind us, but I didn’t turn to see who’d come in. I stood with Delilah, my head resting on her shoulder as I watched her work with the fresh thyme in front of her.
“I didn’t know you knew each other,” a woman said.
I looked over my shoulder and grinned. I let go of Delilah and turned around. “Ms. Young, what’re you doing here?”
Her gaze was bouncing back and forth between me and Delilah. Did she know Delilah? She’d never mentioned that they knew each other. I stepped forward and planted a kiss on her cheek and gave her a hug. She was stiff in my arms, but after a moment she hugged me back, patting my back softly.
“Carol,” Delilah said. “Whatcha got for me today?”
Delilah wiped her hands on a towel and stepped forward, peering into the wooden crate on the work surface next to Ms. Young.
“Are y’all together?” Ms. Young asked.
“Yes.” I swung my arm around Delilah’s shoulders. “We met when I came back to town.”
She nodded slowly. “That’s wonderful.” She smiled, but it felt a little forced.
I grimaced. “I’m sorry I haven’t been by lately. It’s been busy around here, and I’m training for the season again. I’ve signed with the Rattlers, so I’ll be playing locally. I’d love for you to come.”
She swallowed and her eyes became a little misty. I didn’t want to hurt her. I knew she should be watching Declan instead of me, but he would want her out of the house and doing something.
“We’ll see.” She turned her back toward me and faced the crate again. “Delilah, dear, I have some pumpkins in the car and some yellow squash right here.”
“Oh, that’s perfect. Roasted honey squash with some slivered macadamia nuts on top. What do you think?”
“That sounds wonderful.”
“Do you need help unloading your car?” I asked.
Ms. Young nodded. “That’d be very helpful, Gunner. Thank you. The pumpkins are a little large.”
I nabbed her keys from her palm and left to unload the car. After I got it all inside, she exited through the back door. “It was great to see you, Gunner. I’m…I’m happy for you and Delilah. I’m sure the three of you will make a cute little family.” Tears welled in her eyes again.
“Thank you. I told her all about Declan.”
She nodded. “I wish he were here.”
“I do too.”
I hugged her once more and returned to Delilah as she sorted through the loot Ms. Young had brought with her. “How do you know Carol?”
“That’s Declan’s mom.”
Delilah gasped and faced me. Her hand went to her mouth and her eyes flicked to the door Ms. Young had exited through a few minutes ago. “I had no idea. She never said anything and I never wanted to pry.”
“Does she work here?” I asked.
“No, she helps at the farm down the road and brings food in sometimes. Occasionally she’ll stay to help. She’s even offered to babysit Tuck for me.”
“You should let her sometime,” I said. I didn’t want to push the issue, but I knew I needed to find a way to keep my promise to Declan to take care of his mom. I bet Tuck could bring a smile to her face.
“I will.” Delilah sighed. “I can’t believe that’s Declan’s mom. I wish I could do something for her. I can’t imagine losing Tucker.”
“Keep doing what you’re doing, beautiful. She always loved gardening and cooking with fresh vegetables. As far as I know, this is the only thing she’s been keeping up with. Her house looked run-down. I need to get over there and help out.”
“We’ll do it together,” Delilah promised.
Chapter 30
Gunner
Just like the first time, it was weird being in Declan’s house without him. I still felt his presence everywhere, and everything held a memory, even the cabinet where I was tightening the hinge. We’d tossed a two-liter Coca-Cola bottle back and forth until one of us dropped it and it exploded all over the kitchen cabinets. Ms. Young made us scrub every last one with a toothbrush.
I wasn’t sure if I could have survived living in this house like she had. Memories of him hit me every day, but I think I was able to heal because I’d left Hawk Valley.
Delilah had emptied the refrigerator and was scrubbing the shelves before organizing its contents. According to her, it was one of her favorite things to do.
We wouldn’t be able to accomplish everything that needed to be done that day, but we would make a good start and the next visits could just be visits.
Tucker sat at the dining room table across from Ms. Young, learning to play chess. She’d also taught Declan, and his ability to read a board and his opponent were skills he’d translated to being a good catcher. He could call the game and read the pitcher he was working with easily, anticipating their needs before they knew themselves. He would’ve been one of the greats—there was no doubt in my mind.
Tuck’s face was scrunched with concentration as he reached for a piece. “Can’t move that one,” Ms. Young said patiently. “Try again, sweetheart.”
My phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out of my jeans and glanced at the screen.
Mom calling.
I swiped across the screen, putting it on speaker, and turned back to the hinge. “Hey, Mom. I’m at Ms. Young’s, working on fixing a cabinet. You’re on speaker.”