Justin sat back on his hands, a grin stretched from one ear to the other. Bailey sat next to him, her legs tucked under her; her head resting against his shoulder. They were sprawled on a blanket on the third base line of the ball field. Carter and his buddies had put together a scrimmage game, and some of the parents had come out to watch their kids play. After the game, Bailey and Justin planned to take Cater out to dinner so they could tell him about the news and offer the kid some relief. He had been pretty worked up over the idea of leaving, too, and Justin really wanted to put his mind at ease.
It felt like the perfect summer day, really. Justin was so content to sit here and watch Cater pitch, and lay next to Bailey. The only thing that was slightly marring the perfection of his afternoon would be the man watching from across the field. Travis had shown up not long after the game had started. He hadn’t said anything to either Justin or Bailey, instead, he’d moved to the fence along the first base side and stayed there, occasionally cheering on his son. Even with the distance between them, Justin could feel the man’s eyes. Even though he’d learned that Travis couldn’t make Bailey and Carter relocate, Justin still didn’t like the man being around.
Purposely, he leaned over and kissed Bailey on the forehead, shifting his weight so he could wrap his arm around her shoulder. He smiled when she snuggled in closer to him.
“Are you marking your territory?” She asked, a grin in her voice.
Justin smiled, kissing her again. “Absolutely. If he wants a show, I’ll give him one.”
“I think he’s just here for Carter, J. You don’t have to worry.”
“Oh, I’m not worried.” Justin’s tone was confident, but inside he was a little uncomfortable with the idea of Travis. It was easier to deal with the man when he was a memory. He could make Bailey forget those memories for a while, replace them with new, better ones. In person, it was hard for Bailey and Carter to ignore Travis’s presence, and Justin didn’t like it. He would never begrudge Carter his father, but he didn’t think that Travis deserved the title. Getting a girl pregnant did not a father make, and Justin was worried that Carter was going to suffer because of Travis’s past.
So, if that meant ‘marking his territory,’ he would do it until Travis got the hint. He wanted the man to go away, and fast.
“Hey Mom, Mr. T.” Carter trotted over, grabbing a bottle of water from his mother’s outstretched hands, wiping sweat from his face.
“You know, Carter, you’re not my student anymore. You can call me Justin. Mr. T makes me sound like a member of the A-Team.”
Carter gave him a mischievous look. “You’re not cool enough to be in the A-Team, Mr…Justin.”
“Carter!” Bailey scolded, but Justin let out a loud laugh, appreciating the jibe.
“It’s okay. That was a good one.” Carter grinned at Justin’s praise. “You look good out there, C. Your curve ball is untouchable.” If possible, the smile on the boy’s face widened even farther.
“Thanks! We’re just taking a break for a minute. I need to get back over there.” He waved goodbye to his mother and Justin, trotting back over to the field and entering the huddle that was forming.
Bailey bumped her shoulder into Justin’s. “He likes you, J. A lot. You’re really good with him.”
“I like him, too. He’s a great kid. You’ve done an incredible job raising him.” He leaned into her a little, liking the feel of her bare arm pressed against his.
“Thank you.”
Her voice was small, quiet, and Justin knew she was thinking about the past, remembering. He let her get lost in though, content to just sit here with her and enjoy the sunshine and the fresh air.
The game was over not long after, the boys grinning and high-fiving each other as they collected their gear and walked off the field. Justin bent to pick up the blanket and Bailey’s small bag, grimacing as he caught stood and caught sight of Travis making his way over to the group.
“Hey, Carter, great job.” Travis reached out to ruffle Carter’s hair, but the boy ducked away and sidled closer to his mother.
“Thanks.” It was obvious that Carter was still uncomfortable around the man, and Justin just wanted to tell him to leave them alone.
Travis scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. “I was wondering if you wanted to get a bite to eat. You know, celebrate the game.” He looked at his son hopefully, but those hopes slipped a little when Carter turned to look questioningly at his mother.
Bailey shook her head. “Actually, Justin and I were going to take you out to dinner, if you’re hungry.” She gave Justin a small look before continuing, “but if you’d like to go with Travis, that’s your choice.”
Carter seemed to be choking back a groan. He had wanted his mother to give him an easy out. Now he was going to have to make a decision, although, it was an easy one. “Maybe another night, Travis. I’d like to spend this one with my mom.”
Justin cheered silently inside, reaching over to grab Carter’s baseball bag and giving the boy a smile. “I’m going to take our stuff to the car. I’ll meet you both over there.” He gave Travis a curt nod because his manners dictated that he acknowledge the man, but he also made it a point to kiss Bailey’s cheek and touch Carter lightly on the shoulder. They were his family now, and he really didn’t think that Travis deserved to be around them, not after everything he’d put them through.
Bailey watched Justin walk away, a small smile perched on her face. She was still feeling light, untouchable almost, and she couldn’t help but see Travis as a different person now. Gone was the threat of exposure. Now, he was just a tired, worn out man with no life and no family and a past that would forever haunt him. She almost felt badly for him, but she knew better than that. Travis has made his own bed.
“You look great out there, Carter. You’re such an unbelievable pitcher. I’m amazed.” Travis was trying really hard to connect with his son, Bailey could see it. If Carter realized it, though, he did a great job of ignoring it.
The boy just shrugged. “Gramps really helped me a lot, and I’ve been working with my coaches and Justin since we’ve been down here. I just like to play ball.” The mention of Justin put an obvious slump in Travis’s shoulders.
Bailey was starting to feel uncomfortable, and she really just wanted to be with her son and Justin. “We should probably get going, Bub. I’m sure you’re hungry.” She ran her hands through Carter’s hair, giving him a smile.
“Sounds good.” Carter turned to trot of, throwing a wave over his shoulder, “bye Travis.” And that was it. Travis looked down at the ground, rubbing at his neck and chuckling uncomfortably.
“This isn’t going to be easy, is it?” He glanced up at Bailey. The laugh that came out of her mouth was a harsh sound.
“No, and it shouldn’t be.” She sighed, “we’ll see you later, Travis.” She couldn’t quite stand to be in his presence anymore. She was resentful that he’d come here and turned their world upside down, expecting both of them to be happy to see him. For years she’s been dealing with the aftermath of Travis’s bad decisions and she wanted to be done with all of it. If he was going to sit here and feel badly for himself, she wasn’t going to stick around to hear it.
Without saying anything, she turned and walked toward the car, smiling widely as she saw Justin waiting for her leaned up against the car bantering with Carter. This was her future, she was sure of it, and it felt like it was truly time to let everything else go and move forward.
“You ready?” Justin asked when she got closer.
Bailey nodded, “I’m starving. Let’s go.”
Justin opened the passenger door for her, giving her a grin and a kiss on the cheek before making his way to the driver’s side. “So, Carter, you’re the man of the hour. Where do you want to eat?”
Without hesitation, Carter answered, “I want a burger from the General Store.”
Justin chuckled, “kid after my own heart. General Store it is.”
The drive over was quiet, talk of the game and Carter’s pitching the topic of the evening. It didn’t take long to get there, and the group was greeted by Sam and Ben, happy to see some of their favorite customers. “Hey y’all! What brings you here?”
Sam ushered them to the counter, setting down menus even though no one needed them. It was Carter who answered, “I’m starving, Miss Sam, and I really want a burger.”
“You got it, kid. You’ve come to the right place. The usual?” She looked at the adults, too, checking for their orders. “That’ll be right up. Glad to see you back.” She gave Bailey a pointed look, patting the girl on the hand before disappearing into the back.
The last time Bailey had been in the General Store, she’d passed out upon learning that Travis was back and looking for her. Then, she’d been terrified and worried. Now, though, she was content and feeling happier than she had in a long time. “So, Bub, I have something to tell you.”
Carter looked up from the magazine he’d grabbed off of the shelf, glancing between his mother and Justin. He groaned, “You’re not pregnant, are you?” He gave Justin a hard stare and both adults gasped.
“Carter!” Bailey scolded, blushing at her son’s comment. “What’s gotten into you?”
The young boy had the good grace to look ashamed, ducking his head in embarrassment. “Sorry. I just…I figured that marriage or babies or something was coming next. I mean…look at you two.”
Justin had covered his face with his hands, so he was no help to Bailey. She looked over at her son and couldn’t help but laugh a little. “What happened to my little boy?”
The boy grinned, happy that he wasn’t in real trouble for his comment. Really, though, it only seemed like a matter of time before his Mom and Mr. Timberlake made it official. Now, though, he was really curious to hear what his mom had to tell him. “So, what’s up?”
Bailey recovered from her shock and smiled again, remembering why she was here in the first place. “Well…Amelia received a letter from your Gramps, one he’d put together before he passed away.” She saw the hope in his eyes falter, so she moved forward quickly. “To make a long story short, Travis can’t tell anyone where we are or he’ll end up back in jail.” She watched Carter to see his reaction, and he seemed a little confused still. “Bub, we don’t have to go anywhere. We can stay.”
Even though he tried to hold it back, tears started to well up in Carter’s eyes as relief and something else flooded through him. He’d been so scared of having to relocate again. He was just starting to like it here in Shelby Forest, and he’d never seen his mom this happy. He had been so pissed when Travis showed up, convinced that he was going to mess their lives up again. Now, though, now he could finally take a breath.
“You okay?” His mom’s arms wrapped around his shoulder and he leaned into her, letting the tears fall silently. He didn’t trust his voice, so he just nodded, looking up to see tears in her eyes, too. “It’s okay, Bub. We’re safe now.” She kissed his forehead, bringing him tightly to her.
Safe. Carter liked the sound of that.
