“You’re taking her to dinner?”  The tone of Lynn’s voice warned Justin that she wasn’t sure if it was a good idea or not, and he readied himself to be on the defense.

“Yeah, just dinner.”  He emphasized.  “I wanted to ask if you’d take her son, Carter, to the garden shop with you.  She doesn’t want to leave him alone and I know a bunch of the boys hang out in the vacant field next door.”

Lynn eyed her son, turning only to take the cookies she’d been making out of the oven.  “This is awfully short notice, Justin.”  The smell of the chocolate chip cookies negated the serious tone of her statement.  How could anyone be made when surrounded by the aroma of dessert?

“I know, Momma, I’m sorry.  It…I guess I just asked on a whim.  She and Carter took a walk with me and Brennan and I wanted to get her to come out of her shell.  She’s…she’s so guarded.  She’s intrigues me.  I want to figure her out.”

Lynn’s lips pursed together as she moved cookies to a cooling rack.  She knew what this meant and she wasn’t sure Justin was ready to face the implications of his feelings.  If she knew her son, which she did, he had no idea what he was getting himself into.  She was certain that he also had no idea what was fueling his curiosity and soon enough his attraction would slap him in the face and add complications he wasn’t ready for.  But, he was a grown man now, and her days of having a say in his choices were long gone.

“I’ll take him with me to the garden.”  She agreed.  “But you be careful.”  Justin smiled and kissed his mother on the cheek, sneaking a cookie when she turned her back.  “Don’t spoil your dinner.”  She chided and he shook his head with a smile.  He had no idea how she did that; like she had eyes in the back of her head.

“I love you, Momma.” 

“Yeah, yeah, love you too, kid.”  She shooed him toward the door.  “Now get out of here before you eat all the cookies.”

~*~

“Does this look okay?”  Bailey spun in front of the mirror hanging from the back of her door.  She smoothed down the fabric, turning to check out every angle.  “Or does it make it look like I’m going on a date?”

Carter rolled his eyes.  “You look fine, Mom.”  He flopped back on her bed, his head dizzy from watching his mother pace back and forth between the bathroom and her closet.  “It’s just dinner.”

Bailey slipped back into the bathroom with another top, this one much more casual.  She changed, moving back in front of the mirror.  “Right, which means I need to wear something that expresses that it’s just dinner.”  She explained, spinning around to face her son.  “How does this look?”

Carter gave his mother a long stare.  “It looks just as good as the first five, Mom, and I think you’re starting to lose your mind.”  He flopped back again, letting out a long sigh.

“You’re not being very helpful.”  Bailey stated, turning back to inspect herself in the mirror again.

“You should’ve had a girl if you wanted fashion advice.”  He quipped, lifting himself from the bed and moving toward the door.  He couldn’t stand much more of this and he was hungry.  It was times like these that Carter really missed his Gramps.  He would understand what it felt like to be stuck with Bailey on a regular basis.  He would have also found something witty to say that would’ve gotten his mom to relax and stop worrying about her clothing.  She usually wasn’t like this, and it was starting to freak Carter out some.

He trudged out into the kitchen and grabbed a soda from the fridge, plopping himself down into a chair.  The clock told him it was quarter of seven and he was anxious to get going.  A bunch of the boys he knew from school and baseball played in the lot next to the garden center and he’d wanted to go there for a while.  If he’d known that all he had to do was get his teacher to ask his mother to dinner, he would’ve done it a long time ago.  Of course, the thought of Mr. Timberlake and his mom hanging out was really weird and slightly uncomfortable, but it was worth it.  He just wanted to start making friends and making this place feel like home.

Carter knew that he would never be able to return to Boston, and he hated that, but he could live with it.  He could also live with being in this little town.  As long as he had baseball and friends to hang out with, he would be okay.  His mom just didn’t seem to understand that.

“All right, kiddo, I’m ready.”  Bailey emerged from the bathroom clad in a pair of jeans and sleeveless blouse.  It looked like all the other outfits she’d tried on.

“It’s about time.”  He chided, “I was about to turn twenty-seven.” 

Bailey gave Carter a wide-eyed look and swatted him with her clutch.  “Shush, you.  Let’s go.”

The ride was quick but tense.  Carter could tell his mother was really nervous and he wasn’t exactly sure why.  He liked Mr. Timberlake, and Carter was sure that Mr. T was just trying to be friendly.  His mother had pretty shitty luck when it came to men and dating, but this wasn’t a date, or so she said.

“Now, you have to be on your best behavior, please.”  Bailey turned into the parking lot of the garden center and turned toward Carter.  “I’m not really comfortable with leaving you.”

Carter stopped himself from rolling his eyes.  “Mom, relax, okay?  It’s going to be fine.  A bunch of the other boys play baseball right next door to the gardens.  I’ll hang out there and I won’t bother her at all.”

An uncertain look still sat on Bailey’s face, but a knock on the window kept her from saying anything else.  Justin stood outside her door, smiling and giving a small wave to Carter.  Bailey took a deep breath, glanced at her son, and opened the door.

“Hey,”  Justin greeted both of them.  “Come with me.”  He motioned for them to follow as he headed toward the main building of the garden center.  “My mom is inside.”  They entered the shop, finding Justin’s mother behind the counter helping a customer purchase their items.  Bailey wasn’t surprised to see the blond curls that framed the woman’s face, and the smile of her mouth was the twin of Justin’s own.

When the customer left, Justin ushered Bailey and Carter forward, introducing them.  “Momma, this is Bailey and Carter Beckett.”

Lynn smiled at them both, shaking hands with Carter as she came around the corner.  “I’ve heard a lot about your pitching arm, young man.  It’s nice to finally put a face to the name.”  Carter blushed and looked down at the floor.

“Thank you, ma’am.”  He grinned up at her, a blush painting his cheeks.  “It’s nice to meet you, too.”

“Thank you so much for agreeing to watch him.  I’m so sorry for the short notice.”  Bailey reached out and shook Lynn’s hand, feeling guilty for imposing.  “I hope it’s not too much trouble, Mrs. Timberlake.”

Lynn smiled softly, “It’s Harless, but you can call me Ms. Lynn.”  She took in the younger woman, recognizing what her son was so captivated with.  “It’s no trouble at all.  In fact, the boys at the lot are all waiting for you.”  Lynn glanced at Carter, pointing to the group of kids watching the garden center.  “Word spread that you were coming.  You’re a local hero, you know.”

Carter shifted on his feet, wanting to leave but not knowing if politeness allowed him to escape yet.  He turned to his mother and she smiled, nodding her head.  Tucking his baseball glove under his arm, Carter waved and took off at a trot.

“If he’s any trouble, please call and I’ll come get him right away.”  Bailey felt strange letting Justin’s mother watch her son.  She didn’t like letting him out of her sight, even for a few hours.

“He won’t be any trouble,” Justin interjected, gently tugging on Bailey’s arm.  “He’ll be too preoccupied with baseball to even notice you’re not around.  We should get going.” 

Bailey looked nervous.  “Okay, sure.  Thank you again, Ms. Lynn.  I really appreciate this.”  When Lynn waved the two away and wished them a good night, Bailey let Justin lead her to his car, settling in the seat once he’d opened the door for her.

Her nerves were on edge, tensing her muscles and making her sweat.  She hadn’t been out with a man in a long time, and even though she was adamant it wasn’t a date…it felt like one.  She didn’t know how to handle herself around men anymore, always afraid that she was going to send the wrong message or lead them on.  She thought Justin had been very nice and he was great with Carter, but…but she wasn’t anywhere near ready to think about men as anything other than a pain in her ass. 

“You can relax, you know.”  Justin’s amused voice broke through her thoughts.  “Carter is going to be fine.  My mom will keep an eye on him.”

Bailey attempted a smile, knowing that she was being ridiculous.  “I know.”  She conceded.  “It’s just been a while since I’ve left him alone.  I…I guess I’m not used to the idea that we’re safe here.”  She flinched when she realized her slip. If Justin found the comment odd, he didn’t say.  Instead, he decided to move the conversation to something neutral.

“I hope you like bar-b-q.  There’s this amazing restaurant, Payne’s.  It’s in this old gas station.  They have the best pulled pork this side of the Mississippi.”  Bailey chuckled at the eagerness in his voice.

“I’ve never had pulled pork.”  She confessed, turning at Justin’s intake of breath.

“You haven’t lived.”

“Ever had a Fenway Frank?”  She asked, shifting a little so she could look at Justin.  He shook his head and she grinned.  “You haven’t lived.”

A chuckle escaped his lips as he eased the car onto the freeway.  “Touché.” 

The ride lasted a little over twenty minutes, and they filled it with small talk.  The questions centered mostly around Justin because Bailey seemed uncomfortable whenever the conversation turned toward her.  They talked about teaching, baseball, Justin’s childhood in Tennessee…anything that came to mind.  Bailey felt herself relax little by little, settling into the ease of talking with Justin.  She didn’t want to enjoy herself, because she knew that meant she might have to spend more time with Justin, but she couldn’t seem to stop the laughter that spilled when he’d make a joke, or the smile that had etched itself onto her face.  He was funny and it had been a while since Bailey had laughed like this.

When they reached the restaurant, Justin hurried around the car to open Bailey’s door for her, tucking her hand into the crook of his elbow as they walked.

“Now, you can get whatever you want, but I highly recommend the pulled pork.”  He held the door open, touching her back gently as they entered.

The place was…different.  Bailey had been to some dives in her life, but this was nothing like she’d seen before.  It was tiny, filled with automotive memorabilia and black and white framed photos lining the walls.  The booths were lined with cracked leather, and the tables were stained with years of coffee rings. 

“It’s…cozy.”  She had no idea how to react to the place. 

Justin chuckled.  “Don’t judge until you’ve eaten.  I promise, it’s hiding its full potential.”

“If you say so.” 

They seated themselves, a young girl bringing them menus and taking their drink order.  Bailey let Justin point out his suggestion, not trusting anything else.  When their orders had been taken, Justin sat back in the booth and watched Bailey carefully.  She looked good, jeans and a simple blouse adorning her small frame.  Her hair was pulled back into a pony tale, accentuating her strong jaw line and bringing attention to her blue eyes.  He saw her blush under his gaze and he grinned.   “So, I don’t know if you’ve ever really told me what’s brought you to Shelby Forest.  We don’t get many transplants.”

He watched Bailey’s shoulder stiffen and he knew he’d asked the wrong question.  He wanted to know the answer, though.  Hell, everyone in town wanted to know the answer.

It took her a while to answer, and her voice was strained as she spoke.  “I…it’s a really long story.”  She started, picking at her nails.  “I had family from the area and I wanted Carter to get out of the city.  Fate found us here.”  The answer seemed odd to Justin, rehearsed almost, but he wasn’t about to question her.  He didn’t want to ruin their evening.

“Well, it’s a lot different than the city, that’s for sure.”  He picked at the napkin on the table.  “How does Carter like town so far?”

Bailey was thankful for the change in topic.  “He doesn’t mind.  He’s a pretty easy-going kid.  I think what he misses the most is being able to go to Red Sox games with his Gramps.  They had season tickets.”  She smiled at the memory.  “When he knew he could get away with it, my dad would sign Carter out of school for the day games.”

“My mom would’ve skinned my Grampa alive if she caught wind of that.”

She laughed.  “Oh, I wasn’t happy with him, but…the smile on Carter’s face was enough to get me to back off.  As long as he kept his grades up and his attendance didn’t suffer, I couldn’t deny him that.”

They were interrupted by their waitress with their food.  Conversation lagged as they settled into their meals.  Bailey was pleasantly surprised by the dinner Justin had ordered for her, enjoying the pulled pork more than she thought she would. 

“This is fantastic.”  She mumbled through a bite of food, blushing at her lack of manners.

Justin took a sip of his sweet tea and glanced at Bailey.  “It’s okay to enjoy yourself, you know.  There’s nothing wrong with relaxing.”

The blush on her cheeks deepened.  “Sorry.”  She wiped at her mouth, sitting back in her seat.  “It’s just been a long year, and moving has put me on edge.”  She paused, “Thank you for this, though.  I…I needed it.”

Tentatively, Justin reached his hand across the table and brushed the back of Bailey’s.  She stared at their touching hands but she didn’t pull away.  A thousand thoughts raced through her head, urging Bailey to run.  She ignored all of them, instead focusing on the warmth of his touch.

She could always regret this later.