“How’d that feel?” Sullivan called, grabbing the ball from his glove.
Mason grinned from ear to ear. “That went fast.”
“It did.” Sullivan punched his glove then held it out. “Show me again.”
Throw after throw, Mason got better and stronger, reminding Sullivan of himself as a kid. Time went by slowly, and Sullivan absorbed the conversation and laughter around him. The simple life. It felt familiar and yet a world away from his life in Boston. But his best memories reminded him of this moment.
By the time Clara called Mason over for dinner, a calmness had settled over Sullivan. Something he hadn’t felt in a long time. Peace. Mason’s laugh, his joy and energy, it was all infectious.
“Can’t we play longer?” Mason called to Clara.
She pointed at the food. “Dinner, Mason. Now.”
When Mason pouted, Sullivan got down on one knee in front of him. “Do you know what pro ballplayers need most?”
“A good bat?” Mason asked.
Sullivan chuckled. “That and food. You need to feed your muscles, make them strong.”
Mason’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“You bet.”
Mason’s expression turned eager, his smile full of joy. “Can I tell people at school I know you?”
“Would you like to tell people you know me?”
Mason nodded.
“Then, yes,” Sullivan said. “Even tell them we played baseball together and I gave you this hat.”
“Wow, so cool,” Mason said then took off, running to the picnic table, throwing his glove into the air to hit the grass a second later. “I need to feed my muscles.”
Sullivan laughed to himself, his chest warm and light. He’d been so worried all day about this meeting, but truth was, Mason was a great kid. Funny. Clever. Curious. Strong. A definite mix of him and Clara. As he watched everyone laughing and talking, he realized he’d been so selfishly focused on forgetting his life in River Rock he forgot all the good here.
After Sullivan removed his glove, he scooped up Mason’s on the way over to the others. The steak dinner with salad and side dishes were set up on the long table next to the grill. Obviously, the family had big dinners like this often.
Sullivan waited with Hayes off the side while the women and Luka began filling their plates. Hayes all but glared at Luka, and Sullivan held back his laugh. Apparently, Luka wasn’t raised with the good ole’ boy hospitability found in River Rock.
Hayes finally turned to Sullivan. “Maisie told me and Beckett earlier what maybe we all knew all along.” He gestured toward Mason. “Must have been a shock to you.”
Sullivan snorted. “A shock is putting it mildly.”
Hayes chuckled before his smile faded. “You did good today. Couldn’t have been easy coming here, facing all this.” The side of his mouth curved. “Especially with the Carter sisters watching your every move.”
The thought had crossed Sullivan’s mind, but he’d hoped his earlier gesture helped his case. “Ah, you’re a cop. I figured they’d be on their best behavior.”
“As if I can control any of them,” Hayes said, dead serious.
Sullivan laughed, his gaze falling back to the table as Luka picked up his plate and began scooping up his food before Amelia. “So, when did this happen?” Sullivan asked, gesturing to Luka.
“A year after you left. They met in college,” Hayes said.
Sullivan had always pegged Beckett and Amelia for marriage. “What happened with Beckett?”
Hayes scowled at Luka then gave a knowing look. “That’s a good question, and one Beckett refuses to answer.”
When Amelia and Maisie finished making their plates, Clara made up one for Mason and set it in front of him before quickly making her own. Sullivan scooped up more food than his stomach probably needed, but he wasn’t about to pass up on a home-cooked meal. He took a seat next to Hayes. Which happened to be across from Clara. When he noticed the spot next to her was open, a part of Sullivan liked that. That Clara had never filled it with some guy no one liked and who didn’t let her eat first. The other part of him didn’t like she’d been alone for so long. Maybe she had one-night stands to forget too, but she deserved more than that. Hell, she deserved everything.