The Perfect Game (The Perfect Game 1)

“I can do that. ” Gramps gave me a confident nod and I scurried over to Jack’s side.

I glanced sideways, taking in his new hat and jersey before wrapping my arm around his middle. He pulled me tight. “This is exciting, right?”

“Understatement of the year. ” I shivered with excitement and grinned up at him.

We stood still for what felt like an eternity while Gramps maneuvered us and played with the camera. “Oh, Gramps, can we get one more with Dean?” I looked at Dean and waved him over. “I don’t have any pictures of the three of us. I really want one. Or twelve,” I said with a chuckle.

“This is fun! I see why you like doing this, Cassie. You can’t screw up because you can’t run out of film. ”

“It’s pretty cool, huh?” I asked, removing the camera from around his neck.

“Pretty cool indeed,” he answered with a wink.

FOURTEEN

Jack left for Single-A ball a few days following the draft. Dean drove up north with him in his deathmobile, and then spent a few days there with him. It had been twenty-seven days since I last saw him, not that I was counting or anything.

He told me before he left that the minor leagues consisted of Single-A, Double-A, Triple-A, and then The Bigs, which was another word for the Big Leagues, the Majors, The Show. Although signed by the Diamondbacks, Jack would have to work his way up through a succession of teams that funneled players to the Diamondbacks, starting with Single-A.

The Diamondbacks’ Single-A team was in a small town in Northern California and even though Jack didn’t have to leave the state, he still had to leave where we lived in Southern California. The truth was that when it came to matters of the heart, distance was distance, no matter the number of miles. I was confused at first why he wasn’t going to Arizona, but after Jack explained to me how it all worked, it made sense that he would be going to Northern California instead.

It was hard having him gone. I’d become so used to Jack’s physical presence that his absence was unavoidably felt and missed on a daily basis. I was thankful for e-mail, Facebook, and our cell phones, but nothing replaced his actually being here. It was weird too, being the one left behind. Jack moved, his life now filled with new experiences, friends, teammates, and adventures. But I was still here, doing the same things I did before he left, seeing the same people, living pretty much the same life.

Yeah. It was definitely weird being the one left to live in the memories of what used to be. Fortunately for me, I kept myself busy with my new summer internship. I’d finally convinced my parents to let me bring my car to school for the summer, s

ince I needed to drive to and from work five days a week. They agreed, but only with the understanding that once the fall semester started, my car had to return to its dust-collecting spot in the driveway.

Seriously? Who were these people claiming to be my parents? They felt like such strangers with whom I had absolutely nothing in common, least of all common sense.

My personal ringtone for Jack blared as I sat outside with my co-worker, Lesslie, watching the surfers during our lunch break. I fumbled through my purse looking for my phone, a smile plastered across my face. “Babe!” I shouted as soon as I answered.

“Kitten,” his voice purred in response. “I miss you so much. How’s the internship?”

“It’s so freaking cool. I love it. I’m learning so much. ” Seagulls cawed in the background as I pressed the phone closer to my ear so I could hear Jack better.

“You’ll have to tell me all about it when you get up here. ” Jack’s voice was upbeat, his excitement confusing me.

“When I get…what?”

“I wanna fly you up for the weekend. ”

“Really?” I shot Lesslie a glance.

“Yes, really. I’m pitching on Saturday night and I want you to meet the guys. And I fucking miss you like crazy. ”

“I miss you too. ”

“Check with your boss to see if you can take Friday off. E-mail me and let me know what he says, okay?”

“Okay. I’ll ask as soon as I get back from lunch,” I responded, suddenly not hungry anymore.

“Maybe you oughta remind him that your boyfriend has a bit of a temper, so he probably shouldn’t tell you no,” he teased with a laugh.

“Oh yeah, I’ll definitely make sure to threaten him. That stuff usually works on normal, sane people. ” I rolled my eyes, safe in the knowledge that he couldn’t see me.

He laughed and I pictured his face in my mind. “Seriously though, if he says no, I’ll fly you out after work on Friday night or first thing Saturday morning, okay?”

“Okay! Oh my gosh, I’m so excited! Thanks, babe. ”