“Yes you did my man!” He quickly put his son down. “But you better get back to your game.”
Michael ran off and the three friends found seats in the stands to watch the rest of the inning.
“You missing the game Jack? “Thomas asked, looking at his friend who suddenly seemed to be melancholy.
“No, haven’t missed it in years,” he mumbled. Strangely enough, he didn't even want to watch the game anymore, let alone play it.
“He missed Deb,” Vanessa piped up. “That’s why he didn’t try to go pro. He needed to stay close to home in case she came back.’
“Is that true Jack?” Thomas asked incredulous.
Jackson shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe, now that you mention it. Pitiful huh?” He shot a dirty look at his sister. Now he had even more crap to contend with. Old baggage was the worst.
Thomas shook his head. “Nah, we men do crazy things for women. Look at me, I went active duty, just to get away from Vanessa.”
Jackson chuckled. “And it almost killed you. At least my love for Deb didn’t risk my life.”
“Oh yeah?” Thomas smirked. “You gave up pro ball to stay home waiting for her and entered law enforcement instead. You've never risked your life, ever, right?" He chuckled. "I do believe I recall you telling me about a scar on one of the lower regions of your body from a gun wielding, deranged hiker.
“Point taken,” Jackson mumbled, blushing. That gun shot had hurt like hell and he hadn't been able to do anything but lay on his side for a week. Not to mention all of the teasing he got from fellow rangers and family alike.
Thomas zoned out for a bit and Vanessa and Jackson feared a flashback from the war, but soon he started to laugh. We’re both glutton's for punishment.”
“Well I know you are,” Jack stated. “You’re marrying my sister aren’t you?”
Vanessa’s hand snaked around behind Thomas and smacked her brother upside the head.
“Ouch, damn it Nessa, not so hard.”
“Wimp,” she mumbled.
They sat watching Michael play for a while and Jackson was more in awe of his son with every minute that passed. He really was a good player and would have a future in the game.
“He’s got great form,” Jack said.
“Just remember, it was his mama, the star softball player that showed him how to play,” Vanessa teased.
“She was being sought by scouts two years before anyone took a look at you Jack,” Thomas added. “She whipped your ass on the field.”
Jackson turned to them, shooting a dirty look their way, then he turned back to his son's game and smiled. “She taught him well,” he whispered.
No comments:
Post a Comment