Scoring Position Strike Zone Series Book 3

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Kayleigh

      Standing in front of the full length mirror, I don't recognize the girl reflecting back at me. I came to the west coast in ancient shorts and an old T-shirt with a small suitcase and a few boxes to my name. No family, no friends, no job. Just the shirt on my back and a broken down car that barely ran.

      It put a roof over my head on the road and brought Nate and I together. Call it fate, call it coincidence, but it is what it is. If it wasn't for my bad luck with that car, I wouldn't have gotten that ride, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to meet the man I'm marrying today.

That and a crappy job and a tendency to be a klutz got Nate Segler's attention. A spilled cup of coffee, a lost job and a broken car was all I needed for Nate to chase me to my beach house and refuse to leave me alone. Now I'm about to marry him. I can't feel bad about what happened or how it happened, it brought me my future.

        With my veil in place, the girls are finishing up with the stylist and I'm waiting, looking at someone I don't quite recognize.

     "You look stunning, Kayleigh." Reese peeks around the door at me. "You're going to knock Nate's socks off, sweetheart."

      Smoothing my hand down the champagne satin and lace of my skirt, I look at his reflection behind me and see the sadness in his eyes. I wish things could be different between him and Molly. It's not from lack of trying on all our parts. Molly is just extremely stubborn.

      "Thank you. Is everything okay over there?" I'm nervous. I've never been really sure where I belong. I don't want to lose my place now. I like where I am, and who I've become.

      Reese smiles with a sad nod to me and walks up behind me. "Yeah, I'm the designated hitter today, I guess. He wanted to be sure you have this before you walk down the aisle." Holding out a small, long, velvet box, he grins. "You really have changed him, you know. Nate swore he'd never settle down, not any time soon. Seeing him today, I don't think I've ever seen him happier. You did that for him, Kayleigh. He loves you, so take care of him for me."

     Turning to face him, I reach up to cup Reese's face, and understand his grief. He feels alone, hurt, and helpless to fix anything. Molly hasn't made it easy on him, and I'm not sure there's nothing any of us can do now. Stepping into him, I wrap my arms around his neck and hug him tight. He needs to know he isn't losing us. Nate and Dillon are his family, just because he's not with Molly doesn't mean he's losing his family.

       "He loves you too. You're a brother to Nate, that's not going to change. And I'm sure he'll be in New York for your first game of the season. He'll probably be telling you what to do from the stands too." We laugh knowing that's exactly what Nate will do too. "Don't leave without saying something to her. At least say goodbye. You both need that."

     Closure. It's never an easy thing when you have to say goodbye. I've said more than my share over the years. Each one was painful, hard, and stayed with me. Reese's will be no different. I'll hate saying that goodbye to him, no more than Nate will, but at least it's not forever.

     "Open your gift. Nate said I couldn't leave until you had it on." Reese instructs me, tapping his finger on the box.

      Opening the box, I found a beautiful necklace laying against the soft bed of blue velvet. A sparkling silver chain holding a diamond and ruby baseball. It fits us and it means something special to him. Reese pulls it out and unhooks the clasp. Turning around, I lift my hair and he puts the necklace on me. It's perfect.

      "Now, I can go. You're one of a kind, Kayleigh. Nate's a lucky man." Kissing my cheek, Reese takes his leave and gently closes the door behind him.