Holiday Home Run - Priscilla Oliveras Page 0,18
down beside her, the need to comfort her driving him to wrap an arm around her delicate shoulders.
“You doing okay?” he asked, half expecting her to pull away.
Over the past few weeks she had started to relax in his company, greeting him with a brush of their cheeks rather than an impersonal handshake. But the demonstrative manner she shared with the kids during rehearsal—an encouraging hand on a shoulder, a playful hair fluff for Bernardo, warm hugs hello and good-bye for all—had not been extended to him.
Not until she had reached for his hand out in the hallway earlier. He hoped that was a sign of progress.
“I’ve been better,” she answered.
“Care to talk about it?”
Her shoulders rose and fell with a sigh so heavy it seeped into him, forging his desire to soothe whatever pained her.
“It’s not easy trying to figure out how to balance love and commitment to your family with your own goals and dreams. You know?” she said.
Actually, he didn’t know. His parents had never held any strong expectations for him other than that he do well in school and find an area where he excelled. Sure, they’d probably thought it would be in academia, but they hadn’t balked at his choices. They’d been too wrapped up in their own research and studies.
But he’d spent enough time at Octavio’s house to understand the pull a person’s family could have on them. The compulsion to make them proud, to give them your best. To remain loyal.
It’s what Ben had found with baseball and his teammates. It’s what he missed.
“Well, I may not know your family, but in the time we’ve spent together, there’s definitely one thing I know about you.”
Julia slid sideways on the leather sofa cushion, angling to face him.
His arm slid off her shoulder, falling at her side to rest near her hip.
She stared up at him. A mix of doubt, sadness, and hope swam in the depths of her hazel eyes.
“You care about those around you,” he continued. “And you give one hundred percent to your commitments. I bet your parents would be proud of the work you’re doing here.”
She ducked her chin, giving a slight shake of her head. “I don’t know about that.”
“I do. If they raised you, they’re good people.”
“Yeah, they are.”
“That means even if they don’t understand what you need to do for yourself right now, eventually they will. In the long run, I’m betting they only want you to be happy.”
A beat of silence passed, then she covered his hand with hers on the sofa cushion. The warmth of her palm matched the warmth in the sweet smile she gifted him with when she gazed up at him.
“Gracias,” she murmured.
“For what?”
“For calming the crazy thoughts salsa dancing in my head.” Her gentle laugh held a note of self-deprecation.
“Anytime,” he answered, smiling back. “Though, you should know, I can also hold my own on the salsa dance floor. In case you were wondering.”
Julia threw back her head and laughed. The rich sound tugged at his desire for her, enticing and strong.
“I’ll have to verify that sometime,” she teased.
He sure hoped so.
Her cheeks brightened with laughter, the gloomy melancholy that had weighed her down moments ago dissipated.
Ben grinned back at her, pleased to have helped lighten her mood.
“Bueno, I guess we should head outside, huh?” Julia rose to stand next to the ottoman.
She surprised him once again by holding out her hand to him.
Not one to miss an opportunity, Ben placed his hand in hers. The smoothness of her palm pressed against his as she gently tightened her grasp.
When they reached the doorway, Ben drew to a halt.
Now or never. Once they returned to the group, who knew if he’d have a moment alone with her again.
“Before we go back to the party, I have a quick proposition for you,” he said.
Julia glanced up at him, curiosity arching one of her brows. “Oh really? And what might that be?”
The soft sound of the holiday tune “Blue Christmas” drifted down the hallway from the living room. An appropriate song for how he’d feel should she continue to keep him at an arm’s distance.
“I was thinking we could cross something off your bucket list this weekend. If you’re up for it.”
She angled her head in question, lips curved in a playful smirk as she gave him a narrow-eyed once-over. “That sounds more like a challenge if you ask me.”
“If it were, would that encourage you to say yes?”
Her smirk blossomed on a husky chuckle