Sweet Harmony (Harmony Falls #1) - Elizabeth Kelly Page 0,96

Ethel said. “I’m talking about his baseball career.”

Kira didn’t know how to respond. Luckily, Ethel went on like she wasn’t even there. “I wasn’t surprised when he moved away, even if it did break his mama’s heart. Hard to live in a place where you ruined so many people’s hopes and dreams.”

“What do you mean?” Kira asked.

“Of course, it was a real shitty thing for the town to do to him. He might have been the best baseball player Willington had ever seen, but it wasn’t right the pressure they put on him. He was just a kid, you know?”

Kira nodded and clenched her hands in a tight fist in her lap as she watched Connor dance with Gina. She prayed Ethel would continue, releasing her breath in a soft rush when the old woman did.

“He was the town’s golden boy. Top athlete in the school. We had scouts come and watch him play. Scouts! To our little town. The mayor nearly shit his pants he was so giddy. I tell you what, the entire town showed up to that ball game. Connor was only seventeen, you’da thought the pressure of that would have gotten to him, but it didn’t. He played his best game that night. He was planning to go to college in New Cassel, play some college ball while he got his degree. But rumour was after they watched him in that game, they was gonna draft him right out of high school. That’s how good he was.”

Ethel stared moodily at the dancers. “He was good too. Like a dancer out there, you know? Moved fast and was a natural leader. And his batting? Shit, you ain’t never seen someone hit so many home runs. He still playin’ ball in the Falls?”

Kira nodded. “Yes. He plays for the local league.”

“Figured he would. Baseball is in his blood. He wouldn’t be able to give it up for good. It’s a damn shame the accident ruined everything.”

“The quads?” Kira whispered.

“Yeah,” Ethel said. “He and some of his friends went out on their quads a few days before graduation. They weren’t drinkin’ or anythin’ like that, but they were being reckless and stupid. But that’s how teenage boys are, aren’t they? Can’t think of nothing at that age but baseball and the balls between their legs.”

Ethel shook her head. “Anyway, Connor got into that accident, tore his knee to hell and just like that his career was over. The town’s golden boy was tarnished.”

Kira stared at Connor. He was smiling at his mother and something in her chest tightened until she could barely breathe. He didn’t deserve what happened to him.

“His parents were disappointed,” Ethel went on as if she didn’t even notice Kira’s heart falling right out of her damn chest. “Real disappointed. They had high hopes for their boy, believed he would be a famous baseball player. Hell, everyone did. When he became a dentist, it sucked the life right out of most of the townsfolk. Even with his knee messed up, most of them believed that he’d still make it as a ball player. They was ready to name a goddamn street after him and then… hell, it was like he didn’t even exist.”

“That’s awful,” Kira whispered. She wanted to march across the dance floor and tear Connor away from his mother. She wanted to take him home to Harmony Falls where he belonged, where no one looked at him like he was a failure.

“Sure was,” Ethel said. “His girl broke up with him and I think that was the straw that broke him. He didn’t have his career or his girl and every day he had to face an entire town’s disappointment. I don’t blame him for leaving. Do you?”

“I hate this town,” Kira said.

“We ain’t all bad,” Ethel said with a shrug. “Besides, it looks like it worked out all right for him. He’s got you now, don’t he?”

Kira gripped her knees when Gina pulled Connor to a stop next to Lisa who was dancing with Connor’s father. Gina said something to Connor before practically pushing Lisa into his arms. She took Rob’s hand and tugged him away as Connor stared down at Lisa. She said something to him, and he nodded before putting his arm around her waist and taking her hand. As the music turned soft and slow, they started to dance, and Kira looked down at the table.

Her pulse was thudding, and the music was muted by the whoosh of blood in