Anything but Minor - Kate Stewart Page 0,11

life.

Almond Milk

Granola

Turkey cutlets

Asparagus

“Please stop him!” I heard as a little boy raced past me down the grocery aisle. I turned to see Kristina from Andy’s bar running full speed to catch the giggling child. She pulled a can from the vegetable shelf as she ran after him. “Dear God, don’t make me use this.” She laughed and took aim at his head in jest as I gripped the little boy by the arm and stopped him just before he cornered the aisle. He looked up at me in shock.

“Thank you,” she said, out of breath, as she caught up with us. “He’s five years old and thinks that everything is a race.” She looked down at her son and then back to me. “Hey, I didn’t even realize it was you. Thank you.”

“Alice,” I said as the boy fought against his mother.

“Cut it out or no Minecraft!” The child stilled instantly. “I’m Kristina, and this...oh God, I don’t know what this is.”

“I’m Dillon, Mommy!” The dark haired replica of her reminded as he pointed proudly to his chest.

“Yes, yes you are,” she replied with an exhausted sigh. “Thanks again for stopping him. This,” she said, holding a can of green beans, “is the only thing I’ve managed to get since we got here. Oh God, I left my purse in my cart!” She handed me back Dillon’s arm then raced away.

I looked down at him as he smiled up at me with devious eyes, wheels spinning in his mind. “I eat children,” I said in warning.

He looked up at me, his smile slightly disappeared as he tried to gauge if I was serious or not.

Kristina rounded the corner again, relief on her face and purse in hand. “Pizza and green beans it is,” she said as she reached into the freezer and grabbed a Baron’s cheese pizza.

“Well, at least you’re getting a vegetable in.” I tapped the can of green beans with my finger.

“Mother of the year,” she said with a groan. “It’s like the Lord is testing me.” She leaned in a little farther. “The sex wasn’t even worth it. But he is.”

Dillon started to pull his mother away as he eyed me, and I gave him the crazy witch-who-eats-children eye. I smiled at Kristina with an added, “Nice to meet you both.”

“See you at the bar?”

I agreed with a smile. The woman was beautiful, stunning really. I pondered what it was like being so attractive. And then for a fleeting moment, I wondered if Rafe had ever hit on her.

“Warm up, Hembrey,” Rod, my pitching coach, barked as I lay back on the grass of the field and looked up at the blue sky. I wasn’t into it today. I wasn’t pitching, anyway. I wanted to be on the waves. I had spent the entire winter perfecting my pitch. I’d spent countless hours alone or with Andy doing what I did best. I remained on the grass as my trainer, Mitch, pushed my hamstrings to the grass and twisted my form the opposite way.

“Get your head in, Rafe,” Mitch warned as he hovered above me and pressed my legs.

“Grow some tits and I’ll think about it,” I snapped back.

“Jon got a call this morning,” he said in a whisper. “And I know it was about you.”

I stilled my legs, and he shook his head adamantly, silently telling me to keep our conversation on the down-low as he resumed movement.

Jon Rustenhaven was the manager of the Swampgators and was both my greatest ally and enemy. He had zero tolerance for bullshit, which was a good thing when you managed a team full of competitive athletes at different ages full of fire and ambition. Tempers often flared, and egos got bruised. It was part of it all. And though I hadn’t given him much reason to, Jon watched me closely. I’d had an outburst on occasion but had long ago learned to handle my temper. Andy had helped.

“What did Jon say?”

“I don’t know. He closed the door, but I heard your name. He knows it. We all know it. This is it.”

“I’m not banking on shit,” I said, pushing away from him before standing to grab my stretch bands.

“Just thought I’d let you know,” Mitch said. “Conduct yourself and you’ve got it.”

“I blew up once,” I said as I turned away in disgust. “When are people going to forget about it?”

“And no one blames you, but it was your father,” Mitch said as he gave me the truth. “No one