Chapter 20

Detective Harris let Bobby and Collette out in front of the Simpson's home, and drove off with a wave. They looked at each other somewhat numbly, before they reached for the other's hand and began to walk up the drive.

There was a sense of unreality to the morning's events for the teens. They had left Collette's home with Julie, expecting to be bringing her and her possessions back with them. Instead, they had helped carry Julie's stuff from her old trailer to Muriel Wilson's home across the street.

When the move was complete, they exchanged many tearful hugs with Julie, before they drove away without her. Collette promised to continue to drive her to her outpatient drug rehab appointments. Bobby promised he and Sammy would come see her the day after tomorrow, when his parents would be back, and they would be within easy walking distance from her again.

Detective Harris and Muriel Wilson had strategized together about the danger of Julie's dad returning unexpectedly. They agreed they would both contact friends that held positions in the city government.

They thought it likely that with a few nudges in the right places, Julie's old trailer could be condemned by the city. It was sitting on land the city owned, as a legacy of an effort to provide low income housing many years before.

Its abandoned and dilapidated condition, and the fact that it had been the scene of a recent shooting, would help make the case that the public's safety would be best protected by hauling it away. Muriel would rally the neighborhood watch to push for its removal. Once the trailer was gone, they thought it less likely that Julie's dad would linger around Muriel's home, once he saw the empty lot.

Harris also intended to do research on Julie's dad for clues to his whereabouts. He hoped to find a criminal record that would afford grounds for the city police to detain him on sight, should he reappear.

Sammy had spent most of the morning in Collette and Dave's back yard, sitting on a lounge chair by the pool with a book in her lap,. She'd claimed fatigue when it was time to go get Julie's possessions. She'd actually begged off so she could have some time alone to think.

She'd been mentally reviewing her conversations with Bobby at the hospital, and during the time at Dave's and Collette's house since. She had a suspicion that Bobby had been avoiding being alone with her. It seemed whenever they were the only two people in a room, he'd found some excuse to leave on an important errand.

She'd been waiting for an opportunity to talk to him about what he'd said when they had found him on the hill — startling her by saying that she looked so much like her mother, who had just appeared to her as well, in an amazingly vivid dream.

She wondered if Bobby could help her understand why she felt something was out of place in her dream of their wedding. But given Bobby's newfound elusiveness, she was also concerned about what she might learn.

Regardless, she came up with a plan to ensure she'd have some alone time with Bobby.

While Collette and Bobby were gone with Julie, she'd gone looking for Collette and Dave's mom. When she'd entered the kitchen she was surprised to find their dad instead, drinking coffee and reading the newspaper.

She didn't know what he or his wife did for a living, other than it made them a lot of money. This morning, he looked so familiar to her that she wondered if he did something in the media or show business.

Smiling sweetly, she sold him on the premise of her plan.

Collette would take her and Bobby home later today. The story was that they would use the afternoon and tomorrow morning to mow the lawn and otherwise get the place in shape for the honeymooners' return. Sandy Goodwin would pick them up to go meet their parents at the airport around noon tomorrow.

Sammy figured Bobby couldn't avoid talking to her if she was the only one in their house with him!

She then frowned as she thought of Collette's other planned taxi service run later in the day. Collette was going to pick up Morton Blakely's sister Leticia, and take her back home with her.

Tonight would be the first 'date' between Dave and Leticia. Dave thought having her over for dinner, and then swimming and watching some DVD's, would be a low pressure way for them to get to know more about each other.

Sammy was irritated with herself. Before she'd decided she needed some alone time with Bobby, the thought of Dave having another girl over to his house hadn't bothered her at all. But that was when she thought she was going to be in the house too.

Now that she was going to be off with Bobby, and not there to keep an eye on them... she was surprised at her feelings. She had to admit it to herself — she was jealous.

"Tell me again how I lost control of my life?" Bobby yelled from the back seat of Collette's Beemer.

"What?" said Sammy with a grin.

"We can't hear you!" Collette yelled back.

He had the urge to yell even louder, but so far each time he had increased his volume, Collette had just turned the stereo up another notch. He sat back against the seat in resignation, as Sammy and Collette exchanged smug smiles.

Not long after arriving at Collette's home from moving Julie, Sammy shared with Collette her plan to get some alone time with Bobby; Collette was quickly on board.

Collette then added on another idea to the plan, overcoming Sammy's initial resistance. Sammy was uncertain how Bobby would react, but in the end Collette persuaded her to go along.

They would go to the high school to watch and cheer Dave at his first practice with the high school baseball team (their parents had already delivered Dave to the field). After that, Collette would drop Sammy and Bobby off at what was now their family home, previously 'Barbara and Bobby's house.' They'd work on setting up Sammy's new bedroom there, and clean up the place inside and out.

Collette would then go on to pick up Leticia on her way home, completing her taxi service for the day. Leticia's parents would pick her up later.

Collette and Sammy had simply informed Bobby what he'd be doing during his next twenty four hours, with no arguments allowed.

They pulled into the high school parking lot, getting as close to the baseball diamond as they could. Bobby emerged from the car hoping the ringing in his ears wouldn't be permanent.

The day before, Dave had tried again to persuade Bobby to try out for the team with him, but Bobby had declined. To his surprise, Dave had been something less than gracious when hearing Bobby's decision. As they went back and forth over it, Dave eventually went so far as to ask if Bobby's mourning for his dad was ever going to end.

Bobby had been furious, and before storming off he suggested Dave explore achieving solo coitus (i.e. "go fuck yourself"). It was the first significant fight that Bobby could remember having with Dave. It shook him up, and he was still mulling it over.

Playing baseball seemed to Bobby like something he had done a long time ago, in a different life. He really didn't miss it anymore. And yet now here he was, captured by Collette and Sammy, being dragged to the practice anyway.

The three teens clambered into the stands on the right sideline and began scanning the field, trying to spot Dave.

As Bobby looked around, the familiar drills and routines of baseball came flooding back. Even the smells were familiar: fresh cut grass, sweat, bubble gum, leather gloves, eye black, dirt, sunflower seeds... it all blended together to make baseball, and Bobby found himself taking deep breaths to suck it in, savoring the return of the lost aroma.

"I can't see him," said Sammy in frustration.

"Me either," said Collette.

"He's a catcher," offered Bobby. "They're over against the left field sideline fence."

The girls squinted in the sun, looking where Bobby suggested.

"I can't pick him out," said Collette. "But that group does look like they're doing passed ball drills."

A short line of four players were taking turns in a basic catchers' drill. They were assuming a catcher's stance, after which a coach threw a ball to the sideline fence behind them, for them to spin and retrieve as quickly as possible. The coach would then briefly critique the player's footwork, when and how they got rid of their catcher's mask, and other tips as the player went back to the end of the line.

Bobby intuitively knew this drill was actually not as critical at this level of play, where the backstop behind home plate was well back from home plate. In little league, it was critical, as the ball had mere feet to go before ricocheting back towards the field.

Bobby remembered that Dave had been the best in the league at this when he was playing with him, and he could tell, even at this distance, which one of the players was Dave.

"He's up next," he commented to the girls. They focused their eyes on him, as he flawlessly executed the drill yet again.

"Bro's looking good," said Collette proudly.

While the girls kept their eyes on Dave, Bobby surveyed the rest of the field. Along the right side line fairly close to them, some obviously younger players were practicing pitching, with a larger and presumably older boy ostensibly watching and coaching them. The older player was obviously not happy with his assignment, as he was standing with his back to the young pitching prospects, yelling taunts at the players taking infield practice nearby.

"I'm going to get closer to Dave," announced Sammy, standing up.

Bobby acted like he didn't hear her, still watching the pitchers. Collette and Sammy exchanged a look. They hoped the spat between Bobby and Dave ended quickly. If it didn't, the girls would have to engage and knock some sense into their butt headed friends.

"I'll catch up," said Collette, gesturing with her eyes towards Bobby. Sammy nodded before heading off to the other side of the field.

Collette and Bobby sat basking in the sun, watching the drills without speaking for a while.

"Hey," said Collette.

"Hmm?"

"What's up?" she asked. Bobby turned to look at her curiously.

"I don't know what you mean," he replied mildly.

"Liar," responded Collette. "Dave is my brother, you know."

Bobby's expression took on an enigmatic smile, one that Collette couldn't recall seeing from him before. He didn't respond otherwise.

"Bobby... I know Dave was probably an ass. I love him too, but he can be pretty tactless sometimes."

"Too?" asked Bobby innocently.

"Shut up. This isn't about me. It's about you."

"And Dave," Bobby prompted.

"Yes," she replied, beginning to get annoyed. She did her best to put those reactions aside. "He was probably an ass when he talked to you about playing ball again. But I'm sure he had your best interest at heart. You have to know that... don't you?"

"Yeah," he replied reluctantly after a long pause. "I know I'm probably not all that rational about it. I just miss my dad, you know? Don't get me wrong, I love Raul. But baseball is such a big part of my memories of Dad. That was our main thing together."

Collette moved closer to him and draped an arm over his shoulders.

"Hey... I can't imagine what it would be like to lose my mom or my dad, the way you and Sammy did," she said.

"Yeah. I've talked about it with Sammy, and we both feel like we had to grow up too fast. Dealing with something like that forces you to think about things... seriously."

He smiled at Collette affectionately. "It takes a lot of energy, and good friends sometimes, to remember to lighten up and enjoy things like we should."

He turned to hug her, and as they looked into each other's eyes, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world to lean in and briefly kiss each other.

After pulling back and opening her eyes, Collette was startled. Bobby was looking at her... differently. She felt a hand leave her waist and slowly move up her back, up her neck, and come to a stop by cupping the back of her head. He had rubbed his hand against her as it traveled, so there could be no question of her being surprised as he shifted his grip on her.

There was only a moment's pause before Bobby forcefully pulled her to him, turning her effortlessly in the process so that she was looking up at him from over his lap. As she looked at him in surprise, he slowly bent down to her and began another kiss. And this one wasn't brief. It was extremely gentle and sensuous, soft and slow, wet and earnest, long and... passionate.

When he finally pulled away, Collette looked up at him with a surprised and somewhat submissive little girl expression. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out.

Bobby grinned down at her. "I think that's the first time I've seen you speechless," he teased.

"Bobby... what... I mean... where did that... I mean... what did that mean?" she gasped, as Bobby lowered her further so that she was resting on his lap.

"I'm not sure," he replied honestly.

"I thought we agreed we were... close friends," she said slowly, feeling her way. "I don't usually kiss my friends like that in front of god and everybody," she said, gesturing towards the players on the field before them.