14 Chapter 14

Shaking, Camryn shut the balcony door and walked inside their room to the adjoining bath without looking at Troy. She closed the door quietly and ran hot water in the massive tub before stripping to get in. Bringing her knees to her chest, she let the water warm her.

Troy had kissed her. No one had been around this time, so it hadn't been for show. So why, then? At first, he'd acted like he wanted to. She wasn't an idiot. She'd felt his response. But then, he'd backed away, a look of pure horror on his face.

And her heart fell as hard as her mood. Like a slap to the face, reality came.

Maxwell was right. She had no passion, no appeal. As cold as a fish and just as unattractive.

She pressed a hand over her mouth to hide the cries and dropped her head to her knees. With Maxwell, the things he said had hurt. But with Troy, just for a second, she'd wanted to be more. Wanted to be somebody he desired. Someone fun and beautiful.

Someone she wasn't.

Served her right for wanting what she couldn't have. For thinking she could be like his other women. How could she face him now? How could she look him in the eye and pretend she hadn't been humiliated beyond recognition?

Pretend it didn't matter.

She'd been doing it her entire life. The black sheep, the ugly sister, the boring colleague. She'd been hiding pain from those around her long before Troy and this wedding. She could do it now. And would. Rising, she dried off and redressed. Drawing in a deep breath, she twisted the knob and stepped out.

Troy was asleep in bed, his back to her. Padding across the hardwood, she slid under the sheets and turned off the lamp quietly to not wake him.

Turning on her side, she stared out the French doors into the night. He'd made her wish on a star. She'd never felt so stupid in her life. As a kid, she used to do that, until she'd realized wishes were frivolous, silly things. A waste of time. They didn't come true, especially for her.

But when he'd told her to close her eyes and cast one out, she was eight years old again, hoping for things that would never come.

For someone like Troy to want her.

"Camryn." He hadn't rolled over, so his back was still to hers. She'd barely heard him. When he didn't say anything more, she figured she'd imagined it until another, "Camryn," whispered intimately in the dark.

"Yes?"

"About what happened out there-"

No. No way was he going to add to her humiliation by apologizing. "It's okay, Troy. This is a long time for you to go without someone. I know it meant nothing."

Her chest felt like it was cracking open. She pressed a hand there to quell the pain. When he didn't confirm or deny her statement, she closed her eyes, hoping for sleep.

"What did you wish for?" he asked several moments later.

Her eyes opened and focused on the stars again. Why had he made her go out there and do that? To make fun of her, make her look as stupid as she felt? "You said not to tell you."

And she wasn't telling him the truth. That was more embarrassment than even she could tolerate.

The bed shifted as he rolled to his back. "I want to know. Please."

No, he definitely did not. She bit her tongue, forced her voice to sound normal. "Rain. I wished for rain."

Life Lessons According to Camryn:

The old saying is wrong. Life is easy, it's the darn people who make it difficult.

Around the breakfast table, everyone chatted about making plans for the day. Camryn sat sipping her coffee, thinking about running away from the herd and going on a hike or taking a solitary swim in the pool. One of the staff came by and filled her cup.

Staff. She wasn't used to people waiting on her, even if they were silent and hardly noticeable. There were only a couple of women here now, unlike when they'd first arrived. One did the cooking, the other served and cleaned. Bernice had said she'd wanted to be free to spend time with them instead of worrying about those things. More staff were coming later in the week for the rehearsal and wedding itself.

When the discussion of Mile High Gliding came up around the table, Cam tuned back into the conversation. She didn't know what that was, but it sounded like an ambulance would be required.

"Ha," Dad shouted, setting down the newspaper. "The Brewers beat the Rockies last night."

Justin was displeased. "I could've played for them if I hadn't blown out my knee. We would've whooped you then."

"That's right," Troy said. "I forgot you played ball in college."

Heather grinned and kissed Justin's cheek. "Full scholarship."

Troy leaned back and crossed his arms. "Fisher was on varsity in high school. Do you still have your equipment?"

Justin nodded. "In the garage, collecting dust."

Fisher bounced Emily on his knee. "What do you say, Em? Want to play baseball today?"

Around her colorful, no-nutrition-involved cereal, Emily nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah."

Bernice stood and cleared her place, only to have one of the staff take it for her. She obviously wasn't used to staff either. "I'll let you guys go ahead. I'm going to work on Camryn's dress."

Mom stood. "I'll help."

Troy looked at her. "What's wrong with your dress?"

Before Camryn could open her mouth, Baba interjected herself into the conversation. "Chubby here doesn't fit into her bridesmaid dress. It's a good idea to play ball today. She needs the exercise."

All aboard the humiliation train.

Heather stood, dragging Justin with her. "Let's go pull the stuff from the garage. We'll meet you all outside."

Camryn sighed and stood, averting Troy's questioning glare about the dress. Baseball had to be better than this Mile High nonsense. "I'll go get changed."

After running upstairs to put on a pair of shorts and a tee, she went outside to meet everyone. Raising her face to the sun, she breathed deep before heading over the hill. The humidity wasn't as heavy here as it was at home, but the altitude made up for it. Though the temperature was almost eighty degrees, the air smelled like snow.

Baba had parked herself in a lawn chair along the first base side to watch. They'd set up Frisbees as bases and had a stack of wooden bats behind home plate. Heather tossed Camryn a glove.

Justin grinned. "Rules. Emily doesn't count as an out. Four balls, three strikes, no infield fly. Two fouls is an out. Yjaka Harold is ump and catcher."

Heather pursed her lips at Kuma Viola, who was applying lipstick in a gruesome shade of plum. "This is baseball, Kuma. Put the makeup down."

She capped her lipstick. "I'm too old for this."

"As am I," Tetaka Myrtle agreed.

"Quit your belly-aching and play," Baba professed. "I'm not getting any younger."

Fisher and Justin called out teams.

"Troy," Justin said.

"Heather," Fisher countered.

"Anna," Justin challenged.

By the time they got through the dads, aunts, and uncles, it was down to Emily and Camryn. "Emily," Fisher said.

Camryn sighed and put her hands on her hips. It was gym class all over again. "You picked Emily over me? Come on!"

Troy grinned and looked at Fisher. "We picked first, so you bat first."

They put Camryn in right field, which was for the best. No action out there. Heather stepped up to the plate and swung at the first pitch. Dad caught it from second base. Justin's dad hit a ground ball right back to Anna after she pitched it. Dad ran to first to get the out. At her turn, Kuma Viola swung so hard the bat flew from her hands, causing Yjaka Harold to hit the dirt. Err, grass. Baba laughed so hard she burst out in a two minute coughing fit.

"And you picked her over me!" Camryn yelled.

Anna walked Kuma on the next three pitches, probably to save the others from bodily harm.

Fisher stepped up to the plate and hit the ball right to Camryn. She threw her hand up, going backward, running forward, until she completely lost sight of it in the sun. The ball landed on the grass next to her foot. She stared at it, and as everyone yelled at her, she jerked to react. She picked it up threw the ball to Anna. Well, nowhere near Anna, actually. It wound up closer to Baba. By the time the yelling stopped, Fisher and Kuma had scored. Yjaka Mitch struck the third out.

Camryn headed toward the sideline. Halfway there, Baba shouted, "Move it, missy."

This was so not her idea of fun.

Anna and Tetaka Myrtle struck out in succession. Justin, Dad, and Troy were all on base. Camryn stepped to the plate, dragging her bat behind her. Heather pitched her two strikes. Camryn didn't swing at either.

From her lawn chair, Baba huffed. "You have to swing to hit the ball."

Was that how this worked? Hashtag: sarcasm.

As Heather brought her arm back to pitch Camryn her third strike, she decided she was going to swing no matter what. She brought the bat forward, connecting with the ball. Camryn pictured herself doing a happy dance until she realized the ball was flying foul. Not just foul, but toward Baba.

The ball sailed right into the center of her grandmother's forehead, propelling the eighty-five-year-old woman backward off her lawn chair and onto her back.

Everyone froze.

Camryn dropped her bat.

After a long pause of disbelief, they hurried over to Baba, screaming a thousand things at once.

"Jesus, Cam. You killed her." This from Yjaka Mitch.

Well, it wasn't on purpose!

Anna pulled the collapsed lawn chair out from under Baba and set it upright. Troy and Justin helped Baba to her feet and set her back in the chair. Someone sent Emily to go get ice. The little girl rushed inside.

Camryn stood to the side, shaking. The only thing she could see was Baba's deadly glare aimed right at her and the large, reddened bump forming between her eyes.

"How many fingers am I holding up?" Yjaka Harold asked.

"She can't see that," Tetaka Myrtle insisted. "She's nearsighted."

"No," Kuma Viola argued. "She's farsighted."

Emily came running back, cupping her hands. "Here's ice."

Anna looked down, picked up Emily, and walked toward the house. "Let's put that ice in a bag, sweetie."

"Get off of me!" Baba insisted. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Heather asked. "You have a big knot."

Baba's hand flew to her head. "She hit me on purpose." A wrinkled, bony finger pointed at Camryn.

Everyone turned to look at her.

"Oh, come on. I did not! It was a total accident."

Emily and Anna returned, Mom right behind. "Camryn Covic, you hit your grandmother with a baseball bat?"

Lord have mercy. "It was a ball, not a bat. And it was an accident."

Perhaps Mile High Gliding would have been a better idea.

Anna, voice of reason, crouched in front of Baba. She put the ice pack on Baba's forehead. "Does anything else hurt? Your hip? Your back?"

Baba shook her head.

"Do you feel sick? Blurry vision?"

Baba shook her head again.

"Game over," Fisher declared. "Let's get her inside."

"But I didn't get a turn!" Emily squealed.

Justin took Emily over to home plate to let her have a swing before calling it a day, while the others walked Baba inside.

"I think she should go to the hospital," said Mom at the door.

"I think you should shut it and mind your own business," replied Baba.

"Guys," Fisher interjected. "Camryn hit the ball. It couldn't have been that hard."

Camryn stood outside as the door closed in her face. For a few moments, she stared at it before deciding to take that walk after all. Maybe she'd complete this perfect day by getting bitten by a poisonous snake.

She strode past Justin and Emily taking batting practice. Emily hit the ball two feet in front of her and cheered. Figures. No wonder they'd picked the three-year-old over Camryn.

"Where are you going?" Justin faced her.

Camryn pointed west. "For a walk."

"Can I come?" Emily asked.

Camryn looked at her niece and agreed, figuring the hoopla inside would be best without both of them.