Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 60933 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 305(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60933 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 305(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Ezmita had been laughing up at him so hard that she was wiping tears from her eyes. Until she had turned and our eyes met. Her laugh faded, and then she had just smiled. She had greeted me and asked how I had been. Small talk that people who once knew each other did before going their own way again. She hadn’t known I was fluent in Spanish and I’d understood every word of their conversation. Nor did she know that my chest had felt as if someone had fucking kicked it. I drank a six-pack of beer by myself at the field that night.
There was no sign of the guy with her now. I had returned to this town for closure. Ezmita was the biggest part of that closure. I needed to be able to put my past firmly behind me in this town so that I could decide which job to take with a clear head. Reaching for my wallet and the key card to the room, I headed for the door.
Once I was outside the front of the hotel, I scanned the parking lot for Gran Lee’s Buick and found it pulling out onto the road. I turned my attention back to the parking area and found Ezmita just as she was about to walk back inside the grocery store side of the Stop and Shop. Someone called her name, and she paused and looked back to wave. It was then her gaze moved and she saw me walking across the road and in her direction.
The bright sun made it difficult to see her expression so I could gauge how this was about to go, but I knew Ezmita well enough to know she’d wait for me to reach her. I saw her move toward me then, and as I walked under the shade of the awning I was able to see her smile. That damn smile still did things to me.
“Asa Griffith,” she said, looking happy to see me. “I didn’t expect you to be in town, but then again, I didn’t know about the field dedication. Mrs. Lee just told me about it. She’s so proud of it and what the boys are doing. It sounds amazing.”
Her voice was the same. She was the same. Just older and more appealing. Which wasn’t fair. God could have helped me out and let her age badly. Although my feelings for Ezmita went far beyond her appearance. It had been much deeper than that.
“Yeah, it’s gonna be great,” I said realizing how much of an understatement that was. “I’m here for the dedication, and I’m doing two of the camps in July,” I added then.
She still had to tilt her head back to look up at me. I always loved the way she did that. “You were the first one I thought of when Mrs. Lee told me who would be doing the coaching. I was hoping I would run into you. It’s been a couple years.”
“Two,” I replied too quickly.
Her smile, however, widened. “Yeah, I guess it has been. Time goes so fast now, doesn’t it? I mean compared to when we were younger. I feel like I blinked and college was over.”
I nodded once. “Yeah, I know the feeling. Are you back here for a while, or do you live in Nashville now?”
Her smile fell a little, and she didn’t have a quick response. I wondered if there was something important I was supposed to know. Had someone died and Nash not told me? Damn, I hope I didn’t ask the wrong thing.
“Right now, I honestly don’t know,” she finally said.
I let out a small relieved laugh. “You sound like me,” I replied.
For a moment, five years hadn’t passed. We were still the same two people we had been that summer before college began. We had the world before us and so many plans, so many dreams. Then the door to the store opened and Mrs. Ramos called out, “Ezmita! I need you to get back to the register.”
She glanced back at her mother and nodded. “Yes, Momma. Coming.” Then she turned back to me. “I better get back in there. It was good seeing you, Asa. Take care,” and she walked inside with one last wave. The illusion was gone.
CHAPTER FOUR
EZMITA
Weren’t people supposed to stop growing when they hit puberty? Wasn’t that how it worked? Because holy crap, Asa was massive. He had not looked like that the last time I saw him. Just two years ago, he had been broader, maybe taller, but he had not been the huge brick wall that he was now. The very wide, muscular, towering, gorgeous, brick wall… ugh! I shook my head at my thoughts.
I had told myself I would not think about Asa that way. Although it was hard not to think about him being gorgeous when he was absolutely just that. He was this big, huge man now, and crawling up that brick wall sounded way too appealing. STOP IT! I scolded myself.