Page 65 of Out of Left Field

Mom was losing her mind. She must have the same superpowers as Kate because she didn’t look it, but when I told her last night? Completely bonkers. You’d think I told her I won the lottery and I married a princess all at the same time.

And okay, maybe to her that’s exactly what I did. She was the one who pushed me to take this job. To her this job was me winning the lottery. And Kate? She wasn’t royalty but she was perfect. The fact that Mom knew exactly who she was as soon as I explained said a lot.

“She’s different,” Kate frowned.

“She’s nervous,” I explained. “Megan is afraid she’ll scare you off with her enthusiasm.”

“Enthusiasm?”

“She loves you. She loves the idea of you. Mostly, she loves that I’m dating, but even more than that, she’s over the moon that I’m dating you.”

Kate smiled, hands still clasped. I put mine over them. “Nothing to worry about here.”

“What if she doesn’t like me?” Kate whispered while glancing at the pool. Rosie was so busy with collecting all the dive sticks that she hadn’t noticed anything.

“Then we’ll keep trying.”

Rosie emerged from the pool steps with hands full of colorful sticks and goggles over her eyes. “I got them all in one breath!” Then she dropped them and ran over to the table. “Ice cream lady! What are you doing here? Did you bring more?”

Kate laughed nervously. “I should have, shouldn’t I? That was a mistake on my part. Next time I will bring ice cream.”

“Next time?”

I jumped before Rosie started asking more questions. “Hey Rosie girl, why don’t you grab a towel?”

My daughter looked down at the puddle she created and ran off to the stack of towels by the sliding glass door, returning a moment later with her hair a mess from removing the goggles.

I helped wrap her up. “Rosie, this is Kate.”

“It’s nice to officially meet you, Rosie. I’ve heard a lot about you from your dad.”

Rosie looked up at me and it was clear she fully understood the situation. “So she’s your girlfriend, huh?”

“Yes she is.”

She glanced back at Kate, who was obviously holding her breath. A moment or two away from turning blue. “Dad must have given you a lot of ice cream. Are you sure about this? You seem like a smart lady.”

Kate burst out with the most beautiful laugh, reminding me all over again of the first time her voice made all the hair on my body stand on end.

“Did you just insult me, young lady?” I squeezed Rosie tight.

“Well, you are a lot.”

This sent Kate into another fit of giggles. Megan came out with a tray shaking her head. “What is going on out here?”

“Rosie has informed Kate that I’m quite a lot of work.”

Megan shot Rosie a look. “Says the master.”

Rosie shrugged. “I had to learn it from somewhere.”

“They’re not that bad,” Megan assured Kate. “And they’re worth it.”

“Of that I have no doubt,” Kate replied.

I couldn’t wipe the stupid grin off my face.

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