He nods enthusiastically. “It was a lot of fun! But I think Nannan is ready for me to be home.” He leans in and whispers in my ear. “I’m a handful.”

I kiss his cheek, laughing, as I stand and smile at my mom. “Yes, you are. Hi, Mama.”

“Hello, dawlin’.” I pull Sam’s suitcase out of the trunk and hug my petite mother. “Sam is the apple of my eye, and I couldn’t love him more.”

“But I’m a handful,” Sam announces proudly. He’s leaning against my side, his arm around my waist. He’ll be extra clingy tonight at bedtime, and this is one time that I don’t mind in the least.

“That you are, sweetheart,” I reply. “Was he okay?”

“Oh, he’s an angel,” she says and I scoff. “He really is very good. Those kids just have so much energy! I need a nap.” She hugs Sam and then me. “You look beautiful, sweet girl.”

“Thank you, Mama.”

“Thank you for taking me, Nannan,” Sam says with a smile.

“You’re welcome, child. I need to rest up for next year.” She waves and drives away.

“I have something for you,” I tell Sam as we walk up the steps of the front porch.

“You do? Where?” He starts searching my pockets, but I hold his hands away, laughing.

“Not on me. Here.” I pass the bag that Neil left for him and watch him dig in, then look up at me with wide eyes.

“Wow! All this stuff is signed!”

“Yep. Neil came down to visit Rhys, and he left this stuff for you.”

“Oh, man! I miss all the good stuff!” His shoulders slump and he pouts for just a moment, but then he pulls the jersey over his head and grins. It hangs down to his knees, but he doesn’t care in the least.

“Lookin’ good.”

“Where’s Rhys?”

“Right here.” The man in question walks up the porch stairs and pats Sam’s back as my son hugs Rhys around the waist. “Hey, buddy.”

“I’m so happy that you’re still here!”

Suddenly, my phone rings in my pocket. The caller ID says Unknown Number, but I answer anyway. “Hello?”

Nothing.

“Hello?” I say again with a frown, but the line clicks and the call ends. Huh. Must have been a wrong number.

“No one there?” Rhys asks.

“Nope. Probably a telemarketer.” I shrug and pocket the phone.

“Mom, can I go play catch with Mr. Rhys?”

“Why don’t you join us?” Rhys adds with a grin.

“Moms don’t play catch,” Sam says with a frown. “She’s a girl.”

“Hey, now.” I prop my hands on my hips and narrow my eyes on my son. “Girls can definitely play catch. I do it with you all the time.”

Sam grins. “Prove it.”

“And the gauntlet has been thrown!” Rhys claps his hands. “Do you have another mitt, Sam?”

“Sure!” He runs inside to gather the mitts and balls.

“He loves you so much,” Rhys says, surprising me.

“I love him back,” I reply.

“I know.”

“I found them!” Sam comes running back outside, down the steps, and into the front yard. “Come on!”

We each put a mitt on, and Sam starts by tossing the ball to Rhys, who then throws the ball to me. I easily catch it.

“Wow, Mom, good catch!” Sam laughs and spins in a circle.

“Pay attention. It’s coming for you.” I throw the ball to Sam, and he catches it.

“Nice arm,” Rhys says.

“Don’t sound so surprised. I had three older brothers, you know.”

Sam throws the ball back to me.

“Show me what you’ve got,” Rhys says and backs farther away from me, then holds his hand up, ready to catch what I throw him.

So I do.

I throw it just like Beau showed me when I was kid, and the ball lands in Rhys’s glove. I hold my glove up. “Don’t be easy on me.”

“I will hurt you, sugar. I’ve been clocked at one hundred miles an hour.”

“Don’t throw me a fast ball,” I reply with a roll of my eyes. “I’m not Neil. But I’m not a wimp.”

I punch my fist into my mitt and spread my legs, ready for whatever he throws at me.

He watches me for a minute, his eyes full of humor, and not a little bit of lust, and finally he smiles at me in that way that makes my stomach clench. He winds up, as if he’s at the mound, and throws the ball right into my mitt.

It stings the hell out of my hand, but I’ll be damned if I’ll say so.

“Nice catch.”

“Nice throw.”

Rhys smirks at my compliment as Sam jumps up and down.

“Throw it to me!” I oblige Sam just as two cars pull into the driveway.

“Okay guys, looks like it’s time for me to work. You play.”

“Hold on.” Rhys holds a finger up for Sam to wait a second to throw the ball and jogs over to me. He leans in to whisper in my ear. “You throwing that ball the way you just did was hot.”

“I have all kinds of hidden talents you don’t know about yet.”

He smiles widely and kisses my cheek, then backs away. “So noted.”

***

All of the guests have checked in, settled their things, and have set off again on adventures. Food is prepared for both tonight’s wine hour and breakfast for tomorrow.