Dusty crowds against me again but luckily I’m saved by the doorbell. “That must be your sister.”
He grabs on to my hand. “Yep, let’s go. I can’t wait for her to meet you.”
Dinner with Dusty and Casey is comical in a way. He’s a big, burly badass, but his sister seems to keep him in line, keep him humble. We’ve already eaten the steaks, baked potatoes and salad. Now I set the peanut butter pie on the table between us before serving them both thick slices.
Casey takes a bite and moans, pointing with her fork to her plate. “This is good. So tell me, Serenity, are you going to continue to waitress or are you working to become a chef?”
Flattered, I blush at her praise. “I’m glad you like it. Uh, actually”—I look at Dusty and then back to Casey—“I was pursuing my degree in psychology before I ran out of fuel to finish. I want to get back in school, but I haven’t gotten around to it yet.”
I of course don’t tell them the whole story. I was having trouble paying for school, and I had just bought my house. I didn’t want to give it up, it’s sort of become my pride and joy, so instead, I took the summer off from school and am saving to go back. I almost have enough to pay for my last year.
“I didn’t know that.” Dusty looks at me quizzically.
I just shrug my shoulders and take another bite of pie before I steer the conversation back to Casey. “So what about you? What do you do?”
Dusty
I sit back in my chair and watch my girlfriend and my sister become friends. I wasn’t nervous about tonight, but I could tell Serenity was. But I knew Casey would love her, especially when I told her how much she meant to me.
After what seems like forever, Casey leaves and I’m happy to have Serenity to myself.
I pull her onto my lap and when she lies back in my arms, I ask her if she wants to hear about how I became a baseball player.
“Yes. Of course I do.” She trails her fingers up and down my arm and I try to concentrate.
I haven’t shared much with people about my road to becoming a major league baseball player, but I find that I want to tell Serenity about it. I tell her about my dad taking me to all my practices and lessons, sometimes an hour driving time each way. I told her how I got drafted straight out of high school and it was the best feeling I’ve ever known. She’s an amazing listener and the way she just overflows with joy for me when I tell her how I made my dreams come true makes me want hers to come true for her too.
“Why’d you quit school, Serenity?” I ask her quietly.
She blows out a breath. “Well, it was money reasons at first. I had just bought this place with my inheritance. I didn’t want to go into debt for school, so I took some time off to save money. I’ve almost got enough for my final year, so I might go back.”
“Might? Why do you say might?”
She rests her head on my chest and I can hear sadness in her voice. “I don’t know. Is it ridiculous? Me wanting to be a counselor? I love helping people, but what if I can’t do it? What if I’m not good at it?”
I pull her up a little and twist to the side so she falls back more and we’re able to look at each other. “You would be perfect at anything you decide you want to do. If that’s your dream, you should do it. It’s your life. Don’t let anyone else make you feel that you’re not good enough.”
My words must hit home with her, because instead of sadness, her face fills with pride. She runs her hand up and down my chest. “I’ve never had anyone believe in me the way you do.”
I cup her jaw and tell her with all sincerity, “You can do anything.”
We stare back at each other for so long, it’s like I’m lost. I almost tell her I love her, but I don’t want it to be about that right now. I think she needs to know I believe in her and the rest can come later. But I won’t be able to keep it to myself much longer.
“Will you kiss me again, Dusty?”
I press my forehead to hers. “You don’t even have to ask, pretty girl. I’m always going to want another kiss from you.”
And then I show her in action exactly what she means to me.
9
Dusty
Serenity and I have been together for a few months now. She’s in school and I’m proud of her, but I’m also trying to adjust to her hectic schedule and my own. I’ve barely seen her the last two weeks. And there was another tabloid picture of us. It’s the same tacky magazine from before and this time there was a picture of her with the headline, “What does Dusty see in her?”