Julia
“Sorry that took so long,” Lachlan said as he climbed up the now empty bleachers, where I’d been sitting for the better part of the past hour, simply watching Lachlan as he signed everything thrust in front of him. Baseballs. Jerseys. Hats. You name it, he signed it.
Once the games ended and word got out that the benefactor of the league and star pitcher for the Hawks, Lachlan Hale, had made a surprise appearance, everyone lined up in the hopes of meeting him and getting his autograph. And Lachlan didn’t hesitate to talk to anyone who wanted to meet him, interacting with the kids as if it were second nature.
“No need to apologize.” I stared into his brilliant, blue eyes as he lowered himself beside me on the bench. “This was… It was exactly what I needed.”
A small smile on his lips, the man beside me barely resembled the brooding surfer I met mere days ago. He seemed lighter. Less angry. Less…burdened.
“It’s good to come home once in a while. Remember where I came from.”
His gaze swept over the empty fields as he drew in a deep breath.
I did the same, wanting to know what he smelled. Fresh-cut grass. Raw earth. Leather.
The aroma of baseball.
I had a feeling I’d forever associate this scent with him.
“Australia isn’t home?” I asked.
He thought for a beat, brows furrowed in contemplation. Then he shook his head. “I don’t think it ever really was. As I mentioned, my mum’s Hawaiian. Even though she married an Australian with Scottish roots—”
“Hence the name,” I joked.
“Yeah.” He ran his fingers through his hair, smirking. “I mean, Lachlan is a pretty popular name in Australia. Probably because there are a lot of Scottish people there. But despite the fact I spent the first thirteen years of my life thousands of miles away from here, Mum made sure I knew about the culture. Knew my heritage. So when we came to live here after my father passed away, well… It felt like I was finally home. When Piper died…” He shook his head, voice catching.
I covered his hand with mine and squeezed. When he lifted his eyes to mine, I gave him a reassuring smile.
An accepting smile.
“Well, I left. Didn’t think this place would ever feel like home again. Hell, this is the first time I’m even seeing all of this.” He waved at the ball fields in front of us. “I couldn’t stomach being back on this island, regardless of how important this league is to me. But now…”
“Yes?”
His lips curved, a peaceful expression crossing his face. Reaching out, he pushed a wayward curl behind my ear, cupping my cheek. “Now I feel like I’ve finally found my home after years of searching.”
I opened my mouth, unsure how to respond to that. I couldn’t ignore the hidden meaning in his words. The heat and intensity in his gaze making it clear he wasn’t just talking about being back on this island, but something more.
Something that should have scared me more than it did.
“Come on.” Standing, he extended his hand. I happily placed mine in his. “The night’s not over yet.” He winked, pulling me down the bleachers before turning toward me. “Wait here a second.”
“Okay.”
Releasing my hand, he jogged toward the field house where it looked like Cooper was locking things up for the night. I watched as they talked for a minute. Then Lachlan disappeared into the shed-like building, emerging several moments later with something that resembled an equipment bag slung over his shoulder. After giving Cooper a brief nod, Lachlan made his way back to me.
“What’s going on?” I asked, eyeing the bag.
“We’re going to have a little fun.”
Wrapping his hand around mine, he led me across the wide expanse of grass to the opposite side of the field. As we walked, I kept stealing glances at him, unable to stop admiring him.
Less than twenty-four hours ago, I had no idea who he was, other than someone to have fun with while I was here.
Now I couldn’t picture him as anyone other than a baseball player. Seeing him under the bright lights, an equipment bag over his shoulder… It suited him. Like this was where he was meant to be. What he was born to do.
When we approached a caged-in section of the field, Lachlan retrieved a set of keys from his pocket. After unlocking the padlock, he pushed the gate open, gesturing for me to enter in front of him. I stared at him curiously, but entered nonetheless, watching as he rummaged through the equipment bag, pulling out a helmet.