Authors: Lydia Michaels
A ball game. That’d be fun to watch. Sam tried not to get overwhelmed at the idea of more family. These were busy people, lots of offspring. Sam thought it charming the way the family pronounced Colleen as C’leen and Rosemarie as Ross-mer-ree.
The conversation lazed in and out of topics from which wooded areas Frank’s company was recently clearing to the family’s overall opinion on Finn’s recent breakup. Through it all Maureen steadily set the kitchen back to rights and finally joined the others at the table to relax. The small toddler, Hannah, returned to Katherine’s lap and napped in her mother’s arms using her soon-to-arrive little brother as a pillow.
When the screen door opened again Sam almost choked on the coffee slipping down her throat. It was the man from the bathroom with the sapphire eyes flecked with jade. He greeted Braydon first and then turned directly to her.
“Hello, I’m Colin.”
She took his hand. “Sam.”
“Samantha’s Braydon’s friend from college. She’ll be staying with us for the next three weeks,” Maureen informed.
“Wonderful,” Colin remarked as he gave her hand a slight squeeze.
She didn’t understand her disappointment at the loss of contact. Obviously she was the immature one, for where Colin kindly decided to forget her humiliating blunder this morning and be a gentleman to his brother’s friend, she could not help imagining him naked. When he shook her hand it was formal and without emotion beyond appropriate politeness. The way it should be. Yet for some reason this irritated her.
He moved to the counter and poured himself a cup of coffee then took a seat next to Katherine. Running an affectionate hand down Hannah’s sleeping head, he smiled.
What was it Sam noticed in his expression? Not quite longing, but perhaps some sort of resigned acceptance. There was definitely love in the gesture, but something more. This man, for some reason, stood apart from the rest.
“How was Mass?” Frank asked as he dumped the remainder of his coffee down the drain and stashed his newspaper in a wooden crate of old papers.
“It was fine. I spoke to Father Newsham about moving the later Sunday Mass back an hour since they dropped the Saturday Mass. I don’t think he was fond of the idea until I pointed out that a later crowd could possibly bring younger parishioners.”
“Lord knows Kelly hasn’t been to Mass since they moved it to nine a.m.”
Colin chuckled. “Well, Kelly’s a proud heathen. I was thinking more about the kids Sheilagh’s age.”
“I’ll remind you I am now a legal adult,” Sheilagh told Colin pointedly. “And I never miss Sunday service. However, I’d appreciate being able to sleep in a little longer.”
As they spoke Sam couldn’t resist watching the oldest McCullough brother. He had a soft yet strong voice. His teeth were perfectly white and straight and now that his hair was combed he displayed a level of refinement the rest of the family lacked. He was devastatingly handsome in a classic way, a cross between a sexy Clark Kent or Gable. He seemed a distinguished gentleman, sure and confident.
“Is you’re family Catholic?” Maureen asked Samantha drawing her back into the conversation.
“Um, I have all my sacraments, but we haven’t practiced in quite a few years.”
Maureen and the others accepted her honesty without judgment. She turned back to watch Colin some more when Maureen proudly announced, “Colin is finishing his Transitional Diaconate this summer. In August he’s becoming a priest.”
Chapter Three
After an afternoon of driving around the McCullough property with Braydon, Samantha was completely in love with the land. They parked and explored a trail that led to a natural spring and she was stunned when Braydon took a metal cup tied to a post in the ground and scooped out a sample and swallowed it. The watering hole was edged in moss and freezing cold. When he kindly bullied her into tasting it she was amazed at how refreshing the spring water was on her tongue.
They passed a corral by the edge of the five hundred acre property where horses grazed. Braydon informed her that most McCulloughs learned how to ride before they properly mastered the art of walking. Samantha had never ridden a horse before, but was determined to try before she returned home.
There was a cleared piece of land high up on a mountain that had a windmill. She’d always known the contraptions were big, but compared to what she imagined they were colossal. Because windmills were government owned in Center County, this was another source of income for the McCulloughs. All they had to do was sign the papers agreeing that the county could use their property and they were sent a check quarterly for their civic duty.
Growing up in the more affluent suburbs of Pennsylvania and the Jersey areas across the Delaware River where people struggled to obtain even an acre of land, Sam was blown away by how much property the McCulloughs owned. It was too enormous to completely explore in one afternoon alone. It made her sad for the ruthless commercialization that no doubt would someday rob the secret place of its beauty. Hopefully the McCulloughs would never let their land go.
They parked to observe a black bear claw the surface of a small stream for fish when Braydon shut off the truck and gave the engine a rest.
“Will the bear be bothered by us being so close?”
“Not so long as we stay in the car. That’s one thing about being this high on the trail. You’ve got to be real careful about being out on foot. There’re all kinds of things bigger than you out here. Not to mention more pitfalls than I can list along the trail. You also have to know when people are hunting on the property.”
“Do you let others use your property for hunting season?”
“We have a cabin up that mountain there. It’s pretty isolated and primitive. No phones or cable. There’s a radio you can call out from in case of emergencies, but that’s about it. We let some family friends borrow it from time to time, but other than that, no, we don’t let people treat our home as public gaming land.”
“When you told me you were from the mountains I never imagined anything as magnificent as this.”
The bear, which was hardly more than a partially grown cub, moved down stream toward the rougher waters. Just past the bend of the stream were large moss covered boulders. The incline of the land created a slight waterfall where rapids fell like white foam into the calmer pools closer to where Sam and Braydon watched.
“Do they swim?”
“When they fall in. Sometimes I catch the cubs playing in the shallower parts.”
The cub cautiously traveled over the falls, balancing on rocks that jetted out of the surface. His head moved back and forth as he tracked his fast swimming prey.
He was adorable, his big paws swiping deep, the mist coating his brownish nose and black fur. It shook like a large dog trying to dry off. For as cute as the cub was Sam was smart enough to resist the temptation of getting any closer. She’d heard stories of mother bear instincts and even if momma bear wasn’t around, baby bear had claws the size of bananas.
Sam gasped as the bear jumped into the water. It looked down for a split second then plunged its head under water and came up with a fish. At first it took the fish over to a rock and held it with amazing dexterity as it flopped back and forth. Once the fish stilled the bear pranced off to dryer land, lunch in its mouth, and scurried up the trunk of a tall pine.
She smiled at Braydon. “That may have been one of the neatest things I’ve ever seen in person.”
“He gave you a good show for a first timer.”
He leaned across the seat and kissed her. She hadn’t been expecting a kiss, but didn’t have the heart to stop him. It was more intimate than a friendly peck, but less sexual than what she expected from him. Again, she wondered at the strange bridge of being just friends they couldn’t seem to smoothly cross.
“I’m glad you like it here.”
“What’s not to like? It’s amazing. You’re very lucky to have grown up here.”
“It was a fun place to be a kid,” he agreed. “We better head back if we’re gonna make the game. Do you need to grab anything from the house before we head to the field?”
“I don’t think so. It’s not like I’m playing.”
He chuckled. “Fair warning, they’re gonna make you play.”
* * * *
The baseball field was only about a fifteen-minute drive over the mountain. It actually was closer than Sam assumed, but because they were traveling down rough terrain they maintained a speed of less than fifteen miles per hour for most of the trip.
With what she already saw of the McCulloughs, Samantha should’ve expected a traditional field complete with two dugouts and stadium style bleachers, but she was still surprised when they pulled up.
“Is this still McCullough property?”
“Yup.” Braydon parked the truck by the fence facing first base. “We have a league with my Aunt Rosemarie’s bar so it made sense for us to have an open field for practice. Colin brings some of the kids from the youth center here from time to time as well.”
The mention of Colin brought thoughts Samantha had been ignoring all afternoon to the forefront of her mind.
“How long’s your brother known he wanted to be a priest?”
“Since college, maybe before then. I’m not really sure. I was a conceited twelve-year-old when he left for university. I think he told the family that winter when he came home for Christmas.”
“Didn’t he have to go to a special school for that?”
“Yeah, he goes to seminary at Saint Peter’s, not too far from where we are in the city. That’s where he lives usually. I think what he’s doing now, this Transitional Diaconate period, is like an enforced time of reflection before he takes his vows.”
Doing quick math in her head, Sam discerned that Colin was almost thirty. The minute Maureen announced he was becoming a priest Samantha was certain she was going to hell. Not thirty seconds before the proud announcement, Sam was picturing the man naked and begging her imagination to make him drop the towel.
Worse, after the revelation of his holy rank, her dirty mind couldn’t help imagining him like a Chippendale dancer, but instead of a bowtie, he wore a priest’s collar. Yes, she was definitely going to hell.
They walked through the lot of cars she recognized from the house and some she did not. Katherine was sitting beside her mother and father. Her children were running around on the grassy part of the field. Sam was relieved to see members of the family sitting in the bleachers. Perhaps she wouldn’t be expected to play after all.
As they crossed the threshold marked by an opening in the chain link fence surrounding the field, Sheilagh yelled, “Finally, we can pick teams. Jen and I are captains.”
Sam turned and started toward the stands when a sharp whistle sounded. She turned to see Kelly yell, “Where you going, Samantha? The field's this way.”
She stared back at a gaggle of young McCulloughs and some others she didn’t recognize and stammered, “I’m not real good at sports. I’d figured I’d watch.”
Kelly gave her a vagabond’s smile. “No can do, love. Since Kate’s prego we need another player. Come on over so we can pick teams.”
Never one to go against the grain, Sam joined the others by home plate. Everyone was dressed in casual clothes, many wearing kelly-green shirts that said O’Malley’s Bar and Grill. Sheilagh and a young attractive blonde girl with her O’Malley’s shirt tied in a way that showed off her pierced belly button did a quick game of rock, paper, scissors.
The blonde jumped up and down and cheered, “I get first pick! Luke!”
Luke walked over to stand beside the blonde and Sheilagh frowned. “Kelly.”
Kelly joined his sister while the blonde eyed the crowd of players. Sam had a flashback to high school and being picked last. She tried not to take the silly fear seriously.
When the blonde’s eyes landed on Braydon they lit triumphantly. “Bray.”
Braydon left Sam’s side to stand beside the leggy blonde. Everyone turned toward Sheilagh. Kelly whispered something in her ear. She smiled. “Samantha.” Sam looked around thinking surely there was someone else with the same name.
When no one stepped forward she pointed to herself. “Me?”
“Yeah, you. Come on. Welcome to the winning team,” Sheilagh said tugging her between herself and Kelly.
The choosing went back and forth until every player was placed on a team. Jen, the blonde captain, had chosen Braydon, Finn, Luke, her sisters Emily and Taylor, the McCullough’s cousin Pat, and another relative named Giovanni. Sam was confused when Kelly informed her Giovanni was in fact related. She wasn’t sure where the Italian hailed from in the big Irish family.
For their team Sheilagh chose Kelly, Sam, Katherine’s husband Anthony, who everyone called Ant, a cousin named Ryan, a married couple Gina and David, a guy named Tristan, and unfortunately, Colin.
Sam refused to make eye contact with the soon to be priest.
“All right, you picked first so we bat first.” After Sheilagh’s announcement, the other team dispersed onto the field while Sam and the rest of her team lined up in the dugout.
As Sam took the last seat on the bench, she frowned. The blonde girl, Jen, was in the field laughing and pressing her palm into Braydon’s chest.
Kelly sat down beside her and followed her gaze. “Ah,” he said, comprehending what caught her attention. “They used to date. Don’t worry. They broke up for a reason. She may look nice from afar, but she’s far from nice.”
“How sweet.”
Kelly laughed but it was a sound lacking merriment. “You say that like you think you should care, but I don’t think you really do.”
Sam turned a hard eye on Kelly. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means you know, and so do the rest of us, that you and Bray aren’t anything serious.”
“What makes you say that?” The game started. They slid down the bench in batting order.
“I don’t know. Maybe the fact you came home with my brother, but won’t share his bed. Or maybe it’s because I’ve yet to see the two of you display anything more than lukewarm affection toward each other. But I’m guessing it has more to do with the fact that Bray’s a fool who’d pick a girl like you because you fit some concocted bill in his mind rather than actually making any kind of fundamental connection.”