Pitching Her a Choice

Pitching Her a Choice

A Novel set in the Phantom Horse Bridge world.

Copyright © 2023 by George H. McVey All rights reserved.

Cover By George McVey from photo bought at Adobestock.com

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote brief excerpts in a review.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental or used fictitiously.

This book was written by a human author and not an AI (Artificial Intelligence)

This book cannot be used to train an AI (Artificial Intelligence) to write like this author.

Introduction

Sam Archer has been in love with Teressa Fleming since he first met her in the summer before third grade. Somehow, he ended up her best friend and is stuck there. But deep inside, he has always believed that their day would come, and they’d end up together for a lifetime. Right until he got the invitation to her Engagement Party.

Teressa Fleming can’t imagine life without her best friend, Sam. To be honest, she’s always been a little in love with him. Teressa’s biggest dream has always been getting married. She has the perfect wedding all planned out. So when her boyfriend Leroy proposes, she says yes.

Then comes the Engagement Party and Leroy lets her know he’s too busy to help her put the final touches on her wedding plans. Instead, he’s asked Sam to fill in for him. Now she and Sam are planning her wedding to another man, all while listening to every vendor tell them how cute a couple they make. Should she speak up and risk losing her best friend? Can she marry a man she doesn’t really love?

Sam is in agony helping Teressa finalize her perfect wedding to Leroy. Should he speak up and tell her how he feels? Or should he just keep his secret and give her away? He doesn’t want to mess up her wedding, so he keeps quiet. Besides, he has another secret. One that in the past he’d have shared with her, but not now… After all, he thinks “She wants to get married… but she doesn’t want to marry me.”

He wants her to be happy. That’s what love is, isn’t it? But he can’t watch her marry someone else, so he’ll just drop off his gift and disappear. His heart will heal eventually. Won’t it? This story was inspired by the music video of the Thomas Rhett song Marry Me. Watch it here but have Tissues Ready. https://youtu.be/p_IwENcMPOA?si=SIboBeY6BuvAXOdi

Chapter One

Sam Archer looked at the two envelopes lying on the kitchen table. Two very different reactions warring in his heart. The first he had been handed at the ballpark just a few hours ago when his bosses, Hal Gladstone, and Jimmy (Fish) Troutman, had called him into the main office. “You asked to see me, Mister Gladstone, Fish?”

“There he is, the man of the hour!” Hal Gladstone beamed. “You need to get packed up, son. You’re leaving us, come spring.”

Sam frowned. “You’re trading me? But Mr. Gladstone, this is my home. I grew up here in Phantom Horse. My family is here. All I’ve ever wanted was to play for the home team.”

Fish smiled. “Told you, Hal, that’s what his reaction would be. You really need to lead with the good news.” He looked at Sam and smiled. “We aren’t trading you, Sam. You got the call, boy. The Big Club is calling you up. Rickman is on the injured list for the next season, maybe gonna have to retire. Blew out his elbow last night. That leaves them down a pitcher, and they asked us to send you up.”

Hal beamed. “You’re going to the Big Show, boy!! Here’s your new contract. Get your agent to look it over. It ain’t a lot, just the league minimum, but there is a clause that says if you can close 90% of your games with wins they’ll give you a bonus equal to your seven hundred thousand dollars yearly salary and resign you for a five year, twenty-two million dollar contract. So stay fit and win. That’s four point two million a year. Now go clear out your locker. You have two months to get everything settled here. You report to the Ball Park in Clearwater on February 15th. Congratulations Sam, you made it. We’ll be able to say we knew you when.”

Both men shook his hand, and he left the office feeling on top of the world. His second most important dream was about to become a reality. Little Sam Archer had just been called up to be a closing picture for the Denver Dragons. Only one thing would be better than that. Maybe now he could work up the courage to let Teressa know what she meant to him. He’d even ask her to come with him.

The feeling lasted until he saw the fancy invitation with his name on it sitting on his family’s kitchen table. He picked it up, and that’s when the world ended for Sam. She was announcing her engagement. He’d lost his chance. His best friend, Teressa Fleming, the only girl he’d ever loved, wanted to get married. He didn’t begrudge her that.

After all, it had been her biggest dream since he’d met her at eight. She had it all planned out. Her Grandpa would conduct the service. They’d hold it over at Phantom Horse Bridge. With the reception at the Gladstone Inn, and catered by Leanne at Minuette’s Fine Dining. She had a scrapbook she’d put together over the years with everything she wanted. The only problem was her choice of groom.

Sam had always assumed that one day she’d realize they were the perfect couple. That he was more than her next-door neighbor and best friend. She was the love of his life and he always thought she’d realize that he was hers, too. But it wasn’t his name in the groom’s place on the invitation. No, it was her long-time boyfriend and Sam’s old football teammate Leroy Taggert. The quarterback and hometown hero. The guy who beat him to her all those years ago. Sam collapsed into the chair. He was crushed. She’d made her choice. Teressa was getting married, but not to him. As his dream burned out in his heart, he couldn’t help but remember the first time he saw her. The day he knew she was special and meant for him. The day she forced him to marry her for the first time.

14 years ago

He’d just come home from little league practice when he saw a bunch of stuffed animals under the tree that sat in the little strip of yard between his backyard and the empty house next door. He rushed inside. “Mom, what’s with all the stuffies under my tree?”

Sam had always called it his tree. Pastor Fleming, the new preacher at Greatest Endeavor Outreach Ministries Church, and Sam’s dad had helped him last summer build his tree house in it and told him that since the tree sat on both their properties, they were giving it to him and the preacher’s granddaughter but she lived back East and would only be around for a couple of weeks during the summer.

“Oh, I think that Pastor Flemings’s granddaughter must be having a stuffie party under the tree. She and her dad just moved in with the Preacher and his wife. The little girl’s mom got sick and went to heaven and her dad needed some help with her. He’s the new principal at the high school.” His mom told him. “You should go over and introduce yourself and let her know that the tree house is half hers, don’t you think?”

Sam frowned. “I guess, but I don’t want a bunch of sissy stuff in my tree house.”

“Samuel Eugene Archer! What was the deal you made with the preacher and your father? When they helped you build the tree house?”

Sam sighed. “That I’d share it with the preacher’s granddaughter. But mom, she was only supposed to be here two weeks every summer. Not live next door and put a bunch of stuffies all over everything. Next, she’ll be wanting me to play house or some other dolly girl game.”

“Sam, honey, that little girl has to be sad her mommy just died and went to heaven. I want you to be nice to her. It won’t kill you to be her friend and play some games she wants to play. Who knows, she might like baseball and football as much as you do.”

“Oh, alright, but I ain’t gonna like it none.”

His mom smiled and patted his arm. “Well, not with that attitude. You won’t. But if you let yourself, I think you’ll find that she’s a nice girl and the two of you could be good friends. Besides, she’ll need someone to show her around Gladstone and explain about Grandpa Harold’s ghost. That would be a good job for you and Casey to do. Be her friend and help her make other friends here.”

He sighed. He knew when his mom got like this, he’d better obey her. “Yes, Ma’am. I’ll go say hi and play whatever she’s playing under the tree.”

His mom beamed. “Thank you. I appreciate your being willing to help her fit in around here.”

Sam went upstairs to get out of his baseball uniform and into some play clothes. That’s when he got his first glimpse of the girl. She was wearing a white shirt, a white tutu, and tie-dyed leggings. With a lacy cloth over her head, her face was hidden from him, but he could still catch a peek of her dark brown hair and curls from his window.

The biggest stuffed bunny Sam had ever seen was being dragged by her. The stuffie was as big as she was. What kind of game was she playing? It didn’t look like house, not with that cloth over her head and face. Well, there was only one way to find out. Maybe he should get Casey to go with him. They’d probably have a lot more in common than he’d have with her.

He knocked on his twin sister’s door. While he was sporty and all boy, his twin was his polar opposite in every way. She was as girly as they come. That was obvious from just one look at her room. It had as many dolls and stuffies as was under his tree, and everything was pink or purple. She even had one of those princess beds with the cloth hanging off the top of it. A canopy Casey and his mom called it.

She opened with a book of fairy tales in her hand. “Hey, Sam. How did your practice go?”

He smiled. That was just like his sister, always thinking of others first. “It went good. I got to pitch. Coach says I might get to pitch on Saturday!”

Casey hugged him. “That’s wonderful. Have you told Mom yet? She and Daddy will be so proud of you.”

He shook his head. “No, I was going to, but something caught my attention. Did you know Pastor Fleming’s granddaughter and her dad moved in with them?”

“No, have you met them yet?”

“No, but the girl has a ton of stuffies sitting under my tree house. Mom thought we should go introduce ourselves and see if she wants to play.”

“Okay let’s go.”

When they got outside, Casey instantly realized what game the girl was playing. “Oh, she’s playing wedding. That’s perfect. She needs a groom. That can be you, Sam.”

“What!! Why would I want to play getting married?”

“Because Mom told you to go play with the new girl and help her make friends. If you two get married, then she’ll have two friends. Me and her husband, you.”

“I don’t want to get married. I just want to get into my tree house.”

“Well, it’s her tree house, too. Daddy and Pastor Fleming said, and they built it, so you have to share. But if you and her get married, then it’s your house. Because you’d be the man of the house, just like Daddy is at our house.”

Sam thought about it for a minute. He wanted to argue, but his sister was smarter than him. If she said that’s how it worked, then that’s how it worked. “Fine, but I’m not kissing her. I’ve got to pitch on Saturday. I can’t have her cooties when I have to pitch.”

“I heard that Nolan Ryan used to kiss his wife before every game and said it was good luck. So you’ll kiss her and then we'll have her kiss you again on Saturday for extra good luck. I bet it makes you a better pitcher.”

“Fine! But I won’t like it.”

“Yes, you will. Just wait, you’ll see.”

They climbed over the fence, and Casey waved at the girl. “Hi there. I’m Casey and this is my twin brother, Sam. We live next door and saw you playing. Can we play too? Our Daddy and Mister Fleming built the tree house you're playing under for my brother and I bet you. If you’re Pastor Flemings’s granddaughter.”

“Hi,” the girl said. Now that they were close, Sam could see her through the lace she had on her face. “You’re just in time for my wedding. I’m Teressa. My Daddy and I just moved here to live with my grandma and grandpa.”

“Awesome,” Casey said. “If you want, I’ll be your maid of honor, and Sam can be your husband. He’d be a better husband than the big stuffed bunny.”

The girl was pretty, and he found he couldn’t talk to her. He just wanted to keep looking at her. Teressa looked at him and smiled. “Do you know how to be a husband? I mean, at a wedding?”

“Sure, I’ve been to weddings well, our cousin’s wedding last summer. I had to miss a peewee baseball game because of it. I know I just stand there and say what the preacher tells me to say and then we walk away together and get to eat first and get cake and dance. Nothing to it. Then we can go to our house.” He pointed up at the tree house.

She smiled and nodded. “But not until after you kiss me. That’s important. You ain’t married until after Grandpa says you may kiss the bride. Then you have to do it. Can you do that?”

Sam shrugged. “Don’t see why not.”

Teressa smiled at him, and Sam felt all warm and funny inside. “Okay, let me go get my grandpa. He’s the preacher, you know. You have to have a preacher to get married. And my grandpa is the best preacher ever.”

“I don’t know about that. We go to Pastor Cayden’s church. He’s pretty good for a grown-up. But Pastor Fleming is great at building Tree Houses.”

She looks at him and sighs. “Don’t you got a suit? You need a suit to be a husband at a wedding.”

He thought for a minute. “I got my baseball uniform. At our cousin’s wedding, her husband wore his army uniform. Would that work?”

Teressa thought for a minute. “That sounds good. You go get in your uniform, husband, and I’ll go get grandpa.”

So that is how Sam found himself standing under his and Teressa’s tree saying “I Do” when Pastor Fleming told him to and repeating a bunch of silly things like promising to get Teressa ice cream on her birthdays and being nice to her all the time. All the while, his mom and Teressa’s grandma sat with the stuffed animals that were the guests.

Then came the part he wasn’t looking forward to. Maybe he could just kiss her on the cheek and get by with it. He already saw the cupcakes Teressa’s grandma had on a plate for them and his mom had her boom box for them to dance to.

He leaned toward her when Pastor Fleming told him to kiss the bride and aimed for her cheek. But Casey fussed at him. “You have to really kiss her, Sam. Just like Cousin Jody’s husband kissed her. She ain’t Mom, she’s your wife. Kiss her right.”

So Sam sighed and puckered up. When he got close, he closed his eyes real tight and crossed his fingers, hoping not to get any girl cooties to mess up his pitching on Saturday. But when his lips pressed against her something really strange happened. He felt weaker and stronger at the same time. Maybe her kiss was good luck. His eyes popped open as he pulled away, and she was blushing and touching her lips. Then they all ate cupcakes and drank milk and then had a dance party. That was the start of his friendship with his first wife, Teressa Fleming.

No matter what, they’d stayed friends through thick and thin. Sam had always figured one day she’d realize that he’d make the perfect husband for real, and they’d stand in front of her grandpa again. Only this time becoming Mister and Mrs. Archer. But that invitation on the table ended that dream. Crushed it like an empty Coke can. He’d waited too long and now he’d lost his chance. For the first time in his twenty-three years of life, Sam Archer felt all alone and empty inside.

Teressa still wanted to get married. The problem was, this time, she didn’t want to marry him. Grabbing his promotion letter, he hastily tucked it into his back pocket and sprinted away from the house. He only knew one way to stop the pain inside. He’d go pitch and bat until he couldn’t raise his arms anymore. Then he’d stop by Toby’s and see about getting some of the man’s special moonshine. That guaranteed to forget everything elixir.

Chapter Two

The week crawled on one hand for Sam. He had told no one that he’d been called up. He just wasn’t in the mood for the celebration that would cause. Instead, he was thinking about leaving for Clearwater, Florida, early. He knew that some of the older players were already at the ballpark, working out and improving their conditioning. He thought about maybe heading down there next week just to get away from all this wedding crap. His heart was breaking. He didn’t need or want a front row to see his girl pledge her life to another for all time. Plus, maybe if he went to Florida, he could find some Cleat Chasers or Hardwood Honeys. A few nights with a couple of them would take his mind off Teressa. Why not? He was good, and they’d offered, but he’d always avoided them here. Maybe that had been a mistake. After all, a few of his fellow players had met their wives at the park. It wasn’t like he was pure as the driven snow. He’d had his hookups, not many of them, but a few. Still, anything was better than pining after the woman he wanted who wanted nothing more than to keep him in the friend zone.

Yet here he was at their stupid engagement party, pretending to be happy for them. He pulled the flask of Toby’s strongest shine out of his back pocket and took a big swallow. Then grabbed the champagne glass as they were being passed out. He guessed Mister Fleming was about to officially announce the wedding date and toast the happy couple. Teressa caught his eye and smiled at him. He raised his chin and smiled before lifting his glass to her. Pretending to toast to her happiness. Man, she looked so beautiful. She was all but glowing with joy. Why not? She was getting everything she ever wanted. He knew Leroy was a good guy. Had a good job not seven hundred thousand a year good, but it wasn’t his fault he’d suffered a career-ending injury in college before he could get drafted to the NFL. It was the reason Sam had switched his focus his Junior year to just baseball. No four-year wait to become a pro in baseball. He’d already had owners and coaches of Major League teams approaching him as a sophomore pitcher. So he dropped football where he would be nothing but a second-string quarterback behind Leroy. But on the mound, no one was as good as Sam was. In baseball, he was the best of the best.

Now that he was headed to the big show, one day soon his name would be spoken right along with Nolan Ryan, Cy Young, and Pedro Martinez. He had something none of them had. He could hurl ninety-five MPH fastballs with either hand and each one was deadly accurate. Unlike a lot of pitchers, he’d spent just as much time perfecting his swing and could rip the stitches out of the ball with a solid swing, too. He just needed to get away from this town and the woman who didn’t want to marry him or even love him like he loved her.

He missed the date of the wedding and the toast, not that it mattered he would be in Florida before then, anyway. Tomorrow, he will reach out to his agent and ask Lisa to find him a realtor in Clearwater. He wanted a fly bachelor pad in Clearwater, some place to impress some hardwood honeys, yet keep them out when he was done with them.

He raised his glass and drained it. As he lifted his gaze, he was met with the disapproving stares of his sister and the bride-to-be. He smiled and sighed. Recognizing the importance of being polite, he guessed he should congratulate the happy couple. Then he had a date with the batting and pitching cages again. Couldn’t keep drinking or he’d be worthless come February 15th, and he had to be the best the Dragons’ pitching coaches had ever seen. There was no way he wanted to get sent back down to the minors and end up right back here, where his heart was being ripped to shreds.

He headed to the front where Leroy and Teressa were holding court. Casey caught up with him about halfway through the room. “You either need to do better at faking being happy for her or you need to man up and tell her how you really feel, Sam.”

“What are you talking about, Casey? I am happy for her. She’s getting everything she ever wanted. I couldn’t be more happy.”

“Yeah, and that isn’t the liquor talking. Cheese and Crackers Sam, you smell like Toby’s stills. How much of that moonshine have you drank today?”

“Not nearly enough, Casey. I can still feel, and it hurts like hell.”

His twin dragged him off to the kitchen away from any listening gossips. “I know, but you only have yourself to blame, Sam. You should have told her years ago how you really felt. Then it might be you standing up there.”

He shook his head. “No, it wouldn’t. I lost her a long time ago. If not in ninth grade, then after Junior Prom, when she gave herself to the lucky son of a gun. All I’ll ever have is one kiss under that stupid tree. I swear I should cut that thing down and burn the whole thing right there in the field. Maybe I can have an enormous bonfire to celebrate their happy union. Not that it will matter much longer, anyway. I’m gone in two months, maybe sooner, if Lisa can find me a magnificent apartment.”

Casey frowned. “What are you talking about, you drunk fool?”

“I’m not drunk, not yet, but the night is still young. A few more glasses of celebration champagne and the rest of the mason jar in our tree house and maybe I’ll be numb enough to forget about her. Leaving for Clearwater will help.”

“What are you talking about? Why would you be going to Clearwater?” Then her eyes got big. “Wait. Spring Training is in Clearwater! Sam? Did you get traded?”

He shook his head and pulled out the folded letter he’d been carrying for the week. “Nope going to the Big Show, sis. I’m the newest Relief Pitcher for the Denver Dragons. Just in time, too. Can’t watch her and him be all happy ever after. Going to Clearwater as soon as I can get a place and moving to Denver after that. Never coming back here. Never going to look out and see that tree house. Really should burn it down before I leave. It ain’t our house anymore. Just a lie, always been a lie. I just wouldn’t believe it.”

Just then, the kitchen door opened and Leroy Taggert saw him and smiled. “Good, I found you. I thought you’d left. I need a favor, Sam I am. You gotta help me, man. No one else can, just you.”

Sam smiled his fake smile, the one he wore when the team lost and the reporters still wanted to talk to them. “Sure, man, was just telling my sister some news. What can I do for you?”

“Great, look, come with me and we can tell Teressa you’ll help and save my bacon here, buddy. I really appreciate it.”

“Yeah, sure, whatever you two need,” Sam said, not meaning it. He’d be gone in a few days and it wouldn’t matter.

Leroy put his arm around Sam’s shoulder and led him toward Teressa. “You’re a good friend, man. Her best friend, so you’re the perfect stand-in for me.”

“Wait… What? Stand in for what?”

Before Leroy could answer him, they were standing in front of Teressa. “Baby, good news. You know how I told you I didn’t know if I could help you get everything together for the wedding because of this new account I’m working on? Well, I found you the perfect helper. Sam knows everything in your little wedding book, right? He promised me he’d help you make sure you have everything you want. Isn’t that great??”

“Aw hell no!!!” Sam thought. “There is no way I’m going to help plan her wedding to him. Not now, not ever.”

“Look, guys. I’d love to help but…”

That was as far as he got before Teressa squealed and hugged him, the look on her face one of relief and joy. “Really Sam? Oh, thank you so much. I know with my best friend helping, I’ll have the perfect wedding, just like I’ve been planning since ninth grade.”

“Just stab the knife in deeper, God. I think you missed a few places.” he thought. Now he couldn’t say no. Not with her looking at him like he was her hero. “Sure, Teressa. Always here for you, sugar. Just let me know when you need me.”

“Well, we only have two months, so we need to get started right away. We were supposed to meet with the wedding planner tomorrow at ten. Can you be here then? Carol said she’s the best but opinionated and you know I already have the perfect plan. I just need someone to make her understand I want what I want. Nothing less will do.”

“Two months? I didn’t realize it was coming up that quick.”

She frowned. “What you didn’t think Daddy meant next Valentine’s Day, did you? You know it has to be Valentine’s Day. That’s always been the plan. You know that it’s in the scrapbook.”

“No, I guess I didn’t think about it. Got a lot on my mind lately. Tomorrow at ten, I’ll be here. We’ll make sure you get everything exactly like you want it. Anything for my best gir… umm… friend.”

Leroy beamed. “Great.” He slapped Sam on the back. “You’re a lifesaver, man. I owe you one.”

Sam sighed. “Nah, don’t worry about it, buddy. All in the best friend handbook. No debt for your best friend’s fiancé. Besides, you’ll need that commission to pay for the honeymoon. Hawaii ain’t cheap buddy.”

Leroy laughed. “I hear ya.” But he hadn’t. Sam and Teressa both realized he wasn’t really paying attention. Sam couldn’t take it anymore. He had to get out of here, get away from her before he screwed up, and she could see the hurt in his eyes. “Well, congratulations, you two. If I’m gonna be ready tomorrow, I need to go to the batting and pitching cages tonight.”

Teressa frowned. “Are you OK Sam? Is something wrong?”

He smiled his fake smile and knew she could see through it, so he avoided her eyes. “Everything’s great, sweetheart. Just got a lot to do to be ready for spring, you know. It might just be a game, but it pays my bills. Need to be the best I can be. You got two months until your wedding and I have two months until the spring season.” He’d almost said training, but he would not overshadow her engagement party with his news. Besides, it was time he quit confiding everything to her. She wasn’t his anymore. She never really had been, had she? He’d just let himself buy into his fantasy and lie to his heart. But now it was time to let her go.

He turned and headed for the door. Before he could get there, he ran into James. The man looked almost as miserable as he felt. He guessed maybe he was. After all, any dedicated father had to feel like he was giving his little girl away to another man. Sam knew that pain, too. Mr. Fleming wasn’t the only one giving her away. The difference was that no one knew Sam was giving her away, too.

He left and headed for the tree house. He really should go to the cages and wear himself out, but he’d sit in their tree house and numb his memories with quality liquor straight from the mason jar.

He sat in that tree house drinking straight from the jar. His flask had been empty for a while. He looked over and caught sight of that silly tie-dyed T-shirt with his name and high school baseball number on it. He couldn’t help but remember the first and only time she’d worn it. It was the day he’d lost her, as it turned out now, forever.

Ninth grade Sam’s first high school ball game

Sam was sitting on the bench. The only freshman on the Varsity baseball team. The rest of the team couldn’t understand why the coaches had put him on the team. Well, the senior pitcher knew. He was their secret weapon. Sam would only get to pitch if things were going bad. He was deadly as an ambidextrous pitcher and switch batter. He’d spent long hours in both the bullpens and batting cages and working out to get as strong as he could. But the coach wanted to save him for a ‘we need a miracle’ situation. Plus, Jenkins needed the scouts to have time to see he had the potential to go to the next level. So Sam was content to sit on the bench for now. Yeah, if he’d been on the JV team, he’d be the starting pitcher, but he was the only freshman on the Varsity team. While no one knew why, he knew and so did the only person he cared about knowing his secret. As if he’d wished her up, he heard his “wife” calling his name. He turned and there she was. Teressa, the girl he loved since the day she and his sister forced him to marry her under their tree house six years ago. Now that they were fifteen, he needed to tell her how he felt about her. If they won tonight, he’d get her to come to the diner with him and tell her there.

She smiled at him, called his name, and pointed at the crazy multicolored tie-dyed t-shirt she had on. When she saw he was looking, she turned to see she’d written his name and number on it. She motioned for him to come over, and he looked at the pitching coach. “Hey coach, can I go to the fence for a second? My best friend wants to talk to me.”

“Make it quick Archer.”

“Thanks.”

He ran over, and she leaned down. “I forgot to give you a good luck kiss. Climb up here and get it.”

He scaled the fence until he was high enough, and she kissed him on the cheek. It had been their ritual since the first Saturday after their “wedding”. His sister had told her that married pro players always got a kiss for luck before their games. Teressa never failed to show up and kiss his cheek from that Saturday on. He’d never gotten to kiss her on the lips after the wedding, but he planned to give her one tonight when he asked her to be his girl for real. Not just his best friend and elementary school wife. He’d waited until they turned fifteen because her dad had made it plain that she couldn’t date until then. Tonight was her fifteenth birthday, and she’d had her party earlier so she could be here for his game tonight. So, tonight was going to be his night.

What made the night great was that Jenkins had gotten into trouble and the coach had put him in for the last inning. He told him to only throw left-handed and put the next three batters out on strikes. He didn’t get to bat or show off his switch pitching, but he sent the heat. The radar said, that at fifteen years old, he threw nine straight ninety-mile-an-hour fastballs. Leaving the bases loaded and giving him a game-winning save on his stats.

That had been the highlight of his night. It all crashed when he came out of the locker room to see his ‘Wife’ kissing the star quarterback and not a good luck kiss on the cheek. The son of a gun had his tongue halfway down Teressa’s throat. She looked up when she saw him and bounced over to him. “Isn’t it great, Sam? Leroy asked me to be his girlfriend.”

Sam’s heart broke for the first time that night. It also was the night he learned he could fake a smile. He smiled at her and said, “That’s great, Teressa. I’m happy for you. I guess this means you aren’t my wife anymore.”

She laughed nervously and bit her kiss-swollen lips. “No, and I don’t think it would be right for me to give you any more good luck kisses, either. Or wear this shirt anymore. Oh, I know!!” She clapped. “I’ll sleep in it every Friday and give it to you, and you can wear it under your uniform shirt for good luck from now on. How does that sound? Think that will work?”

He’d smiled his fake smile while his heart died inside. “Yeah, that will work. Thanks.”

Just then, Leroy walked up and smirked at him. They both knew that Leroy had stolen the only girl Sam wanted. Just yesterday, Leroy had been over to Sam’s house. He’d seen the calendar on Sam’s wall with the date circled in red and the words. “Ask Her Today!” written on it.

“What’s that all about, Sam? Ask who what?” Leroy had asked him. Sam smiled. “You got invited to Teressa Fleming’s birthday party tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“Well, I wanted to ask her to be my girlfriend a couple of years ago. Her dad told me she couldn’t have a boyfriend until after she turned fifteen. So I got this two-year calendar and circled her fifteenth birthday. Tomorrow, right after, she blows out her candles. I’m gonna get her alone and ask her to be my girlfriend. Then when she kisses me for good luck before a game, it will be a real kiss, not on the cheek anymore.”

But because of the game, Sam hadn’t gotten to ask her at her party. He had to leave early to get to the game. What burned him up was, Leroy knew he was going to. The jerk had waited until after she’d given Sam his good luck kiss and while he was stuck on the ball field, Leroy had asked her. He’d stolen Sam’s girl, and they both knew it.

That kiss that had just been him twisting the knife he’d stabbed in Sam’s back. Now he wanted to gloat. “Hey, good game tonight, buddy. You headed over to the diner to celebrate? My girlfriend and I will save you a seat in our booth.”

Sam glared at the backstabbing bastard. Then shook his head. “Nah, I’m tired. I know it was only nine pitches, but I put everything in them. I need to go home and ice up to keep the muscle from cramping. You guys go on.”

That night had also started his other ritual. Every time he saw Leroy and Teressa kissing or being all boyfriend and girlfriend, he’d run across town to the batting and pitching cages and spend an hour pitching and an hour batting. In a way, he owed the two of them for his getting into the Big Show. Still, he’d give it all up to just go back in time and beat Leroy to asking to be her boyfriend. To be the one she wanted to marry, not the best friend who she never realized loved her to the bottom of his soul.

He pulled himself out of the memory and titled the jar back, draining it before passing out in his and Teressa’s first and only house.

Chapter Three

The light was piercing his brain, as was the person who was shaking him. He needed to kill them right now. No, he really needed to not go back to the Backwoods Bar and Grill and collect another bottle of Toby’s moonshine. It might make him forget for a little while, but the hangover the next day wasn’t worth it.

“Wakey, Wakey Wedding Planner Brother!”

He groaned. “Go away Annoyingly Cheerful Sister! There’s no reason to get up. Life is over.”

She shoved him hard. “You need to get up, go in the house, shower, and put on clean business-type clothes. You promised to meet Teressa and the wedding planner in half an hour.”

“Oh, I’m still dreaming. This is still part of that terrible nightmare where Teressa’s getting married, but not to me.”

Casey smacked him upside his head, and he sat up. “Oh God, it’s not a dream, is it?”

She shook her head. “Sorry, Sam, that’s not a dream. But you know it’s not too late. She hasn’t said I do. Her grandpa hasn’t pronounced them man and wife. Just tell her how you feel. Tell her you love her and she should be marrying you.”

He looked at his sister. She looked almost as upset as he felt. “I can’t do that, Casey. She chose him. Over and over again, she’s chosen him. Every memory since ninth grade has her and him together in it. I’m too late, always just a second too late.”

Casey sat beside him. “Well, you will be if you don’t tell her before Valentine’s Day. Until then, anything could happen. So go get cleaned up and tell her it’s your face that should be in her wedding photos, as the groom.”

He shook his head. “She’s getting what she wants. Don’t you get it, Casey? She’s always wanted to get married. I still remember everything about that first day we met her. Even then, at nine years old, she wanted to get married. I always thought someday she’d realize that it was me she wanted to marry, but it’s not. It’s never been me. So get it through your thick head.

She is finally getting her dream. I’m the one not getting his dream come true. She wants to get married, and she is. My problem is in my version of her dream, it was always me she was promising to love and cherish. But the truth is this; she wants to get married, but she doesn’t want to marry me.”

Sam rubbed his face. “God, I need a drink.”

“There’s coffee inside. I started a strong pot before coming to get you.”

“I don’t need coffee. I need another mason jar full of forget her for a while.”

“Sam, I love you, but that isn’t working for you, brother. Look around. You drank enough to poison an elephant last night. But you didn’t forget her. Instead, you passed out in the one place that’s full of memories of her. So getting drunk isn’t helping, it’s just going to screw up the rest of your life. I know you love her and want to be her groom. But if you don’t either man up and tell her or let her go and stop trying to drown her in moonshine, you’re going to ruin your other dream.”

She held out the contract letter. “Have you even called Lisa about all this? She’s your agent. Does she know you need a place in Clearwater or Denver? Do I need to show this letter to Mom and Dad and have them set you straight? Man up and let this go, since you won’t tell her how you feel.” She stood and headed for the door of the tree house. “Oh, and now you have twenty minutes before you’re supposed to be next door. Go shower! God, you stink, and not in that good clean baseball way. In that drunky, drunk way. If you show up at Teressa’s looking and smelling like you do now, she’s going to know something's wrong. So get clean and when you leave after the meeting, go do something baseball-related after you call Lisa.”

She left and Sam stood and slowly made his way into the house and got cleaned up. He drank two cups of the sludge his sister called strong coffee. Then he got an oversized travel mug and poured the rest of the pot into it. He showed up at Teressa’s back door about a minute early. He could tell she knew something was off with him, but before she could ask, the doorbell rang and it was time to meet the wedding planner.

The woman came into the house, and instantly Sam knew this wasn’t going to work. If this was the best wedding planner in Phantom Horse, then it’s a wonder anyone got married. He’d always heard the term ‘resting bitch face’, but he’d met no one with it before. The permanent scowl on this woman made him wonder why anyone would hire her to help plan and organize their wedding. “Hello, I’m Cassandra Groves. I have an appointment with…” She flipped open a binder and ran her finger down to the ten a.m. spot on her old school day planner. “Teressa Fleming and Leroy Taggert.”

“I’m Teressa. Thank you for coming out, Cassandra.”

Cassandra gained another strike in Sam’s dislike of her when she just ran right over Teressa. “Then that makes you our lucky groom, Leroy. I must say, the two of you are going to make a wonderful-looking bride and groom. You’re just the cutest couple I’ve met in months. Now, time is short and we have a lot of work to do. Let's get started. I have a list of available venues for February 14th, but I must say, having a wedding on Valentine’s Day may sound romantic, but it isn’t very cost-effective. Especially since it’s barely ten weeks away. Also, it will need to be an inside venue because the weather is so unpredictable in February. You don’t want to get all your guests and wedding party sick.”

Sam finally had all of her he could take. He could see the tears gathering in Teressa’s eyes and that was strike three for Cassandra. “Get Out! You’re fired!!”

That stopped Cassandra cold. “Excuse me? Did you just fire me? Young man, I’m the only option you have to maybe pull off any kind of wedding…”

Sam reached over and put his hand over her mouth. “My God, will you just shut up for one minute and listen? You work for Teressa. Well, you would have worked for Teressa. But you seem to think we can’t put together this wedding without you. We can.”

She opened her mouth and Sam said. “Lady, if you say another word, I swear I’ll pick you up and set you outside physically. I’ve made it crystal clear already; You. ARE. FIRED. So get out of here. We won’t be needing your services. If you’d come in and listened, you’d have known that Teressa has been planning this wedding for seven years. This would have been the easiest money you’d ever made. Now it’s not even going to be any money for you.”

“You can’t fire me! I was hired by Mister Fleming to plan his daughter's wedding because you two have to have it on Valentine’s Day in just ten weeks.”

“So not only are you the rudest wedding planner in Phantom Horse, you obviously don’t listen. I can state very matter-of-factually that Mister Fleming didn’t hire you to ‘PLAN’ his daughter's wedding. He hired you to help his daughter make her wedding plans a reality. You know how I know that’s what he told you? Because, THIS. WEDDING. HAS. BEEN. PLANNED. FOR. YEARS.” He picked up the three-ring scrapbook he’d been shown seven years earlier and pointed at it. “Everything Teressa wants for her wedding is right here. So we don’t need you. As for me not being able to fire you, that’s easy to fix. Watch, I’ll fix it right now!”

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and punched the contact for the high school. The phone rang and then “Thank you for calling Phantom Horse High School. How can I help you today?”

Hey Andrea, it’s Sam Archer. I need to speak to Mister Fleming, it’s really important.

“Oh hey, Sam. I hear you’re helping Teressa with her wedding plans. I would have thought you wouldn’t want anything to do with her and Leroy’s wedding, given the fact…”

“Hey Andrea, you’re on speaker and I really need to talk to James right now.”

“Oh okay. Just know that if you need someone to help heal your broken heart, I’m more than willing to help you get over…”

Sam interrupted before she gave away his heart ache secret. “Andrea, I’m standing here with Teressa and the woman who James hired to help with wedding details. She’s upset Teressa and won’t leave, so I NEED TO TALK TO JAMES, RIGHT NOW!!”

“Right sorry! I’ll call you later. Let me put you through.”

Teressa was looking at him, and the wedding planner was fuming. “Sam, Andrea said you had some problems. That Teressa is upset. What's going on?”

“James, I’m standing here with Cassandra Groves, who isn’t going to work as Teressa's wedding planner. She came in like gangbusters and hasn’t let Teressa get a word in edge-wise. I told her she was fired, and that we didn’t need her help, but she stated she works for you and I can’t fire her.”

“She’s there now?”

“Yes, and you’re on speaker. Teressa’s here too.”

“Princess, are you alright?”

With those words, Teressa’s tears escaped. “Daddy she said I can’t have the wedding outside and that because it was so close, I might not get what I want.”

“Well, that answers that question, doesn’t it? Ms. Groves, I believe that when I contacted you I made it plain that what I needed from you was to ensure that Teressa’s plans happened. You assured me you could do that. I didn’t ask you to plan a wedding. So thank you for your time, but as you’ve already been informed, we won’t be needing your help after all.”

“Mr. Fleming, I can assure you, without my help, this wedding won’t happen at all in two years, let alone in… Epp!”

The last was when Sam handed his phone to Teressa, walked over, picked the pompous windbag up by her arms, and started to the door with her. “Lady shut up! You heard it from the man who hired you now. So, I don’t get what makes you think you are the best. You had your three strikes and you’re out! But you wouldn’t step out of the batter's box, so now I’m ejecting you from the field.”

He sat her at the door and opened it. Then he picked her back up, sat her on the porch, and shut the door in her face. Then he turned back to Teressa and heard her say. “I don’t know, Daddy. Maybe this is a mistake. Maybe she’s right and I can’t have my dream wedding so fast.”

As much as he wanted to tell her, it was a mistake and she should cancel the wedding; he didn’t. Sam came over, wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and took his phone. “Leave this to me, Mr. Fleming. I’ll make some calls and get us the help we need to make everything in her scrapbook happen.”

“Thank you, Sam. I don’t know what we’d do without you. You’re a great friend to my princess.”

“Nothing to thank me for, sir. All part of the Sam Archer neighborly service.”

He hung up and wrapped his other arm around Teressa. “Now don’t you doubt the wedding plan, scrapbook! Sweetheart, you’ve planned everything out and all we have to do is consult the book and make it happen. Give me a couple of hours and I’ll have a team of people to make your dreams come true. But first, come on, let's go see Casey and draft her to help us.

As he helped Teressa on with her coat, he couldn’t help but remember the first time she’d shown him the wedding plan scrapbook. It was a few weeks after she and Leroy started dating and she’d been up in their house, his and Teressa’s that was, pasting Leroy’s head on the picture of the groom on the first page.

Seven years ago

Sam had just climbed up in their house. Nowadays he came here often to cry. It was the one place where no one could see how broken his heart was. He stopped when he saw Teressa. He didn’t even know she still came up here. It felt kind of like a violation for her to keep occupying ‘Their House’ when she wasn’t part of them anymore. But he couldn’t say that, because he’d promised her grandpa he’d share it with her. “Hey best friend in the world, what are you working on over there?”

She turned and beamed that beautiful smile at him. It used to warm him up inside. He thought it was proof she loved him as much as he loved her. But after her betrayal of becoming Leroy’s girlfriend, it was just like a quick twist of the knife they’d plunged into his heart. Before, he’d always thought it meant she loved him, too. Now he knew differently. If she’d loved him, she wouldn’t have become Leroy’s girlfriend. She sure wouldn’t have done it at Sam’s ballgame wearing his name and number like they were really a couple instead of neighbors playing pretend.

“This is my most secret possession, Sam. It’s my perfect wedding scrapbook. When I find something that I have to have for my wedding, I put it in here. It’s going to be the perfect wedding. Because I’ll have it all planned. See.”

She patted the futon their dads had hauled up here for them. Sam sat, and she flipped past the picture that had her and Leroy’s faces pasted over the heads of the bride and groom. On the next page was a picture of a woman who looked a lot like Teressa, if she was older in a very sleek wedding dress. “Wow, that dress is awesome. That woman looks a lot like you. Do you know who she is?”

She nodded. That’s my Mom. This was taken on her wedding day. Daddy has that dress in a dress box in his closet. I’ll wear it for my perfect wedding. Grandpa will do the wedding for me. I thought about having it here.” She pointed down to where they’d had their pretend wedding. Sam flinched. The pain in his heart was so real it was almost physical. “But I decided I’d rather have it here.” She turned a page and showed a couple getting married at the famous Phantom Horse Bridge over in the Park.

“If I had the wedding there, then I could have the reception at the Inn and have Leanne cater it from the restaurant.”

She showed him every page, going over every tiny detail. Sure enough, she had it planned right down to having a tower of cheesecakes instead of a traditional wedding cake. They spent the entire afternoon together, and she showed him everything in the book. She told him about how she wanted her flowers and tulle to be tie-dyed.

They talked about everything except the first page. The page with her and Leroy’s pictures pasted over her mom and dad’s faces. He should have realized then she would marry Leroy. She’d never choose him, but they say love is blind and now, looking back over the memory, he knew they were right. He’d been and still was so in love with her, he’d never seen that she didn’t love him. Not like he loved her.

That thought brought him out of his memories just as they got to the door of his house. She stopped and hugged him. “Thank you so much for doing this, Sam. I don’t know what I’d have done without you. You’re the best friend anyone could ever have.”

“No big deal, now let's see if we can get Miss Organization herself to help us out. I’ll make a couple of calls too and get Lisa to send me an assistant who can help us get your plans off the ground.”

Casey politely refused, saying she was too busy looking for a job. All the while subtlely giving Sam looks to tell Teressa how he felt. Lisa said she’d see if she could find someone to hire for Sam but that she doubted she could not in time. So Sam knew he was stuck coordinating the wedding he wanted to avoid for the sake of his sanity.

Something was very wrong with Sam. Teressa knew it. She could see it. Oh, he hid it well. She doubted anyone else knew, but she knew her Sam. Knew him better than anyone. She’d noticed it the night before at her engagement party. He’d smiled and toasted her engagement like everyone else. But she’d seen. That smile it wasn’t his smile. Her Sam’s smile lit up the room. When he turned it on her, no matter how bad her day had been, it was like the Summer Sun was shining on her heart and soul.

Casey was his twin and swore she could at times feel his emotions, but Teressa didn’t have to feel them; she just knew. And right now, she knew something was very wrong. The smile he’d worn yesterday and today wasn’t his smile. He had this phony smile when he said no to signing body parts for the Cleat Chasers and Hardwood Honeys, but offered to sign a picture, napkin, receipt, or even a ball for them. It was the same smile he wore for interviews after the team lost and some rude reporter wanted to know why. It was the smile he always had for Leroy. But he never used it on her. Not until last night and today.

She’d even asked him more than once what was wrong, but he avoided answering her. She didn’t understand; they always told each other everything. Why was he hiding what was wrong from her? She was his sweetheart, his honey, his sugar, his darlin’. He told her everything. What could be wrong that he wouldn’t tell her what it was. If he wouldn’t tell her, maybe he’d tell someone else. She called her dad. He'd be leaving the high school soon, so maybe Sam would tell him.

Her dad answered her call. “Teressa, Princess, this is unexpected. Is everything okay? Sam figured out how to help you get things planned.”

“Daddy, something’s wrong with my Sam. He won’t tell me what it is. Will you go talk to him? Maybe he’ll talk to you. I’m worried. He never keeps things from me. This hurts Daddy.”

“Princess,” her dad sighed. “Honey, maybe… Never mind, I’ll go talk to him, but he might not want you to know. Some things a man just can’t talk to a woman about.”

“But Daddy, this is Sam, my Sam. He tells me everything. I don’t like this. He helps me so much I want to help him too. He fixes my problems. I want to fix his, too.”

“Teressa, you’re engaged now. About to marry. You and Sam. That relationship it’s changing. He won’t be the one to fix your problems anymore. It will be Leroy’s job. Should already be Leroy’s job. You can’t be the one to fix Sam’s problems, either.”

She was shocked. No, that wasn’t right. Just because she got married didn’t mean she and Sam would change. They were best friends. They would never be anything but Teressa and Sam. The best of friends. Their own kids would be best friends. Why would anyone think that would change? “That’s silly Daddy. Sam and I will still be best friends. We’ll still be there for each other. Nothing will change that, not anything. Why would you say that, Daddy?”

“Teressa, you don’t think your being married will change things between you and Sam? Don’t you think Leroy will expect to be your best friend? The one you turn to with your problems?

“How about when Sam finds a woman and gets married? Don’t you think she’ll want to be the person he shares everything with?

“Baby girl being married will change what you and Sam share. You’ll not be his sweetheart, honey, or sugar anymore. You’ll be Leroy’s instead and Sam… Sam won’t be your Sam. He’ll be some other woman's Sam. That’s the way it is. But yes, I’ll go talk to him and see what’s wrong, but if he doesn’t want me to tell you, I won’t. It’s time for you to realize that marriage changes things. This is one of them.”

Teressa sank into the futon in their house. How could she not have realized that getting married would change things between her and Sam? That couldn’t be true. Daddy had to be wrong. He just didn’t understand how much she and Sam were connected. No, nothing would change; she wouldn’t let it. They’d always have each other. Wouldn’t they?

Later that evening, after Sam lay brooding in his room. A knock on the door that he wanted to ignore jarred him out of his thoughts. He really didn’t want to deal with his annoying sister right now. “Go away, Casey. I’ve heard your opinion now. Leave me alone. I don’t have any moonshine, and I’m not in here getting drunk. It doesn’t help, anyway. Not even Toby’s forget it all for now can wipe out my love for her. She’s unforgettable.”

The door opened, and he looked into the face of James Fleming. “I thought so! Sam, why don’t you just tell her how you feel? Do it now before it’s too late. Once she says I do, she’s his for all time. And take it from a guy who has to live without the love of his life. You don’t want that.”

Sam stood and shook his head. “I can’t do that, sir. She’s happy. I will not be the one who messes that up for her. We both know this has been her dream since before I met her.

“The first time we met she was playing wedding under our tree. Now she’s about to get everything she wants. I will not be the one to mess it all up by telling her I’m the one she should be marrying. What’s that old saying? ‘If you love someone, set them free. If they come back, they’re yours; if they don’t, they never were.’ I set her free seven years ago. She’s never come back. She always chooses him. I don’t understand it, but she always chooses him. I thought she had come back to me when they broke up before our junior prom. But she hadn’t come back. No, instead she used me to make him jealous, so he’d come back to her. You think I’d have given up then? This time, I’ve just not got it in me to show her I’m the right choice. That scrapbook has her idea of a perfect wedding in it. You go look at the first page. You’ll know just like I do. His face is on the groom. Her idea of a perfect wedding it Leroy Taggert as her groom. Not Sam Archer. Not me.”

James shook his head. “Son, I’m sorry, but I disagree. You’ve never set her free. Because you never told her how you felt about her. She hasn’t had a chance to choose you over him.

“Because you’ve never left her side. She’s never had to choose. You’ve ensured she’s had you both. I don’t know why she can’t see how much you love her when everyone else can. I know she knows something is wrong with you, Sam. She called me and told me exactly that, in those exact words. ‘Daddy, something’s wrong with my Sam. He won’t tell me what it is. Will you go talk to him? Maybe he’ll talk to you.’ That’s why I’m here. So, let me ask you this, and then I’ll leave you alone. How are you going to feel on Valentine’s Day watching her pledge her love and devotion to the wrong man? Knowing that she’ll never leave him because she believes every word of the vows she’ll make. When she says until death do us part, she’ll mean them. Can you live with that? Seeing that tree where you married her at nine, every day? Knowing that she’s never going to choose you? Can you live knowing it’s because you didn’t give her the chance to choose you?”

Sam looked at Teressa’s father, one of three men he respected above all others. He couldn’t believe he’d just asked that. Surely, he knew Sam had given her several chances. “YOU DID NOT JUST SAY THAT TO ME! Tell me I misunderstood you? You might not remember, but I do. He broke up with her before prom, remember that? He dumped her, and I stepped up. I told her she was my girl that day. She kissed me like I’d always dreamed about. I spent every penny I had to give her the perfect prom. Moved heaven and earth to show her how special, how precious she was to me. Then on the day before prom, he asked her for another chance and she left me for him. How about just before graduation? He was going to UCLA and suggested they ‘take a break’ because long distance doesn't work. I’d just signed with the Spectors. They’d just given me my signing bonus when she came and told me. I told her I loved her and it would all work out she’d have me.” Sam walked over to his dresser, opened the top drawer, reached in the back, and pulled out a dusty blue box. Handed it to James. “I went straight to the jewelry store and saw this ring, the perfect engagement ring for her. I spent almost my whole bonus and came home to propose to her. Only to have her gushing about how he’d changed his mind and asked her to come with him and she CHOSE HIM, AGAIN!” Sam grabbed the ring box back from the man and tossed it back into the draw.

“SO YOU DON’T GET TO SAY THAT TO ME! NOT TO ME! Because I’ve given her choices. I’m still here showing her, telling her every day that I love her. If she loved me, like I love her, she wouldn’t have said yes when he asked her to marry him. But HE’S IN THAT DAMN SCRAPBOOK, NOT ME! You don’t understand, none of you do. This pain, it’s almost more than I can take, so I won’t cause her this kind of pain by confusing her or making her reject me again. She. Chose. Him. She’ll always choose him. So there’s only one thing left for me to do. I’ll see she has the perfect wedding, just like she’s always wanted, then I’ll get on a plane and fly to my future.

“Only Casey knows this, but I did it, Mr. Fleming. I got called up the day before her engagement party. The day after her wedding, I report for spring training in Florida. I’m the newest relief pitcher for the Denver Dragons. When I get on that plane, I won’t ever have to see that tree house again or that spot where she and I pretended to get married. I’ll never need to come back here. I’ll send money to my family to come and spend the holidays with me in Denver. So, you don’t have to worry. I will not stick around and mess up her Happy Ever After. I just pray that one day I’ll forget that the love of my life Didn’t WANT ME!”

He slammed his fist into the wall and then straightened up his clothes before turning to look at the other man, giving Teressa up to Leroy. “Excuse me, I think I need to go work on my game some.”

With that, he shoved past Teressa’s dad and ran out of the house, all the way to the batting cages. He didn’t stop throwing balls and hitting them for hours and even that couldn’t stop the memories of the second time she shredded his heart. The day he learned what he thought she was saving for after her marriage, she was throwing away on the bastard that stole her from him. Their sophomore year, he heard she was doing more with Leroy than just a few steamy kisses.

Chapter Four

Sophomore year three weeks before the homecoming.

Sam was out at the batting and pitching cages. He spent a lot of time here over the last two years. It was the only place he could stop thinking about her and what she and Leroy might be doing. Sam knew she hadn’t given him everything. She was very vocal to him about wanting to save that gift for her husband when she had one. But he knew Leroy pushed her just as far as he could. The big stupid jock was typical of most athletes. He bragged all the time about his dates with Teressa. It had gotten so bad that this year, Sam had decided. He was going to concentrate all his energy on baseball. The one sport Leroy Taggert didn’t play. He was just too big to be fast. He made a great quarterback, but he wasn’t fast. It is likely that he would play in college, possibly in a different position than quarterback. Regardless, his talent would lead to him being drafted after college. But he was just too slow for baseball.

So to keep from beating the stuffing out of Teressa’s boyfriend, Sam quit football. It was paying off for him, too. With his twice-a-day trip to the cages, his pitching was phenomenal with both hands. His fastball had picked up speed and accuracy he was now hurling at just over ninety-five mph and could paint the corners black with either hand. When batting, he was phenomenal, and not just for a pitcher. He was hitting at .285, the highest average in their conference, and was already attracting Major League scouts. He’d been told he was a shoo-in for getting a combine invite right after he graduated.

So he had that to thank Teressa and Leroy for. The reason his batting average was up besides an hour a day in the box was that he visualized every ball being Leroy's head. As a pitcher, it was unusual to bat in the clean-up position, but Coach had moved him there when they realized he was a powerhouse hitter. Almost a third of his hits went over the fence. Today he was just blowing off steam. Homecoming was three weeks away, and he heard the big mouth bragging about how he had already gotten Teressa to do things that Sam never thought she would do before she got married. He also told his pals it was just a matter of time before he wore her down and she gave him everything. Sam was sure that wouldn't happen but, she used to say she’d never do any of the things Leroy was claiming she was doing. He wondered if there was any truth to it? If not true, would the word of what her “boyfriend” was saying and doing to her reputation get back to Teressa, and what she would do about it if she heard?

Sam thought about telling her what he’d heard himself, but he couldn’t. He really didn’t want to know if she’d give in and compromised her principles for her boyfriend.

He smacked the ball as it soared across the plate. That was the last ball, and he’d have to buy another bucket if he wanted to continue. He decided to head home and come back tomorrow. He wanted to up the pitching machine's speed tomorrow. His goal was to hit balls thrown at Major League speeds by the time he graduated next year. He already was pretty good at speeds in his range, but some of those pitchers could hurl. Big league pitchers averaged 91 to 95 and while he could throw that, the fastest he’d hit was an 89 mph here in the cage. He wanted to be able to hit the fastest ball ever hurled. His hero Nolan Ryan's 108 mph. If he could do it, then he’d end up in the record books right along with Ryan, Jetter, and the legendary Babe Ruth. Not only did he want to be able to hit the heaters, he wanted to pinpoint where they would go. Just once, he wanted to face a pitcher and point into the stand, showing where he planned to land his next home run and then smash the ball and watch it drop right where he said it would go. He wanted to do that in the major leagues. No one had done it since Babe Ruth, but man, what a rush it would be to follow in the Bambino’s footsteps. At least in that respect.

He packed up, gathered up the balls and handed them in to the attendant, who smiled and said he’d see Sam tomorrow. Sam just nodded and started his run home. That was the other thing he did. While other guys his age were buying cars and showing off for the girls and using the back seats for steamy sessions at the drive-in or up on Lookout Ridge, Sam saved his money and ran everywhere. It was giving him better endurance and speed. It was rare for him not to beat a toss to the plate and, if pressed, he could steal a base standing up.

He had just turned onto his street when he saw the figure that always made his heart skip a beat running to their tree house. He frowned; it wasn't like her to go there after the sun started setting. Now that she was dating Leroy, it wasn’t like her to go there at all. The last time was when she’d shown him her wedding scrapbook. So he altered his course and followed her. When he got to the door of the tree house, he could hear her inside crying. He knocked softly so as not to startle her and then slipped inside. She was lying on the futon, crying into that big stuffed rabbit. “Go away, Sam. You don’t want to get near me. Not now. I’m just a nasty slut. That’s what they’re saying, you know. All the girls that want to be Leroy’s girlfriends. They’re saying he’s telling everyone how I’ll do anything he asks me to. That I’ll give him my most precious gift after homecoming if they win. Why are they lying, Sam? Leroy wouldn’t say those things. He wouldn’t. He promised me that what we do would be our secret.”

Sam sat beside her, stunned because she had just admitted to him that everything Leroy was bragging about was true. She’d done those things and let him do things to her that she swore she’d only ever do with her husband after they were married. He didn’t know what to say. Except tell her the truth. “I wish I could tell you they’re lying, but they aren’t. He’s telling anyone who will listen. I heard him with the guys on the team today talking about the things you do for him.” Then he gave her actions and places she’d done them, or at least what Leroy was claiming and her sobs got louder confirming Sam’s worse fears. She’d done them all. Everything Leroy had said about her was the truth.

She looked at him and whispered. “Do you hate me, Sam? Do you hate me for doing those things? For liking the things he does with me and I do with him?”

Sam shook his head. But he couldn’t bring himself to touch her. “I could never hate you, Teressa. I don’t understand why you let him do them or why you did them for him. You said only your husband and only after your wedding. So I’m confused and sad. But I don’t hate you. If I hate anyone, it’s him. Those were private things between you and him. He shouldn't be talking about them to anyone. He shouldn’t be hurting you like that. No guy should need to talk about his girl like that to drag her name through the muck. I know I’d never do it. Not ever.”

She looked at him, tears running down her face. “No, I know you wouldn’t. I wish…” Then she bit her lip, pushed past him, and ran back to her house. He sat there trying to understand everything for hours that night. The last thought he had before he climbed down the tree was: What did she wish? What had she been about to say but didn’t?

The next day, as he was walking down the hall heading to his locker after school, Bobbie Jo Gentry, the girl everyone knew would be the homecoming queen, stopped him and asked if he was taking anyone to the Homecoming dance. He told her he wasn’t, and she explained she needed an escort for the homecoming court and to the dance. Would he be hers? She knew he wasn’t dating anyone because none of the girls talked about him. Well, except Teressa, but everyone knew she was with Leroy.”

Bobbie Jo had a reputation. She had since eighth grade. She was a Jock Junkie. According to the locker room talk, she only went out with jocks, and they all found her attention was time well spent. Sam was about to say no when he saw Leroy and Teressa slip around the side of the building, heading for the football stands. Everyone knew the best place to make out after school was under the bleachers. If she was going to let that ape take liberties with her after finding out he was telling everyone what she did. What was keeping him from having fun, too? Why shouldn’t he find out what all the fuss was about? So he smiled at the pretty blonde cheerleader. “Sounds good. What color is your dress? I’ll get you a corsage to match.”

She smiled. “It's a light blue. Will you be able to use your dad’s car?”

He shrugged. “I have my license. I just haven’t gone out and bought a car. But I heard Fish had a couple of trade-ins over on the lot. I’ll go see what kind of deal I can get. Maybe you can help me break in my first car.”

She beamed at him. “Oh, see if he has one with lots of room in the back. I think we could have a fantastic homecoming.” Then she kissed him and asked him to sit with her at lunch until after the dance. “Sam, you know I don’t go steady with guy’s right? But until after homecoming, I’ll be your girlfriend and you’ll be my boyfriend, okay?”

“Sure, that’s fine with me. It’s not like I had my eye on anyone, anyway.”

She got close and whispered into his ear. “Liar! We all know who you want, but Leroy isn’t going to let her go. He knows if he does, she’ll be in your arms the next day. I never understood how he beat you to her, to begin with.”

Sam shook his head. “We're just neighbors and friends, Bobbie Jo. That’s all we've ever been.”

“Sure, whatever you say, just remember until homecoming. I’m your girlfriend.”

Then she kissed him again, this time slipping him some tongue, and Sam saw how easily Teressa might let things get out of control.

That afternoon, instead of going to the cages, Sam ran over to Fishes Fantastic Pre-Owned Cars.

Fish himself came out and showed Sam what he had, but nothing seemed to catch Sam’s eye. Fish said. “Look Sam, there is one more vehicle, but I wasn’t going to sell it. It’s really old, and I got it for next to nothing. It was going to be the car I took up to the demolition derby. I’ll let you have it for five hundred dollars. It’s a running 1965 Dodge Dart coupe with two doors, a split bench seat in the front, and a full bench seat in the back. With the slant six 220 and a three-speed on the steering column transmission, it runs smoothly. It’s just old and has a small engine, not a racer or something anyone would think is cool. But it’s in good condition. It’s all primer gray and needs paint, but I’ll have my body guy paint it tonight if you buy it. I can let you have it with the paint for seven hundred dollars.”

Sam looked at it and he liked it. Yeah, it was old and not cool in those muscle car ways, but with the smaller engine, it would get him around. A couple of cheap seat covers and he’d be set.

They shook and Sam ran over to the cages and still had time to both pitch and bat a bucket of balls. Then home. When he got there, he saw both his sister and Teressa waiting for him. It was Casey who laid into him. “Please tell me that Bobbie Jo was lying today. She told everyone you’re her escort and date to homecoming and that she’s your girlfriend now.”

Sam shrugged. “She isn’t lying. She asked, and I had nothing planned, so I said I’d take her. Then she said we needed to be boyfriend and girlfriend until after the dance. Again, it wasn't like I have girls knocking down the door, so I said sure. What’s the big deal?
Teressa shook her head. “Sam, you know her reputation. She bounces from Jock to Jock. You’re just her flavor of the moment. Once she gets her taste of you and shows that she could even capture the elusive Sam Archer, future pro baseball player, she’ll be on to the next guy.”

Again Sam shrugged, not letting Teressa see the anger her words sparked in him. “So what? It’s not like I plan to marry her. Just have a couple of Friday night dates and a girl sitting in the stands on Saturday telling everyone her boyfriend is the pitcher.” He looked right at Teressa. “You know, someone who wears a shirt with my name and jersey number on it? Someone who will wait for me to come out of the locker room and kiss her, not making out with some other guy. Aren’t I worthy of that kind of happiness for once?”

Casey shook her head. “Yeah, and when she gives you the clap or crabs, I’m gonna laugh at you. Stupid boy.”

Teressa looked at him, his sarcastic dart had hit home from her hurt obvious on her face. She sighed, turned, marched over to her house, and slammed the door when she went inside. Sam grabbed an old baseball out of the yard and cursed before firing it at their tree as hard and fast as he could. His sister shook her head again. “You know, that was a low blow, Sam. I thought you loved her.”

He spun on his sister. “SO WHAT?? I’m just supposed to stand by and listen to Leroy give blow-by-blow descriptions of their make-out sessions and pretend everything is okay? Am I supposed to pretend it doesn’t hurt to hear her tell me that everything he’s saying in the locker room is true? I’m not supposed to have any fun while I wait for her to realize I’m right here waiting for her? I’ve always been right here. Well, screw that and anyone who thinks that’s the life I should have.

Who cares if Bobbie Jo just wants to see if I’m any good in the back seat of my new car? Do you think I don’t know that the day after homecoming she’ll move on? Yeah, I know it Casey, I’m not stupid. I’m just tired of waiting for someone who isn’t ever going to see me as more than her best friend who lives next door. I’m tired of seeing everyone in this town look at me with pity. Poor pitiful Sam, so in love with the quarterback’s girl that he won’t even date anyone else.

“So why don’t you go away and leave me alone? I already said yes to Bobbie Jo, I gave her my promise, and Archer’s keep their promises. Time for me to have some fun and pleasure. So, I plan to use her just as much as she plans to use me. As for the rest, I didn’t say anything that isn’t true. Everyone seems to think I shouldn’t have any feelings. Well, did any of you wonder how I felt to have her make a shirt with my name and number on it, and kiss my cheek for good luck? MY CHEEK, CASEY! Then when I’m planning to ask her to be my girl, I come out and see her still wearing my name and number with Leroy Taggert’s tongue down her throat and her clinging to him like one of those Velcro stuffies. Nope, not good ole Sam. Best friend and an all-around great guy. Everyone’s friend and no one’s lover.”

She reached out for him, and he shrugged her hand off his arm. “Just go away, Casey. LEAVE ME ALONE! Why won’t all of you JUST LEAVE ME ALONE??”

He roared out his anger and hurt, grabbed a bat out of the old aluminum garbage can they kept the spares in, and walked over to their tree, with their house in it as he swung for the bleachers again and again, bashing it against the tree trunk, screaming and weeping all while swinging over and over until the bat broke. Then he collapsed and waited for the pain in his heart to be less than the pain in his arms. Only he cried himself to sleep under that old tree, instead. He only woke when his dad came out and urged him to go to bed before he got sick.

He picked up his car with the shiny black paint job. It didn’t look badly painted and shined. He went to the auto parts store and bought two black bench seat covers and thought it looked like a pretty decent little car. He drove over to Bobbie Jo’s and offered to take her to the Dairy Queen for sundaes. When she suggested they go find a quiet place to park, he didn’t even hesitate. That night, he learned he could turn a girl into a whimpering mass of hormones and what all the fuss was about. But just three weeks later, he’d pay for it in spades.

He was feeling poor when he got dressed for the homecoming in his black suit and a blue tie he’d bought to compliment his date's dress. Only when he went to pick her up did he find out she was sick in bed. So, he went home feeling weak and feverish and went to bed himself. He even missed his game the next night because he was feeling so bad. It wasn’t until his mom dragged him to the doctor on Monday that he realized that, while his sister was partially wrong, Bobbie Jo hadn’t given him the clap or crabs. No, what she had given him was a scorching case of Mono.

The doctor explained that the only real thing to do was take antibiotics to keep from getting strep throat and just plenty of rest and hydration. His Mom took him home and put him to bed. Then school was over and his sister came and made fun of him and asked how much fun he was having now. But that wasn’t the worst; no the worst was having Teressa come over and bring him that stupid giant bunny stuffie and tell him if he wanted someone to kiss and cuddle that bad he should stick to Big Bunny Foo-Foo. Because at least she wasn’t a contagious skank.

Sam came out of that memory thinking about the fact that the stupid rabbit like everything else Teressa had ever given him was in a box in the back of his closet. His most precious treasures. Another sign of how pathetic he truly was. But like he’d told her father, he was done. He’d finish helping her get her perfect wedding planned. Sit in the back and try not to cry when she pledged her life to another man, but then he’d leave Phantom Horse and try to purge her from his heart and soul. Even if he didn’t believe it was possible.

The next day, he picked Teressa up in his truck. It had been the second thing he’d bought with his signing bonus. The first thing was buried in the back of his underwear drawer. It would never see the light of day. Because the woman he bought it for never wanted it or him. They drove over to the Gladstone Inn to meet with Henry and Glenna Gladstone, and then Leanne. Everything was already done, but Teressa didn’t know that. She would have her wedding in the old covered bridge. Sam had already paid for the use of it. He’d offered double the going rate to have it closed to the public on Valentine’s Day. Ever since that paranormal research group had caught Grandpa Harold and his ghost horse Thor on camera, people flocked to the Bridge on holidays, hoping for another glimpse of the town’s most famous specters.

Still, he wasn’t prepared to hear all three of the Gladstones talk about how it was about time the two of them realized what everyone knew, that they were the perfect couple. “Um, I’m not the groom, folks. I’m just helping Teressa get the wedding organized. She’s engaged to Leroy Taggert. I’m just her friend and I guess you could say wedding facilitator. Leroy is swamped at work.”

“Oh,” Glenna said as she gave one of those looks to her husband that said they were talking without talking. “Um, okay, well, I’ve reserved the Bridge for you from one until three. I also have here a permit for you to put up two small tents for the bridal party and the groomsmen and groom to stage from.”

Henry said, “And I reserved the ballroom for you. From five until ten that night.”

Leanne smiled at Teressa. “Mr. Archer faxed me your wishes for dinner and the number of guests to expect. The large event room in the restaurant is yours from three until five. As you can expect, the restaurant is already booked solid the rest of the night. But I’ll make sure there are finger foods and Champagne for you in the ballroom for the rest of your time.”

Henry then cleared his throat. “Will you need us to provide any accommodations that evening for any of your guests? I did reserve one room for you to get dressed in before the wedding and to change into a reception outfit if you don’t plan to wear your wedding dress all night.”

“All of Teressa’s guests are local or have made their own accommodations already.”

“Well, then I know you have an appointment on Monday with Vi over at Sweet Cheeks Bakery. So, unless something comes up, you’re all set with us. In case we forget to tell you on your wedding day, congratulations.”

Teressa smiled and thanked them. Then she asked if she could use the restroom before they left. Glenna took her to show her where it was. Henry looked at Sam. “You’re not even going to fight for what you want?”

Sam shook his head. “Henry, if I thought for one second she wanted me, I’d put her in my truck and not stop until we were in Vegas and married. But I love her, and I need her to be happy. She’s happy with Leroy, so I let her go a long time ago. Now, I’m just doing the last thing I can do for the woman who owns my heart. I’m making sure she has the perfect wedding she’s always dreamed of. Then I will leave and go find my own dream.”

“You’re a bigger man than me, Sam. By the way, congratulations to you! Going to be seeing you on the screen pitching for the Dragons next year. You deserve it. You've worked hard.”

“Yeah it’s a dream come true, but I’ll be honest, I’d give it all up today if I thought it would bring Teressa into my arms for the rest of my life.”

Henry slapped him on the shoulder. “Hey, don't give up yet. This is Phantom Horse. That old spook is still around messing with people's love life. You never know, he might just show up in yours. It’s never over until the preacher says you may kiss your bride.”

“Yeah, but this time I won’t be the groom who kisses her.”

Just then, Teressa and the women came back. Sam thanked them all again and then he and Teressa headed out. He helped her into the truck and she smiled at him and the fragile pieces of his tattered heart tore apart. He needed to get away for a while. Out of Phantom Horse. Some place he could recover and get himself under control, some place without memories of her at every corner. “Hey, I got a call while you were in the restroom. Lisa needs me to come to Denver for the rest of the week. Something about endorsements and contracts and meeting some people who are interested in me. So I’m going to drop you off at your place and head that way. Don’t worry, I’ll be back on Monday in plenty of time to meet with Vi and the florist.”

She smiled. “It’s okay Sam, I know this is the time for you to pick up new endorsements and make some extra money besides your salary.”

“Okay, if something comes up and you need me, call or text. It’s only a few hours away. If you need me, I’ll come home.”

“Don’t worry about me, Sam. I’m a big girl now. I don’t need my best friend to protect me and take care of me. Besides, it's only five days. It’s not like you're going to the East Coast or something.”

“Nope, just to a bunch of boring business and contract meetings in Denver. But seriously, if you need me, you call me.”

He pulled into her drive and before he could come around; she was out of the truck and heading toward her door. “Drive safe and make lots of money. See you Monday.”

He waved, backed out, and pulled into his drive. Went upstairs and threw five days' worth of clothes in a duffel. Then knocked on Casey's door. “Hey Sis, will you keep an eye on Teressa for me? I’ll be back Monday, but if she really needs me before, then make sure she calls or you call me yourself.”

Casey frowned. “Where are you going?”

That was a preview of Pitching Her a Choice. To read the rest purchase the book.

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