The sights and sounds of the stadium made me smile—the crack of bats against baseballs, the smell of popcorn, and the sea of red shirts in the stands. Drake slid on a pair of sunglasses that had been propped up on the brim of his hat as we made our way to our seats. As we descended the concrete steps toward the field, my excitement grew. We were so close, I could smell the freshly cut grass on the field, and inhaled deeply.
Drake stopped and checked our tickets, and then ushered me into a row. “You’re seat number three.” He sat in the seat next to me, leaving an empty seat next to him.
I was pleased to see our seats were cushioned, unlike some of the other seats above us, and they were red like almost everything else in the park.
Once I lowered the seat and sat down, Drake smiled. “Welcome to the Red Porch.”
From here we could see the entire park. We were sitting behind center field, which surprised me. Given the prestige of Drake’s position, I assumed he’d have box seats or a suite of some sort, but these definitely weren’t. Excited, I glanced around to see fans were beginning to file in, but we still had a good hour or so before the game began.
“There’s so much red here.” The comment had flown out of my mouth before I realized how ridiculous it sounded. In my defense, every fan was wearing some form of red or white. Didn’t the opponents have fans in this area?
Drake chuckled. “We’re playing Cincinnati tonight. So their fans will be wearing the same colors as we are.”
“Oh.” I glanced down at my shirt and shrugged.
“Hey, Prescott!”
A booming voice came from behind us, interrupting our conversation, and Drake stood.
When I looked to my left, a very handsome man who looked a bit like Drake but younger, was standing at the end of our row next to a gorgeous fair-haired woman. She looked very familiar, but I couldn’t place her. Both were wearing—what else—red, and the woman’s hair was in a ponytail pulled through the back of a baseball cap with a W on it.
Drake stood and shook the man’s hand. “There you are.”
His voice was jubilant, and they seemed like close friends. Then he kissed the woman on the cheek and pulled her into an affectionate hug. Was she an ex? No. Why would he bring an ex here? My insides twisted, and an unwelcome wave of jealousy washed over me.
The woman’s eyes widened, and her face lit up when she saw me. “You must be Lucy. I’m Gretchen.”
My shoulders relaxed. She’s his sister. Thank God.
When I extended my hand to her, she surprised me by pulling me into an embrace much like she gave her brother. I looked over her shoulder to Drake, and the dimple that I loved appeared.
Gretchen stepped back and beamed at me. “You’re just as pretty, if not prettier, than my big brother described you.”
As I was trying to absorb the compliment, as well as the implication that Drake had told her about me, she took the seat on my right.
I was still at a loss as to who the man was. If he was with Gretchen, wouldn’t they want to sit together?
“Lucy.” Drake clapped the other man’s shoulder with his hand. “This is my younger brother, Josh.”
“Oh! You’re the chef.” I extended my hand, but he leaned in and kissed me on the cheek.
Drake had been telling the truth; the Prescotts really were easygoing and laid-back. I envied that. A kiss on the cheek as a greeting to someone you just met might seem forward to some, but to them it was natural.
Josh was adorable. He had a beard, more than scruff but not bushy, an earring in each ear, and colorful tattoos down his arms.
“Yes, I am.” We all took our seats and Josh leaned forward. “Make sure this guy brings you to our next Sunday dinner.”
I nodded, realizing Drake never told him he asked me to go with him, which made me feel even worse. He probably didn’t want his family to know I’d rejected him.
Drake leaned over to kiss my temple, and the brim of his cap grazed the side of my head as he told me, “We’ll be right back.”
Drake and Josh stood and walked up the steps, out of my sight.
“My brother tells me you’re a teacher.”
Gretchen was beautiful in that girl-next-door way. Her skin was flawless, and aside from mascara and light lipstick, she didn’t wear makeup.