Read Online Better Than Perfect by Kristina Mathews - Free Book Online

take-out?”
    “No. I’ll cook. I owe you, anyways, for stepping in on such short notice.”
    “You’ll cook?” Johnny couldn’t help but tease her a little bit. Back in the day, she could barely make ramen. But mostly because she’d been busy with other things. Like him. If it hadn’t been for Mel, they might have all starved to death.
    “Yes. I cook. I’m pretty good, actually.” She seemed a little offended. Or maybe a little embarrassed about the reminder from their shared past. “Right, Zach?”
    “Oh yeah. My mom makes the best pot roast, and meat loaf, and pasta primavera and pie.” Zach was either in on the charade or he was actually fond of his mother’s cooking skills. “Even better than Nannie Frannie.”
    “Is that so?” He smiled at the boy and then turned his gaze to Alice. “I seem to remember one Thanksgiving when the three of us came to their house and the food was almost the best thing about the whole trip.”
    Johnny didn’t mention the part about sneaking into her room at night, thankful that he’d been able to give her seconds…and thirds, if he remembered correctly.
    “Yes. Well, I learned a lot from her.” She looked away, possibly because she, too, recalled the details of that trip. There weren’t many corners of San Francisco they hadn’t turned into their personal playground.
    “So, you pitch?” Johnny turned his attention to where he needed to keep it focused. On the kid. “That’s great. I’d like to see what you’ve got.”
    “Really?” Zach beamed. “I’ve only got a fastball and a changeup. Mom won’t let me try a curveball yet. She says it will ruin my arm.”
    “Well, it can. If you don’t learn how to throw it properly.” Johnny remembered being his age, and wanting nothing more than to learn the specialty pitches that looked so impressive on TV. But his coach took the cautious approach. Made sure he had command of his fastball and could throw an off-speed pitch to keep hitters on their toes. It took him years to understand his coach’s reasoning. He’d also seen his fair share of promising young pitchers leave the game too early due to injury. Most of them had been pushed too far too fast.
    “Thanks,” Alice mouthed, and gave him a grateful smile.
    “So when do you want to see me pitch?” Zach asked. He was trying to sound like he wasn’t at all excited about the one-on-one lesson.
    “Whenever you want.” Johnny pulled a t-shirt over his head and couldn’t help but notice Alice looked relieved. And maybe a little disappointed.
    “Like, now?” Zach asked.
    “Sure. Unless you have homework or something.”
    “No. I mean, not much.” Zach’s face lit up. “And I can finish it after dinner.”
    “Do you have your glove?”
    “Yeah. Of course.” His tone suggested that it was a silly question. Didn’t everyone carry their glove with them at all times?
    “Okay, let’s head over to the practice mound.” He had to give the kid points for enthusiasm.
    Besides, Johnny could use a game of catch.
    * * * *
    “Do you mind if I tag along?” Alice asked, even though she had no intention of missing out on this.
    “If you want.” Johnny grabbed his glove, a well-worn model that was almost an exact copy of the one he’d used in college. It was the same one she’d bought for Zach, because he’d begged for a glove just like Johnny Scottsdale’s.
    She followed them to the indoor practice field. They started slowly, getting a feel for each other. They tossed the ball back and forth in the timeless ritual played out by fathers and sons for generations.
    Alice couldn’t breathe. And she couldn’t deny the possibility that she was watching a father-son game of catch. Only, neither of them knew it.
    She’d kept the two of them apart. She had her reasons. Denial being the biggest one. Looking at them now and realizing how many games of catch they’d missed, she wondered if she could have done it differently.
    She’d seen firsthand what happened