Aubry relaxed her shoulders. “Thanks. I think so.”
“How long has this been going on?”
“A little while now. I like him, Mom.”
“Obviously you do, since I don’t recall the last time you brought someone over for dinner.”
“Dad’s not going to like it.”
Her mother dismissed that statement with a wave of her hand. “Your dad wants you to remain single—and his baby girl—forever. He’ll get over it.”
“He’s always talking about how I should focus on medicine, to the exclusion of a social life.”
“He worries about you, and your father is a career man. That’s always been his priority. But he likes Tucker. I don’t see this as a problem.”
They talked dates that would work, and she felt a lot more at ease about asking Tucker to officially have dinner with her parents.
“Hey, sweetheart.” Her dad finally came over, leaning down to kiss her cheek. “I’m sorry I was tied up earlier.”
She smiled up at him. “It’s not a problem. I knew you were busy.”
“Shouldn’t you be getting some rest, or studying?”
She patted her father’s arm. “I’m good, Dad. I wanted to catch the game.”
“Well, I’m glad to see you. Just don’t stay up too late.”
When he walked away, she looked at her mother and rolled her eyes. “It’s like I’m eight years old. He’ll never see me as a grown-up.”
Her mother laughed. “He’s always worried about you. And it’s his prerogative as your father. Indulge him.”
“Fine.”
She settled in to watch Tucker pitch. He looked good tonight, in more ways than one. In typical fashion, he looked hot as hell in his Rivers uniform, commanding the mound with his body. He’d given up several hits, but overall his pitches were hitting their mark.
Aubry had always watched games with a detached, slightly disinterested concentration. Now, with Tucker pitching, she took more of a vested interest, her stomach tied up in knots each time Tucker took the mound. She leaned forward, observing his movements, the release of the ball and the batter’s reaction to it.
It was nerve-wracking. She didn’t know how Tucker did this.
By the middle of the seventh, the score was six to two in favor of the Rivers. It was a comfortable lead for Tucker, but Aubry was still nervous. She got up to stretch and grab something to drink.
Her father came over to stand next to her as she looked out the windows.
“How was work today? Anything interesting?”
“We had an appendicitis attack, a few broken bones, a chronic migraine, someone who had fallen off their stepladder at home and strained their back and a woman pregnant with triplets who came in with premature labor. A pretty routine day.”
He put his arm around her. “You’re doing so well, Aubry. But I’m worried about you.”
She tilted her head back to look at her father’s face. “Why would you be worried about me?”
“You work so hard and such long hours. And here you are at the game tonight when you should be at home sleeping.”
She smiled and leaned her head against his chest. “I’m fine. If I’d been exhausted, that’s where I would have gone.”
“Still, it’s unusual for you to come to so many games.”
She laughed, then stepped away. “Maybe I’ve taken a sudden interest in baseball. And maybe I just need to spend a little less time working and sleeping, and get out more. See my family. Is that okay?”
He studied her as if he could read her mind. He’d always had that uncanny ability. “It’s more than okay. You know your mother and I love to spend time with you.”
“I’m glad to hear that. The Rivers are looking good.”
“That they are. I think we have a team that’ll be in contention this year.”
Glad that she’d managed to get her father off the topic of her and on to his team, she listened while he talked team statistics for a while, then made her way back to her seat to watch the rest of the game.
Tucker ended up pitching through the eighth inning, and the closer came in to finish off the ninth. The Rivers had won without giving up more runs. Tucker had looked sharp, his pitches hitting where they needed to.
He should be happy.
She sent him a text message letting him know she was at the ballpark. She knew he’d be busy giving interviews for a bit, so she visited with her parents awhile until her phone rang.
“Are you still in the park?” Tucker asked.