Love and Shortstops: Game Time, #4

By SM Donaldson and Chelly Peeler

Welcome to the time where memories are made, and hearts get broken.

Harrison Everly has loved Clementine Reed one way or another since they were in diapers. He's tolerated all of her moods and phases through the years. They were each other's ride or die, until a text changes everything.

Clementine Reed has always been a tough as nails bada**, she makes no apologies for her attitude or the fact that she isn't afraid to throw fists standing up for a friend. Just because her daddy is the chief of police doesn't stop her. She's never cared about what anyone thinks until now. This could change her life and several others if it gets out. She'll do what she has to do to keep everyone from getting hurt, even if it's killing her.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Steamy Southern Romance LLC
• Release date: Jul 13, 2023
• ISBN: 9780998310077

Book preview

PROLOGUE

Clementine

There are flashes, like moments in time that happen. They pop into my head during the most inopportune times. While Harrison is standing here yelling at me, that’s just what happens.

Our seven-year-old pretend backyard wedding.

Him telling me it would be all right after I went swimming with Roger Burke and my boobs came out of my top and Roger proceeded to tell everyone.

Then, a couple of years ago when one night we decided we’d just rip the band-aid off and have sex for the first time together since we were best friends. We swore nothing would change and for a while it didn’t, we went back to just being friends, never breathed a word to anyone what happened. I swore to Jo that we’d never even kissed and then little by little, things went off script.

How we got to this place I don’t know. He’s always been my constant. Not that I don’t love my best friend, Joelle, but it’s been Harrison and me since we were in diapers. He’s the peanut butter to my jelly, how that saying goes.

Are you even fucking listening to me? His voice startles me from my thoughts. I can’t do this fucking shit anymore, Clem! It’s over! It’s all over! He’s standing there waving his arms around.

I step closer to him, How do you mean it’s over? I pushed and I guess I’ve pushed him too far, but none of the Queen Bs are good enough for him.

He’s now pointing at me like I’m a child. It means stay out of my business, stay out of my way, and when you’re lonely, call someone else. Go find someone else to fuck, you don’t seem to have a problem doing that and who I fuck is my business. I. Don’t. Want. Anything. To do with you. Anymore! Okay, whoa, I’ve only hooked up with him like twice since our original time and his ass was lonely, too. Besides that, we’ve made out a few times when we were a little tipsy. Why is he going off the rails?

I feel like I can’t breathe, I quickly glance around the parking lot, thanking God that we’re alone and no one is here to witness this. Everyone has assumed forever that our friendship was more, but we never confirmed nor denied.

Really, we just ignored it, until we couldn’t anymore. To be honest, I’m not even sure we knew what was going on to give anyone a real answer anyway.

We’ve both dated people or well, had friends, but at the end of the day he had my back, and I had his. Apparently, though, something has set him off, I just don’t know what.

I take a step back, trying to swallow my feelings. And what do we tell our parents? Our parents have been friends for years, they’re gonna be curious. We have been friends our whole lives. Like, you want to cut me out and what do we tell everyone?

I’m gonna do my best not to be in the same room with you if I can help it. However, if I am, just don’t speak to me. His tone is so hateful. My chest feels like someone is stabbing me in the heart.

I feel the tears that have been building in my eyes spill over and I wipe them quickly and suck it up. Why?

One simple word. One simple question. Why is he so angry and rattled?

He lets out an angry scream and snatches his truck door open. "Because I can’t fucking take it anymore. You mindfuck me all the time. I don’t know where I stand. I think we’re headed for something and then you bring some other guy around or I see you screwing around or worse, I see pictures of it. If I bring a girl around you get pissed, but if you spend almost a year fucking Jo’s brother I’m supposed to sit by and watch. You tell everyone that we’re just friends, well now we aren’t even friends. So, what the fuck am I supposed to do? I can’t keep letting you mess with my head! So, I’m putting a stop to it."

My anger starts to show now, and I block out half of what he said. He’s caught up in his feelings, well, what about mine?! I only got pissed when you were bringing those nasty whores around. And don’t act all high and fucking mighty, you did that shit just to fuck with me. I know you’ve fucked other people, the one chick from Monroe on a regular basis. I don’t know what has you all pissed off about this, we never put a label on this except for friendship, so forgive me if I’m confused as to why in the hell you’re so pissed with me. I start to back away. One thing for sure, I was right. We NEVER should’ve had sex. Mark that as number one regret. I snatch my car door open, falling into the seat, crank it and floor it, sending gravel flying everywhere. 

I hear him yelling that we can agree on that.

My chest aches as I drive away. The tears I’ve been trying to hold back finally break free and I cry because I just lost my oldest friend and besides sex complicating things, I really don’t know why.

CHAPTER 1

Harrison

All the athletes in our school can enroll in a weight training gym class seventh period. The clank of weight machines has always been soothing to me, that is until now. With the new semester starting that means that Clem is now in our weight training class. This is the way it has been for the past two years and now our third. She goes to band class in the fall and weight training gym in the spring. I’ve always looked forward to it, but now it tears me apart. She and I, yeah, we’ve always been friends. Then we took it a step further and I really thought we could keep it separated. I didn’t even really care when she was hooking up with Jo’s brother, James. He was a cool guy, their relationship had an expiration date and when that was done, it was done. Then she went nuclear when I brought one of the Bs around. So there I was thinking that she wants more. No, she didn’t, she just doesn’t want anyone else to have me and what she did with him and me having to see it... I just can’t get past that.

We start doing some preseason workouts as a team next week, so this is the last week of afterschool freedom for me. Well, I say freedom, I work for my dad after school at his farm when the season isn’t in. Some of the schools in our district play fall ball, but so many of our baseball players play football and basketball that it’s too hard to get a team together.

You just gonna stand there or are you going to actually use the weights? Collin Atwood, my friend/cousin, the football team’s quarterback and one of our outfielders says.

I shake my head. Yeah, just got some shit on my mind.

He nods. Shit like whatever in the hell is going on with you and Clem?

I glance at him. Yeah, not discussing that. I feel bad because he and I are close, but his girlfriend, Joelle, and Clem are best friends and I’m sure they feel like they’re stuck in the middle of some shit they don’t understand. Well, buddy, welcome to the club.

He shrugs, Okay, well let’s do some lifting then. Work it outta your head.

We work for the next fifty minutes until the bell rings. Pumping iron soothes the soul, at least for a moment.

Going out to the parking lot of the school to my truck, I look over and see Clem trying to start her little Mazda. That thing is always giving her problems, first off it has probably two hundred thousand miles on it, second, her dad got it really cheap at a police auction and third, she treats it like a cross between an Indy car and a four-wheel-drive and it seems now it really won’t start.

I should walk over there and see if I can help her, but I’m the one who said it was all over for us. If I go over there it’s just going to open back up a pandora’s box of problems. I can’t do it, I fought myself too long on the decision to stop it. So instead, I text Collin.

ME: Hey man it looks like Clem is having car trouble. I need to get to the farm for work. Can you check on her?

COLLIN: Yeah man, but eventually you’re going to have to tell me what in the hell is going on there.

Nope, it’s not happening. I don’t want her anymore, but I won’t spread her business like that either. I’ll look like a complete fool.

ME: Thanks.

Driving out of the parking lot, I can see her looking at me. For most of our lives it’s been us against the world. Now, there isn’t an us, it’s just me and then her. My chest hurts as I look at the school in my rearview mirror, but I just can’t go there anymore. Our relationship was toxic.

I know that our mothers have this dream of us getting married and having grandbabies for them to play with, but that just won’t be the case.

One thing about Clementine Reed, no one tells her what to do or how to do it. She’s balls to the walls about the things she really wants. So, from how she acts I can see that I’m not something she really wants. She wants to control my life, but not let me be the biggest part of hers. We just hurt each other and the other people we bring into it.

As I pull into our driveway, I hear a ping on my phone.

COLLIN: Dead battery, jumped her off she’s headed to the parts store now to get a new one.

ME: Thanks, getting ready to vaccinate some cows.

COLLIN: No problem. Need any help?

ME: Nah man, thanks though.

Getting out of my truck, I see my dad already inside the barn getting ready to go deal with the cows. Hey, Dad, hang on, I’m coming.

Hey, son, didn’t know what time you’d be in. Couldn’t remember when you said workouts were starting, he says, looking up from what he’s doing.

Nah, Coach Taylor said we couldn’t start those until next week. I shrug, State rules and all.

He nods, Okay, well let’s go get these cows done. I rounded up the dozen that need to be done today. Let’s get them put in the shoot.

One by one we get the cows vaccinated. As the sun sets, we go inside the house to wash up.

The smell coming from the kitchen tells me Mom must’ve put a roast in the crock pot this morning because I know she said she had parent/teacher conferences after school today.

My mom, Collette, teaches first grade at Everly Elementary. She and my dad, Beau, have been together since they were my age and the town has practically always held them up on some kind of pedestal, like they are pretty much royalty. I mean I guess most towns would that are named after your family. That’s right, my last name is Everly. The only people I feel like halfway understand the scrutiny I can be under is my friend/cousin, Collin Atwood, and his brother, Brock—their daddy is the mayor and people are always commenting on what they do. Honestly, my dad is probably the only person who could run against Thad Atwood and win, only because of our last name. My dad never wanted to get into that kind of business, though, his heart was always right here on this farm. It’s still kind of family, though. My Granddaddy Everly and Collin’s Grandma Atwood are brother and sister. So, see, the royal bloodline still runs to the mayor’s mansion.

I start setting the table when Mom comes in the back door weighted down with her bags for school. One bag is her lunch bag, one bag is her purse, one bag has the stuff she takes back and forth every day and the last bag probably has papers to grade in it. I go over to take them from her. Mom, you know you could maybe combine some of this and have less bags.

I like having things separate. She looks at the plates sitting on the edge of the table. Great, it looks like I got in just in time to sit down with my favorite fellas to eat.

I nod. Yep, as soon as we came in from the cows, the smell of the roast said it was time to eat.

Okay, well, I’m going to go change really quick and we’ll sit down as soon as I come back. She glances around, Where’s your daddy?

I motion down the hall. Washing up I guess.

A few minutes later we are sitting down to the table. Babe, this roast is great. I kept smelling it cooking every time I stepped in the house today.

She smiles, Thanks, I wasn’t sure if I would make it in by the time you guys were ready to eat so I just threw it in this morning.

It’s great, Mom, I say with my mouth full.

She turns to my dad. Oh, don’t forget we have the cookout for your parents’ wedding anniversary this weekend here. So, we need to make sure all the folding tables and chairs get cleaned up this week. Ella Mae has been helping me plan it all. Ella Mae is Collin’s mom. She’s got the boys and Thad coming over to help set up Saturday morning.  

Shit, I forgot about that being this weekend.

Okay, the most important question. Is my favorite cousin bringing deviled eggs? my dad questions.

My mom laughs, shaking her head. Yes, enough to feed a small army. I think Jo is going to help her make those, along with the potato salad and beans. I’m gonna get you two to get the Boston butts in the smoker the night before, so we can shred them the next day. I’ll need to go get the cake, some buns, stuff for the salad that I’ll put together, and your dad wants me to make banana pudding.

How many people are coming? my dad asks, I’m sure because of the amount of food my mom is talking about.

Well, between all of the family and friends, there will probably be about seventy-five people here.

Good lord! His eyes bulge a little.

She takes a bite of her roast and laughs, Your mama was in charge of most of the list.

Shaking his head, he laughs, I bet Daddy is excited. The sarcasm just drips from his tone.

Mom just ignores him and continues, Oh, and Lily is bringing some Brunswick stew.

Great, that means that Clem’s family is coming. If there is one person on this planet who will spot that Clem and I are fighting, it’s my Gram. Last year Clem and I got into this huge argument about her coming to Gram’s birthday dinner. Gram told me when I got to dinner without Clementine that I was an idiot. How was I the idiot? Clem was the one that said she wasn’t coming; I couldn’t make her go. What was I supposed to do, hog tie her and throw her in the damn truck with me?

Everyone acts like I’ve done this bad thing by cutting off my relationship with Clem, but I just can’t take it anymore. I felt like my chest kept getting stepped on and I had to put a stop to it or die.

CHAPTER 2

Clementine-

I know that asshole saw me stranded with my car and he sent my best friend’s boyfriend to help me. I know what we had was very confusing, don’t get me wrong, but I’m lost as to what pushed him over the edge. Sure, we had ups and downs, but I always thought our friendship would withstand.

What happened that made him just pure hate me? Where did it go that wrong?

My phone pings with Jo’s tone.

JOELLE: What are you doing?

ME: Well, your boyfriend was just my hero. He just jumped me off.

JOELLE: What????

ME: LOL. I mean he jumped my car off. Battery was dead. Headed to the parts store now to get it replaced.

JOELLE: Oh LOL. I was like WHAT??? Get up with me after you finish.

ME: Okay?

Hmm. I wonder what is up with her, I think, pulling into the parking spot at the parts store. Walking in, most of these guys have known me for as long as I’ve been alive. Bill looks up and waves as I come in. Hey, Little Orange, what’s going on? Jeez, him and so many of