A Million Miles Apart (Wish 4)

4 - A Wish

She didn't call out to Ben. He didn't like fans the way Jett did. Sloane wished he'd been nicer, but she wouldn't stop liking him. She was the one who crashed his dinner. She would just fangirl him, end of story.

When Ben worked his way to third base in the sixth inning, she couldn't take her eyes off his back. She saw the strain of his muscles through his shirt and wanted to wipe the sweat off the back of his neck.

"Damn, he's hot." Dom appreciated the same view. "I won't tease you, anymore."

"Yes, you will."

She stood and cheered as Ben ran for home. He scored the go-ahead run. Hopefully, the team would hold on to the lead and get a win. As he walked back to the dugout, she thought he looked at her, but he wouldn't be able to spot her in the crowd.

When the last batter struck out and Jett caught the ball in his glove, the game was over. The team spilled out of the dugout to celebrate their win. The crowd had thinned because the hometown fans trickled out early. Beating the traffic was always more important when the home team was losing.

Sloane wasn't in a hurry and Dom knew to let her have one last look at her crush.

"Hey Sloane! Catch!"

Jett threw a ball to her. She would have been embarrassed if she hadn't caught it. When she looked closely, it had autographs from some of his teammates. She turned it over but didn't see the one autograph she wanted.

"Thanks Jett." She waved down to him.

"We got a plane to catch, but don't forget to call my assistant for a home game. Bring your boyfriend." He waved and disappeared.

"Boyfriend? Are you holding out on me?"

"Dom, he means you."

"I'm flattered, but you're not my type."

"How would Jett know? What does it matter if he thinks we're together?"

"It matters a lot if you want your man."

Sloane shook her head and laughed. She stood up. "Come on. I would need a fairy godmother to have a chance with Ben Lynch." Or magic. She needed to walk through Bea's garden. Sloane glanced at the ball in her hand, if only Ben had signed it. She wasn't crazy enough to wish for love like Tori did over and over again.

Sloane arrived home at eight o'clock on Thursday night. All she wanted was a bath, pajamas and her bed. She found her parents quietly reading.

"You made it!" Grace stood and hugged her briefly. "Glass of wine?"

She nodded. One glass and another in the tub would be perfect. She reached into her messenger bag. "Daddy, you'll never guess who I met!"

"Where were you?"

"Missouri."

"Harry Truman's dead."

"You sound like Dominic."

She handed him the ball. "Would you believe I had dinner with Jett and Lynch and Tex? Oh, he's a jerk."

"And they had a ball with them?"

"No, Jett invited me to last night's game. He gave me the ball. I walked into the hotel bar and they were eating. I surprised them when I knew their names."

He smiled. "You met Lynch?"

She nodded like a bobble-head doll.

"You two and your baseball. Darling, are you hungry?"

She shook her head. "I had a late lunch. I'm just tired." She poured herself more wine and took her ball from her father.

As soon as her tub was full, she slid into the hot bubbles. There was no place like home after staying in hotels. Were Jett and the guys tired of hotels too? She soaked until the water turned cool and her wine became warm. She dressed in silk pajamas she didn't travel with. The cool smoothness on her skin felt luxurious. She was half asleep when she slipped into her soft bed.

Sloane waited until Tori came home from work before she set out for the fountain. After sleeping in she spent the day completing expense reports and documentation. Next she made travel arrangements for her assignment the following week.

The sisters didn't hesitate to cross the property line. Nothing had changed since they ran around often barefoot. Sloane didn't tell Tori her destination, but her sister led her there on her own. Tori also had a few coins in her pocket. As a romantic, Tori loved to make wishes.

When they reached the center of Bea's garden featuring the fountain, Tori stared at the bottom. "I wonder how many have come true."

"Have any of yours?" Tori shook her head. "You might want to make a new wish. Both Tommy and Jonathan haven't been home in a long time. They may never come back to Boston."

She continued to shake her head. "It's a magic fountain."

Sloane thought about her wish. She had a career and wasn't even looking for true love like her sister. What she wanted was silly, but it disappointed her Ben hadn't signed her baseball. She drew in a breath and held it. With her eyes shut she flipped the coin into the water with a splat.

Tori sighed contently. "Ted would laugh at us, if he knew we still believed in the fountain."

Sloane wasn't so sure she believed, but took a chance anyway.

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