The Baseball Card Boyfriend (Starrycard Creek Bachelors #3)

Chapter 20

Chapter

Twenty

CHRISTIAN

Christian stood in the back of Starrycard Creek Elementary School’s second-grade classroom as Finn’s fiancée introduced the next guests. McKenzie glanced back at him, gave him two thumbs-up, and mouthed, “You did a good job, Uncle Chris.”

“Thank you,” he mouthed back, then signaled for her to pay attention to the next group of classroom guests invited to help celebrate Donnelly Days at the school—guests he knew well. He nodded to the group as his grandfather’s phone vibrated silently against his hip. He positioned himself near the room’s coat closet. This location obscured his tall frame and gave him a little privacy. It didn’t matter where he was or what he was doing. He wasn’t missing any calls these days.

He peered at the cell’s screen, and a rush of warmth flooded his body.

Maggie: Hi, Number Eleven, what’s up?

His heart swelled as he typed a reply.

Christian: Hey, TBD. I just finished telling the story of when Seamus wrestled the mountain lion to McKenzie’s class for their Donnelly Days lesson.

Maggie: Hailey’s class?

Christian: That’s right. The woman runs a tight ship.

Maggie: I don’t doubt it. I adore her and Izzy.

.

He looked up momentarily as the classroom burst into laughter. Despite missing Maggie like he’d lost a piece of his heart, he couldn’t help but smile as his college baseball coach, Clark Redmond, pretended to trip and select a book titled Goldie Locks and the Three Queens from a sparkly basket. But Coach wasn’t here in a coaching capacity. Today, his coach was the fabulous Ms. Ruby Wrinkles. Dressed in sparkling red from head to toe, she was joined by her drag queen friends Diamond Dentures, Jade Jowls, and Sapphire Sags, members of the Geriatric Gemstones Drag Ensemble.

His phone buzzed, and again, his heart swelled.

Maggie: Did you bring the tooth to show the kids?

Christian patted his jacket pocket containing the item.

Christian: I sure did. I took it out for them to touch. They loved it. Now they’re having Drag Queen Story Time. My college baseball coach and a few of his friends are reading to the kids. Their bus made it to Starrycard Creek. The children are having a ball.

Maggie: It sounds wonderful.

He glanced at the smiling children, his gaze lingering on McKenzie as she giggled with her friends, before turning his attention to his coach and the other Gemstones, who were putting on a theatrical rendition of the tale with a sparkling, glitzy twist.

Christian: The Gemstones would be crazy about you. I haven’t gotten to chat with them yet. They came in right as I finished my talk. We’ll catch up after. They’re staying with me at the ranch.

Maggie: I would have loved to have met them.

Christ, he would have loved that, too. Coach Redmond was the reason he’d gained the skills to become a Major League ballplayer. He loved the man like a second grandfather—or glamazon grandmother when he took on Ruby’s persona.

Christian: How are you? Have you remembered anything new? Another recipe? A part of your past?

He waited for her reply, his pulse racing. Texting was how they’d communicated these last couple of days. He’d wanted to give her space to see if time with Bobby would spark her memories to return, but when a text came in on his grandfather’s phone from his cell at 11:11 p.m. the night she left with the message Hey, Number Eleven, are you up? He’d wept tears of joy.

During that first exchange, he’d learned she was sleeping in Bobby’s guest room—thank Christ. He might not have been able to restrain himself if the guy had suggested sleeping in the same bed. She’d also conveyed that nothing felt familiar and being there was like somehow going backward. While he was no fan of her spending time with Bobby Junior, he wanted her to remember, and he didn’t want her anxiety to get the best of her. He couldn’t bear the thought of her feeling guilty or confused. The situation was fraught enough.

Pulsing dots appeared on his screen, and he waited, a thrill of anticipation coursing through him.

Maggie: I’m still in a fog. I’ve taken a few walks, and Bobby’s driven me around Rocky Mountain City, but no memories have returned.

Christian: I’m sorry.

Maggie: I’m

He read the word and waited for another text. Nothing came.

Christian: What is it? You can tell me.

Maggie: Bobby’s been hinting about surprising me with something.

A muscle twitched in his jaw. That guy gave him a bad feeling, and it had only intensified over the past three days.

Christian: What kind of surprise?

Maggie: I think he wants to take me to Fiji. He mentioned wanting to go a few times since we got to Rocky Mountain City. But I feel like it’s the wrong thing to do. I don’t want to leave the state. Still, what if it helps me remember?

His heart was in his throat. He couldn’t bear the thought of the woman he loved being stranded on a remote island with a guy who made his skin crawl.

Christian: You sound unsure. What do you need? What can I do?

Maggie: You’re doing what I need. Just messaging with you makes me feel more like myself. I hope you don’t mind this.

“Oh, hell no,” he said under his breath, hammering out a reply.

Christian: Never. I’m not going anywhere. I will fight for you, but I also don’t want to get in the way of you reconnecting with your past. The right time will come. I promise. I will always love you. Always.

Was he worried she may regain her memories and recall her love for Bobby? Yeah, he’d be lying if he said that outcome hadn’t crossed his mind. But fear and aimlessness hadn’t taken hold like they had when he’d lost his ability to play baseball. And that was solely because of Maggie. Thanks to his dream girl, he had something more powerful than those destructive emotions.

Now, he had hope.

He’d written her name on a piece of Starrycard Creek paper. And heaven help him, he prayed she was meant for him to love and cherish.

His phone buzzed.

Maggie: I have my stone with me.

He smiled and patted his pocket.

Christian: Me too.

Maggie: I better go. Bobby just got back from the hospital. He wants to take me to a bistro for drinks. It’s supposed to be one of my favorite spots in town.

Christian: Maybe that will trigger your memories. I hope it does. Remember, I’m always here. Text me anytime.

He watched the screen, his heart hoping for more dots, more time with her, but his last message had gone unread.

“You could get detention for being on your phone during class,” Eliza whispered as she slipped into the classroom.

He glanced at the phone. Maggie still hadn’t replied. She’d probably left with Bobby.

He mustered a grin for his sister as the children’s joyful giggles filled the room. “I already did my part. But the Gemstones are showing me up with their act.”

Eliza glanced at the phone. “Were you texting with Maggie?”

“Yeah.”

“How is she?”

He pictured Maggie’s face. Her smile. That blush. “She’s trying to figure out how to get her memories back.”

“Any luck with Doctor Bad News Boyfriend?” Eliza asked, her expression puckered as if she’d just tasted a sour lemon.

“Who?”

“Kenz calls Bobby Doctor Bad News Boyfriend. You’re the Baseball Card Boyfriend. She believes you and Maggie belong together.”

His entire family knew what had gone down at Donnelly Days. He’d told them the whole story because he wasn’t going back to his old destructive coping mechanisms. He wasn’t alone. And that meant trusting the people he loved and letting them support him.

“I agree with McKenzie, but Bobby is part of Maggie’s past. I have to be patient,” he said, his voice calm but his heart so damned heavy.

“You need to go to her,” Eliza urged.

“That’s all I want, but it’s not time, not yet. You’ve got to trust me.”

“Sitting on the pitch, eh?” his sister replied, raising an eyebrow.

“Stop the presses! Eliza Starrycard-Dunleavy knows something about baseball,” he teased.

She didn’t laugh. “That’s what you’re doing, aren’t you? Waiting for the right moment to clobber the hell out of that guy and get Maggie back?”

“Something like that, hopefully, minus the violence. It’s a little like waiting for a sign. A ripple of energy and change in the wind. I’ll know it when it happens.”

“Because you love her.”

“Yes.”

Worry clouded Eliza’s gaze. “What if she remembers she loves Doctor Bad News?”

He lifted his chin, his resolve holding him up. “I can’t think like that. I won’t let myself go there.”

His sister nodded approvingly. “I know that look.”

“What look?”

“That calm self-assurance. I was worried you’d spiral with Maggie leaving.”

For the space of a breath, after watching Maggie leave with Bobby, he’d considered taking up residence on the couch in the still room and drinking himself into oblivion. But he hadn’t done that. He’d stayed until the festival ended to help run her pie booth. When he’d returned to the ranch with Lucky, he’d bypassed the moonshine room and headed into the kitchen. He’d stood in the center of the space, closed his eyes, and inhaled the heady scents of cinnamon, pumpkin, and molasses. The rich aroma of the pi?on nuts and cloves still mingled with the hints of juniper from the Stumble Juice. Maggie was there—her energy and gentle spirit lingered. And he wasn’t alone.

And while she’d left him with hope, he had something else to fortify him. Deep down, he remained a son of Starrycard Creek folklore and a superstitious ballplayer.

He’d written her name on that scrap of Starrycard Creek paper. More than that, actually. He’d written his hope for her.

When he opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was the rolling pin she’d used to craft dozens of perfect pie crusts. Like he’d done with his bat as a young boy, he’d grabbed that old wooden cylinder and placed the baking tool on her pillow when he’d gone to sleep these last two nights.

Strange?

Absolutely.

But it wasn’t any stranger than wearing his underwear backward for an entire season.

And he was waiting for a sign.

He locked eyes with his sister. “I won’t spiral. I won’t fall into that pit again. I’ve got to be strong and ready for when Maggie needs me.”

The whisper of a knowing grin graced Eliza’s lips—the same expression his mother and grandmother made when they knew a person’s words were the truth, straight from the heart. But as quickly as that sly grin bloomed, her demeanor turned more elusive. “In the meantime, could you be strong for me?”

“What’s up?”

“Jack can’t pick up Kenz today—an emergency case at his office. Could she hang with you and the Gemstones for a few hours? We have a staff meeting after school. Otherwise, I’d keep her with me.”

“One does require strength when spending time with the youngest Starrycard,” he joked.

Eliza rested against the wall. “You’re telling me. That child is?—”

“The spitting image of you,” he shot back, barely able to hold back a grin.

His sister sighed deeply, the sound carrying the weight of her exhaustion. “When that child hits her teen years, I’ll need a steady supply of Stumble Juice sent to the house.”

“Consider it done, and yes, I can watch McKenzie.”

“Actually,” Eliza continued, “can you keep her overnight? We’ve got an all-day teacher training tomorrow. Kids don’t report to school. Jack’s working in the morning, but he’ll be off by one tomorrow. The man’s got so many dog butts to probe, according to Kenz.”

He chuckled. “She’s always welcome with me.”

“You’re a lifesaver, Chris,” she replied, then checked her watch. “I’ve got to go. Dismissal is in a few minutes. I need to go be principally . You good?”

He cocked his head to the side. “Principally?”

“Yes,” she answered in her don’t-mess-with-me principal voice, “it means in the matter of being and acting as the principal.”

He knew better than to challenge an educator on word usage, even if he knew she was totally bullshitting. “If you say so.”

“You’re the best,” she whispered, then slipped out of the classroom, her footsteps fading as she headed down the hallway.

Before he could blink, the children erupted into enthusiastic applause. He flicked his gaze to the front of the classroom, where the Gemstones exchanged hugs and high fives with the children.

“All right, boys and girls,” Hailey called, then clapped in rapid succession.

The children froze, their attention snapping back to their teacher like she’d conjured a spell.

Hailey gifted the classroom guests with a wide grin. “We’re very grateful to have had Mr. Starrycard, Ruby Wrinkles, Diamond Dentures, Sapphire Sags, and Jade Jowls visit our classroom today. Thank you for sharing your time and talents with us. Now, second graders,” she continued, “let’s get our coats and backpacks and line up in the hall. We’ve got one minute until dismissal.” She clapped again, and the children sprang into action, gathering their things and forming a line outside the classroom.

His coach caught his eye and then gestured to Hailey. “She could run the entire RMU Athletics Department.”

Hailey chuckled, donning her coat. “I appreciate the compliment, Ruby Wrinkles, but I’ll stick to seven-year-olds,” she replied, then turned to Christian. “Is McKenzie going home with you today? I noticed Principal Starrycard-Dunleavy popped in.”

“Yeah, Kenz is coming with me.”

“Woo-hoo!” McKenzie cheered.

Hailey slipped a folder into McKenzie’s backpack. “Have fun with your uncle and the Gemstones. Don’t get into too much trouble.”

“Us, get into trouble?” Diamond Dentures purred.

“We’ll be on our best behavior,” Christian replied.

The bell rang, and Hailey joined the children in the hallway.

“I loved the way you acted out the story, Miss Ruby Wrinkles, or should I call you Coach like Uncle Chris does?”

Ruby took a knee to be at McKenzie’s level. “When I’m in my fancy red clothes, I’m Miss Ruby Wrinkles, and when I’m in jeans and a sweater, I’m Coach. Does that work for you?”

“Yes, ma’am, Miss Ruby Wrinkles,” the child exclaimed. “Uncle Chris?” she continued, skipping to his side.

“What’s up, Kenz?”

“Can I play outside for a little bit?”

He surveyed the Gemstones. “Do you mind hanging around the playground before we head to the ranch?”

“Are there any swings?” Diamond Dentures asked with a cheeky grin.

“The best swings in all of Colorado. They’re super squeaky,” McKenzie answered, bright-eyed.

“We will never turn down a super-squeaky swing. Lead the way, you little powerhouse,” Sapphire Sags declared with a bejeweled wave of her hand.

McKenzie, Diamond, Sapphire, and Jade headed to the playground while he and Ruby hung back.

Ruby looked him over as they walked down the brightly colored hallway. “How are you doing, All-Star?”

“Better, healing. The pain is minimal. The exercises help. And love,” he added and pictured Maggie.

“Love, huh?” Ruby replied, a curious lilt to her voice.

They walked in a comfortable silence and stepped out into the brisk fall air.

“Do you miss the game?” Ruby continued.

“I do, but I’ve found a new perspective. I’m needed here at home.”

Ruby nodded as the Gemstones joined them, and McKenzie remained on her swing.

“Well, this ass doesn’t fit on an elementary school swing anymore,” the beautifully rotund Sapphire Sags lamented.

“Honey, did it ever?” Diamond teased, then set her sights on Christian. “Did Ruby inquire about our Little Miss Cry-In-Her-Pie?”

Christian narrowed his gaze. “I don’t understand.”

“Let me rephrase. Did a sweet little thing named Maggie ever make it to your door, honey?” Diamond asked pointedly.

Christian nearly fell over. “What did you just say?”

Diamond shared a curious look with Ruby. “I asked if Maggie, a young woman with strawberry-blond hair and a thing for pies and sporks teeming with Coxsackievirus, met up with you.”

“She was on our bus a couple of weeks ago, and we struck up a conversation with her,” Ruby added, still watching him closely.

Christian’s mouth fell open in astonishment as his gaze darted between the drag queens. “Yeah, she made it. How did you know she was looking for me?”

“She told us,” Jade Jowls explained. “She was headed to Starrycard Creek to see you to deliver a rock and your baseball card. It was an errand from her dearly departed grandfather. He asked her to do it in a letter. It was his last wish.”

“Except the woman saw a dog stuck on the railroad tracks not far from your ranch. She ordered the bus driver to stop. She ran off to save the poor thing and left everything behind. The driver said he couldn’t wait, and that was the last we saw of her,” Ruby explained.

“I…I saw her. I ran to her. We saved the dog together, but she fell and hit her head just after that. She passed out, and when she woke up, she didn’t remember anything. The doctor diagnosed her with amnesia,” Christian said, his words laced with astonishment.

“Are you sure a bonk to her head did that and not brain-eating bacteria? I told her that spork was trouble,” Diamond huffed.

“No, her brain is fine. They did a bunch of scans. We only knew her name because it was on her apron. I’ve been with her night and day since she arrived in Starrycard Creek, and we fell in love.”

“You fell in love?” Ruby asked, her wide eyes sparkling with curiosity, a hint of excitement in her voice.

“Yes, she’s my everything.”

“Isn’t that something! I can give you this. It’s for Maggie,” Jade Jowls said, handing him a card. “We peeked at her wallet and learned her last name is Michaels. I made a call, and it turns out my nephew’s estate business is the company that purchased Maggie’s grandparent’s home and all items in it. They can be hers if she wants them. The items, that is. The house sold to a young family. And I have another piece of information for her. I did a little research on the pink pie plate she had with her on the bus. My friend’s an expert in that field and says it’s worth a small fortune.”

Holy shit.

“We’d love to see her. Maybe we could help jog her memories. Where is she now, Christian?” Diamond asked.

His heart sank. “She’s with her boyfriend.”

“Her boyfriend?” the queens exclaimed, disgust twisting their painted faces.

“I thought you said you loved her?” Ruby pressed.

“I do, but her boyfriend, Bobby, showed up. She left with him to go back to Rocky Mountain City. We thought it was the best chance to help her recover her memories. He had pictures of her and her grandparents on his phone. They’d been together for five years. He said they were in love.”

“That lying sack of Coxsackievirus,” Diamond hissed.

“Did he apologize for cheating on her?” Ruby demanded.

A cold knot formed in Christian’s stomach. “He cheated on her?”

“When we met her, she was sobbing into a pumpkin pie. She’d lost her grandmother two years ago, lost her grandfather quite recently, her dog had died, the rescue dog she and this boyfriend were supposed to foster had already been adopted, and then the poor dear, after going broke, selling off all her possessions to pay her grandfather’s medical bills, baked a pie for her boyfriend on the day she was supposed to move in with him only to walk in on the scumbag screwing another woman against the wall.”

Christian ran his hands through his hair and paced. “I had a terrible feeling about that guy,” he said, his blood boiling.

“Did this boyfriend see you and Maggie together?” Diamond asked.

“I don’t know. He could have. Why would that matter?”

“He’d play hot and cold with her. She mentioned that he’d reel her back in anytime she was doing well. It’s manipulative, and that’s not love,” Ruby said, her cheeks burning scarlet, clearly disgusted that Maggie had been treated with such cruelty.

“No, it most certainly isn’t love,” Christian said, fury building inside him as he recalled Kieran mentioning that a guy had been lingering around Maggie’s pie booth during Donnelly Days. That had to have been Bobby Junior.

“Maggie was in a fragile state when we met her,” Sapphire continued, heartfelt concern on her face. “She’d endured multiple traumas in a relatively short period of time. It’s no wonder a bump to her head triggered amnesia. As a former mental health clinician, I’d say that her mind probably couldn’t take the stress of waking up in a strange environment. The amnesia became a protective mechanism.”

“Christian, you need to call her,” Ruby said, urgency lacing through her words.

He pulled out his cell, but his heart sank as a realization set in like a gut punch. “He’ll lie. Her boyfriend is a liar and a cheat.”

Diamond shook her head. “He’s not her boyfriend, honey. He’s just?—”

“Fucking Bobby,” Christian muttered, recalling how Maggie’s spirits had brightened when he’d lightened the mood with that exact phrase after their encounter with Bob from accounting at the hospital. Deep inside, her subconscious had known her so-called boyfriend, Bob, well, Bobby, was bad news. He stopped pacing. “Maggie needs to regain her memories. The doctor believed that they could return at any time. Still, we don’t have time to waste. Something could trigger them to return. She needs to know the truth about Bobby. He wants to take her away. We can’t let that happen,” Christian said, then grimaced as another truth hit him.

“What is it, son?” Ruby asked gently.

“Maggie’s been back in her old life since Saturday night, and her memories still haven’t returned.”

“Perhaps it’s her mind continuing to protect her, especially if she’s with the man who’s hurt her and broken her trust,” Sapphire offered.

“What could bring her back?” Christian murmured, his thoughts churning.

Ruby snapped her gem-covered fingers. “The pie plate.”

“The pie plate,” Diamond repeated, a wide grin stretched across her face.

“The one she had with her on the bus? The one that’s worth a fortune?” Christian pressed.

“That exact one,” Ruby answered.

Christian studied his mentor. “Why do you think it would work?”

“Maggie loved her grandparents deeply. She told us the story of how her grandfather proposed to her grandmother and why he’d given her that exact pie plate. You see, her grandfather loved to make her grandmother blush and?—”

“Blush?” Christian blurted out, cutting off Ruby.

She nodded. “Yes, he loved the color of her cheeks when he made her blush. He’d found a pink pie plate at a flea market that matched them. He placed an engagement ring in the center of it and gave it to her when he asked her to marry him.”

“Where is it now? Did you keep her things? Do you have them with you?” Christian asked, the words rushing past his lips.

“No, the bus driver said we couldn’t take them. Company policy. He told us they had to go into lost and found,” Diamond replied.

A kernel of hope burned in Christian’s heart. “Where? Which lost and found?”

“The Starrycard Creek Bus Depot. We figured Maggie would have known to check there, but if she didn’t even remember how she arrived in town…” Sapphire began.

“She wouldn’t know her things were there,” Christian finished.

“Come on, Uncle Chris. Let’s go, Gemstones. We’re gonna race to the bus depot,” McKenzie cried, popping up out of nowhere.

Christian practically jumped out of his skin. “Jeez, Kenz, how long have you been here?”

“Long enough to know that we have to go so we can get Maggie to remember. We have to get her away from Doctor Bad News. Hurry!” the child called, darting away at lightning speed.

“McKenzie, don’t run across the street!” Christian cried, taking off.

“Honey, you do not want to get splattered like a bug!” Diamond called, breaking into a run.

Christian looked from side to side as the Geriatric Gemstones matched his pace.

“I need to improve my conditioning,” he breathed, struggling to keep up with four senior citizens dressed in full drag, all chasing after McKenzie.

“Where’s the fire, Kenz?” his grandpa Rex called, rounding the corner with Judge Ironside, Judge Wolcott, and Judge Haynes.

“Come with us. We’re getting Maggie back,” McKenzie called, kicking up her pace, and sweet Christ, the kid could move.

“What do they feed these children in Starrycard Creek?” Diamond Dentures huffed between strides.

“What happened to Maggie? Is she okay?” his grandfather called, doing a damned fine speed walk.

“The boyfriend is a liar and a cheat,” Ruby answered.

“Nobody messes with our Maggie,” Judge Ironside bellowed, falling into stride with the gemstones as Wolcott and Haynes joined Rex in a brisk walk.

The light at the intersection across from the bus depot turned red, and McKenzie skidded to a halt.

“Kenz, you can’t run off like that,” Christian said, catching his breath.

“Why not? Don’t you want to get Maggie back? She’s supposed to be with you, Uncle Chris, not Doctor Bad News.”

“The kid has a point,” Ruby agreed as Rex and the speed-walking judges caught up to them.

A horn honked, and Kieran rolled down his SUV’s window. “Do I even want to ask what’s happening here?”

“Hey, Uncle Kier, we’re getting Maggie away from the turd burger. Oops, that’s a twelve-year-old word. We’re getting Maggie away from Doctor Bad News.”

The walk symbol lit up, and the kid bolted across the street toward the bus depot.

Kieran pulled over, exited his vehicle, and jogged to join the group. “Kenz, language.”

“Sorry, Uncle Kier,” she hollered over her shoulder.

His brother pinned him with his gaze as the eye-catching crowd reached the other side of the street. “Christian, what are you doing?”

“We told you, Uncle Kier. We’re rescuing Maggie.”

“Is this some sort of game, or is McKenzie serious?” Kieran pressed.

“It’s serious,” Diamond answered. “Maggie’s boyfriend is—like McKenzie says—a bad news turd burger. Bobby lied to her when he said they were happy and in love. The day she arrived in Starrycard Creek, she’d walked in on him cheating on her—in the act.”

Kieran balked. “In the act?”

“Against a wall,” the drag queen supplied. “The poor dear just lost her grandfather, had to sell everything to pay off his medical bills, and was supposed to be moving in with the guy that day. She was bringing him a pie and found him in a compromising position.”

“He also wants to take her to Fiji, then God knows where else,” Christian continued. “He mentioned moving out of state for work. He told her that she wanted to go with him. He’s a real scoundrel.”

“Fuck Bobby,” Kieran said under his breath.

“Fuck Bobby,” Christian repeated his new mantra.

“I know a thing or two about scoundrel exes. What’s the plan? Why are we at the bus depot?” Kieran asked as they entered the waiting area.

“Hopefully, an item that will jog her memory is in the lost and found,” Christian answered.

“Hey, Flo,” McKenzie chimed, skipping toward a scowling woman seated at the ticket booth. A lit cigarette hung from her hot pink lips as she paged through a magazine. Kenz turned to the group. “That’s Flo. Her sister runs the animal rescue, and she and her sister helped Uncle Finn surprise Hailey with kittens, and she’s helping them plan their wedding.”

“And she’s breaking the law by smoking in a place of business,” Judge Wolcott added sternly.

Flo looked the judge up and down, then exhaled a few smoke rings from her flaming pink lips. “You want to work the three to eleven shift at the bus depot? Be my guest, handsome.”

They couldn’t piss this woman off. She stood between him and the items in lost and found.

Christian gifted the woman with a warm grin. “Flo, we didn’t come here to harass you. We simply need to see if something we require is in your lost and found.”

“Is that so?” Flo purred with a hint of mischief, her fingers languidly gliding over the magazine as she flipped the page.

Damn, Flo was one cool operator.

“Yes, I’m looking for anything belonging to Maggie Michaels—and if there’s a pie plate with her things, you’ll have my eternal gratitude.”

She offered him a shit-eating grin. “Are you Maggie Michaels, doll?”

He shifted his stance. “No, ma’am, I’m Christian Starrycard. You might know of me. I used to play baseball for the Rattlers and played college ball at RMU.”

She shrugged and exhaled a stream of smoke. “I’m not really into sports. If you’re not Maggie Michaels, I can’t give you her things.”

“But Flo,” McKenzie lamented, “My uncle Chris really loves Maggie. Like a lot, a lot. And a bad man in an old fancy car that was real loud took her from Starrycard Creek.”

“Was this old and loud fancy car red?” came a familiar voice with a rolling Italian accent.

Christian spun around. “Nico, what the hell are you doing here?”

And where the hell did he come from?

“My car would not start after I returned from Italy. I’m having it towed, so I took the bus from Rocky Mountain City Airport to Starrycard Creek. Now, McKenzie Starrycard-Dunleavy, bella , tell me more about this car.”

What was so important about this car?

“The license plate said bone doctor ,” the child answered.

“Are you sure it didn’t say boned her ?”

Christ, the guy was back to this.

“Nico,” Christian began, “I don’t think that?—”

“It had the letters B-O-N-E-D-R ,” McKenzie continued, talking over him. “In school, we learned abbreviations for stuff like mister, that’s capital M , lowercase r , and a period. And doctor is capital D , lowercase r, and a period. I’m a super spy, and when Maggie was walking away from Donnelly Days and met up with Doctor Bad News, I followed her and watched her get in a red car. The Bone Doctor car.”

“Bobby is an orthopedic surgeon, like his father. He’s a bone doc,” Christian exclaimed.

Nico gasped. “Yes, yes, McKenzie, that is the car I saw. But I did not read it correctly. The person in this car pushed Lucky out while the vehicle was still moving and sped off.”

“That’s animal cruelty,” Judge Ironside barked.

“And animal abandonment,” Haynes added.

“And the egregiousness of this crime would merit felony charges, punishable by three years in prison,” Judge Wolcott finished.

“And Nico saw it happen,” McKenzie said.

“And I took a picture,” the man added, showing McKenzie the image on his phone.

“That’s it. That’s Doctor Bad News’ car, Uncle Chris,” his niece confirmed.

He turned to Flo. “Please, we need your help. The woman I love lost her memory. She’s been diagnosed with amnesia. She’s with her awful ex-boyfriend, but she doesn’t know he’s awful on account of?—”

“The amnesia,” Flo supplied, wide-eyed. “This town is like a soap opera with you Starrycard people.” She ground her cigarette in an ashtray and leaned forward. “You love this amnesia-plagued chick?”

“I do, ma’am.”

“Do you want to marry her?”

“Yes,” he answered, conviction coating the word.

Flo leaned back and lit a fresh smoke. She gestured at him with her cigarette. “You hire me on as your wedding planner, and I’ll let you sift through lost and found. And spoiler alert. I might have noticed a pie plate in there. I might have even rinsed it off so it wouldn’t get moldy.”

Bingo!

Christian’s borrowed phone buzzed. He pulled it from his pocket and read the text.

Maggie: Bobby has tickets. We leave for Fiji tonight. A car is coming to get us in three hours.

Three hours.

Christian inhaled deeply, then released a slow, steady exhale. It was time to get in the zone. The air around him hummed as if the very essence of Starrycard Creek—the legends, the whispers of magic, and the weight of every dream he had ever held—wrapped around him. He scanned the group—their faces full of concern, loyalty, and love for Maggie and for him, too.

Three hours. It was an eternity for a ballplayer who’d once measured his life in seconds, in the split-second decisions that had defined his career. His mind settled on Maggie—her laughter, the soft warmth of her touch, her blushing pink cheeks, and the way her gentle smile had led him through his darkest hours.

He was meant to give her the world—to give her everything.

Everything.

The word echoed in his mind as he focused, and a plan to get back his dream girl crystallized.

Next steps: execute the plan and fucking succeed.

His gaze snapped to Flo, like when he was a batter, sizing up a pitcher on the mound. “Flo the Wedding Planner,” he said, confident and ready to knock it out of the park.

Flo arched an eyebrow, her lips curling into a smirk as she exhaled a thin stream of smoke. “Yes, doll?”

He flicked his gaze to Ruby, and an understanding passed between them. “I’m ready to swing,” he said, his voice steady and resolute.

“You sure are, All-Star.”

Flo cocked her head to the side. “Help a gal out. What does that mean?”

Christian’s smile broadened as Donnelly grit and Starrycard determination fueled him. He locked onto Flo’s gaze. “It means,” he said, pausing to allow the anticipation to build, “you’re hired.”