Throwing Love #5 (The Throwing Love Romance Series - Book #5) (5 page)

Everything was going so great, it made me wish that my
father had come to this game, this important game that Bennett was doing so
well in. This was the one that my father should have seen, more than any other
game before. I wanted him to see Bennett right now in this moment, to see him
so happy doing the thing that he loved the most. Because if that wasn't the
performance of a major league player, then I didn't know what was. I couldn't
believe how well he was doing and I couldn't help but wish that my father was
seen it all right before his eyes. He would be pretty proud of Bennett,
regardless of the mistakes Bennett had made in the past. Maybe then he would
see that you truly could be a superstar and fall in love all at the same time.
Maybe he wouldn't be so judgmental of relationships and put so much pressure on
Bennett to be amazing but to not have anything else in his life. It wasn't fair
to ask someone to have nothing but a career and to give up the chance of love
when you could do both.

The more I thought about my father being at that game, it
occurred to me that he had mentioned wanting to go to that particular game.
There is a chance that maybe he was here after all. He certainly wasn't that
great at getting in touch with me when he came to town anymore, so it was quite
possible that he was there and I knew nothing about it. I would have loved for
him to be there with me, drinking beer and watching the game. We hadn't done
that in awhile and I would have loved to connect with him. I missed my father.
As much as he had caused trouble in my relationship, I wanted him in my life
and I loved the days where we used to go to the beach for our walks and drink
beer at ball games or over a steak dinner. My heart filled with love every time
I thought about my father, I hoped that he would show up to the game. It would
complete my day for sure.

The thought almost slipped from my mind when my cell phone
started to ring. I didn't recognize the number as I stared down at my ringing
phone. I wondered who it could be. It was kind of bad timing for me to be
answering my ringing telephone during the game, but I wasn't sure if it was
important.

“Hello?” I answered, completely befuddled as to who would be
calling me. I knew most of the numbers that called me on my cell phone and it
was rare that I ever got a call from a number I didn't recognize.

“Is Emmi there?”

“Speaking,” I said confused. I didn't recognize the voice on
the phone.

“Emmi, the reason that I'm calling is because your father
has been admitted to the hospital.”

“Oh my God, what? The local hospital?” My heart was beating
fast in my chest. Oh God, what was happening to my father?

“Yes. Apparently your father was on his way to the big game
tonight when he collapsed. He was rushed to the hospital immediately and that
is the reason for my call. Can you come down here immediately?”

“Yes, of course. I will be there as soon as I can.” Tears
came to my eyes when I thought about my father in the hospital. It was crazy
how I had been just thinking about him when I got the phone call. Maybe there
was something inside of me that was telling me that something was wrong with
him. Maybe that was why he had come to my mind – he was in trouble and
needed me.

I couldn't imagine my father in the hospital, helpless. He
was always such a strong man mentally and physically that it was hard to
imagine him collapsing anywhere. God, what if he died? I couldn't even bear the
thought of losing him like that. My mother was gone; I could not lose him, as
well.

I left my beer behind and ran out of the stands. I needed to
get to my father immediately to find out what had happened to him. I needed to
get to him as soon as possible before it was too late.

Chapter Eight

Everything was happening so fast, my mind was just spinning
with the phone call. As I made my way out of the stands, I noticed that Bennett
looked over at me just before I ran out of the stadium. I had no time to notify
him of anything. I needed to get out of the stadium as soon as possible, and
get to the hospital. I didn't have time to tell anyone where I was going, I
just need to get out of there as fast as possible. I wasn't sure what was going
on with my father, but I didn't want to waste any time. If there was a chance
that his condition was serious, I needed to be there with him. I was not going
to be one of those people that showed up to the hospital too late. I wasn't
sure what the nurse had meant when she said that my father collapsed. Was it a
heart attack? Why had he collapsed? That was the answer that I need to get
– and quickly.

I wished that I could tell Bennett what was going on, but I
didn't want anything to distract him from his game, nor did I have the time to
tell him. I would've tried to give him a look, but my panicked heart just
forced me out of that stadium as fast as possible.

It took me a tortuously long 10-minute ride to get to the
hospital. I wanted to vomit all the way there. I was so upset. I probably should
have taken the opportunity to call someone, anyone, to meet me at the hospital.
But the only thing I could think of was my father and how I need to get there
to be with him. I could have called Connie or left a message for Bennett, but
all I could think about was my father. He was the only thing that I could think
of, he was the only person on my mind, and I feared what kind of news I would
hear once I arrived.

I parked my car and ran to the front doors of the hospital.
The doors opened quickly as I approached, as if they knew just how serious the
situation was. They knew I could not wait to open the door myself they just
swung aside and let me in. I ran to the front desk and demanded to know where
my father was. The attending nurse gave me his room number and I ran down the
hallway as fast as my legs could carry me.

I burst into his room where he was lying in the bed with the
doctor standing beside him. He was awake, thank God, and I could tell just by
looking at him that he was going to be all right. I wasn't sure what had
happened, but at least I knew that he was going to be all right.

“Oh my God, Daddy, what happened?”

“It's okay, Emmi. There is no need to be upset. I'm fine.”

“Daddy, if you were fine, you wouldn't be laying in a
hospital bed. Now tell me what happened.”

“Don't you worry your little head about what happened. I
don't want you worrying about nothing.”

“What are you talking about, Daddy?”

I looked up at the doctor for an explanation. By the look on
his face he looked quite surprised by my father's responses.

“Well, as much as I would like to agree with your father,
it's not as easy as it sounds. Your father suffered from a heart attack on the
way to the baseball game. He is very lucky to have pulled through it, it was a
good thing that he was able to get to the hospital as quickly as he did.”

“Oh, come on now. There is no need to get her worried and
worked up,” my father said.

“Dad, please, you're not helping, and if you are sick you
should be honest with me. I want the truth, even if it is scary.”

I looked back at the doctor and asked, “Is he going to be
alright? Honestly, just tell me.”

“Yes, your father is going to be just fine. The worst is
over and he will recover. You have nothing further to worry about.”

“Thank you.”

I looked back at my father and I bent over to hug him tight.
I didn't like the thought of him being helpless. My father was always strong.
It scared me to think that a heart attack could rip him away from me.

“I love you, Daddy, and I'm not leaving your side.”

Chapter Nine

“Hey there, Emmi, is everything
okay?”

Confused, I looked up at my father and he was smiling
knowingly. I could imagine who was talking to me, that the voice is so
familiar. I turned around to see Bennett standing behind me. Why wasn't he at
the game? What was he doing there, standing right behind me in such a natural
way that it was like he belonged in the first place? Tears rolled down my
cheeks as I stood there, confusedly staring at him. How had he knowing that I
was there? How did he get there so fast? “Bennett, what are you doing here? How
on earth did you even know I was here?”

“Emmi, I have been watching you all night. You know that, I
could barely keep my eyes off you during the entire game. Your daughter is a
very beautiful woman, you should know that, Sir,” Bennett said. “Emmi, I saw you
on the phone crying, and I couldn't understand what could possibly have
happened. But I knew it had to be serious enough for you to be crying in the
stands and serious enough that you would run out on my game.”

“I'm sorry,” I whispered. “I had to be here to see him.”

“My God, Emmi, please don't apologize for something like
that.”

“You left your game, though, why would you do something like
that.”

“I had to leave the game, Emmi. I love you.”

“But you left, which means you also left your chance of
pitching the perfect game. Bennett you were doing so awesome. You could have
pitched the perfect game. Why would you do that? Why wouldn't you just wait
until after the game to come and find me?”

“Darling, if you have to ask that, then you have no idea
much I love you. I couldn't possibly wait. I knew it had to be something
serious and I knew you probably needed me. To be honest, I need you, too.”

“Oh my God, Bennett.” Tears just kept falling from my eyes.
I couldn't make them stop. I couldn't believe the things he was saying to me
and how amazing a man he was. He had left the game that he probably shouldn't
have left to be with me in my time of need. It was possible that I was falling
in love with him all over again. I was completely stunned and wasn't sure what to
say to him. He had shocked me once again.

“I'm sorry, Sir. I know you're probably displeased with me
that I left the game when I have not hit the major leagues quite yet. But you
need to know that your daughter is the most important person in the world to me
and if she's upset, I need to be there for her no matter what. And in the end
it is just a game, she is the person that I love.”

“Son, you have nothing to apologize for. It was very
admirable for you to have left a game to be with my daughter. It lets me know
that she is in good hands and that you can take care of her if necessary.”

I looked back at my father and smiled, so surprised that he
said those things to Bennett. Maybe you could teach old dogs new tricks after
all. I wasn't sure if I should be mad at Bennett for leaving his team or
whether I should just be overjoyed that he was willing to drop everything to
ensure that I was all right. Wasn't that what I wanted in the first place? For
him to pick me above everything else, even the game. I was thrilled that he was
there with me and it made me love him that much more.

“I love you, Bennett, so very much.” He came over and
wrapped me in his arms and hugged me as tight as possible. He kissed me on top
of the head had never felt more safe in my entire life.

Chapter Ten

My father looked over at Bennett and said, “So is all this
true? You've really given up the chance of pitching a perfect game to be here
with my daughter? I didn't get to see any of your game before I collapsed and
was brought into the hospital. But by the sounds of it, you are doing pretty
great. Really gave all that up to be here at the hospital with Emmi?”

“Yes, Sir. And I know that I let my team down when I did
so.” I knew by the look on Bennett's face that he was afraid my father was
going to be disappointed in him again. He was afraid that he was going to lose
his chance at being in the major leagues because he let his team down.

“Like I said, Sir, I had to come because I'm in love with
Emmi. She is the most important person in the world to me and I need her by my
side or I am not going to be successful. I know you told me I could wait until
I got to the major leagues to find a girl, but that's just not going to happen.
Emmi is the only girl that I'm ever going to want. And I truly believe that I
can love her and play baseball and make it to the major leagues with her by my
side. I can do both, trust me.”

I was overjoyed by what Bennett had to say about me and
about our relationship. I was a little nervous, however, that my father would
not approve. He hadn't exactly been the most supportive father during the
course of our relationship. And he had a large part in almost destroying it
– something that I would still one day talk to my father about. He can't
always be in control of everything, especially when it came to two people
falling in love and trying to make a situation work. I loved Bennett more than
anything. And it was just as important to his career that I am there to support
him all the way. Bennett was looking pretty nervous himself, as he looked at my
father hoping for the best. But to both of our surprise, that was not how my
father reacted at all. Steve smiled at Bennett and said, “You should never be
ashamed of the love you have for my daughter. To be honest, I had no idea. My
daughter isn’t exactly the best person to fill me in on these sorts of details.
She also probably thought I wouldn’t be very supportive and that's a mistake
that I made. What you did was noble and you should never apologize for doing
something noble. You both have my blessing in this relationship and I know,
Bennett, that if anyone can get to the big leagues with a girl on his arm it's
you.”