“It’s okay, dear. I know you aren’t happy about it, but it’s nice seeing you work together. If anyone can scare that monster away, it’s you.” Jimmy opens my cage. “Come on. It’s time for you to get some sleep. Go get your stuff from the office.”
I pick up my gym bag and jog to the office across from Jimmy’s. The wooden desk is chipped, the room smells like mildew, and the floor’s a little uneven, but I love working here and hitting balls in between.
Beats working at Permian or going home to an empty house.
Once we’re outside, Jimmy ruffles my braids like always. “Don’t let those men get you down, Shay. You’re too good for that. Give ’em hell. You hear me?”
I nod. I’m going to give them hell, and that promotion will be mine.
Chapter Eleven
Locker rooms always smellbad, but today’s reason is in the fetal position on the ground.
“You can’t expect me tonotget queso at a Mexican restaurant,” Marcus wails. “That would be a crime against humanity.”
“It’s a crime against my nostrils,” Dawson mutters. The air freshener he keeps in his locker sort of helped. Now it smells like fresh linenandfarts. “And you didn’t have to drink it.”
“Wasting food I paid for? No thanks. It’s not fair that I love dairy, but it hates me.”
Baja Breeze is the team’s after-practice spot, hiding in its secluded upstairs area away from the public eye. I’m usually tasked with monitoring Marcus’s cheese intake because he prefers to rawdog his poor stomach, but I skipped lunch to work in an extra lift and batting practice.
“You also had a smoothie from the recovery bar, which didn’t help.” I extend my hand to Marcus. “Get out of here. I have a meeting with my agent soon and the place smells like crap.”
Finally, on shaky legs, he sways like a branch in the wind. “Give me five. Be right back.”
“Hurry up!” Dawson yells at his back. “I want to seemy family.”
With a one-finger salute, Marcus slinks into the restroom.
Then I realize what I’ve done.
Deflection is my specialty, and Dawson has learned that firsthand. After finding out that Shay is my new agent, he has been relentless in his attempt to get answers. Cornering me at the airport or trying to room next to me during travel games. Every message about the topic goes unanswered, even the ones where he uses his son Luke as adorable bait. I’ve been so careful until now.
“Are we really not going to talk about it, Cade?”
I sigh. “I’d rather talk about the rumors that you’re retiring after this season. That seemswaymore pressing.”
“Nice try.” His weight settles on the bench beside me. “You were supposed to sign with Caldwell. Not the one that got away.”
The one Ipushedaway.
By the time I finish telling Dawson everything, leaving out the real reason I fired Jon, our final fight, the red flags from Trevor, and the weird way Trevor treated Shay in the meeting, he looks even more surprised than Mom was.
He rubs a hand over his buzzed head. “How angry was she?”
“Furious.” I search for the dice in my pocket. “She spends every second reminding me I’m her client and nothing more, but she’s damn good at her job, Daws.”
The way she reacted when Summer approached still plays on a loop. Jon loved throwing me into the fire when it came to the media. I was required to answer any question with a smile, even if it was overly personal and painful. But Shay was ready to protect me.
Even if it was as her client, it felt good.
Faint clicking of heels catches my attention, and my eyes dart to the restroom. Marcus doesn’t know about Shay yet, but I’m ninety-nine percent sure he won’t say anything too crazy.
Dammit. It still stinks in here.
“Is everybody dressed? Shay asks, knocking on the clubhouse door.
As if he wasn’t recently in a dairy-coma, Marcus stumbles back in. “Who’s that?”
