“Nah.” Luke’s grin was infectious. “Just investing in talent. And maybe they just need someone who knows what they’re doing to teach them.”
Before Noah could ask Luke if he was volunteering, Eli stepped up to the tee. His face scrunched in concentration as he adjusted his stance exactly as Luke had demonstrated. He stepped back, tightening his grip on the bat. No matter what happened, Noah owed Luke his appreciation for how much more confident Eli looked behind home plate.
“Remember what we practiced!” Luke called out, and Eli’s answering smile was brilliant.
The bat connected with a solid crack, sending the ball sailing past the pitcher’s mound. Eli stood frozen for a moment, watching its arc.
Holy crap! He really did it!
“Run!” Noah and Luke shouted in unison, then shared a laugh as Eli took off toward first base. Even he’d been stunned by his performance.
Other parents cheered as Eli rounded first and headed for second. He made it just as the ball rolled past the shortstop, stopping near the edge of the outfield grass.
The kids in the outfield scrambled as if they didn’t know what they were supposed to do when a ball came to them. Two of them crashed into one another, trying to be the first to the ball. The parents erupted in cheers and laughter.
“That’s my boy!” The words burst from Noah’s chest before he could stop them. Next to him, Luke’s proud grin matched his own.
“Our secret weapon,” Luke said softly, and Noah’s heart did something complicated in his chest.
This moment felt like something he’d been waiting for without knowing it. The way Luke fit so naturally into their lives, the easy way he balanced being both friend and mentor to Eli while something more to Noah. He wanted nothing more than to rest his hand against the small of Luke’s back, to thank him with a kiss for what he’d done for Eli in just a few minutes of instruction.
“Earth to Noah.” Megan’s voice broke through his thoughts. She’d appeared on Luke’s other side, Emma bouncing impatiently beside her. “You might want to actually watch your kid’s triumph instead of making heart eyes at my brother.”
Heat crept up Noah’s neck, but Luke just laughed. “Can’t blame him. I am pretty distracting.”
“You’re something all right,” Noah muttered, but he couldn’t hide his smile. Especially not when Eli bounced around at second base, waving frantically at both of them.
“Dad! Mr. Luke! Did you see? Just like you showed me!”
“We saw, buddy!” Luke called back. “Perfect form!”
The rest of the game passed in a blur of excited shouts and proud parent moments. Noah relaxed into the easy camaraderie of small-town Saturday mornings, sharing knowing looks with other parents when kids ran the wrong way or stopped to wave mid-play. Luke’s steady presence beside him felt natural like he’d always been part of these moments.
“Good hustle, Eli!” Drew called as Eli rounded third base in the final inning. “Bring it home!”
Noah’s throat tightened as Eli sprinted toward home plate, arms pumping so hard it was a wonder he didn’t punch himself in the nose. The determined set of his jaw, the way his eyes locked on his target.
“Run, Eli!” Livy’s voice carried across the field. “You can do it!”
Eli crossed home plate just as the ball rolled past the catcher, victory written across his face. The small crowd erupted in cheers—mostly parents and grandparents who treated every T-ball game like the World Series.
“That’s game!” Drew announced, much to everyone’s relief. While the kids had done great, an hour of T-ball was about all anyone could handle. “Great job, everyone! Don’t forget, team celebration at Sweet & Simple!”
Eli barreled toward them, caught between pride and exhaustion. “Did you see? I scored!”
“We saw,” Noah assured him, steadying his excited son. “Great job listening to Coach Drew.”
“Mr. Luke!” Eli turned those bright eyes to Luke. “Your special grip trick worked! Can you come to all my games?”
The request, so innocent and hopeful, made Noah’s chest tight. He watched Luke crouch to Eli’s level, the way he always did when talking to kids.
“I’ll come whenever I can,” Luke promised carefully. “But only if you keep practicing like we talked about.”
“I will!” Eli’s face lit up. “Dad says maybe we can set up a tee in the backyard, and then you can help me more, right?”
Before Luke could answer, Jimmy Crowley’s voice carried across the field. “Garrett! Good work with Eli today. Tommy’s been begging for private coaching—maybe we could set something up?”
Noah bit back a groan. Of course Jimmy would try to hijack Luke’s attention. “Actually, we were just heading to?—”
