I bit back a sigh. “I worked here as a teenager and still love the place.”
She didn’t seem convinced, but before I could shut down whatever she was implying, she straightened. “Oh. I’m Anna. Anna Peterson.”
Recognition clicked. My agent’s daughter’s friend. The one I was supposed to be meeting.
“Anna Peterson,” I repeated, exhaling a quiet laugh. “Looks like we’re doing an interview, huh?” I checked my watch. “Guess time flies when you’re making frappes.”
She ducked her head, looking embarrassed. “Sorry, yeah. I’ll just… grab a table?”
I nodded, washing my hands while Ned slid in to take over the counter.
“Want me to get Ashley out of the bathroom?” he asked, still shaking his head at the whole ordeal.
“Nope,” I said, drying my hands.
“Go do your interview, hotshot.” He clapped a heavy hand on my shoulder. “As much shit as I want to give you, you did good.”
“Thanks for the overwhelming praise.” I smirked, making my way to Anna’s table, grabbing my free coffee and one of Ned’s perfect apple scones along the way. I actually took two and snuck a twenty near the cash register.
She fidgeted with her phone, finally meeting my eyes. “I’m going to record this, okay?”
“Fine by me.” I took a sip of coffee. “But I’ve only got twenty minutes before I head out.”
“Right. Yeah.” She cleared her throat. “You grew up in Phoenix, right? How does it feel being back?”
The trade hadn’t been a shock—my free agency guaranteed a new deal—but to end up home for the next five years? That was the part I hadn’t expected. And I couldn’t stop smiling about it, which pissed my brother off.
“I love being home,” I said honestly. “My family’s here. My friends. Spring training was great because I didn’t have to travel. I’m looking forward to putting down roots.”
“Family is important to you.” She tilted her head. “Tell me about them.”
The easy warmth in my chest tightened.
I kept my expression even. “It’s just me, my brother, and my mom. We’re close. Logan, my brother can be a pain in the ass, but he’ll always be my best friend. And my mom? She raised two boys on her own and didn’t lose her mind. That makes her a rock star.” My stomach soured thinking about her now, how she was doing, were her symptoms worse…but I forced the thought away.
Anna smiled, her shoulders relaxing. “What are your favorite things to do here?”
“Golf, hiking. Just enjoying the fact that the weather doesn’t suck.” I jutted my chin toward the counter. “Might even spend some time here when I can.”
“You used to work here?” Her brows furrowed. “How’d you find time with all the baseball?”
I frowned at the way she worded that, but reminded myself she was a student, not a seasoned journalist. “If I wanted cleats or a new glove, I had to earn it. My mom worked hard to provide the necessities, but extra stuff? That was on us.”
Her expression shifted. “Wow. I didn’t know that about you.”
I arched a brow. “What, did you think I had a trust fund?”
She blanched. “Oh my God. I didn’t mean?—”
I chuckled. “Relax. I’m not offended. It’s an easy assumption.”
Her face scrunched up as she chewed on the end of her pen. “You’re different than I thought.”
“I do a lot of interviews,” I said, leaning forward slightly. “If you don’t mind some advice—try not to go in with assumptions. It makes your questions sound loaded, and that won’t be fair to your readers.”
She sighed, clicking off the recording. “You’re right. I feel bad now. You’re not… an entitled asshole.”
I snorted. “Thanks?”
