“Good answer. Now…Tate.” He let out a long sigh and ran his fingers over his mustache. “It wasn’t fair how the entire thing was handled but you made some enemies.”
“I know. I reached out to Tate yesterday, actually.” I cleared my throat and told him about the brief encounter. He smiled, giving me an approving nod.Thank the lord.“I know I’ll have to make amends with some other guys in the clubhouse, but with all of them gone traveling, it’ll have to be in spring training.”
“We’re going to be doing some OTA in January. I expect you to be there, being a local and all. Make it a priority.”
“Will do, Coach.” I held out my hand and he shook it. “I wanted to tell you thanks. Coaching was a great idea and I’m realizing I’d forgotten about the little things.”
“Can’t tell you how happy I am to hear that,” he replied with a huge smile. “I might make it out to one of your games soon. I’ll be in town until after the New Year to help my mom move into a better retirement facility.”
“The kids would shit themselves if you showed up, and good luck with the move.”
“See you around, Titan. Now get outta here.”
I gave him a curt nod and leaned against the brick wall outside his office.Thank Christ.I still had a shot. My career wasn’t over—yet. I had to be ready by February and the thought of everything I needed to do frightened me. My knee shook with the pressure and I stilled, hoping it would pass. The pain did, but I had to get some exercises in before the games tonight.
Gideon: Weird request—can you show up early and hit me grounders?
Fiona: I think you MAY be too old to start.
Gideon: Smart ass.
Fiona: Are you sure you can handle my balls, old man?
Gideon: …
Fiona: I’ll be there. Ignore my balls comment.
I smiled, joy radiating from somewhere in my gut. It was weird to look forward to something that would cause me pain.
* * * *
I chose to wear track pants rather than my sweats, since they allowed more room to bend and move. They didn’t hide the brace as much, but I didn’t care. It was part of the healing process and I wanted to play at the end of March. End of story. I arrived at the field an hour before the guys were scheduled and I was in high spirits. The perfect clear blue sky didn’t have a single cloud and I closed my eyes.This.This was baseball weather. “Hey, psycho.”
Ah, my nemesis.“Fiona.” I turned to her and had to fight a grin at her appearance. She had her hair in two braids, an old trucker hat that saidPARTYand another ridiculously bright outfit that did nothing for the figure I knew she had. “Jesus. Who dressed you?”
“Who shoved the stick in your ass?”
I let out a cackle and walked toward the dugout. “You look like a melted crayon box.”
“Thank you.”
The asshole smiled at my comment and her smile sent all sorts of feelings through me. Yeah—no. “At least you didn’t wear the—”
She pulled the fanny pack from her backpack and winked at me. It wasn’t cute or charming, but my chest warmed at the gesture. “Like I would forget this sucker.”
“What do you keep in there?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“Yes. I would. Thanks for the invitation.” I didn’t wait. I got in her space and tried to unzip the front. She squirmed, fruitlessly trying to swat my hands away. It was comparable to a kitten fighting a cow. “Hmm? What could be in there? I wonder…snacks? Girl stuff?”
“You’re annoying,” she said breathlessly. Her minty breath hit my neck and I froze. We were chest to chest, her face inches from mine. Her heat radiated to me and my entire view of her changed. She was tough, ballsy, unafraid of the world on the outside. But inside? She was vulnerable and scared.Like me.“Gid!”
Moment gone. I cleared my throat and took a step back. “Do you keep emergency condoms in there for when you can’t resist me?”
She snarled at me before flipping me off. I laughed and continued to stare at the fanny pack. One day I would figure it out. “I came here to hit balls. I don’t care if they’re yours or baseballs. But I’m following through. Now, get your ass on the field.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
