“Bennie thinks my sister is the coolest person ever, other than Nate,” Rachel whispered to me.
“So I’ve heard.” I chuckled, peeking at Bennie rambling to a very patient Taylor. “She’s good with Bennie.”
“She’s very good with all kids. Which will be helpful soon,” Rachel whispered, her gaze drifting to her sister.
“Are you…”
She bobbed her head in a slow nod.
“It’s super early, and I haven’t told my sister yet. She’ll be so excited, and God forbid…” Rachel trailed off.
“I get it. But that’s great. Congratulations.”
“Thanks. Silas is over-the-moon excited. I’m hoping for a little boy since I already have a girl.” She nodded toward Taylor.
Rachel was her sister’s guardian, but Lee had never mentioned what had happened to their parents, other than Rachel had raised Taylor alone since she was a baby, and I didn’t know Rachel well enough to pry.
“I’m sure he’ll come out with a Bats hat on.”
“Probably,” she said, laughing when her gaze caught Silas as he jogged onto the field. “I just want a littleSilas to spoil.”
I nodded, smiling despite a sadness weighing in my gut. Settling down with someone and having kids were a part of a very distant, still questionable future for me. Whenever I’d think of my parents, dancing in the kitchen all the time until my father was too sick to walk, it was hard not to yearn for what they had.
Yearning and dreaming weren’t bad things, but I hadn’t learned how to redirect them from one person, the person who’d hijacked most of my brain today.
“Hey, Rachel,” a deep voice greeted from the aisle. A tall man in a Bats uniform approached our row. “I thought I spotted you. I was just getting my parents settled in.”
“Hey, Deacon. That’s great they’re in town to see the game.”
“Yeah, just for the weekend.” He glanced toward an older couple in the second row. “First time in New York too.”
“After living here my entire life, it’s hard to imagine being a tourist, right?” Rachel scrunched her nose at me.
Deacon ran a hand through his short, wavy hair, a loose curl falling down his forehead. The crinkles in the corners of his eyes and the gray I spotted in his stubble made him seem more management than ballplayer, even though he was built and broad-shouldered like one. His thick biceps worked as he reached up to set his baseball cap back on his head.
“Sorry, I usually have manners. I’m Deacon,” he said as his gaze snagged on mine, cracking a wide, striking smile.
“Stella,” I said, taking his extended hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“I’m so sorry.” Rachel pressed her palm to her forehead. “I’m the one with no manners. Stella’s a friend of Lee’s andtakes care of Bennie. Deacon is the Bats’ new batting coach.”
“I’m another Washington import,” Deacon said. “I played with Silas before he retired. We both saw a lot of Lee over those last seasons.” He chuckled. “Lee mentioned a friend of his was watching his daughter while he was on the road.” His gaze roamed my face before it shifted to Bennie. “Hi, Bennie. I thought you’d be helping us practice today.”
“Daddy said he had to work on the guys this morning, so they couldn’t do jumping jacks with me today.” Her deep frown made me laugh.
“She’s an official trainer,” Deacon said to me, the corner of his mouth quirking up. “She’s got a whistle and everything. So, how long have you been taking care of her?”
“I started before your big road trip.”
“Don’t remind me.” He groaned. “I’m thrilled to be in one place for a while—and at least on this coast for the next month. I think I hear a touch of a New York accent. I’m guessing you’re a native.”
“Yes. I grew up in Brooklyn with Lee. I used to travel a lot for work and lost most of it, but since I’ve been home, the accent has been creeping back. I can’t seem to fight it.”
“Don’t. It suits you,” he said, his eyes lingering on mine as his smile deepened.
“Stella,” Bennie said, rushing up to me before I could figure out how to reply to Deacon’s compliment. “Can I get a strawberry water ice? They only have them here, and I promise I’ll be really careful and not get it on my shirt.”
“Your dad mentioned you’d probably want one, but he said only one small size.”
