“Shane!” A small, brown-haired blur comes running at me.
“Oomph.” I squeeze the small woman and then step back. “Hey there, pretty lady.” I duck down and kiss her cheek.
Shelby beams up at me. “It’s been too long. I was so excited when Paulie told me you’d been called up.”
“No joke,” Paulie calls out. “I think I’m deaf in my right ear now from her squealing.”
We walk into the living room, and I hold out my fist to Maddy. “Madz.”
“Good to see you, man.” He shoots me a smile and dabs my fist before dropping it back to play with Easton’s hair—who is lying with his head in Maddy’s lap, eyes closed. I squint. He might be sleeping.
“We’re doing pizza and movie night. Pizza will be here soon—except East, who had poached chicken.” Paulie gags. “Poached. The fuckkkk.”
I chuckle. “Count me in.”
“You can sit next to me,” Frankie says with a wink and pats the couch next to him.
Paulie rolls his eyes, but then he frowns, his gaze sweeping over me. “Dude, you’re disgusting. Why didn’t you shower at the clubhouse?”
“Ahhh…” How to explain that one. I prefer showering in the shitstorm of a bathroom at home shared by three messy ballplayers over the nice, spacious showers at the clubhouse?
Paulie’s face lights up. “Wait, you had to stay back with Stone, right?”
My mouth flattens. “Shut it.”
He cackles.
“It’s not funny.” I pout. “You try having a crush on ateammate. He was all sweaty and sexy andundressing. And fuck me, that tempting nipple piercing… And did you see he just got his right ear pierced? That hoop?Nrghhh.I got the hell out of there.”
“Say fucking what now?” Maddy’s gaze lasers in on me. “First, I can one-hundred percent relate.” He glances down at Easton, and I wince. Truth. “And second. Crush on your teammate? Not to be cliché, but when did you start batting for both teams? You a switch-hitter now?”
I reach up and squeeze the back of my neck, a sheepish smile on my face. “Something like that. Maybe. Haven’t had a chance to, uh…bat lefty yet, if you know what I mean.”
Maddy grins. “Shit, man. I do. Happy for you, Shane.”
And once again I find myself attacked by a petite woman. “So much great news lately,” Shelby says, smiling up at me. “Thank you for sharing with us,” she says softly. Her nose wrinkles. “Also, you really do stink.”
I laugh, but it comes out watery. Damn, I love this crew. “Yeah, I should hit the showers. And I’m starving. Did you guys get?—”
“Yes, we got one with ham and pineapple, you weirdo,” Paulie calls as I turn toward the stairs.
“It’s not that weird.” Frankie’s voice fades as I move up the stairs. “It’s just like fig and prosciutto. Just the less classy version.”
Something warm and bubbly fills my chest. I know it’s small. Just a pizza order. But they thought of me. And that means more than they’ll ever realize.
Maybe that’s what has me pausing at my desk after my shower, scribbling a quick letter, sealing and stamping it. The optimism flowing through my veins is like a drug. I’m buzzing on it.
I check online to make sure his address hasn’t changed, and, yup, still in New Cannan. His picture-perfect family stares back at me, because that’s the kind of family he weaseled his way into. One where their picture pops up when you do an Internet search. Old Connecticut money. While my mother was home taking care of me, he was off at college chasing his better life. And once he found it, he left.
I jog the letter down to the apartment's front office. Triple-A will get his attention, right? I slip the letter into the outgoing mail slot. This time will be the one. The one that gets him to show up.
ANNOUNCER
PROVIDENCE CLIPPERS - APRIL 19TH
Bernie:Yes, folks. Your eyes aren’t deceiving you. Jed Stone Junior and Shane Michaels did just run into each other.
Oliver:This game has been painful to watch, Bern. The Clippers have managed to fall apart over the last week. Is this even the same team we’re watching?
