Page 23 of Convincing the Catcher

Pulling the cover off the syringe so that the needle is exposed, I pinch the sliver of exposed skin. I look at him to find his eyes deeply entranced. He’s not just half-assed paying attention to what I’m doing or saying. He’s taking mental notes, I swear.

My thumb rests on the plunger before I insert the needle into my skin, pushing down on it until the appropriate amount is dispensed.

“Now I just have to hold it here for a few seconds,” I whisper, keeping the needle in my abdomen and counting down from ten in my head before, finally, I pull it out.

When I’m finished taking care of my supplies safely, I find his eyes still on the injection site.

“Wow,” he whispers mindlessly. “You really are badass.”

I hold back a laugh before shrugging. “Obviously,” I say before opening my door. “Let’s go. I could eat a whole cow.”

CANE

Once we’re both done eating and stuffed from the food we just devoured, I stare across the table at a woman I already thought was pretty fucking hot and really cool, but now I think so even more. I’ve creeped her social pages enough to have seen her videos on giving herself insulin and educating people about type 1 diabetes, but seeing how calm she was, giving herself that injection in my truck? She didn’t even flinch.

I’m a fucking baby every time I have to go get my blood drawn during my physicals. I almost pass out, yet she was smiling through it.

“How do you feel about that charity auction this weekend?” I ask her, wondering if she’s dreading it as much as I am.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m all about the cause. I think it’s great that former NHL player Brody O’Brien’s foundation raises money for kids less fortunate to be able to play sports. I just think that auctioning off a bunch of college athletes is fucking bizarre—that’s all.

She cringes. “Look, I am all for the mission of the One Wish foundation. But do I fear that a middle-aged man named Jim will bid on me in front of everyone and I’ll be stuck going on a date with him, where he’ll tell me about how good he used to be at football and that he made the winning touchdown in high school?” She nods dramatically. “Yes. I am not looking forward to that. At. All.”

Without meaning to, she gives me an idea.

My eyes widen, and a big grin spreads across my face. “Damn, Catch. You just reminded me of something.”

“What?” she says, suddenly nervous. “I’m scared.”

“This auction will be in front of everyone. So … if I bid on you and you bid on me⁠—”

“Everybody will see it,” she says, finishing my sentence. “And then think we’re friends.”

I relax in the booth, winking. “Would that be so bad, Meadows? I mean, could be worse. It could be Jim, who threw one winning touchdown.”

“I guess you’re right,” she says before looking down. “It’s just … I don’t have the money to bid on you, Cane. So, I can’t really do that. I’m sorry.”

Instantly, my hand is across the table, lying on hers. “Hey, it’s fine. This comes into the whole helping me look better play on things. So, this should be my responsibility to pay for.” I squeeze her hand, but when her eyes fly to it, I slowly pull back. “No matter what the price, just bid on me, okay? I’ll pay after.” I shrug. “And as for Jim? He won’t be an issue.”

“You’re going to bid on me?” she whispers.

“I think it’s the least I can do. You’re helping me out to make me look better.” I say the words, hoping she’ll believe me, but the truth is, that’s not it.

I just can’t bear the thought of anyone else bidding on her, but I’m not about to tell her that.

She shifts around nervously before tucking a few loose strands of red hair behind her ear. “Well, now that we’ve settled that … you watched me give myself a shot, and I poured my heart out to you earlier, so now I get to ask you something.”

“I guess that’s fair,” I say. “Go ahead.”

“What’s it like, having a dad who’s a retired professional athlete?” she asks, genuinely curious. “Going out to dinner and stuff must be kind of hard.”

I think about Tripp and how much that dude doesn’t like the attention on him, and yet he’s always polite, even when I can tell he wants to be left alone.

“Honestly, even though it has its times of being pretty crazy, he’s never let it affect our family. The thing about Tripp is, it was never about the money or fame for him.” I relax in my seat, smiling. “The dude just loves hockey and was really good at it. He wanted to provide for his mom, so he did. And he really does love his fans, and when they come up to him, he’s always nice to them, and he signs whatever they give him, but that isn’t Tripp. He doesn’t need any of that.” I fold the paper from my straw mindlessly. “For a lot of athletes who set out to go pro, it is about that. Tripp’s not one of them.”

“He sounds like a really good guy,” she says, her eyes boring into mine. “He’s been in your life for a while, right?”

I nod subtly. “Since I was twelve. That’s when he met my mom.”