22. Jett

Chapter 22

Ask me what I did yesterday… you guessed it, I moped.

I fucking miss my girls. It's been one day and I practically spent the whole day on the phone with them. I texted Wyla the whole time she was at work then FaceTimed them all through Stevie's tumbling class to bedtime.

I did go and talk to the building manager about moving. One two-bedroom apartment will become available next week after cleaning, which honestly, works out perfect. After I got all of the paperwork sorted, I called that step one done then emailed the team manager for a meeting in the morning.

Even though I'm technically not cleared to pitch yet, I do travel with the team and attend all the games, practices, events, and bullshit. We head out at lunch to fly to Colorado for the next four days then we head to Texas for another four. My two weeks off were essentially a miracle in itself. I'd be pushing it to take much more, but until I'm cleared I'm going to try.

Wyla and I talked some about what visiting would look like but really we couldn't set any concrete plans until I figured out living arrangements and talked to my team.

Thankfully, Pat Davidson is a great coach and an even better person. It's why I'm thankful I haven't been traded from this team, even if it's had me across the country from my family all these years. He was shocked, to say the least, when I filled him in, but given the situation, he agreed we could be a little flexible, but we are on a use, don't abuse basis.

After that weight was lifted, I decided to go for a workout in an actual gym with functioning equipment. That's one part of Aster Creek I won't miss. That and the fucker Matt who Wyla said called out of work both yesterday and today. Hopefully, he's out looking for a new job because I can't stand the idea of Wyla working with that prick.

As if she knows I'm thinking about her, her name flashes on my screen with a text.

I started a new book today at lunch. Quick question, how do you feel about changing your career to hockey?

I think I liked the career option of cowboy better. It comes with great amenities.

Hate to break it to you, but your pillows have seen better days. They might need a lift after someone's daughter borrowed them.

How dare you talk about my girls that way. My pillows are perfect, thank you.

Oh, so ‘my girls' is really code for my boobs, not me and Stevie. Got it.

My girls include you, Stevie, and your boobs.

In that order?

100%

I walk into the gym, and considering we're all heading out in the next two hours, I'm clearly not the only one who had the idea of getting a workout in.

"Well, look who's back from vacation," Adam says with a stupid grin as he helps Justin set his bar back on the bench.

"Why does your face look like that?" I slide my phone in my shorts pocket.

"I'm matching the smile you had while you were looking at your phone when you walked in. So, really the question is why does your face look like that?"

Adam comes to the front of the bench as Justin stands up and they switch. "If you're smiling at your phone, it's got to be a dirty picture. Those always bring a smile to my face."

I shake my head and drop my duffle bag off to the side. "You really shouldn't keep those kinds of pictures of yourself on your phone, Justin."

Adam barks out a laugh. "God knows no one else wants them."

"Fuck off," Justin huffs. "So what, funny text from your mom or something?"

"No." I shrug and lean against one of the poles of the cable machine. "I was texting Wyla. "

It takes Adam a second but then it clicks. He puts the bar back on the bench and sits up. "Wyla? Like the Wyla?"

"That would be her."

"No fucking way. So, I guess that layover was worth it, huh?"

"Not exactly. Turns out she's been in the same town as my sister all these years."

"You're joking." Adam laughs it off and resets on the bench. "How have you never run into her before?"

I've decided to not dwell on the fact that a trip to visit my sister more often would have saved me a lot of time. At this point, I'm accepting this was how it was supposed to play out.

"Every time I'd visit my sister for the holidays, we would meet at our parent's house in Charleston. I hadn't been to Anna's house since I bought it seven years ago."

Adam chuckles and grabs the bar to start again. "I bet that was a real mindfuck. You just run into her on the street or something?"

This ought to be good. "Not exactly. I went to a kid's birthday party with Anna for a friend of hers. Turns out, the girl she knew was Wyla, and the kid's party was my daughter's."

I am in no way ashamed of my daughter, she will not be a secret from my team but I do feel a little bad when the shock hits both Adam and Justin. Adam's arms give out and he drops the bar on his chest, and Justin is too busy with his jaw on the floor to notice.

"Shit." I hurry over to help Adam get the weights back up with my good arm. Once it's set, he shoots up.

"A daughter? You have a daughter?"

A smile grows across my face because yeah, I have a daughter. I pull my phone out and find some pictures of my girls. "Her name is Stevie and she's four."

Adam takes my phone and scrolls through. "Holy shit. You have a daughter."

"I do."

Justin glances around at the phone. "Fuck. What are you going to do?"

"What do you mean what am I going to do?"

Justin looks completely dumbfounded. "About having a kid? It seems convenient that once she found out who you are that she told you it's yours."

He did not just say "it."

"Ignore him." Adam tosses my phone back. "I'm happy for you, man."

"Thanks, I'm hoping I can convince Wyla to move up here eventually, but for now I'll be doing some extra traveling. "

Adam shrugs. "Hey, you do what you got to do, family comes first."

"Yeah, it does." My phone vibrates with a text from Wyla.

Anna brought Mom some t-shirts with your team on them and she got a little carried away on the sewing machine. Whatcha think?

A picture comes through next of Stevie with a toothy grin in a t-shirt that's a little too big but has a skirt sewn on the bottom and my team's logo on the pocket. Another picture comes in with Stevie turned around and there's my number on the back.

Everybody better be fucking glad I don't know how to fly a plane or else I'd be hijacking ours taking it straight to my girls.