Chapter 21

CHAPTER

TWENTY-ONE

ALEXANDER

The pure enthusiasm these kids have pulls a core memory of me playing ball when I was their age. Sure, the fields I played on were in better shape, the parents weren’t risking life or limb to sit in the stands, and our equipment was better, but I remember it just the same. The excitement of playing a game that was as simple as a ball and a stick and pure adrenaline. Those were the fun days before talent rose and competition grew from within. A time before your teammate became your competitor. A time when the game was just a fun thing to do with your friends on a Saturday morning.

“Mr. Mayhew, thank you for allowing me to join your team.” I shake his hand as I meet him for the first time.

“Mr. Decker, appreciate the help. I must say, I’m a little shocked, but I won’t say no to extra hands.”

“Please, call me Alexander. And I’m happy to help. You tell me what you need, and I’ll do it. It’s been a long time since I’ve played T-ball, but it started something pretty big in my life. ”

“Well, Alexander, prepare yourself to meet the team. We have ten kids, eight boys and two girls, and six of them are rookies. Hope you packed your patience. The goal is to teach some baseball, keep tears and scrapes to a minimum, and give them an hour of fun.”

I gulp. Patience isn’t my strong suit, but I’ll give it my all for something this important. “Got it. I’ll follow your lead.”

Kids start showing up, and I introduce myself as they arrive. They all come into the dugout and take a seat on the bench. I keep a running headcount and repeat their names, finding ways to remember them. It’s almost nine o’clock and no Tyler. I worry, but remind myself I’m here for the team. We go out to third base for our team huddle. I squat down, and the kids circle around me.

“Okay, Coach Mayhew gave you your positions. Go have fun. Everyone put your hands in, and on three, we’ll yell, Go, Sluggers. Got it?” I look at their excited faces, several with wide eyes. One kid’s hat is bigger than his head. I adjust it so he can see. I’m rewarded with a toothless grin.

“Sorry, sorry,” Tyler says as he joins the circle. His eyes go wide when he sees me in the middle of the circle.

“It’s okay, Tyler. You’ll be in left field, behind third base,” Coach Mayhew says. “This is Coach Decker. He’ll be helping us.”

Tyler’s smile fills his face. “Hiya, Coach.”

“Okay, on three. One, two, three, Go Sluggers!” The kids yell some variation of the chant, and we send them to their positions. Coach Mayhew put me in charge of the left side of the field. He’ll be coaching from the right. In T-ball, the coaches can be in the outfield, giving directions. We can’t touch the ball, and it’s just another instinct I’ll have to curb.

I do my best to focus on the kids, but I admit, I glance at the stands to see Dani’s reaction to me being here. Instead of seeing her warm smile, I’m met with the hard stare of her father in the front row. Given the comments from Tyler about my car, I’ve obviously be en the subject of conversation in the Franklin house. While he was polite at the Reapers game, I’m sure my intentions toward his daughter bring a different reaction. Her mother is behind him, a kind smile sent my way. Dani has her eyes on Tyler, actively avoiding me. Interesting.

That’s fine. I’m here to share space and time with her. Meet her where she is. During our family dinner last night, the discussion drifted to single mothers. Ashleigh thought she was being subtle, but I caught on pretty quick. Although no one mentioned Dani’s name, I knew what they were doing.

She asked Cole and Darcy about being raised by a single mother. They talked about the limited time, which I understand. I had already reached out to Mr. Mayhew before that conversation, but now I’m praying it was the right move.

We’ve made it through thirty minutes, and so far, no major disasters. A few under thrown balls, which is to be expected. One kid on the other team went from first to third via the mound, cutting out second. The way he bit his lip when he was running showed grit and determination. My patience isn’t tested as much as my ability to keep a straight face. Good thing I have a resting grump face.

“Coach Decker, Coach Decker,” Cruz calls from third base. “My nose is bleeding.” He’s trying to catch the blood in his glove, and it’s going all over his shirt. I’m not prepared for this. I run to the dugout to grab my gym bag, find a towel, and meet him halfway between the dugout and third base. Tears are filling his eyes, and he’s about to lose it.

“It’s okay, you’re fine. Take a deep breath.” I coax him to sit and tell him to tilt his head back. The game stops, and everyone is watching the medical emergency. I use the towel to pinch his nose and hope the bleeding stops quickly. “Is your mom here?” I ask. Please let his mom be here.

He shakes his head no. Great. I heard Coach Mayhew say he would take someone home because his mom had to go to work before the game ends, but I was hopeful she was still here .

“Has this happened before?” He shakes his head yes. Whew. Okay, so not something new. “What did you do to get it stopped before?”

“Twilit pooper,” he says from under the towel.

“What?”

“Twilit pooper,” he repeats.

I’m at a loss. I look up into the stands, searching for help. Dani’s gone. Surely she wouldn’t leave Tyler’s game because I’m here. I begin to panic. Between the nosebleed and Dani avoiding me, I’m unsure of myself, my typical confidence gone. I look around for help from anyone.

“Here, let me.” Dani comes to my rescue, appearing out of nowhere with a roll of toilet paper in her hand.

I release the breath I’m holding and assess the scene. Dani takes the toilet paper and creates a makeshift nose stopper with it. She works methodically and calmly. I don’t know if it’s her mom or teacher’s superpower, but I’ll take it. Does she always carry a roll of toilet paper? So many questions. She’s a mystery.

“Better?” she asks Cruz.

“Yup. Twilit pooper,” he says, like it was obvious to everyone but me.

She swats him gently on the butt and sends him on his way.

“Um, thanks for the save,” I manage. We both stand up, and even though we’re on an open ball field, I feel there isn’t enough air to breathe.

“In over your head, boss?” Not sure what’s up with her calling me boss, but I’m turned on by it. Her sassy mouth makes me chuckle.

“Not at all. I’ll have a better first-aid kit next time. I don’t normally carry toilet paper with me.” I’m mesmerized by the flecks of gold floating in her eyes, the way they crinkle when she smiles. Damn, her eyes have some magical hold on me. We don’t break eye contact. Our eyes are playing a game of chicken. Whoever looks away loses. But loses what?

She blinks and steps back. “Yeah, well, you were obviously not a Boy Sc out.” She laughs at me, leaving me more confused than ever.

“Boy Scouts carry toilet paper?” I’m still baffled.

“No, silly, always prepared. Come on, boss. You can do better than that. Get your head in the game.” She pops the bill of my hat and turns around to head back to the stands. If I didn’t know better, I’d say there’s a little extra sway in those hips as she walks away.

The coach from the other team steps beside me because I’m in the third base coach’s box, which is his space. “She’s a looker, isn’t she?” I glance at him to see his eyes are watching her walk away, and I want to punch him for looking at her like that. His beer belly jiggles a little while he silently laughs. “Down boy, happily married,” he says as he wiggles his wedding ring at me. “But doesn’t keep me from appreciating the fairer sex.”

I feel a low grumble in my chest. Getting into it with another coach is not the impression to make if I want to keep this volunteer gig. Besides, the Reapers don’t need another PR nightmare. I put on my boardroom stare and prepare to address the coach.

I remind myself why I’m here. “Thank you for investing in these kids,” I say as I shake his hand. I walk back to my place behind the shortstop and make eye contact with my side of the field. “Let’s focus, Sluggers!” A loud clap is their signal to watch the ball.

I sneak a glance at the stands to see Dani watching me, too. I wonder what’s happened that made her more open to flirting with me. Not sure of the catalyst, but I’m here for it. And when she called me boss? I’d like to show her who’s boss. I shake my head to clear those thoughts because popping a boner around a bunch of kids wouldn’t be prudent.

After the game, we huddle with the team, hand out snacks, and send them to their parents. Tyler hangs back with me until he’s the last kid in the dugout. I’m packing my gym bag and the remnants of the nosebleed incident, trying to think what I should be carrying here. Apparently, toilet paper .

“Hey, Coach Xander?” Tyler is standing near me, a crooked smile on his face.

“Hey bud, you played a good game. You made a few great throws to keep the other team from scoring.” I tap the bill of his hat, just like Dani did to me.

He did well. His throws were pretty accurate. Unfortunately, his teammates weren’t prepared to catch the ball. They have a few weeks to improve, and we’ll work on drills. Tyler’s a natural.

“Thanks. You wanna go to lunch with us? Mom said if I played good, she’d take me to lunch at the place they throw shrimp at you. Then I get to spend the night with Grandma, and she’ll make me cookies.”

“Throw shrimp at you?” I’m not sure I’ve ever been to a restaurant where they throw food at the customers. It’s becoming obvious I don’t speak six-year-old.

“Yeah, and they make fire, and it’s really good. Wanna come?”

This kid is bold and spunky, like his mom. I like him, even if I have no idea what he’s talking about.

“Sounds great, but I’ve got to get to the stadium. We have a big game tonight.” If he’s going to his grandparents, that means Dani may be alone. Or maybe she has a date. That thought irritates me. I need to ask what she’s doing tonight without coming on too strong. Julian’s voice echoes in my head about being subtle.

I could invite her to the game. I tick off the names of the people in my suite tonight and sigh. It’s the entire Decker clan. After our evening last night, they stayed for the game. Well, Tripp and Matt were already obligated, but the rest? She hasn’t met Trevor, Cole, Emma, or Chance, but hopefully, she’ll feel comfortable around the group. I’m inserting myself into her world, whether or not she asked me to. Is she ready for mine?

Like my thoughts materialized her, she peeks into the dugout. “Everything okay in here? ”

“Mom, I invited Xander to lunch, but he has to go help the Reapers win, but can we still go to the flying shrimp place?” Tyler is bouncing, all the energy in his body manifesting in his feet.

“Sure, tiger. Go with Grandma, and put your stuff in the car. I’ll be there in a minute.”

Tyler takes off, leaving us alone in the dugout, and I can feel the electricity in the air. There’s a tension there, and I’m not sure if I’m the only one feeling it.

“What are you doing?” Her tone is flat, not playful.

I usually pride myself on my communication skills, but today I'm clueless about what she’s asking.

“Packing my ill-prepared gym bag?”

“No,” she whispers. “What are you doing here?”

“Coaching?”

“But why?”

Okay. I prepared a response to this question. “Well, several reasons, really. One, I want to be a part of the community. I realized the need for volunteers, and I want to step up.”

“That’s pretty nice of you, Mr. Decker.” She gives me a look that calls bullshit, puts her hands on her hips, and shifts her weight to the side, ready for the next line I’m about to throw. She’s letting me continue to dig myself deeper into a hole. “Lots of things you could do. Soup kitchens, clothing drives, homeless shelters. Why here?”

“True. All true. But this is what I know. I know baseball. Me serving in a soup kitchen would be disastrous. Me helping coach the future of baseball? Just makes sense.” I hope I sold it because it’s true. It may not be my motivation, but I believe everything I said.

I get a slight nod. She bites her bottom lip to contain the smile trying to escape, her hard, inquisitive stare breaking.

“Do all your explanations come in several points? I’m practically waiting for the PowerPoint.”

“They do. My decisions are sound, reasonable. I don’t do things witho ut thinking them through. You need to know that about me, Dani. I don’t do things on a whim. Now, if you’ll allow me to finish,” I say with a pause. “I know a lot about baseball. I have information that could make a difference in these kids’ lives. You teach in a classroom. I teach on a diamond.”

“Those are all excellent reasons, but why here? Why this team?” She crosses her arms under her chest, and her boobs are lifted in my direction. I can’t help but notice the distraction. “Eyes up here, Decker.”

“Yeah, sorry.”

“I told you, no more apologies.” Her tough facade cracks a little more. “Answer my question, please.”

I clear my throat and look into those magical eyes. “Why here? Isn’t it obvious? Because you’re here. I want to be in your world, to see you. I know you’re busy with work and Tyler, and I respect the hell out of you for that. So I thought I could do some good for the community, help poor Mr. Mayhew, get to know Tyler better, but mostly, see you. Meet you where you are. Is that okay?”

I search her face for a tell, some sign it’s okay. I hope she doesn’t think I’m using her kid to get to her. If she didn’t have a kid, I’d approach it differently. She and Tyler are a package deal, and I’m good with that.

“Good enough. Sounds like a sound decision.” She drops her arms and gives me a half smile.

Whew. I wasn't sure how she would react, but I'm glad it's all good. I breathe a little easier when she gives me a full-on Dani smile that lights up her eyes and brightens my world. I give myself a mental celebratory fist-pump. I did it! I made Dani Franklin smile.

“So, I have this thing tonight,” I start.

Her smile beams. “You mean the game that could decide if your team wins the division and goes to the World Series?”

“Have you become a baseball fan, Ms. Franklin? ”

She gives a slight shrug. “Meh. I might know these people, and baseball is important to them.”

“Well, yeah.” I clear my throat. This dusty field is getting to me. “I would like to invite you to attend tonight’s game. As my guest. That is, if you’re interested.” I can’t explain why being there because I asked is important to me, but it is. It’s like she’s saying yes to me.

“Won’t you be working?”

“Not much tonight. My friends and family are in town.” I adjust my hat, turning it backward to see her better. “So I should warn you about that. You need to make an informed decision. If you decide to attend, you might be of more interest to them than the game.”

“And why would I be of interest, Mr. Decker?” She knows, but she’s making me say it, anyway. And I swear, when she calls me Mr. Decker with that sassy mouth, I have images that are inappropriate for this dugout with her kid and parents a few feet away.

I clear my throat again. “Trust me, you will be. If you would like to invite Jenny to feel more comfortable, she’s invited too.”

“Do you think I’ll be uncomfortable?”

“That wouldn’t be my intention, but I like to plan for all scenarios.”

“And are you always thinking of all scenarios and planning for them? Or do you just ever go with the flow?” She gives me a devious smile. Where is she going with this?

“I don’t like to be caught unprepared,” I answer honestly. “Like the nosebleed. But I’ll be ready next time.”

“Good to know.” She's nodding like she's having a private conversation, and I'm definitely the topic.

“Moooooommmmm,” Tyler calls from somewhere outside of the dugout.

“Um, wow. Yeah. I’ve gotta go.”

“So, tonight?” I’ve never been more unsure of a response. Usually, I can tell which way people are leaning when asked for a decision, but with her? She’s unpredictable. I don’t know what she’ll say next, but I want her to say yes.

She shrugs. “Maybe? I guess you’ll see. Gotta keep you on your toes.” She gives a wink.

“Okay. I’ll leave credentials for you and Jenny at the VIP window.”

“Planning for all scenarios?” She’s teasing me, and I’m unsteady. Is she flirting?

“Planning for the best scenario.” I smile at her. It pains me to say goodbye, but she has obligations, and I won’t get in the way of them. “Go. You promised Tyler flying shrimp or something?”

“Yep. Something like that.” I’m not sure what that is, but I’ll be asking around to find out. If it’s something they like, I’ll try it too. “See ya’ around, Coach.” She gives me a wink and walks out of the dugout, most definitely putting some extra swing in her hips.

What the hell am I doing? I’m used to being the one in charge, but this woman? She’s one hundred percent calling the shots.