10. Chapter 10

Chapter ten

Grady

“Tighten it up!” I call out to Chase on the mound. Our eyes meet and he nods—thank God—taking my coaching seriously. The kid might have a fucking attitude at the garage, but on the field, he’s actually fucking listening.

I’ll take what I can get.

Chase waits for the call from the catcher. They agree on the pitch, and then he hurls the ball toward home plate, striking out the kid at bat.

“Hell yeah!” Scottie cheers from behind me, and I can’t help but laugh at her outburst.

It’s our first home game with Chase pitching and me as a coach, and that rush? The thrill of the game, the strategy, and the laser focus it takes to win at baseball? God, I didn’t realize how much I fucking missed this.

My gut was right on the money about putting Chase on the mound. The other boys are starting to come around too, as we end the top of the sixth inning, up by seven runs .

“Nice job, kid,” Ryan tells Chase as he runs past him into the dugout.

“Thanks, Coach.” Chase takes a seat on the bench, chugging from his water bottle as a few of the other players congratulate him.

Ryan turns to me after sending our first player up to bat. “The arm on that kid.”

“I fucking know it.” Chewing my gum, I watch Ryan call out to the players up to bat. Then murmurs behind me catch my ears.

“Looks like Reynolds found his new protégé,” one of the boys mutters from the bench.

“Maybe he’ll be able to prove that he’s not washed up after all,” the kid beside him replies.

I spin on my heels and close the distance between me and the kids, narrowing my eyes at Trent and Jared. Of course it’s these two running their mouths.

“You have something to say to me?” I grate out, attempting to rein in my rage because fighting with punk-ass teenagers wasn’t on my agenda for the day, let alone my life as a thirty-five-year-old man.

“Nope,” Jared snickers, covering his mouth with his hand.

Ryan rushes over to me as the rest of the team crowds around. “What’s going on?”

I glare down at the boys. “Nothing.”

Chase peers up at me from the bench, his brow furrowed because he must have heard what they said. And I’m sure he’s wondering why I didn’t say anything back.

Why didn’t I tell Ryan how disrespectful and out of touch those boys are with reality?

Because the opinion of a sixteen-year-old boy isn’t relevant.

Spinning around, I go back to the edge of the dugout, hanging my hands over the railing while I will my heart to stop racing. I clench my fists together, taking in deep breaths and blowing them out as one of our players gets a double, putting us on base.

“You sure you don’t want to tell me what’s going on?” Ryan asks, taking his spot beside me again.

“It’s not important.”

He drops his voice and says, “Jared is a fucking douche.”

I twist my head to meet his gaze. “Are you allowed to say that about a kid?”

“I can if it’s the truth. His dad is always on him about being the best at the game, and thinks his kid walks on fucking water, but the truth is, he’s mediocre. If he practiced as much as he ran his mouth, he’d be a much better ballplayer.”

I huff out a laugh and direct my eyes back to the field. “I never thought the hardest criticism I’d face in this position would be from the kids.”

“Take it as a compliment. They’re in the presence of baseball royalty.” He places his hand on my shoulder.

“Ha.”

“You’re right where you’re supposed to be, Grady. And even if the only kid you get through to this year is Chase, your expertise could change that kid’s life.” I turn to face Ryan again. “All it takes is one person’s influence to change the entire path we travel.”

Ryan walks away from me to hustle the boys together as we prepare to go back on the field. The pitcher on the other team struck out our next three kids at bat, but we’re still ahead with three more innings to play.

As I watch Chase take the mound again, I glance back at Scottie. She’s snapping pictures of her son on her phone, smiling. Then she places her phone in her pocket, beaming as she watches him do his thing .

But the pride on her face? It’s so mesmerizing that I can barely look away.

I should be watching the game. I should be coaching, which is what I’m here to do.

But all I want to do is watch her .

Is that how I’ll feel one day watching our kid do something they love? Will the nerves of watching them succeed, intertwined with the fear of seeing them fail, ever go away? What advice will I give my child when they encounter haters like I just did?

The responsibility of my impending fatherhood slams into me for the hundredth time, feeding my own insecurities about my capabilities as a parent. I’m terrified to let my child down, to not say or do the right thing, but I know that Scottie can teach me how to navigate that. Hell, she’s a remarkable mother. The love she has for Chase practically oozes from her pores. Her entire life changed when she had him and she instantly fell into that role without a backward glance.

But can I do that too?

I had to walk away from baseball completely because losing it was the worst heartbreak I’ve ever suffered. Being around it again, though, reminds me of the joy it brought.

And that’s what being around Scottie again feels like too.

My eyes find her belly, concealed by her blouse, but I know there’s a bump there.

My kid will be here in less than six months. My life will look completely different.

But I’m the one in control of how it looks, right?

For once, that truth radiates from my mind.

I have the choice of where to go from here. For the past five years, I felt the complete opposite. But now, my future is so clear—and it includes Scottie and Chase.

I just hope I don’t strike out with no one to blame but myself…again.

***

“Sorry I’m late.” My sister comes up next to me as I watch my niece dance through the small glass window in the waiting room for parents. It’s Friday night which means I’m on dance duty like Astrid asked me to be, and the truth is, watching Lilly smile and twirl around is exactly the distraction I need right now.

“You’re not late. There’s still fifteen minutes of class left,” I say, pulling my sister into my side and kissing the top of her head.

“For a moment there, I thought I might be. We have so many orders for tomorrow that I felt guilty leaving early, but Tanya assured me she had it under control.”

“I could have taken her home if you needed me to.”

“I know, but you and I needed to talk anyway, right?” Our eyes meet and she winks up at me.

“Yeah.” I blow out a breath. “Outside?”

Astrid’s eyes move around the small room filled with people. Other parents are corralling their kids as they play with some toys on the rug in the center of the room, and several other parents are engaged in their own conversations. I don’t usually converse with people while I’m here because I’m much more interested in watching Lilly dance. “Probably best.”

We exit the room and round the corner of the building, out of sight and earshot. “So, how are things going with Scottie?”

“Well, not much has developed since our appointment on Wednesday, but some things are happening with Chase. ”

Astrid crosses her arms and draws her brows together. “Like what?” I spend the next few minutes recounting my interactions with him at practice and when he was working at the shop, as well as his performance during the game yesterday. By the time I’m done, emotion is written all over Astrid’s face. “God, Grady. My heart hurts for the kid.”

“I know.”

“I mean, we know what it was like to not have a father around, but we never really remembered what it was like when he was there. His absence was normal. There was no whiplash of wondering if he’d actually show up when he said he would because he was never there to begin with, you know?”

“Yeah.”

“And as far as baseball, I think you’re right listening to your gut. Hell, you know the game inside and out. If Chase is as good as you say he is, foster that. He will come around, eventually.”

“How do you know that?”

She smiles up at me. “Because everyone needs someone to look up to.”

“I don’t know if I’m the person he should be looking up to…”

She cuts me off. “That’s funny. Because I know that you are. You’re strong, loyal, confident, determined, and hardworking.” She pauses, emotion clogging her voice. “That’s why I look up to you, Grady. And Chase can learn those things from you too.”

“Fuck, Astrid.” I pull her into my chest, squeezing the shit out of her because I needed to hear that. “Why do you gotta say shit that makes me want to cry?”

She laughs. “I love you. You’re the best freaking brother and you’re going to be an amazing dad. But I’m pretty sure you’re not just worried about this stuff with Chase,” she says as we part .

I run my hand through my hair. “I need to wear down Scottie, Astrid,” I admit, shaking my head. “She’s so fucking stubborn. I can tell she wants me, and the more time we spend together, I know she is what I want, but…”

Astrid puts her hand up to cut me off. “Think about her history, Grady. I mean, look at how Brandon scarred me, how hard it was for me to let Penn in—this man I knew practically my entire life but still didn’t want to hand over my heart to.” Astrid sighs. “It’s going to take time. You can’t expect for her to change her mind overnight, but if you think she feels the same way, at least you know the battle is worth fighting.”

“I’m not a patient man, Astrid.”

“You’re patient when it matters,” she counters with an arched brow. “Is Scottie worth taking things slow?”

“Yes,” I reply without hesitation.

“Then show her you’re serious. Give her time and let her see that you’re not going anywhere.”

I nod, taking in her advice. “I can do that.”

“Good. Because you’re building something real here, Grady. That’s worth the wait.”