“Things are getting better. He’ll get there.”
“Stop talking about me like I’m not in the same fucking room, and tell me who the hell Grace is,” Colton snapped.
Seth shook his head and replied, “Just forget it.”
We sat there in an awkward silence for several minutes before we were finally called back into Dad’s room. When we walked in, he was propped up on the bed talking to the doctor, and we were all relieved to see that he was looking much better. Once we’d all gathered around, the doctor turned to us and said, “I’ve gone over all your father’s test results, and his heart is functioning in the normal range for his age. I believe that the angina he experienced last night were esophageal spasms.”
“They were what?”
“Spasms of the esophagus. They occur when acid reflux causes irritation in the esophagus. In turn, these spasms can create severe pain in your throat and the upper area of your chest. I’m certain this is what your father’s discomfort was the other night, especially after he described the foods he'd eaten earlier that day,” the doctor explained.
I turned to Dad and asked, “What foods had you eaten?”
“Just the usual stuff. Sausage and eggs and maybe some orange juice for breakfast, then I ate me a handful of those chocolate nuggets that your mom always liked. For lunch, I had a bologna sandwich with a glass of tomato juice … and then I had spaghetti with you boys.”
“And you drank a few beers, too,” I added.
“I did. What of it?”
“Have you ever heard of a TUMS?” I mocked. “If you’re gonna eat that kind of shit, your stomach is going be like a ticking time-bomb, Dad.”
The doctor shook his head. “At your father’s age, he really needs to be more careful about what he eats, and it wouldn’t hurt for him to get a little physical activity now and then.”
“We’ll see that he does,” I assured him. “Can he go home now?”
“Yes. I’ll get his discharge papers, and once they’re signed, he’s free to go.”
“Thanks, Doc.”
He reached into his pocket and offered me a card. “Here’s the name of a gastroenterologist. If your father has any more trouble, give him a call.”
Once he was gone, Dad looked at us and said, “Never seen so much fuss over a little indigestion.”
“You scared us, Dad,” I told him.
“Guess I shouldn’t have had that third beer, huh?” he teased.
“Probably not.”
Once we got him home and settled, Colton and Seth made a run to the grocery store to grab Dad some healthier meal options, while I cleaned out the fridge. It didn’t take us long to get everything sorted, and we all agreed to try to work together to get him back on track. Between Dad, ball practice, and rehab, the next week was a complete blur. My pitching coach had called for an update, so I knew he was eager for my return—I just didn’t realize how eager. Right after that conversation, I was called up to the Atlanta Skyhawks, our local Minor League team, and I had eight days to get my leg ready and in optimum shape for practice. My doctor would sign off to validate that my right quad was healthy enough only after I passed his final evaluation, so there was no time to waste. I had to make sure I was ready, or a minor injury might end up costing me everything.
By the time Friday rolled around I was completely fried, and I barely made it to the last practice before our first big game. As I hobbled through the gate, Colton informed me, “Our uniforms came in.”
I grimaced as I sat down on the bench. “Okay.”
“You all right?”
“Yep.” I rested my head against the fence and closed my eyes. “What are we doing about the uniforms?”
“We’ll give them to the parents when they come to pick up the kids after practice.”
“Alright.”
“I asked Bill to bring his team over for a quick scrimmage. Just want to make sure the kids are ready for the game on Monday.”
With my eyes still closed, I mumbled, “Umm-hmm.”
“His team won the league last year, so it’ll be interesting to see how our boys do against them.”
“They’ll do fine.”
“I don’t know. His kid is only nine, but he looks like he’s at least sixteen.”
“Umm-hmm.”
“I’m serious. You should see this kid. I bet he’s already 5’8” or 5’9” and weighs at least 220, if not 240.”
I opened one eye. “Bullshit.”
“I’m not fucking around, Tucker. The kid is a giant. Just wait and see.”
Sure enough, when the other team arrived at the field, they had several kids who looked big enough to be in high school. I was worried that they’d demolish our poor boys, but they held their own; in the end, they only lost by a couple of runs. I thought they’d done pretty fucking well for their first real practice game. I was thrilled for all of them, especially Kaden, who knocked a three-run homer outta the park.
When the scrimmage was over, I spotted him talking to Kaci by the fence. I wanted to congratulate him, so I headed over to them. “Awesome hit, Kaden.”
“Thanks, Coach Michaels.”
“You’re getting better every day, kid. Before it’s over, you’re gonna end up on the All-Star Team.”
His whole face lit up. “You think so?”
“If you keep practicing, you might just make it.”
I looked over at Kaci, and she wouldn’t make eye contact with me. I hadn’t seen her since the day her friend had invited me to meet them at the bar. With everything that had happened with Dad that night, there was no way I would have been able to make it. After our last conversation, I didn’t want her to have another reason to be aggravated with me, so I said, “I’m sorry I couldn’t meet up with you guys the other night.”
Her brows furrowed when she asked, “What do you mean?”
“Saturday night at Mulligans. Your friend invited me, and I’d planned to go, but—”
“Oh, that. It’s not a big deal. Things happen,” she interrupted with a coy attitude. “You did miss out on a great time though.”
“Oh, well. Maybe some other time, then.”
“Maybe.” She shrugged. “You ready to go, Kaden?”
“Yeah. Let me grab my things.”
He took off for the dugout, and we were left standing there alone. She looked up at me with those dark brown eyes, and in all my life I’d never been so mesmerized by a woman. She had no idea the effect she was having on me, mainly because I kept fucking things up with her. Every word out of my mouth came out wrong, and I ended up sounding like a complete asshole. It wasn’t all my fault. She was the most beautiful creature I’d ever seen, and my brain short circuited every time I was around her. Hell, it was all I could do to keep myself from reaching for her. I wanted to wrap my arms around her waist, pull her close as I claimed her with my mouth, and feel her body next to mine. As I stood there looking at her, I knew I had to try something. With her eyes locked on mine, I took a step towards her. “Kaci.”
“Yes?”
“I need to—”
“I’m ready,” Kaden announced as he stepped between us with a big smile on his face.