I rolled my eyes. Yep, the Ace Newman of old was just beneath the surface.
His words had put an image in my head though. Eliana with a rounded belly, her breasts swollen. Our baby sliding from her body as he or she entered the world. She’d make a good mother, nurturing and kind. Not like the bitch who raised her. I’d teach the kid to hit a ball, surf in the sea. Maybe…
What the hell was wrong with me?
In the space of two weeks, I got a fake girlfriend and turned her into a fake fiancée, and now I was dreaming about playing catch with Kane Junior or Juniorette?
I was so screwed.
But our kids would be cute. Maybe her strawberry hair and my green eyes?
Stop it!
“You okay?” Calvin asked, throwing an arm over my shoulders.
Was I?
“Yeah, man. Just a lot going on.”
He chortled. “I can see that. When do I get to meet her?”
“Today, actually. She’ll be at the game.”
“Nice. Her and about six million screaming tweenagers. You heard about all the pictures and signing shit we need to do before and after, right?”
I groaned. “Yep. Got my sharpies ready.”
He gave me a slap on the shoulder. “Alright, then. Be sure to hook your girl up with Whitney and Holly. Whit’s been doing some great wedding designs, and nobody can beat Holly’s cakes. We’ve got you covered. You set a date?”
I just stared at him. “What?”
He rolled his eyes. “A date, moron. For the wedding. Be prepared to drop a load. I thought I was going to have to take out a second mortgage to just pay for Whit’s dress.”
It was my turn to roll my eyes. Calvin’s contract exceeded my own. The man wasn’t financially hurting. But if his wife was a spender…?
Was Eliana a spender? She didn’t seem to be. Her clothes were nice, but she didn’t seem to be high maintenance, not that it mattered. It wasn’t like I couldn’t afford to buy her anything she wanted, but I didn’t want a wife who spent half of her life in a spa and the rest shopping. I wanted a wife who…
Stop it! She wasn’t going to be my damn wife. She…
Calvin slapped me on the back, bringing me back from my raging thoughts. “Anyway, I’m going to head out. I’m benched today, so I get to enjoy this fine weather. Catch ‘em high or low, okay, man?”
I held out a fist, and he bumped it. “Will do. I see another W in our column today.”
“Damn straight. We’ll be a contender yet.”
I watched him walk away. He seemed happy. He was another one who got into a shitload of trouble his rookie year. Almost lost his girl and his career in the space of a few months. Fame and fortune could go to a man’s head quick.
My dad always said that money brought out the true character of a person. If they were good inside, it made them better. If they were rotten… well, their stench only got worse.
I guessed, for the most part, that was true, but I thought there must be some exceptions. Like Ace, who was once as rotten as they came. He now donated half his salary to homeless vets and was constantly looking for run-down apartment buildings he could buy for them to live in.
Calvin was another example. He went sideways for a little bit as he learned to crawl then walk with his pockets loaded. But he reverted to the good ole country boy he originally was.
Me?
I was born with a silver spoon stuck in my mouth. I’d never had to fight for anything until I fought to make it to the majors. Women came easy, even before I wore the Beasts hat. Sure, I never knew if they wanted me or my money, but I never took the time to care because they were willing to give me what I wanted for a few expensive meals and some flowers.
Was that what I liked about Eliana? That she’d rather live on a farm than a penthouse? Rather stroke the fur of a dog than someone’s ego? That she learned sex skills from a YouTube video rather than try them out on a different partner every night?
Why was this driving me crazy?
For some reason, it felt like I needed to make some huge decision. Today. Right now. When in reality, she and I could take our time. We could get to know each other, even better now that she was living with me. We could find out if this attraction had substance to it. If she, like Nana said, was someone I’d want to trudge up a mountain with.
“Let’s go, Steele!”
Shaking away the nagging thoughts, I lifted a hand and pulled my shit together. Pulled on my uniform — I needed to get to work.
I grinned at the thought of bacon frying up in a pan.
***
Ignoring the piercing screams of hundreds of middle schoolers, I glanced up at the section behind the plate, looking for Eliana. She wasn’t here yet. Was she okay?
Luke wound up, and I forced my attention back on the batter, noticing where Todd Morris’s glove slid to before the ball left Luke’s hand.
“Strike.”
Alright. We were off to a good start.
Where’s Eliana?
Shit. I forced my focus back on the game.
Crack!
The ball went straight up in the air, soaring way above our dugout. Keeping my eyes on it, I waved the other guys off, judging speed and distance. It would be close, but I thought I could reach it. I jumped the wall and… a freaking kid’s glove popped up, snagging it before it got down to me.
My jaw clenched tight before I cursed a twelve-year-old out, I listened to the crowd boo the kid who now looked devastated that he’d cost us an out. Feeling sorry for him, I yelled. “Nice catch. Next time, let me catch it first, and I’ll sign it for you.”
Still red-faced, he gave me a thumbs-up, and I jogged back to my base to await my next chance to make a play.
By the third out, Eliana still wasn’t there, and I wished I hadn’t left my phone in my locker. Unease walked like a spider up my spine as I headed to our dugout. Was she okay?
We were up by one when it was my turn to bat. Todd had hit a zinger to center and was on second, waiting for me to advance him.
Glancing into the stands one last time before I took the plate, I saw her. She smiled and waved, a bag of popcorn in her hand. Zoe and… Mom and Nana were smiling beside her.
What the hell?
They were supposed to be on a plane right about now.
With zero time to puzzle through that, I took my position, crowding the plate. The pitcher wound up, then whoosh, it was in the catcher’s glove with a loud smack.
“Strike.”
Stepping out of the box, I gave the bat another few hard swings and glanced at Coach Griffin, who was standing next to our new batting coach, “Spaceman” Delaney. No signal from either man. Alright, I’d take what looked good then.
Back in the box, I waited. Outside and high.
“Ball.”
I ignored two more outside and highs then fouled one off into the stands. I stepped back into the box with two strikes and three balls on the board as the pitcher wound up again.
This pitch was beautiful. If I’d had time to smile, I would have.