Page 9

9

CREW

The visiting locker room at Petco Park smelled like victory, among other things. We had just sealed our second straight win, this one against the Padres, finally shaking off the losing streak that had been dragging us down for weeks. The team was on a high as the guys and I stripped off our uniforms and tossed them toward the laundry bins in the center of the clubhouse.

I’d driven in a couple of runs, Singleton had made a few solid plays at first base, and the bullpen had held steady. A couple more wins, and maybe we’d finally turn the season around.

“Two in a row, boys!” Latham boomed. “Feels good to be back on track.” He grinned, shoving Neal’s shoulder playfully as he passed.

I sat in the chair at my locker, running a hand through my hair as Singleton walked by. We hadn’t talked much in the dugout, but every now and then, we caught each other’s eyes. We’d been hooking up for weeks, but we hadn’t talked about what it meant or where it was going. I wasn’t even sure what I wanted. Once he went back down to AAA, then we wouldn’t see each other anymore unless for some reason he was brought up again.

“Who’s coming out?” Davenport asked from across the room as he adjusted his watch. “There’s a sick band playing at our usual bar tonight.”

“What band is it?” Singleton asked.

“California Thunder. They’re a local rock band, and the lead guitarist is married to Chase Matthewson.”

My hands stilled as I was buttoning my shirt. “The Rockies’ former shortstop?”

“Yeah. Small world, huh?” Davenport answered.

“Think Matthewson will be there?” Payne inquired. “I wouldn’t mind meeting my predecessor.”

I shook my head. “Doubt it. He does the post-game show for the Padres.”

“Maybe after, then,” Payne went on, hopeful.

The hotel we were staying at was right across the street from the ballpark. Once we were changed and had put our bags in our rooms, a few of us met up in the lobby. Singleton was there, sitting in a high-back chair as he scrolled on his phone. I took the seat next to him and he turned his head toward me.

“I was just looking up Chase Matthewson and did you know, the Rockies have had three former players come out as bisexual?”

I hesitated before answering, “I did.”

He leaned closer and lowered his voice to say, “Maybe something’s in the water.”

I went to reply but the rest of the guys walked up.

“Ready?” Robinson asked.

Singleton and I stood.

“Yep. You buying the first round?” I asked Robinson.

“Sure. I’ll get a few pitchers for the table.”

The bar was one we always hit when we were in town since it was close to the hotel and we could walk. The place always seemed to have live music, and the regulars were chill about non-locals in their space. The guys and I took over a section in the back and pushed a couple of tables together. Robinson and Payne brought over the beer and glasses and we each poured ourselves some.

I leaned back in my chair, watching the band set up and enjoying the feeling of our win still running through me.

Singleton sat next to me, close enough that I could feel the heat coming off of him but not close enough to draw attention our way. I glanced over, and Singleton smirked.

He nodded his head toward the guitarist. “Chase’s husband is hot. I’d hit that even though he’s old enough to be my dad.”

Before I could say something, a voice interrupted us.

“Hey, Crew.”

Brows furrowed, I turned my head as a woman stepped up to our table. She was pretty with long, dark hair and dark eyes. She looked vaguely familiar.

“Hey,” I said, setting my beer down. “Have we met before?”

“We did a couple of months ago.” Her gaze flicked over the table, then settled back on me. “And we ... you know. Can we talk though?”

I sat up a little straighter, now remembering the one-night we’d shared, but I still couldn’t think of her name. “I’m enjoying a drink with my team. Maybe another time.”

She took a breath and squared her shoulders. “All right. Well, I’m pregnant and it’s yours.”

The noise of the bar faded. Maybe it was just in my head, but everything else suddenly felt a hell of a lot quieter except for the ringing in my ears. I felt Singleton’s stare, and when I turned my head, our eyes met.

I swallowed hard before looking back at her. “No, it’s not.”

Her expression tightened. “Excuse me?”

“It’s not mine,” I stated again, shaking my head. “I always use protection.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Condoms aren’t one hundred percent.”

I could feel the shift at the table as everyone watched the exchange.

Rubbing a hand over my face, I said, “Look, I don’t know what you want me to say. ”

“You need to take responsibility,” she shot back. “Pay for my medical bills. I know it’s yours, Crew. It was the night after your walk-off in April. We were at this bar. We?—”

“I remember,” I cut in. I’d had a few drinks that night, but not enough to forget. I remembered her, remembered how the night had ended, but I knew I hadn’t taken that kind of risk and had used a condom.

The table was dead silent now. Even Latham, who always had something to say, kept his mouth shut.

Singleton cleared his throat. “Maybe this isn’t the place for this conversation.”

She ignored him, her eyes still locked on me. “I’m keeping the baby, and I need help financially and getting everything I need for when the baby arrives in seven months.”

My stomach twisted. I didn’t know what to say to that. Didn’t know how to process any of it. The idea that I could be a dad …

No. I wasn’t. Because this wasn’t my kid. There was no way.

A sliver of doubt crept in because maybe she was right; condoms weren’t a hundred percent.

I pushed back from the table, my chair scraping against the floor. “We should talk somewhere else.”

Her shoulders relaxed slightly. “Okay. Thank you.”

Walking out of the bar, I turned to face the woman whose name I couldn’t remember, shoving my hands into my pockets.

“All right,” I sighed. “Let’s talk.”

She looked up at me. “I wasn’t trying to blindside you in there. I just … I didn’t know how else to get in touch with you, and then I saw the Rockies were in town.”

“You could’ve reached out through social media, or my agent.”

“I was scared you’d ignore me.”

I pressed my lips together. She wasn’t wrong. If I’d seen a random message claiming I was the father of some baby, I probably would’ve assumed it was fake and blocked her.

“I know this is a shock, but I’m not lying. I haven’t been with anyone else since that night.”

I frowned. “You’re sure?”

Her jaw tensed. “Yes, Crew. I’m sure. I’m very much pregnant, and you’re the father.”

I stared at her, my mind racing. My hands felt clammy, and a weird heat started crawling up my neck. This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be. But what if it was true?

I swallowed hard. “I’m gonna need proof.”

She blinked. “What?”

“A paternity test,” I said firmly. “If you’re so sure, then you won’t have a problem proving it.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You think I’m lying?”

“I think I can’t just take your word for it.”

“Fine. Give me your number and I’ll text you the info after I look up what needs to be done.”

“Given my busy schedule, how about you coordinate with my agent? He’ll be able to reach me.”

“Whatever,” she huffed and handed me her phone to input Lee’s number.

It was on the tip of my tongue to ask her what her name was but I didn’t want to come off as more of a dick since I barely remembered the hook up. I’d find out later.

When I returned to the bar, the guys were still at the table. Latham looked up first, his brows raised. “Well?”

I grabbed my beer and took a long sip before answering. “I told her I wanted a paternity test before I gave her a dime.”

“She might just be some cleat chaser after a payday,” Neal suggested.

The thought had crossed my mind. “If that’s the case, I’m not falling for that shit.”

“You okay?” Singleton asked.

I wasn’t. Not really. But I nodded anyway. “Yeah. I need to figure this out and get my head on straight.”

“You will,” he assured me.

Just as the band started to play, I exhaled, rubbed a hand over my face, and pushed back from the table. “I’m heading back to the hotel. I’m not in the mood to celebrate.”

Singleton was already moving to stand. “I’ll walk with you.”

Latham arched a brow but didn’t question it.

“You don’t need to do that. Stay and watch the band.”

He shook his head. “It’s cool. I don’t mind.”

“All right.”

I could feel the weight of my teammates’ stares as Singleton and I stepped outside together.

“You sure you’re good?” Singleton asked.

“No idea,” I admitted. “It’s a lot to think about.”

“It is. But you’ll handle it one way or another.”

I scoffed, shaking my head. “You think? Because my mind’s going a million miles an hour, and none of it makes sense. One second, I was having a drink, and the next—” I looked up at the sky. “How the hell am I supposed to deal with this?”

He stopped walking, turning to face me. “You asked for the test. That’s step one. You’re not running from it, Stratton. That says a lot.”

“I guess.”

We kept walking, the quiet stretching between us, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Just something steady in the middle of all the chaos swirling in my head. After a moment, I blew out a breath. “What does this mean for us?”

He slowed his steps, glancing over. “Us?”

I rubbed a hand over the back of my neck. “Yeah. I mean ... this changes things, right?”