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TWO

Present Day

Some memories etch themselves into your brain, the rare moments you instinctively know are life-changing. The ones you’re going to reflect on for the rest of your days. When I’m old and grey, looking back on my life, I already know what’s going to come back to me.

Back in elementary school, when my dad handed me a baseball.

Six years ago, when the doctor placed my daughter, Emilia, in my arms.

The last moments of our college championship, when I stepped up to bat and hit the ball over the fence, earning our team the win and the trophy.

And now, this one.

I stared out over the brand new green field of Erie City stadium.

From the box perched behind home plate, you could see almost everything.

The place was pristine, which made sense.

Construction finished three months ago—a minor miracle, considering the city only gave them two years to turn the old minor league stadium into one fit for a major league team.

But somehow, they did it, and all it needed now was fans filling the seats, ready to cheer on their brand new team.

Disbelief filled my veins. After years of waiting, praying for the chance, I got the call to come up to the majors.

The season had barely begun, but I’d already resigned myself to another year in the Triple-As.

Not that it was a bad gig—at least I was on the Hawks’ farm team.

It was more than what most guys got to say.

But the dream was always the majors—to feel that rush of playing at the top of the class.

So, when my coach sat me down two days ago and told me my card had been pulled, I almost had to pinch myself.

My disbelief amplified when the door opened, and a voice I knew all too well filled the space between us.

Grayson Anders smiled as he walked over to me, holding out his hand.

“Good to see you again, Cam. Sorry if I kept you waiting.” He motioned to the bar-height table in the center of the room. “Please, have a seat.”

I nodded, still trying to keep my cool. As I settled into the chair, I glanced up, looking at my idol on the other side of the desk.

God, I was going to puke. Even though I’d met Grayson Anders a handful of times, during those instances, he was just Gray, working at his family bar—a far cry from the major league world he’d left behind.

It was easy to separate the man from the legend, to forget he was one of the best ballplayers of the last decade.

But seeing him here now?

Gray’s dark eyes crinkled as he watched my jaw fall open. “Something to say, Cam?”

“I, uh…” I ran my hand through the back of my dark hair, wondering if I should have cut it.

My father was always strict about our attire and how we presented ourselves to society.

He’d probably ki ll me if he saw me showing up here without shaving, or at least trimming, my face.

“I’m kind of in shock. Vic didn’t mention you’d be the one greeting me. ”

“Called in a favor with Benny so I could be the one to welcome you aboard.” Gray smirked back at me. “As for Tori, I asked her to keep it between us.”

That didn’t surprise me in the least. My ex, Victoria, knew Gray was my hero. When she moved to Gray’s hometown, the woman didn’t even try to warn me; she let me walk into his bar like it was a normal occurrence. She still laughed about how red my face turned when I saw him for the first time.

I probably had the same dumb-founded look on my face now.

Gray leaned back in his chair, his tattoos poking out from his rolled-up sleeves. His dark metal wedding ring grabbed my attention, but he spoke before I could ask about his wife. “I’ve seen your tapes from the minors. You’re fast as hell, kid.”

“Thank you, sir,” I said, clearing my throat.

Gray shook his head. “Cut that sir shit out. It’s Gray—Anders, or Coach if we’re on the field. And this isn’t me blowing smoke up your ass, Cam. Our manager, Bennett Weber, is a hard guy to impress, and he liked what he saw. We’re excited to see what you’ll do up here.”

“Th—” My words cut off when Gray gave me a look.

“Like I said, this isn’t me telling you anything new.

You’re talented; you wouldn’t be here if you weren’t.

But getting to the game—that’s just the first part of this battle.

It’s a long season, and we’ve already had our share of ups and downs.

” He nodded to the window behind him. “You sure you’re ready for this? ”

“Hell yes.” I didn’t hesitate for a second. Nothing would keep me from that field.

Especially because this deal meant getting to be closer to my daughter.

Almost three years ago, the league had announced it would add four new teams: two in the National League and two in the American League.

I didn’t pay it much mind at first, mostly because I thought I’d still be in Texas.

But after my ex moved up here, and they announced they’d be creating a team in upstate New York, it clicked.

This was my shot at the dream—getting to play professional baseball and be close to Emilia.

I fought like hell to get moved to Erie City’s farm team, and my agent had come through right after Boston made me an offer.

Not that playing for Boston’s farm team wouldn’t be great, but the city was never home.

I’d visited long enough to get a sense of the place, but in my heart, I was a country boy.

I couldn’t relax with that much noise around me.

Also, the fans with the legacy teams were vicious.

They’d eat you alive if you messed up a play.

But none of those issues mattered most. No, that was the distance from my daughter. I hated being five hours away from Emilia. She was in kindergarten now, and it affected how much time I got to spend with her.

Playing for the Hawks meant I could see her as much as possible—the stadium was only forty-five minutes from Saint Stephen’s Lake, where my ex and daughter lived with her new boyfriend.

I was already looking at apartments halfway between the two, hopeful I’d get to spend most of my free time with Emilia.

“I’m ready for this, Gray.”

Gray nodded and tapped his hand on the top of the table.

“I’ll be honest with you, Cam—this is a young team.

A lot of these guys are coming up from the minors, just like you.

Everyone is looking to make a name for themselves, but we don’t need a group of superstars.

We need a team, one that can come together when we need it.

Counting on you, kid, to be a leader, both on and off the field. ”

My throat tightened, the pressure mounting on my shoulders. “I’m ready for it.”

He stood, holding out his hand. “Then welcome to the Hawks, Cam. Let’s make this a great fucking year.”