Page 11

Kelsey

B eing at the game was overwhelming but in a good way.

The energy that night had been electric, and while I didn’t understand what it meant, Sam had been “perfect,” and that was a big deal.

Crew had been great during the game and fell asleep in his carrier.

I asked the security guard for a quiet place to change him, and he led me to the family area in the stadium, letting me know I could wait there until Sam finished his post-game interviews.

“Does he usually have interviews after a game?” I asked the guard.

“Not like this,” he answered, shaking his head in amazement.

I realized quickly that I was with the other teammate’s wives and girlfriends, and there were still a few kids running around.

A tall, beautiful blonde introduced herself to me as Avery and helped me find a quiet place to nurse Crew.

She tried to figure out why I was in the family room by peppering me with questions.

While the other women were curious, they all seemed to accept my presence .

“Oh, I came as Sam’s guest tonight. I met him the other night and picked his Keno numbers; he seemed to think I brought him luck and thanked me with tickets to the game.” I attempted to explain the ridiculous scenario.

“Ah, he’s known to be superstitious, I can see that. But do yourself a favor; don’t tell that story to the rest of the WAGS.”

“WAGS?” I asked, confused.

“Wives and Girlfriends. Tonight was a game that will forever be one of the highlights of his career. My husband, Carlos Martino, caught the game. I haven’t talked to him yet, but I know he’ll be leaving here pumped up.

With the media frenzy, it might be a while before Sam makes it out to see you.

” She explained, helping me reach my bag where I’d left a burp cloth.

“I don’t want to seem stupid, but I don’t know much about the game. My sister had joined me but left to go home right afterward. She made it sound like perfect games were rare.”

“They are. Not only did Sam pitch the entire game, but he also made zero mistakes.”

“Shouldn’t he not make mistakes if they pay him that much money?”

Avery laughed out loud, “You know, after his last game, I thought someone would ask him that question in an interview. But they held back; I like your innocence; it’s refreshing. After being around the sport for a while, people get jaded.”

My phone dinged with a text, and I adjusted Crew so that I could read it.

Sam: I’ll be finished in a bit. I hope you can still wait for me. I have a proposition for you.

Me: Okay. I met Avery. She helped me find a quiet space. I can wait a little while.

Sam: Avery is good, but if Margo tries to get involved, be wary.

When Sam finished, security walked me to meet him near the back entrance. Crew had fallen asleep again after I nursed him, and the front of my shirt was covered in his drool.

“Hey,” Sam approached me cautiously, glancing down at Crew and then back up at me. “Who’s this?”

“It’s my son, Crew,” I answered, trying to gauge if he found this off-putting. This wasn’t a date by any means, but being around Sam, feeling the intensity he brought to a room, made me wish it was a date.

“Ah, I didn’t know you had a baby.”

“Well, we don’t really know each other.”

“Is Crew’s father okay with you taking him to the game?” Sam asked, and I had a sneaking suspicion Sam was trying to gauge whether or not I was single.

“His father isn’t in his life. I wouldn’t normally have brought him, but I rely on my family to help with childcare while I work; I didn’t want them to watch him for me to have fun at a baseball game.”

Sam clenched his jaw, swallowed, and took a second to respond. “Did the asshole just leave you to raise him alone?”

I sighed, “Can we talk about baseball? I just went to my first real baseball game, and apparently, some guy achieved something that only twenty-four pitchers have done before him. This is way more interesting than how I became a single mother.” I answered nervously.

Tom wasn’t a villain, but that didn’t mean I was ready to share all the sordid details of Crew’s conception.

It hadn’t gotten past me that Sam was immediately angry on our behalf .

“Yeah, okay. Where are you parked? I can walk you to your car while we talk.”

I had parked in a lot a few blocks away from the stadium. When Kylie left, she had walked home, and I hadn’t been looking forward to stepping back into the car myself. Being comfortable in the city and trusting it were two very different things.

“Was that your sister? She looks a lot like you.”

“Yeah, that was Kylie. We all look alike, but Kendra and I look the most like each other.”

“Wait, your father had three daughters, Kendra, Kylie, and Kelsey? Three K’s?”

“Mhm, hmm. He taught me little about baseball, but he wanted a son badly. We all had K names because he figured he’d officially struck out after the third girl. I was the final out, but I gave him Crew.” I gazed at Crew, and he stirred and stretched.

“You guys are okay, though?” He asked, gesturing to Crew.

“Of course. He’s an easy baby, and I have a lot of support. I work hard and am usually exhausted, but I have everything I need.” I was momentarily defensive. I could care for both of us; I didn’t need Crew’s father to help.

“Well, after tonight, I’m even more convinced you’re the source of my recent luck. I know this might sound crazy, but would you consider coming to my away game next Tuesday if I covered the cost of your travel? It’s in Minneapolis.”

“I can’t just leave the baby, and I have work,” I answered without hesitation. My automatic response to any request to go anywhere for the last year had been no.

“He can come with you. There’s no need to leave him behind. And I can replace any income you would lose by taking time off from work.”

I shook my head, “I can’t have you pay for me to travel and then relax at a baseball game.”

“Kelsey, I don’t think you understand. If you are responsible for my luck tonight, the money I made in endorsements alone after tonight’s game will cover your cost to travel privately to every game now through the end of the season.”

“Let me think about it; I’ve never traveled with him before. But can you also do me a favor?”

“What?”

“Can you stop talking about money like that? It makes me uncomfortable. I’m sure you work hard and have earned what you have, but I work hard too, and I still worry about whether there will be rent money on the first.”

Sam swallowed hard before responding, “Okay, but I want to compensate you.”

“Maybe.” Gah! I could never take money from him. I was starting to feel a little too much like the prostitute in the movie Pretty Woman.

We had arrived at my car, and I struggled to find the key fob, shifting Crew in his sling to help dig through my bag.

Once the doors unlocked, Sam opened the back side door and watched as I unstrapped Crew from his carrier and placed him in the car seat.

Sam watched with interest as Crew groggily opened his eyes before falling back to sleep.

“Can I help?” he asked as I weaved Crew’s arms into the straps. I wasn’t used to help and hadn’t expected Sam to offer.

“No, I’ve got it.” I turned quickly to say thank you and collided with his solid chest. He smelled of Old Spice, fresh from a post-game shower, and I inhaled sharply and tried to mask my reaction.

He steadied me when I stumbled, my head tipped back, and I looked up directly into his eyes.

Our gaze held, and his eyes dipped to stare at my lips.

The break in our eye contact was enough for me to pull away.

I slipped out of his hold, closed the back door, and walked around the front of my car to slip into the driver’s seat.

“Do you need a ride home?” I asked politely, though I hoped he had transportation.

I needed to clear my head and decide if I wanted to take him up on his proposition.

I also didn’t need to complicate my life by getting involved with a wealthy, cocky athlete that would toss me away the second he realized that luck didn’t exist and that I was the unluckiest woman on the planet.

“No, I drove my car tonight. Be safe, and I will call you tomorrow.”