Page 49

Kelsey

I promised Sam I would be at his place when the game ended.

I turned on the television and listened to the game in the background while I worked on the proposal.

Crew played contentedly with his toys on a playmat for most of the afternoon, and when he went to sleep, I took Sam’s advice and curled up with the trashiest romance novel I could find in the bookstore earlier that afternoon.

I texted Sam at the store earlier to let him know I used the AMEX card. I didn’t hear back from him until after the game ended, and he checked his phone.

Sam: Good. Now, please do me a favor and don’t ask permission again. I also don’t want a play-by-play of every coffee, book, or pair of shoes you buy.

Me: I like to stick to a budget, though.

Sam: The limit on the card is $100K. If you need more than that, then let me know .

My heart rate spiked. Why the fuck did anyone need to spend that much money a month?

Me: Jesus Christ, Sam. A month?

Sam: Monica is having a Visa sent in your name, too, in case you can’t use the AMEX.

Me: Are you trying to overwhelm me?

Sam: No, just stating facts. There is nothing that you can put on the card that would make me regret giving it to you.

Breathe, Kelsey. I talked myself down from the ledge.

Me: Are you hungry? I picked up some chicken and made a salad.

Sam: I’m starved.

Me: Ok, I’ll start cooking now.

Sam’s oven was more complicated than it looked, but I’d been able to preheat it and had the chicken breast ready when he walked in the door.

While researching, I also realized that it connected to WiFi and had an app, so I downloaded that and wondered what I would ever do with wireless access to an oven.

“Sorry, it’s not that creative. I wasn’t sure what you would eat, so I stuck with the leanest meat I could think to make.”

Sam made a plate piled on several chicken pieces and scooped out an oversized salad. “I usually have meals premade for me. This is perfect. Thank you.”

“My book was great, thank you.”

“Please don’t thank me for buying you a book. ”

“I’m not, but I’m thanking you for suggesting that I take time to read. I used to love reading. I lost that part of myself, and it felt great to get it back. I also made great headway on the proposal.”

“Can we look at it together later?”

“Of course. Oh, why did Colby throw the change-up to Peterson? He should have known that it wouldn’t go well.”

“Did you watch the game?” Sam asked, as he barely contained his excitement.

“Yeah, I figured I would try to learn a bit about your work. That was a tough loss tonight.”

“Well, we’re not quite halfway through the season. There’s still some time to get it together. If we can do well against New York this week before the break, we’ll be close enough to them in the standings to be competitive.”

“But what about Baltimore?”

“Yeah, probably not going to happen. But the wild card is still on the table.”

“If you had to look back at the end of your career and determine whether it was good, what would you want to have accomplished?”

“Every pitcher dreams of a perfect game.”

“You did that. What’s next?”

“I want a ring.”

“Because your dad has four?”

“No. My career stopped being about my dad a long time ago. The sports shows will compare us, but there’s a fundamental difference in how we play the game.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ll show you videos of him playing. He played most games hungover, which is scary because he dominated the game in the 90s.

Had he quit drinking, he would have been able to continue playing much longer.

He also wasn’t afraid to play dirty. One of his records was for the most ejections in a single season.

Who knows what records he would have broken if he’d been able to quit drinking. ”

We finished eating, cleared the plates, and stacked everything in the dishwasher.

“Shower with me?” he asked.

“Absolutely.”

“Is it me or my shower you love so much?”

“Can I plead the fifth?”

Sam chuckled as we made our way up the stairs.

“Did you get a run in this afternoon?” he asked.

“No, I’m going to go in the morning. Does that work with your training schedule?”

“I can make it work. Let’s do it. How was Crew tonight? I missed putting him to bed.”

“He was a good boy. But I’m sure he’ll wake up soon and say hello. He must be going through a growth spurt lately. He hasn’t slept through the night in a while.”

“Do you have any pumped milk? I can always give him a bottle when he wakes up one night.”

“I have gallons in my freezer at home. I save it for when my father watches him. But I can bring some here or at least get my pump. I should bring it with me to New York. It’s strange thinking that we’re going to fly there. It’s such a short flight.”

“Are you sure you’re good flying there without me?”

“Yes, I got it down. Dad is taking the train in for game day.”

“Ok, I confirmed with my mother for Sunday night. We can stay at her house in the Hamptons and return on Monday together. ”

“So, this is where I meet the entire family?”

“Everyone but Josie. You’ll get to meet her in Texas. Don’t look so nervous. They’re all going to love you.”

Easier said than done, Sam . I thought to myself. Not every day did someone’s son show up with a woman and a baby.