Spotlight: Chapter 12

After the game, the locker room isn’t as celebratory as I would have imagined for a team pulling off a no-hitter. The guys all celebrated in the moments after the final out, but as the high has worn off, most of them are back to ignoring me.

“I never thought I’d be a part of something like that. Even in a spring training game,” JT says to me. “Thank you.”

“I couldn’t have done it without you,” I tell him truthfully. My arm aches and my under-shirt sticks to my body. I have ice wrapped around my right shoulder. Coach wanted to pull me after the seventh inning to rest my arm, but I was too close to winning my bet with Olivia to let a little pain hold me back.

A no-hitter. Something only a handful of pitchers have ever done. Sure, we were playing a team that’s only marginally better than us and their best hitter is out with an injury, but no matter the situation, pitching a no-hitter is still damn hard to do.

I was on fire for the first five innings, but after that it was my team that pulled it off. We looked like we knew what we were doing. Error-free, working together, communicating, and getting it done. It makes me even more inspired to keep at it and get out of here next year. I want to play on a team that makes this kind of magic every night.

I check my phone while I let the ice work on my muscles. I have a bunch of texts from people congratulating me: friends, college teammates, my agent, and of course, my brothers. Brogan’s been busy changing the group name again by the looks of it.

I close out without reading the next ten drink name suggestions from Brogan. I’m too tired to tap out a reply right now. One person is missing though. My dad is doing a cross-country drive with some friends and the woman he started dating recently. I haven’t seen or heard from him in a month. I thought by the time the season started he’d be back, but still nothing.

Once I’m showered and ready, most of the team has cleared out of the locker room. It hadn’t occurred to me earlier how I was going to meet up with Olivia, but I pull up my texts again now with plans to bug my future sister-in-law for her best friend’s number.

I glance up as I push out of the locker room and, to my surprise, spot Olivia and Greer. Only family are generally allowed in this area, but however she got here, I’m not about to complain.

“You waited,” I say as a smile spreads across my face. I half-expected her to bolt when she realized I’d won our bet. Then again, I don’t take Olivia as someone who backs down from a challenge.

“Congrats, Hotshot. I underestimated you.”

Greer holds her mom’s hand, beaming up at me. She signs with her free hand to me, .

I wonder if Archer taught her that one. Either way, it makes me laugh. I freaking love this kid. She’s the coolest.

I say and sign.

“We wanted to say congrats, and I thought I should tell you in person that I can’t go out with you tonight.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t have a sitter and it’s a school night anyway. We have a whole bedtime routine.”

“We read books together and sing songs,” Greer tells me proudly.

Right. I hadn’t considered that she’d be busy or not have a sitter. I’m disappointed but at least she’s not bailing for some bullshit excuse.

“Sounds fun.” I tamp back my disappointment and give Greer a small smile.

“Here’s my number. Text me and we can figure something out for next week.” Olivia hands me a piece of paper with her number written in blue ink.

My excitement over finally having her number is short-lived. Next week? No way I want to wait that long.

“Why don’t we just grab ice cream or something quick?”

“Ice cream!” Greer’s eyes light up.

Oops. I flash Olivia an apologetic smile. I don’t know a ton about kids, but I think sweets are one of those things that parents try to limit.

“You want to use your one date to go for ice cream?” she asks, one brow stays quirked when she’s around me, like she’s prepared to challenge every word out of my mouth.

“Sure. I know a place not too far from here.”

“Please, Mom?” Greer asks in a pleading tone that mirrors the one inside my head and gives her mom big, puppy dog eyes.

Olivia’s gaze narrows slightly on me. Not in a defensive way, more curious.

“Please?” I repeat Greer’s plea.

“Okay.” Olivia nods. The relief I feel is palpable. “If you’re sure that’s what you want, then let’s do it.”

Olivia and Greer follow me in their vehicle to the ice cream shop. It’s a bright-colored place with boppy music playing. There’s a claw machine in the back of the store and Greer is pumping quarters into it trying to win a pink bouncy ball while Olivia and I sit at a table a few feet away.

“She’s cute,” I say as we watch her.

Olivia smiles, the first uninhibited smile she’s given me since we got here. I get the sense she’s nervous. Or seriously second-guessing agreeing to this date.

“I love that she signs for Archer.”

That uninhibited smile stretches wider. “She adores him.”

“The feeling is mutual,” I say, then ask, “What’s up with her dad? Is he still bailing on stuff?”

“I forgot I told you about that,” she says and then stares down at her scoop of Neapolitan.

“We shared a lot of things that night. I haven’t forgotten any of them.”

She looks up and holds my gaze for a moment then nods. “He lives in California, so the distance makes it hard for him to see her regularly, but he calls every Sunday, and they video chat.”

I don’t know if that’s normal for parents sharing custody or not, so I just nod. It wasn’t normal for my dad, but even he would agree that he wasn’t a good example back then. “Is he why you don’t date?”

“Only partly. I don’t have a lot of free nights, and I already rely on sitters and my family a lot when I’m working. I guess I don’t want to be away from her more than I already am. And definitely not for the dates I’ve been on recently.”

“You’re a good mom.” The words come out with little thought, but instantly I know they’re true.

“I don’t know about that, but I’m trying my best.”

“I know. She’s a great kid and you’re doing it mostly on your own. I admire that.” My mom did it mostly on her own too. I don’t remember much about the situation or her. She died when I was young, but I’ve heard enough from my brothers to know she was a badass single mom. Just like Olivia.

“Thanks.” Her cheeks take on a light blush. “So…the game today was wild. Have you ever thrown a no-hitter before?”

“Change of topic, huh?” I grin at her. She really hates compliments. We’ll work on that, but for now I don’t press. “Definitely not. Maybe never will again.”

I scoop a hunk of mint chocolate into my mouth and hold the spoon there as I let that sink in. Nah, I’m going to throw more. A lot more. I can’t stomach the idea that my best is behind me. Not with the Twins and not today. There is so much more I want to accomplish.

She leans into me, pressing her shoulder and arm to mine. “All just to get me to go out with you?”

“I would have thrown a perfect game if I had to.” A smirk tugs at my lips. “You may not have noticed, but I like you.”

“I’m starting to see that.” Her dry tone carries a hint of sarcasm.

“Starting to, huh? I need to rethink my entire strategy of picking up women.”

Light laughter slips out of her. She looks happier, lighter than I’ve seen her since New York.

“I think you’re doing just fine in that department.”

I shrug. It’s true I haven’t had a lot of problems finding dates. “I’m only interested in you.”

“Why?”

“You want a list?” I ask with a chuckle.

“You could date a million other women who are way less…”

“Awesome?”

“Complicated. Greer is amazing and I’m not ashamed or anything, but my life is different.”

“I like different.”

“You’re twenty-one. You should date someone who doesn’t have to check her schedule a month in advance to make plans or spends her nights packing lunches and sometimes can’t remember the last time she washed her hair.”

My lips quirk as she spirals in front of me. I feel the anxiety rolling off her and while that’s not funny, the fact she thinks she can scare me off with unwashed hair is hilarious.

She still has on the Mavericks hat and her hair is in a ponytail that hangs over one shoulder. I reach out and wrap my index finger around a silky, blonde lock. “You know, I spent a lot of my life being told what I should or shouldn’t do. I have four older brothers who all thought they knew what was best for me. But I’m not them. And I’m not any of the guys you’ve been out with who obviously didn’t realize what they were missing out on.”

“You have a good answer for everything.”

“Is that a yes?”

She fights a smile. “It isn’t a no.”

God, I love that she makes me work for it at every turn.

“How about double or nothing?”

“What?” she asks with a laugh.

I let my hand fall away from her hair. “I’m going to win your daughter that pink ball and when I do, you’re going to go out with me again.”

I push my chair back to stand and walk over to join Greer. She stomps her foot as the mechanical claw closes over the top of the ball, not gripping it well enough to grab a hold of it.

“Can I give it a try?” I ask her.

She takes a step to the side. We got five dollars’ worth of quarters when we came in and she’s worked her way down to the last three coins.

I put in a quarter and the machine hums to life.

Greer presses up onto her toes next to me and peers through the glass as I move the claw into position over the pink ball.

“Is this the one you want?” I ask.

She nods her head, blonde curls bouncing with the movement.

I move the claw another inch to the right, then carefully examine the position from every angle. “Okay. Want to hit the button?”

Greer’s smile is the sweetest, purest thing I’ve seen as she brings her little palm down on the red button. I squat down to her level as we watch the crane slowly lower and the claw open.

A shadow falls over us and I glance over my shoulder quickly to see Olivia has stepped up behind us.

I turn back in time to see the claw close over the top of the pink ball and then ever so slowly grab and lift it.

Greer bounces with glee as the claw drops her prize into the shoot where she can retrieve it. She snatches it up with a huge grin and then she must have misunderstood my intention of winning it for her because her smile falls, and she holds it out for me.

“Here’s your ball,” she says.

“It’s all yours,” I say and instantly that adorable grin is back.

She clutches it to her chest protectively. “Thank you, Hotshot.”

“Welcome, munchkin.” She really is the cutest dang kid.

I open my stance to meet Olivia’s gaze.

Her arms are crossed over her chest, but she’s smiling. “That isn’t how double or nothing works. You already got your date.”

“Then go out with me because you want to.”

She glances over at her daughter holding her pink bouncy ball and then back to me. “Okay, Hotshot.”

“Really? That worked?” I clear my throat. “I mean, of course it did.”

She laughs, shaking her head. “Text me this week?”

“I’ll text you tonight.”