The Best Player

Chapter 1

Kenzie

Leaving the home I’d grown up in—the house packed with every memory I had—hurt more than I’d anticipated.

My throat burned each time I held back emotion, but it wouldn’t do any of us good to mention the overwhelming worry and sadness.

We couldn’t afford wasted sentiments when every second of every day we worried about our dad—fighting cancer wasn’t a single person’s battle. It took all our efforts.

“I can’t believe our baby girl is going away to college,” my dad said from the front seat of the old navy mini-van that smelled like used sports gear.

He craned his neck and gave me a weak smile.

I returned the gesture, hoping I hid the bubbling anxiety growing in my chest, and raised my fists in the air.

“Yay!”

He coughed, the sound better than it used to be, but I still tensed every time I heard it.

Each breath he took was a struggle. “While I’m not thrilled you’re going to be living with Aaron and two of his teammates for the summer, they seem to be decent young men.

They’re better now than they were his freshman year.

Good lord, they were hellions. But he promised he’d take care of you for us. ”

“Dad,” I mumbled. “Come on.”

“I mean it. Your mom and I are going to be hours away trying out different treatment facilities. Someone needs to look out for you, K-Bug.”

I will not cry. Nope. I will not. “I’ll be fine. Really. I’ve been looking forward to college for years.”

“But not everyone goes two months early…” My mom let the words hang and our eyes met in the rearview mirror.

Hers were tired and gray. My heart hurt for her and how strong she’d been for all of us.

She’d been our family rock forever and while the thought of being away from them was freeing, it also left a hole.

“It’s better like this, I promise. It’ll be a good way for me to get acclimated to the campus and I signed up for two classes already. Introduction to Film and Online Biology. Both sound awful, but it’ll help me get ready for my hard schedule this fall.”

“K-Bug, you’ve never had to worry about grades.

You’re our smart girl,” my dad said, not hiding his pride.

Another wave of gratitude went through me.

Despite Aaron’s insane athletic abilities, my parents had never once made me feel less important or talented.

Not once. The world needed more of them and the gratitude switched to anger at the injustice of my dad getting sick.

It wasn’t fair.

But showing my internal battle would do none of us any good on the already emotional day.

I swallowed down the grief and worry, plastered a smile on my face and spoke with a practiced enthusiasm that I’d mastered with all the hospital visits.

“I’m just excited for the newness. New friends, new experiences, new things to learn and new mistakes to make.

I’ve always heard about how college is this life-changing experience of fun, embarrassing stories and the place where you meet lifelong friends. I want that. I’m ready for it.”

“Then that’s what you’re going to do.” My dad’s voice held a finality to it and we all remained quiet for the rest of the drive.

The campus was about two hours away from our childhood home—the house my parents had sold—and the moment we left the driveway that morning was the last time I’d set foot there.

It was an odd combination to experience—utter excitement about what was next, and longing for what used to be.

My constant battle was defining myself. I had always been Aaron’s younger sister. The daughter. The girlfriend.

I wanted to be me.

College was my answer. My opportunity to figure out how I could be myself.

“Honey, we’re going to stop and get some shakes. Would you like anything?” my mom inquired as she pulled into a fast-food place. My dad had a softness for milkshakes and we’d made an unspoken agreement that when he wanted one, he got one.

“Yeah, I’ll get a coffee. Want me to run in and buy one?”

“That’d be great, K-Bug.”

They handed me a twenty-dollar bill and I grabbed my phone before heading inside the diner.

The humid air was hard to swallow, but it was a brief escape from the confines of the car.

My dad got cold real fast, so we couldn’t have the air on too high.

I fanned myself, moving the end of my old jersey-shirt to get air on my midriff.

Sweat dripped down my muscles and a cold milkshake sounded perfect.

I ordered—my mom preferred chocolate, my dad mint-cookie and I always got banana.

My phone went off and I almost ignored it, since my ex-boyfriend had thought it a great time to reconcile after our disastrous prom weekend. No thanks, Sean. That ship sailed. But it wasn’t him. It was Aaron, my ridiculous, awesome and obnoxious older brother.

Aaron: Yo, you almost here?

Kenzie: Stopped for milkshakes. Maybe fifteen minutes out.

Aaron: Coach just called and wants to meet me at the field—Tanner is here though. He’ll help you unpack. That cool?

Kenzie: That’s fine. Mom and Dad will be pissed if they don’t see you though.

Aaron: I’ll try and be back in an hour. Coach knows they’re here but said this is important.

Kenzie: Okay, see you soon.

Aaron: No backing out now, K. You absolutely sure about living here?

Kenzie: There’s no home to go back to. Yeah, I’m sure.

I didn’t expect a response from him, and the few minutes I had to wait for the shakes were spent thinking about my future roommates. Sure, it was only two months, but these guys had the personalities of celebrities.

Aaron—my brother who’d slept with countless ladies the past two years and suffered a sex scandal.

Zade Willows—the all-star pitcher who had a fan club named after him.

Tanner Johnson—the giant center fielder who could make girls faint with a wink.

Yeah. It was going to be an adventure living with them until their fourth roommate, Jeff, got back from playing baseball overseas.

Me, the awkward kid without an ounce of athletic ability, was living in the baseball house in the center of Jockville. Life was funny sometimes.

“Order’s up!”

I thanked the hostess and carried the drinks back to the car.

Too soon, we were pulling into the chipped driveway of my new temporary digs.

White house, large porch that had seen better days, overgrown trees in the front and backyard and the door wide open.

I pulled my long dark-blonde hair into a high messy bun and took one final breath.

College.

Adventure.

New.

“What’s up, Hill family?” Tanner’s voice boomed from him.

He leaned against the front railing, his height almost putting his head on the roof of the house.

His hair was dark brown and it spilled from his head in messy curls, but his light brown eyes were killer.

Yeah, I had a little bitty crush on him after having met him a couple times over the past three years, but it was hard not to.

He was my kryptonite—long eyelashes, mischievous grin, the perfect dimples and real tall with broad shoulders.

I gave him a little wave, hoping I didn’t blush too much.

He was so far out of my league it wasn’t even funny.

Plus, I was going to be living with him, so it didn’t bode well for anyone to know about my crush. “Hey, TJ.”

“That’s right roomie, let me grab your stuff.

Aaron had to head to the field, but he’ll be back.

Good to see you, Mr. and Mrs. Hill.” He swaggered—it was the only way to describe it—to the car and gave both my parents a hug.

It pleased me to see how good he was to my family.

All of Aaron’s teammates were kind and it often surprised me.

The warmth on the back of my neck had nothing to do with Tanner’s fitted shirt and workout shorts that showcased how much time he spent in the gym. Or the thickness to him. No guy I dated was as big as he was.

“You’re too kind, Tanner. Really,” my mom gushed and I had to roll my eyes.

Even she succumbed to his charm. She had to know how much he got around…

I mean, he was one of two single guys who lived in the baseball house.

He had plenty of options yet still chose to charm my mom.

I snorted into my fist and Tanner slid me a look.

“Laying it on thick there, TJ.”

“What? I can’t hug my second-favorite set of parents?” He dared to raise one beautiful dark eyebrow, challenging me to call him out. I did.

“They brought you all beer and homemade casserole for at least a week. You don’t need to suck up anymore.”

His grin widened and, after patting my dad on the back, he walked to the trunk of the car to help get my five bags.

It was sad that, moving into college, I only had five bags’ worth of stuff.

That was one lesson learned after seeing my dad go through his struggle—materialistic things didn’t matter all that much.

Life was more about the experience. The memories.

He walked past me, smirking, and picked up two of the bags. “Come on, Kenny. Let me show you to your room.”

He didn’t lower his voice or do anything weird, but those words coming from his mouth sent a shiver down my body.

Aaron and his buddies always called me Kenny, but hearing it come from Tanner caused a very different reaction from me.

I cleared my throat and picked up the final load. “After you, Johnson.”

My parents took their time bringing food into the small kitchen while I followed Tanner into the house and up the stairs.

I had been there before, but only for a small amount of time where they could hide their craziness.

Now, they’d let it all hang out. The mess, the unkempt bathroom, the pile of useless things stacked in the corner.

Why did they have a stack of empty boxes?

And empty cups? They had a kitchen…why didn’t they use it?