Chapter 22 Nate
TWENTY-TWO
nate
The last thing I had wanted to walk into was a grief session with Griffen’s wife when we arrived at Olivia’s house. But her eyes practically begged for help as she and Kelsey Drummond did their best to help her come up with a plan.
“I’ll make some dinner.” Three heads snapped towards me, shocked, apparently.
Yeah, it seemed like I was doing this to help, but I was honestly getting some distance from what had happened.
My teammates and I had a shitty flight home, thanks to her husband.
We’d probably lose a bunch of games, thanks to her husband.
“But you just got back from a road trip—” Lindy said.
“Yeah, well—we need to eat, and you’re all busy. What do you think? You should wait on us?” I asked.
“It’s what I’ve always done—”
Yeah, well, that’s because your husband is a dick.
“Let me unpack and get settled. I’ll help you,” Austin volunteered.
Forty-five minutes later, Austin had several burgers on the grill, and I had a salad and vegetables prepared from Olivia’s garden. It was a pretty basic meal, but the way Olivia and Lindy were looking at us, you would think they’d never had help in the kitchen.
When I went into the house to grab plates and utensils, I felt a warm body press up against my back.
“Remind me that I need to thank you for this later.”
“Details, please,” I said, practically groaning in response as her delicate hands wrapped around my waist. Heat bloomed everywhere she touched me. Her text messages had been driving me crazy, and while we were both ready for some form of action, we were living in a full house.
“Sometimes it’s better to wait and wonder—”
I flipped around and backed her up against the counter. “You’re playing a dangerous game, Liv.” I held her face in one hand, forcing her to maintain eye contact. Her tongue darted out, and she licked her lips.
God, I want this woman.
We heard the sliding glass door and sprang apart. Kelsey glanced quickly between the two of us before shaking her head and choosing to ignore the tension.
“I’m going to need to get home. Tom said he would stay with the kids at Lindy’s as long as he’s needed. But, well, I miss my husband and want to check in on him. This situation is pretty fucked, huh?”
Kelsey traveled with the team for most of the previous year and had been up close and personal with some of Griffen’s antics.
What I never understood was how he had managed to keep this from his wife.
He had been blatantly cheating every chance he got.
How had none of this gotten back to Lindy?
I wasn’t always the most perceptive, but that woman was dealing with shock.
“Yeah. Looks like we lost two key players in the middle of the season—after the trade deadline. So, yeah. Season is likely dead,” I said. The Minutemen were sitting at the top of the American League East, but it was unclear if we could hold on to that lead without Griffen and Milligan.
Kelsey nodded. Her husband was the Minutemen’s ace pitcher, who had signed a blockbuster contract.
I’m sure he signed the deal hoping to earn a World Series ring with the team.
“Let me console my husband. Shit, don’t let Lindy know I said that—she’s lost her entire world, and I’m going to comfort my husband because his hopes of winning a damn ring might be lost.”
“If it helps, I don’t think there is a rule book for how to react when your friend’s husband is accused of rape,” Olivia said.
“Or your teammate—” I added.
Olivia met my eyes, concern apparent. Between the drama Milligan had caused when he slept with Ashley Monroe and his and Griffen’s away game behavior, I silently hoped that their absence would be an improvement.
But if there was one thing I had learned, it was that you didn’t need to be a good person to play baseball well.
Both men had gotten to where they were because they were damn good baseball players.
We would miss them offensively and defensively.
Kelsey slipped out the door—her interruption putting a damper on whatever we’d started. It was just as well when Cooper walked in the door a few moments later.
“Everything okay at the Griffens?” Olivia asked.
“Yeah, Mom, Tom was showing me some stick handling skills. Can I sign up for hockey?”
“Hockey?” My mind immediately went to the cost of the sport, the travel involved with a second sport, and, well, the image of my son missing some teeth. “Do you have time for both sports?”
“I don’t know. But I want to try. What if I’m better at hockey than baseball, and I only picked baseball because Uncle Austin plays?”
I had watched Cooper play. Maybe he’d only picked baseball because of his uncle, but he had natural talent—the kind that would only grow if he spent time honing his skills.
“I never had time for anything but baseball once I got serious with it. Not many of my friends played hockey, though. We focused on baseball and football.”
I didn’t know if my comments helped, but when I caught a glance at Olivia, she seemed grateful. It must be hard for her. Cooper was a great kid, and she was constantly making decisions for him that could affect his future.
“How about we look into it? No promises, okay, bud?”
“Okay. Can I play video games for a bit before bed?”
“Did you do your summer work?”
“Yup.”
“Is your uniform ready for camp tomorrow?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Okay. One hour, then you’d better shower and go straight to bed.”
Once Cooper had settled into the family room and had his headset on, I found her eyes. “You’re doing a great job with him.”
She laughed. “Yeah, fantastic job. I never know what the right answer is to these things.”
“I think that’s the point, Liv. There is no right answer. But you have to remember that none of us misses an opportunity that we are meant to have.”
“That’s very wise of you, Yoda.”
“You know Star Wars?” I asked.
“Of course, I grew up with Austin, and I’m raising a ten-year-old son. That’s like asking me if I know the difference between a brontosaurus and a T. rex.”
When Austin and Lindy came inside, they saw two roommates cleaning the kitchen.
“I have to pull my shit together and parent my children. Enough wallowing.”
“I’ll walk you home,” Austin said. Lindy nodded and gathered her things—the girls had left clothes, shoes, and towels scattered by the pool.
“Call me anytime, Lin. Vent to me all you want,” Olivia said.
I barely said goodbye; my brain had switched to the fact that I was going to be alone with Olivia—well, alone with her and a fully distracted boy with a noise cancellation headset who was buried in a video game.