19. Smithy
Chapter 19
Smithy
“Is that Liliana in the stands?” Cord asks as I reach first base. Every time I’ve gone up to bat, I’ve hit the ball into the outfield.
I’ve given the guys a run for their money. They’ve had to hustle to get to every ball. I’ve heard Covey, Holden, and Schmidt complaining about it every time I get around to second base.
“Yeah.” I smile up at her.
Macy is sitting on one side of her and Charlie is on the other. Owen’s sitting in the row behind them with another man next to him. He looks familiar, but I can't place him.
“What do you think your dad’s going to do about Danny’s position?”
“Eh, I have a feeling it’s already filled.” He nods towards Owen and the man. “He has a weird sixth sense about people. He always seems to know when they’re about to snap and when he’ll need to fire them. I swear it never takes him long to fill the positions.”
“Danny’s been a ticking time bomb since the preseason started.” I shake my head, thinking about how great of a coach he used to be.
“I know,” Cord sighs. “It’s a shame, but it was his own doing. I think this guy will be better though. I’ve overheard enough to know he’s pretty amazing.”
“That’s good. We need something positive after how this preseason has gone.”
“Before you all head into the gym, I’d like you to meet your new head coach. This is Levi Harrison. He used to be a pitcher for the Pit Bulls, long before I bought the team.”
“Holy shit,” murmurs go through the group of players.
Everyone knows who Levi Harrison is. I’m not sure how I didn’t recognize him earlier. He’s a legend. One of the best pitchers the league has ever known.
“Yeah, he was an ok player.” Owen smirks and Levi snorts with laughter.
“It’s nice to meet all of you. I know I'm coming in here when preseason is almost over, but I plan to work hard to get to know each of you. I want to know you as a person because you’re not just a player on this team.”
Murmurs spread through the group. Everyone’s happy to have him here and I think it will be a nice change to have a coach who actually cares. One who’s played the game and understands the stress we’re under.
“My office is always open for you to come in and talk to me. I don’t care if we’re talking baseball, women, or babies. I’ve dealt with all of it and I understand where you are in life. I’ve been there, done that. It wasn’t always easy, but I’ve learned tips and tricks I'm happy to share with you.”
“I think Levi is exactly what we need. I know there have been quite a few changes on this team already this season, but all of them are for the better.” Owen meets each of our gazes, making sure we’re comfortable with this shift.
“I want to meet with each of you one on one. I’d love to get to know you a little better and see if there’s anything you need from me. I won't treat you like children or like I'm superior to you in any way. I’ve dealt with bad and controlling coaches, I don’t plan to be either. I want to be your equal. Someone you can come to about anything. We can only play as a team if we feel like we’re a team.”
“Alright, you guys can start your strength training while I show Levi around a little bit more. I’ll bring him back in about an hour. Until then, get to work.”
We all head into the gym without arguing. I know as soon as we get in there, the guys will start talking. I can't wait to see what everyone has to say.
“Smithy!” Lils calls my name from the front row of the seats. She’s leaning over the railing, watching me.
“Hey, baby.” I grin up at her. “How are you?”
“I'm good. I was thinking of heading out. I have some things to take care of for work.”
“We drove together.” I frown. I don’t like the idea of her leaving.
“I know. I’ll just order a ride. I’ll go back to my place and you can text me when you get home.”
“Not a chance. Come to the locker room. You can take my car home. When I'm leaving, I’ll have one of the guys drop me off and you can come over.”
“I can order a ride, Travis.” She rolls her eyes.
“You can, but I won't let you. Just take my car, Sweets.”
“Fine. I'm coming down.” She spins on her heels and walks towards the exit. Hopefully she won't get lost.
This place is a maze. The first time I tried to go somewhere that wasn’t the locker room or team areas, I got lost and ended up in an area meant for fans after the gates were opened. Of course, I was already in my uniform too.
I was surrounded by people asking for pictures and autographs within seconds. It was one of the best, yet worst days of my life. It was so much fun meeting fans and seeing how much they loved having me on their home team, but it was exhausting. I ended up having to text Owen and ask him to send security. There was no way for me to get away from everyone and I had a game to play.
“I see you’re as protective as ever of her.” Wyatt appears at my side with a grin.
“He’s got nothing on you, Everson,” Leo chuckles from my other side.
“I think Cord was worse than me. He didn’t even give Macy a chance to meet the players before he claimed her.” Wyatt shakes his head.
“Nothing wrong with knowing what I wanted and doing whatever I had to do to keep these assholes away,” Cord calls over his shoulder. He’s walking a few steps ahead of us, but he can still hear us.
“Trust me, I’ll do anything to keep Liliana as my girl. One day, I'm going to make her my wife.”