3. Adam
Adam
So what if I make the Jell-O shots? What would happen then?
Mia
Tell you what, I’ll take one if you make them all with Smirnoff.
Oof, that’s brutal. But I think I could push through.
Your tab is racking up, All-star. Do you really think Jell-O shots are worthy texts?
Adam: You’re responding, so obviously.
Such a teddy bear response.
Reading Mia’s text, I let out a soft chuckle. I can’t say I understand this “teddy bear” comparison, but she seems to like it so who am I to question her?
I don’t really know what clicked during our meeting yesterday, but damn, it was fun. I hadn’t realized we had been talking that long until she checked the time on her phone. I was nearly late for our preseason meeting because of it. And that never fucking happens.
When she started talking about her grandparents, she just got this look on her face. It was so full of love and passion that I want to recall that moment perfectly for the rest of my life the same way she seemed to be doing.
It was only one conversation, but it was enough to make me want another. Texting her like some teenager probably isn’t my best move, but hell, I want to talk to her again—maybe see if it could go somewhere.
“Hey, you mind staying back and catching a few more throws for me and Dex?” Will asks, coming up next to me in our locker room.
Tossing my phone back in my bag, I trade it for my glove. “Yeah, I can. You guys remember we still have game night at Beck and Jensen’s, right?”
“Yeah, we remember,” Dex grumbles. “Next time, Luce and I get to pick what we do, and it’s going to be a very calm, relaxing night out with no games.”
“Oh, come on, Dex, you’re what? Two years older than me? You’re not dead.”
“No, I am not, asshole, but if I’m getting a babysitter I want to actually relax with my wife.”
Will hits Dex’s shoulder with his glove. “It’s so funny that you think we would ever have a laidback outing, even if we went to a damn restaurant.”
“That’s fair,” Dex huffs. “Come on, we don’t have much time.”
We make our way back out to our training facility. We’re fairly warmed up from practice, but I start with signaling the pitches they’re most comfortable with throwing.
At this point Will and I are seamlessly working together. I can adapt with any of our pitchers, but Will’s on the same level my old buddy Jett was before he retired. When he’s playing it’s the most at ease I can possibly feel during the game.
Now, with Dex, he’s on the upper caliber. Prior to his retirement, it was him and Jett for the top pitchers in the league. The whole team has been stoked to have him back on the roster, but our dynamic has to shift.
I’ve only worked with him as the pitching coach and being the catcher during the game, I’m an extension of that. I see the whole damn field and know precisely how every player works with each other and how to communicate with all of them.
But now I have to rewire how I originally had Dex in that mix as a coach and learn his dynamic on the field. The bright side is that Dex is damn good at his job.
“So, Luce has about a million questions for the engagement party, and I’ve had zero answers for her.” Dex pauses to throw a changeup. After the beautiful sound of the ball hitting my glove, he takes a step back. “Needless to say, I’m going to need an update to give her when I get back home.”
I chuckle, tossing the ball in the bucket next to me. “Everything’s being handled. Mia’s going to have the whole place set up. You can have her text me, though, if she wants something specific.”
Stepping up, Will tosses a ball in his glove. “I got one text about this party from my sister that said she demands an all-out event considering what Callie did for your wedding.”
“Which is ironic since Callie only operates in an all-out style every single day.”
The smile that comes to Will’s face at the thought of my sister makes me feel damn good.
Their relationship was the easiest thing for me to get on board with.
I couldn’t comprehend why they felt like they had to keep it a secret to begin with.
Besides, they were so into each other it ended up being the worst-kept secret anyway.
Suddenly, Callie was happier, more confident in herself. Will actually seemed to have some sort of personality. Knowing both of them the way I do—I’d had to be blind and deaf for them to have kept it completely in the dark.
Will rears back to throw a classic curveball.
“Not to completely change the subject, but Callie is still here working with Emma in her office, so in order to keep this whole thing a secret, I actually am, in fact, changing the subject.”
Dex shakes his head. “You’re the one who got everyone involved to begin with. I’m fucking surprised we’ve made it this long.”
“We’re never going to make it through Spring Training. Well, I will, but my money’s on either Will, Beck, or Callie straight-up just figuring it out by herself,” I say.
“No, none of that’s going to happen, and we’re changing the subject to you now.”
“Me? Why me?”
Dex and Will switch, and I signal Dex to throw a slider.
“This ought to be good,” Dex says right before he throws.
The ball hits my glove, and it’d qualify as a good throw, but I know he can do better.
“Throw another one of those, Dex.”
Will grabs another ball from the bucket and tosses it to Dex.
“I’m not saying Callie told me to pry, but you can read between the lines here.
She’s worried about her brother. I told her you were good, to which I got a whole speech about how she’s ‘invested in your happiness.’ I much prefer listening to her talk over you, but I’m going to need you to give me something to tell her. ”
I get ready to catch Dex’s slider on my right. “Much better,” I tell him before going back to Will. “Tell her I said I’m good.”
Will huffs. “Try again.”
“Tell her to ask me herself.”
“She will. The moment I tell her what you say, we both know she’ll be knocking on your door. If you give me something decent, she might not press too much.”
He’s not wrong.
“Alright, tell her I liked the tea she brought me last week and I need some more.”
Will shakes his head. “You know I made it, right?”
Motherfucker.
“Lucie loved that one too, by the way,” Dex says, stepping back to let Will throw.
“You figure something out, Will. I’m busy planning her engagement party.”
I can spot Will’s four-seam fastball grip the moment he gets in place. I make small adjustments then catch the ball in my glove. Hell, switching back and forth between Will’s right-handed pitches and Dex’s left is a good mental exercise.
“Come on, man, she’s worried you’re lonely. I know you made peace with your parents a while ago, but she’s still processing it. Humor me and give me something to make her feel better.”
Shit. I can’t decide if that was a low blow on his part, or if it hurts because of the reality of it. Learning that my leaving caused Callie such turmoil to deal with killed me.
Mia’s words run through my head about Callie not needing a knight in shining armor, but that doesn’t mean she still didn’t need her older brother.
Fuck, I don’t know what to tell her to make her know I’m truly good, but with Mia’s voice in my head, the next words out of my mouth aren’t exactly the smartest.
“Tell her I have a date later this week.”
Will raises an eyebrow. He knows I’m lying, but beggars can’t be choosers here.
“Have any follow-up questions?” I stand up, needing to be done with this extra practice.
Will shakes his head. “Nope. Be prepared, though. Callie most definitely will.”
Yeah, I’m well fucking aware.
“Hi,” Callie chimes as she climbs in the passenger’s seat of my SUV. “Sorry we’re late.”
The back door opens and Will slides in. “No need to apologize to him, Blaze. I’m sure he told us to meet him down here ten minutes ahead of when he actually wanted us to leave anyway.”
Callie scoffs. “Adam, I rushed out the door, and we’re still going to be early?”
“I don’t know why you’re shocked right now. Being late is my biggest pet peeve. Even when we’re just doing game night, so buckle up.”
Callie mutters several mocks under her breath that she knows I can still hear, but I don’t really care. Sue me for liking to be on time.
“Oh,” Callie says, clapping her hands together. “Will said you had a date later this week. Wanna tell me who it’s with?”
Shit. I’ve barely made it on the damn road and she’s bringing this up.
I don’t have to look in my rearview mirror to know Will’s got a told you so shit-eating grin on his face.
Oddly enough, Mia’s name is on the tip of my tongue. I was definitely going to hold on to the lie of a date to simply appease Callie, and it’s not that asking Mia would be my cover—I genuinely think a date with her could be fun.
Still don’t plan on telling Callie that, though.
“Nah, I don’t actually.”
“Wanna tell me it’s a lie like I already know it is?”
Dammit. I could try to stick to my guns on this pointless lie but it’s better to rip the fucking Band-Aid off. Maybe she’ll take my answer of being perfectly fine as opposed to Will.
“Did you really think having Will try to pass that lie off was a good idea?”
This time I do send a glare back in the rearview mirror at Will. “Well, I thought my friend might cover for me.”
“He did,” Callie states plainly. “The only answer he gave to my many questions was ‘he said he had a date.’ It wasn’t very convincing.”
I harumph. “Right, well, you wouldn’t take ‘I’m good’ for an answer so I gave him something else.”
“You lied! I’m your sister. I’m allowed to show a little concern. And my concern only feels more justified when you lie about it. It’s annoying and doesn’t help your case. I’m worried about you!”
For crying out loud. “There’s no reason—”
“I know, you’re fine. Saying that doesn’t always make it true, you know.”
There’s no need for a verbal response yet, I know she’s not done.