Chapter 10
Don’t let the fear of striking out hold you back.
Javier rolled his desk chair back and stood to stretch. He was taking online classes towards a doctorate degree in sports management, and if he stayed on track he’d be done with the program in the fall.
He’d always loved playing baseball, but he’d also known he needed a career backup plan.
He’d initially thought he might enjoy being a sports announcer or an analyst, but lately he’d been thinking about owning and operating a team of his own.
He’d been looking at minor league and exhibition team operations, and if he could just stay in the big leagues for a couple seasons and keep his expenses low while rolling bank, he could probably buy into a team.
Not full ownership, but a step in the direction of his ultimate goal.
He’d always been a hard worker and goal-oriented.
He’d knocked out an undergraduate sports management degree while on scholarship and playing college ball for the University of Miami.
And once drafted to the minors, he’d continued with their online master’s program.
Being a student with a complex baseball schedule hadn’t left him much time to work, so when he had time, usually during the offseason, he’d worked construction like his father had.
It had paid well and he’d learned many practical skills on the jobsites.
Thinking about those construction jobs was bittersweet. His father had been a master carpenter and Javier had loved working with him. However, it had been an accident on a construction site, just prior to his minor league draft, that had caused his father’s death.
His father had passed away far too young and Javi knew that his mother missed him as immensely as he did.
Since his father’s death, a sense of incompleteness and loneliness that never really seemed to leave had nagged Javi.
It was like a hollow feeling in his chest, like he’d lost a piece of himself when his father died.
A piece that he’d never be able to replace.
He and his mother had clung to each other afterwards and it had been easy to convince her to move when he’d been drafted to the minors. Miami had been filled with memories of happier times, and Pensacola had given them both an escape from the constant reminders of the good man they’d lost.
In Pensacola, he’d bought a duplex shotgun house to share with his mother.
It had been a dump, but in a prime location.
A real fixer-upper. And he’d spent all his free time that first year renovating it.
The house was in good repair now, and his mother had her side while he had a management company doing short-term rentals on his side.
He’d originally chosen the duplex due to its location close to the stadium, as well as being a walkable distance to his mother’s store. She hated to drive and the neighborhood had been perfect. She’d even found a little church nearby that she regularly attended.
The investment had become his best to date.
With the short-term rentals, it was now essentially paying for itself.
Vacationers liked it because it was a short drive to the beach and close to the Pensacola Bay civic center, where the Ice Flyers played hockey.
Concerts and exhibitions were frequently hosted there, too.
But Javier still worried about his mother living so far away from him.
He liked having her close by so that he could look after her.
But she was devoted to her job and Javi could understand her reluctance to move again.
It wasn’t that he needed her underfoot—he wasn’t a mama’s boy, unable to function without her—but he was his father’s son, and he felt responsible for her.
With his father’s passing, Javi had known his father would expect him to step up and look after his mother.
His parents had lived a rough life and gave up much for Javi to have the best, so being able to take care of his mother was not a sacrifice, but more of an honor.
He just wished he’d had the opportunity to do the same for his father.
Maybe his mother not being in Arizona right now was a good thing, because Javi would have initially moved her in with himself. Not exactly a good setup when he was hoping to start a serious relationship.
He had looked for Cami to show up to their game last evening, but if she had been there, he’d not seen her. He and Cal hadn’t been on rotation, so they’d spent the night hanging out on the bench at the bullpen, ever ready if needed.
Cal’s parents had been at the game even though he hadn’t played.
It was nice to see that they were so supportive.
Javi hadn’t played either, so he’d been able to walk out right after the game with Cal to meet them.
They were a lovely couple and obviously involved as parents.
They’d heard about Javi escorting Cami to the bar association banquet, so he had tried to be as charming as possible.
Cal might have thought Javi was joking about his intentions towards his sister, but he hadn’t been, so he needed her family to like him.
Cami had been on his mind since he’d woken up alone in San Diego.
He’d been disappointed that she wasn’t still in his bed and mad at himself for sleeping through her leaving.
He’d had no idea what time she’d snuck out and no way to contact her.
But now he knew that Cal had booked her a room in the same hotel. She hadn’t been far away at all.
Seeing her again on Monday and learning that she was Cal’s sister had been unexpected.
Cal volunteering Javi to escort his sister to the banquet on Thursday had been another surprise, though he’d been delighted to have that opportunity thrown at him.
He’d thought she’d back out, but then she’d texted, and he’d gladly attended with her.
They’d had another mind-blowing night together and he’d slept over at her place. They’d gotten up together yesterday morning and he’d headed to the gym while she’d gone to work. It had been so domestic. Yet…he hadn’t heard from her since.
Tonight they’d have another game and Javi wondered if Camdyn would come. He wanted to see her again. Javi was a doer by nature, and once he decided on something, he was impatient to see it to completion…and he wanted Cami to be his.
He looked at the clock and saw that it was one thirty. He’d need to head out to the stadium soon. He didn’t want to bother her, but he also really wanted to see her.
Before he could change his mind, he grabbed his phone and sent her a message. Then he stared at the text, second-guessing what he’d sent and hoping that she’d reply.