Chapter 45 Grant
As soon as the girls go inside to talk, I turn to Miller and Preston. “You both need to apologize to Taylor when she comes back outside. Implying we were married because she’s pregnant or having a child was a really insensitive thing to say.”
Preston frowns and says, “I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“I know you didn’t, and I’m not trying to make you out to be an asshole, but how would you feel if you found out that she couldn’t have kids, but that she really wanted them?”
Taylor hasn’t said she wants kids but they don’t need to know that. In our situation, I was the one who talked about creating a family when we got married. It’s also not my place to share her health issues with them unless she wants them to know about it.
“I’d feel really fucking shitty for rubbing that in her face,” he sighs.
“Exactly, so an apology would be nice.”
“My mom struggled with infertility issues for years,” Chase says. “People would ask her all the time when she was having another kid because it was just me, and it hurt to see how discouraged she would get every time because I know she would have been happy to have another baby.”
Miller grimaces as if mentally kicking himself. “If Gabby hadn’t slapped me earlier, my mom and Mama Fields definitely would have.”
“Yeah, they would’ve smacked both of you for being so stupid,” Mike speaks up.
Sensing it’s time for a subject change, Preston clears his throat and says, “So you and Taylor, huh?”
I lean back in the chair and nod my head, unsure where he’s going to take this. “Me and Taylor.”
“How long has this been going on?” Preston asks, repeating the question Ivory asked a few minutes ago.
“Which time?” I cross my arms with a smirk. Taylor’s inside telling the girls everything and I’ve never wanted to hide our connection, so I’m an open book with these guys. Plus, if I weren’t actually in the inner circle before, I’m for sure in it now that everyone knows we’re together.
Miller interrupts. “Wait, I wanna know how Coach knew. How long have you known?”
“Since Grant was rehabbing with me in Virginia,” Mike says.
“That was like ages ago, wasn’t it?” Miller looks at me.
Nodding, I say, “I played with him right after I had my surgery. I was assigned to Virginia for rehab. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it back to New York.”
“And you’ve been keeping this a secret all this time? You didn’t even tell Ivory, and they’re best friends.” Preston almost sounds impressed at Mike’s ability to not expose our truth to his daughter.
Mike shrugs and reaches for another beer. “Wasn’t my story to tell. If Taylor wanted the girls to know, she would’ve told them.”
“If it were up to me, she would’ve told them a long time ago,” I say.
“So have you been married all this time or did you just get married?” Chase jumps in after silently observing.
“We’ve been married.”
“But you haven’t been together?” he asks, attempting to piece things together as the newest member of the group.
Shaking my head, I answer him. “No, we’ve been . . . separated I guess you would call it. We never officially called it a separation. One day, she just left.”
“What did you do?” Miller quirks a brow.
“Why did I have to do anything?”
“Why else would she leave you?” he volleys back at me.
“Without getting into specifics, it just didn’t work out at the time.
I don’t blame her and no one is at fault.
We went zero to sixty really fast, and at the time were both dedicated to our careers and didn’t put the time and effort into our marriage that it needed.
Luckily for me, the universe brought her back to me. ”
I leave out all my family drama and Taylor’s motivations because it’s none of their business.
“Am I the universe?” Mike asks, puffing his chest out for show.
“That was the condition, wasn’t it?” Preston looks between us. “You said you would only come play with him if he was in Nashville, but you only wanted him in Nashville because you knew Taylor was going to be in Nashville sooner or later.”
Mike winks but doesn’t directly confirm Preston’s correct assumption. “I plead the fifth.”
“Daddy Mike, are you playing matchmaker?” Miller asks.
“Do not call me that,” Mike groans. “And somebody had to do something. He was taking too long.”
“Hey, I was getting there,” I argue.
“Yeah, yeah.”
“Do you think they’re really mad at her?” They’ve been inside for at least ten minutes now and I’m worried it’s not going well.
“Nah, those girls don’t really get mad at each other. They’ll be hurt because she didn’t tell them, especially since she’s been hiding it since the year they graduated college, but they won’t be mad,” Mike assures me.
“How long do you think they’re going to stay in there?” Chase sits up taller, trying to see inside.
“I’ll go check.” Miller jumps up and pokes his head inside, spouting some nonsense I choose to ignore because it works, and the girls walk back out laughing.
Taylor rounds the table and I turn to pull her into a hug before she can sit down. “Everything okay?”
“Aw, look at the boss man being all sensitive,” Miller mocks.
“One of these days someone’s going to punch you in the face,” Gabby says.
He leans into her face and sticks his tongue out. “But not today.” Turning to Taylor, he clears his throat and says, “Sorry about what I said earlier. That wasn’t cool.”
“Thanks, Mills. I get it’s the stereotypical reason for a rushed wedding, but it’s still hurtful for a woman who has fertility issues or chooses to be child-free, ya know?”
“We get it. It was a lapse in judgment and we feel really bad about it,” Preston adds, and Ivory wraps her arm around him.
“So, does this mean I have to start calling you Daddy?” Miller asks, looking over at me.
“What?!” I shake my head, at the curveball of a question.
“Ya know, because Taylor’s a mami.”
“You have literally never called me that a day in your life.” Taylor chucks a piece of cheese in his direction.
Miller shimmies his shoulders. “A mamacita.”
“You’re an idiot.” Taylor laughs and all is forgiven.
“Wait, where’s your dog?” Chase asks, seemingly noticing something is off about this gathering.
Miller drops his head to his hands and rubs his temples.
“Ugh, Gabby was right. I needed to send Cooper to a training program, and since we’re going to the postseason and he’s still a puppy, it seemed like the best opportunity to do it now.
So he is at doggy boot camp for a few more weeks, maybe a month.
I don’t know, they’ll tell me when he’s ready. ”
“It was really brave of you to part with him.” Gabby pats him on the shoulder.
“Thank you, I needed that. It’s sad not having him here, but at least he’s not eating my socks right now.”
“Or hiding my stuff.” Preston shakes his head.
“But I’m training him to be the bat dog for next year, so Coach, we need to talk logistics.” Miller points at Mike.
“Don’t you think you should talk to the team owner?” Mike counters.
Miller waves him off. “Boss man is too busy and this is a team matter. Do we have room on the roster for a dog? What do we have to do to get a dog on the roster, Gabriella? Do you know? Is there a—what do you call those?” He moves his fingers like he’s trying to grab hold of the words but they’re just out of reach.
“Rules? Regulations? What are you asking?” Gabby responds.
“Rules! Does the league prohibit dogs on the roster?”
“I don’t know, Mills.”
“Why don’t you look into that?” He taps the table. “Now, let’s eat. I’m freaking starving!”
“Let’s make a toast first.” Ivory raises her glass to the center of the table. “To the happy couple.”
Taylor melts into my side at the acceptance in Ivory’s voice and the hearty congratulations from all her friends. Our friends.
Since the Troubadours had the better record in the regular season, we get home-field advantage for games one and two of the National League Division Series, which kicks off tonight in Nashville. The team has been preparing all week, and I like our odds going into this series against New York.
“Where are you going to watch the game tonight?” Taylor asks as we’re getting dressed for the night.
“Well, I was thinking about watching it with you and the girls, but what do you think?”
“I think you should watch it in the dugout with your team.” She runs her hands up my chest and loops them around my neck.
“Really?” I bring her flush against my body, never tiring of the feel of her in my arms.
“Yeah, seeing you in the dugout at the end of the last game brought back some memories for me. You looked so happy down there with the guys.”
“I’m not the young cool guy anymore. I’m their boss. They don’t want me hanging around and adding pressure.”
It’s an odd juxtaposition to have the team I own playing the team I used to play for on the road to the World Series.
“Of course they do. You’re the Grant Davenport.
You’re not just some stuffy businessman who owns a baseball club.
You were one of the best pitchers to take the mound at the time and were racking up pitching accolades.
Had it not been for your injury, you probably would’ve played well into your thirties. ”
I bury my head in her neck. “I don’t know about that. My arm was tired.”
Taylor scratches her fingers into my hair and rubs my neck.
“I still think you should hang out in the dugout. It’ll be good for morale.
It’ll be good for you. Look at what you’ve done in just a short amount of time.
You started a team in the middle of a global pandemic.
You traded that same year for two of the biggest names in baseball—two veterans who had been with the Tampa Tides for years, were their franchise players, and would probably have stayed there for most of their career, if not their entire career.
Then, the next year, you got the Coach Mike Crenshaw, who not only was your coach once upon a time, but one of the most respected coaches in the league, and he came to your team because you called.
In the Troubadours third season, they secured a Wild Card spot, and now look.
The Troubadours are leading the division, you have home-field advantage, and baby, we’re going to the championship.
We’re going all the way, and I think you should be there on the field with the team.
Take Ben, he should be down there too. Be there with the guys, give it your all, and I’ll be in the stands cheering you on. ”
“I miss having you in the stands for me.” I kiss her shoulder and release her to get dressed.
“I’ll be in the stands for you any day. Just like old times.”
“Will you wear my jersey too?” I ask, looking over my shoulder at her as I walk to the closet.
“You know, funny you should say that because I saw that you have a number 15 Grant Davenport Troubadour jersey. That must be a limited edition run because it’s not in the store, and I can’t get it made anywhere.”
“Lucky for you, I know a guy.”
“Are you the guy you know?” She scrunches her nose at me adorably when I hold up the extra jersey.
“Yeah baby, I’m the guy. You wanna wear my name on your back?”
“I guess legally it arguably is mine as well.” Taylor shrugs a shoulder with a teasing glint in her eye
“Tay baby, you didn’t take my name.” I open the jersey for her to put it on. “If I remember correctly, it was something like ‘I’m making a name for myself in my own right, and everyone’s going to know who Taylor fucking Baker is. Not to mention I’m not sharing a name with your hag of a mother.’”
She slides her arms into the sleeves and lifts her hair so I can fit it over her shoulders. Peering back at me, she says, “Okay, well the hag of a mother part was probably not great of me, but the rest stands.”
“And everybody knows who Taylor motherfucking Baker is.” I smooth the fabric down, taking in the way it hangs off her slim frame.
“They sure do.” She pecks a kiss to my lips and saunters into the bathroom. “I’m happy to have you on my team though.”
“We make a good team, don’t we?” I turn back to the closet and drag my other jersey off the hanger and put it on as she comes back out.
“We sure do. You ready to get going?” she asks, tucking lip gloss into her bag.
Nodding, I follow her down the hall and lock up. “Yeah, I don’t want to be late.”
When we get in the car, I ask Taylor something I’ve been thinking about for a few days. “So I was thinking game three is in New York next week. How do you feel about taking the girls and we can pack up your place while we’re there?”
“Have you been reading my mind again?”
“I don’t know that I would want to do that.”
“It’s a fun place to be. I don’t know why you wouldn’t.”
“Does that mean you’re ready to move your stuff out of your place?”
“Why yes it does. I think it’s a great idea. We can fly the girls up with us for the game and we can pack up my place and then bring whatever I want to bring back with us, or hire a company to drive it down depending on how much stuff there is.”
“And maybe I can meet the infamous Allie.” I squeeze her hand referencing the assistant I’ve heard so much about but have yet to meet.
“Oh my God, she would love to meet you. She might actually die.”
When we get to the stadium, I park and we walk hand-in-hand to the clubhouse before going our separate ways. I make my way to the locker room and Taylor heads upstairs to meet the girls.