Chapter 11
GO, BASEBALL!
Dallas
“Daddy, do I get to play too?”
“I don’t see why not. This is just a bunch of us getting together to have some fun.”
Tucker has successfully recruited a “team” of sorts to play ball down at the barnyard, and it’s our first night getting together.
I won’t lie, I’m excited to get a baseball in my hands again and maybe swing a bat. I might not be able to play professionally with my shoulder injury anymore, but this is something I can do.
Pulling into the dirt lot that Tucker gave me directions to, I take in the sight in front of me. Sitting on the edge of the ranch next to the wooden fence lining the property, there’s an open field that serves as the unofficial baseball field.
The barnyard.
It’s not much at all—overrun with uneven grass and dirt—but from what I understand, the kids love it.
To them, this is a professional baseball stadium.
The bases are flattened cardboard boxes, and the footpaths to each base are carved out by endless sprints from the kids running the bases.
It’s rough around the edges with all the overgrown weeds, but it’s alive with imagination.
Tucker spots me, jogging up to greet me halfway from my SUV to the field. He opens his arms, grinning from ear to ear, and spins around. “Well, what do you think?”
“Man, if Tyler and Mitch could see where I’ve ended up.”
His eyes widen. “Are you talking about Tyler Goodman, the most epic third baseman ever to play the sport? And Mitch Holden, the second”—he leans in close to whisper—“because you’re the first. Duh. Best pitcher in the Major League?”
“Yep.”
His hands come up to the side of his head as he starts pacing in front of me. “They’re amazing. I’m obsessed with them. And you. Oh my god. This is amazing. Can they come out here and play?”
“I’ll talk to them.” I laugh at how much of a fan he is, with how far outside the city of San Francisco we are.
“Wow, that’s just so cool. I can’t get over it. Tell them I said hi. Anyway, what do you think?” He gestures to the field they call the barnyard.
“It can work.”
He rests an arm on my shoulder. “That’s the spirit.” Doing a double take, he spots Sage, who’s now standing next to me after switching from her sandals to her sneakers in the backseat. “Who’s this?”
“I’m Sage. I love baseball.”
Tucker beams with excitement. “Me too.” He leans in close to me, still staring at her. “Where did she come from?”
“That’s my daughter.”
“No shit. I didn’t know you had one of those.”
“Yes. I have one of those,” I say through my laughing fit. “She loves baseball, so I thought I’d bring her to hang out with us. If that’s okay?”
“I gotta be honest with you, I’m not good with kids. Mostly the little ones because they’re too delicate for me. Oh, and I curse a little. Well, a lot.”
“Daddy does too,” Sage cuts in. “Just the other day he was unclogging the toilet, and he screamed sh—”
Covering her mouth with my hand, I stop her. “He gets the point.”
“Yep. I like her. She can hang with us.”
Tucker takes Sage’s hand and leads her to the field where everyone else sits. Mostly faces I know, some I haven’t met yet. I can’t help but scan every face to see if Poppy is here. I don’t know if she’s the sports type, but I can’t help but hope.
My head has been a mess of thoughts for the last week after learning that the one woman I can’t stop thinking about is Sage’s teacher.
Not that I was going to try to pursue anything, as my time in Bluestone Lakes has an expiration date.
But it’s hard to deny her effect on me after the last few times I was around her.
I’ve spent the last few days trying to steer my thoughts in another direction and letting myself be consumed by the one thing that has never let me down.
I couldn’t stop thinking about saying yes to coaching the kids.
Even with every doubt, every question, there has been a constant tug in my gut telling me that I should be doing something about this.
So I met with the school secretary, who was enthusiastic about something starting in the town again for the kids.
The roadblock isn’t the money involved for equipment and other things, because I have that.
I want it to go toward this. The issue was that the season would just be starting before I leave here to return to San Francisco.
Meaning, someone would need to take over after the first game of the season.
Even with that, I still said we need to do it.
Me leaving would be a problem for a later day.
“Dallas Westbrook,” Nan announces. “Took ya long enough. Let’s play ball.”
“Maybe we should introduce him to everyone first, Nan,” Griffin says to her, before greeting me with a handshake. “Good to see you again. I know you’ve met Tucker.”
“Duh. I’m his biggest fan,” Tucker announces proudly. “And we’re best friends now.”
Griffin shakes his head, then gestures to Blair on his left. “You’ve met Blair.” I nod, and then he gestures to the woman next to her. “And this is my sister, Lily.”
“Well, I’ve heard all about you, but seeing you in person is…wow.” She shakes her head, eyes wide.
“Lily,” Griffin warns.
I’m not sure what to make of her comment.
How has she heard about me, and from whom?
If I had to take a guess, it would be between Tucker and Nan.
“Sorry. Yes.” Lily blushes, extending her hand in greeting. “I’m Lily. I own the bakery in town. And I actually met Sage the morning you guys got here.”
“Oh yes, you did!” Sage beams. “Now I want some of your special sugar.”
“Well…” Lily walks to the bench, picking up a white bag. “I didn’t know if you would be here or not, but I brought this with me just in case.”
“I love you so much,” Sage shrieks, reaching into the bag and pulling out a giant chocolate chip cookie.
That’s the thing about kids. You can weasel your way into their hearts with just about any kind gesture.
I’m smiling at the interaction, but it falls quickly when realization smacks me in the face. Nan said Sage’s teacher’s sister owns the bakery. Lily is Poppy’s sister. Which means, Griffin is Poppy’s brother. Which means…
“Wait. Are you my teacher’s sister?” Sage asks the question in my head.
“Is your teacher Miss Barlow?”
“Yep. I love her sooo much.”
Lily laughs. “Yep. She’s my sister. You must be the new girl in her class. She talks about you all the time.”
Poppy talks about my daughter?
Is Poppy who Lily heard about me from?
“Did you know she likes puzzles just like me?” Sage asks Lily.
Lily nods. “She loves them.”
Griffin takes the time to introduce everyone else. The only other two I haven’t met yet were Levi and Autumn. I briefly remember Autumn from the coffee shop, but never knew her name. Tucker chimed in about how Levi works with him in construction here in town.
All the other details are a blur because I can’t get my mind off the one person who isn’t here.
Poppy Barlow.
“Is this everyone?” I ask, hoping my question doesn’t give away that I’m looking for her.
Griffin nods, extending his arms out. “This is our crew. It’s kind of a nutty bunch, but they keep things interesting. Poppy is the only one missing. She doesn’t get out much.” He shrugs casually like it’s no big deal.
“She doesn’t?”
I don’t know what makes me ask as quickly as I do.
Maybe it’s because I’m standing in front of her brother, more curious about her than ever.
A part of me wants a reason to talk to her about something, anything, just for the chance to get to know her better.
I keep finding myself wanting to connect with her when I usually don’t.
I can’t understand why I’m so drawn to her, but I have to remind myself that my stay in Bluestone Lakes has an expiration date.
Griffin shakes his head. “If she comes out, it’s like a big deal.”
“It’s like an alert the media type of moment.” Tucker barks out a laugh.
“We playin’ ball or what?” Nan says, standing on home plate with a bat in her hand. “I have recorded soaps I gotta catch up on after this.”
“Daddy.” Sage tugs at my hand. “What are soaps?”
“I think they’re some kind of TV show.”
“Sounds boring.” She wrinkles her face before skipping over to the bench with her little bag of treats in hand. “Go, baseball!” Sage cheers.
“That’s the spirit,” Nan shouts.
Everyone moves around, taking random bases, and Tucker puts me on the pitcher’s mound. There aren’t enough players to make two teams, and since this is really just for fun and messing around, everyone is on the field with rotating turns batting.
It feels good to stand on a pitcher’s mound again, even if it is just a flattened cardboard box.
Throwing the ball lightly overhead, Nan swings and, to my surprise, hits it. Hard. Past everyone in the field.
“Nan,” Tucker screams, running for the ball. “You aren’t supposed to be good.”
Nan jogs the bases. For an older woman, she’s got some quick feet on her. “Ah-ha.” She laughs. “You underestimate me, Talkative Tucker.”
“Go, Nan! Go, Nan! Go, Nan,” Sage cheers, jumping up and down from the first base sideline.
“What can’t that woman do?” I say through my laughter, shaking my head.
“She’s a wild one, that Nan,” Lily says, now standing next to me. “She can do everything and anything.”
Everyone moves to the bench, grabbing water from their bags.
“I’m water hungry,” Sage says.
“Does that mean thirsty?” Tucker asks.
“Yep.”
“Look at me, learning kid language. I’m basically a pro now. I can babysit any night for you, Dallas.”
“I’m not a baby,” Sage huffs out, narrowing her eyes.
“Kid sit?”
Sage thinks about it for a second and shrugs. “Sure.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” I deadpan.
Lily nudges my side. “So…you’re the guy who moved next door to my sister.”
“I am.”
“She told me.”
“She did?”
Lily nods, and then silence stretches between us before she leaves my side to go grab water.
I want to ask more, but what? I don’t even know how I’m feeling about the whole thing. I’m struggling to wrap my head around the fact that I’m really attracted to her, but she’s also my daughter’s teacher.