Chapter 29
YOU’VE BEEN DOING YOUR RESEARCH, HUH?
Dallas
Did you order something to be shipped to my house?
Poppy
No?
Dallas! DO NOT OPEN THAT. OH MY GOD.
Now I’m intrigued.
Poppy
It’s illegal to open someone’s mail.
I just flipped the box around. The packaging isn’t very discreet, honey.
Green is my favorite color, too. *wink face*
Poppy
I’m mortified. This is so embarrassing.
It’s actually really hot.
I can’t wait to help you cross this one off the list next.
I’m sitting in my truck outside of the barnyard, ready for practice this week. Sage was better the next day after her playground accident, and everything is resuming as normal.
Just as I’m about to exit, my phone rings. I smile to myself, assuming it’s Poppy calling me to ensure I don’t open her box that holds a green vibrator. I’m not sure where she ordered from, but their packaging needs some work.
Except, I see Clark’s name flash across the screen, and my smile falls. I haven’t spoken to him since I left after the last season ended. Not because I don’t want to, but I was afraid that if I picked up the phone to call him, I would make a decision before I’ve thought anything through.
He didn’t call me either, presumably for the same reason.
Now that we’re creeping up on spring training, it’s getting close to me making a decision.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Dallas. Long time no talk,” he says on the other end. “How’s everything in Wyoming?”
“It’s going good.”
“How’re Sage and April doing?”
“Both of them are doing well. Sage is having a good school year here, and April is liking her job.”
“That’s great,” he says, pausing, waiting for me to say more, but I don’t. “I know we’re still a few weeks away from making a decision. Time is flying, huh? Anyway, I was calling to see if you’ve come up with a plan for this upcoming season after all your time away.”
Yeah, I’ve come up with a lot of plans.
I’ve come up with a lot of plans, but surprisingly, none of them revolve around baseball or San Francisco.
My issue is I have no fucking clue what to do anymore.
It’s not like me to have to think things through.
I know what I want, make a decision quickly, and figure it out along the way. That’s how I ended up leaving the city.
But now that I’m here, in Bluestone Lakes, everything has changed.
I didn’t expect to like the quiet, slow-paced small town.
I didn’t expect Sage to fall in love with her school, although I should have guessed she would.
I didn’t expect my neighbor to throw a curveball in my life.
I fucking told myself coming here, I wouldn’t form any attachments due to the impending expiration date. Well, now I have one. And it’s not like any other one I’ve had before. It’s one that I can’t see giving up.
One that I don’t want to give up.
“I haven’t, Clark,” I tell him honestly. “I’m not sure of anything anymore.”
“Yeah?” I can hear the smile in his voice.
He’s pleased by this because he was right about me needing a break.
“I’m proud of you for not jumping into any decisions and thinking this through.
You needed that. We will need to know soon.
Not right now, but soon. I’ll email you a date I have on my calendar for a meeting with the board here in the city.
If you can make it in person, that would be great. ”
“You got it.”
“On a lighter note, you’re doing okay? What have you been doing to keep busy?”
I stare out the front window of my Tahoe, look out at the barnyard, and smile. This wasn’t what I expected to happen when I got here, either. Now, I see a group of kids tossing the ball around with one another. Sage included, who jumped out of the car as soon as I put it in park a little bit ago.
Not just a makeshift diamond of dirt anymore.
It’s a baseball field now.
Tonight is the first practice on a field I created for them over the weekend with a bit of help from Griffin.
We built an entire mini dugout for the kids with circle letters over the top that spell out HOME. The weeds have been picked, new benches installed, the wire fence behind the home plate replaced, and they now have real bases instead of cardboard pieces.
“I’m doing good. Keeping busy,” I answer honestly. “I have to get going, though. I’ll give you a call when I have a plan in place.”
“Sounds good. Remember what I said, no more strikeouts, only home runs.”
I hang up, tossing my phone into the cup holder and making my way to the field, where the kids are taking everything in.
“Would you look at this, coach?” Archie shouts. “It’s a new field.”
“And a whole dugout with nice new benches!” Ethan adds. “No more butt splinters.”
Tucker pulls up moments later with Nan in tow, making their way to the field with wide eyes, too. I didn’t tell anyone I was doing this. I wanted it to be a surprise for all the hard work these kids put in.
“The barnyard got a makeover, huh?” Nan says, knowing I had everything to do with this, but not saying it out loud. “Never thought I’d see the day this space got cleaned nice enough to look like the real deal.” She laughs before moving off to the side to take a phone call or something.
“Holy cannoli,” Tucker says. “This is so epic. Oh my god. Makes me want to win a championship.”
“Yeah!” all the kids shout in unison.
“When is the first game, coach?” Gabe asks. “I got my cannon arm locked and loaded to win.”
“The first one is scheduled for a few weeks from now. It’s coming up quickly, and I think we’re going to do amazing. And now that the weather is no longer below freezing, we can really enjoy the game.”
“Cold means nothing to us,” Austin chimes in. “Feels like summer.”
“Summer? It’s still in the thirties,” Ethan scoffs. “Meaning, I’m still cold.”
“Let’s warm up then, shall we?” I announce and toss the bag of equipment next to the bench.
They all spread out, gloves in hand, and partner up to toss the ball around.
Every week that passes, they surprise me more and more.
At that very first practice, they couldn’t hit the water if they fell out of a boat.
Shoulders slumped, eyes down, and some of them were afraid even to speak.
I kept showing up for them as long as they showed up for me.
Even on the coldest days, they still showed up.
And now? Now they move like a team that’s been doing this for years.
They aren’t just playing the game anymore. They’re living it.
I’m a little proud of myself, too, if I’m being honest.
After being told I was a shit coach, I shifted everything. Bringing myself to their level and adapting to what they need versus what I think they need. Each and every one of them now believes in each other, themselves, and me.
I look to my left and see Tucker standing there. His legs are spread, his arms crossed over his chest, and he watches as all the kids warm up. I clasp a hand on his shoulder, startling him out of his daze.
“Oh, sorry, coach. I’m in awe of these kids and seeing them on a real baseball field. This is so cool. I wonder who did all of this.”
“I did.” He snaps his head in my direction with eyes wide, and I laugh. “I did it over the weekend with Griffin, but don’t tell them that.”
“First, I’d like it on record that I’m deeply offended I wasn’t asked to help. I literally work in construction, Dallas. I thought we were friends.” He rolls his eyes and then smiles. “Second, my lips are sealed.”
I can’t help but shake my head. “Let me ask you something before we get started on practice.”
He turns his body to face me. “Of course, Dallas. Whatever you need. I’m still offended, but you know I’m your guy no matter what.”
“You think you can coach these kids on your own when the season starts if I go back to San Francisco?”
“If?”
Car tires crunching on the gravel pull our attention to the makeshift parking lot. A grin spreads on my lips—I can’t help it because Poppy emerges from her car.
I turn back to face Tucker, who looks confused. “If.”
He still seems unsure until he looks from Poppy and back to me. “Ohhhh. If!” He bounces where he stands like a child who can’t contain their excitement. “Tell me something’s happening between you two. Oh my god, please tell me. I can be related to you. This is amazing news.”
“Shh. Can you chill out? I didn’t say anything was happening.”
“You said if, Dallas. Meaning you’re not sure you want to go back. No one stays in Bluestone Lakes when you have the life you have back in the city for no reason. Poppy girl is your reason.”
Among other things, Tucker is right.
She’s a big reason.
When you feel a connection this strong with someone, you chase it. I’ve had relationships. I’ve been married. I’ve done casual. And nothing has ever compared to this.
She lights up every part of me.
She forces me to slow down when I want to jump.
She’s soft and steady.
She’s…everything.
Turning around, I see her making her way to where Tucker and I stand. She has her hands tucked into the back pocket of her skin tight jeans with a solid pink long sleeve T-shirt tucked in.
“Nan told me this place got cleaned up. I had to come see it for myself right away.”
That one sentence does something to me I didn’t expect.
It’s six at night, in the middle of the week, and Poppy dropped everything to come here and see this. My heart skips a few beats the longer I stare at her with only that thought in mind.
I open my mouth to say something, even though I don’t even know how to respond, but Sage beats me to it. “Poppy! You’re here!”
Poppy turns, opening her arms and letting Sage jump into them. My daughter is full of dirt and sweat, and Poppy is wrapping her arms tightly around my little girl anyway.
She looks so good with my kid.
“I wanted to come see the new field.” They both release their hold, and Poppy stands. “This place looks amazing! I can’t believe it looks like a real field.”
Sage giggles. “Do you know what a real field looks like now?”