Chapter 41
FORTY-ONE
“What the hell was that, Mel?”
My voice was a harsh whisper as I pulled our communications director to the side.
Despite our win on the field, I was still on edge, the same as any other time my dad came around.
Although I never saw him during the game, he still had to be lurking around somewhere.
No way he’d leave without the last word.
Melanie’s eyes dropped. “It wasn’t my call. The higher ups wanted to bring him in for some added media coverage, and I wasn’t told until this morning.”
“Never again,” I bit out, dragging my hand over my face. “I don’t want to see him here ever again.”
“As much as I’d like to agree, there’s nothing either of us can do. He’s Tate Lyons, Jace. The owners won’t kick him out, no matter how much we hate him.”
“We?” My knuckles tightened, and the air turned heavy in my lungs. “What did he do, Mel?”
“Nothing,” she said, searching to make sure we were alone.
“He made a couple comments, that’s all. Apparently, I wasn’t his ideal tour guide, and he let me know it.
” I opened my mouth to apologize, but she shut me down.
“It’s not the first time I’ve dealt with someone doubting me, and it won’t be the last. Let it go, Jace. ”
Not fucking likely, but I agreed anyway, because I didn’t want to drag Melanie into the middle of my issues with my dad.
Instead, I headed back into the clubhouse and grabbed my stuff, ready to call it a night.
Four days. Four days at home with my girls.
It might not seem like much to anyone else, but during the season, we were lucky to get one or two days off per week.
Four days felt monumental, the break we needed to push to the end.
As I shoved through the locker room door, a crowd waiting for us on the other side. Hadley found me almost instantly, but she was alone. I frowned. “Where’s Kinsley?”
“Hello to you too.” She smiled up at me. “She just ran up to the box. Anna lost a toy, and she wanted to see if she could grab it. But it’s been a little bit. I was just about to go check on her.”
“Nah, I got it. Cam’s about to come out any minute.
” Squeezing her shoulder, I moved toward the elevators, keeping my head down.
No one stopped me as I pressed the button, letting out a sigh of relief my dad wasn’t among the waiting crowd.
But I couldn’t let my guard down, not yet.
It wouldn’t be down until he was out of my city and away from everyone I cared about.
As the doors opened, I stepped inside, leaning against the back wall of the elevator.
When they shut out the murmuring from the gathered crowd, I exhaled, rubbing the bridge of my nose with my forefinger and thumb.
God, what I wouldn’t give to be home right now, making good on my promises to Kinsley.
But my dad being in the building dulled my excitement of four days alone with my girl.
Part of me wished the bastard would show his face so we could get it over with.
The only saving grace was that Anna was already at home. Most people would probably feel guilty, unable to keep their kids away from their grandparents, but there was too much bad blood there. No way in hell would I expose Anna to him. As much as I hated it, I didn’t trust my dad around her.
For years, I’d wished and prayed my dad would change, that he’d start to act like the other dads on the teams, the ones who cheered on their sons after a game and took them for ice cream when we had a tough loss.
No one else got lectures all night—talks of blown potential and upholding our family’s legacy.
It might have confused me growing up, but it made even less sense now that I was a dad too.
I’d never put that pressure on Anna. Sure, I’d love it if she were also an athlete, but I’d never demand it of her or make her think my love was contingent on her winning a game.
If my dad couldn’t do the same for me, it was time to cut ties for good.
I had my own family, my own child, to put first.
My eyes scanned the numbers, impatiently waiting to reach the fourth floor. My thumb tapped against my leg, and as soon as the doors opened, I rushed out. “Kins?”
But the floor was empty, a far cry from the hundreds of people who had filled the space only an hour earlier.
The smell of popcorn and cotton candy still hung in the air, the floor sticky from stale beer.
No sign of my girl. I frowned as I headed back to the elevators, but a voice broke the silence before I pressed the down button.
My spine stiffened at the sound, all too familiar with that unpleased drone.
But it was the voice that followed that sent an icy chill down my spine.
Fuck. Turning, I rushed down the hall, racing toward the heated conversation.
Each step made my body roar, my muscles exhausted after the game, but I kept going, not stopping until I rounded the corner.
My dad stood over Kinsley, her smaller body blocked by his imposing frame.
Tension echoed off his tense frame, his finger dangerously close to her face.
“Do not test me, Ms. Woods.”
That patronizing tone was all too familiar—it had been the theme song of my youth and still played in my mind every time I made a mistake. But he’d made a mistake talking to Kinsley that way.
Blind rage flushing through my senses. My steps quickened until I stood between the two, shoving with both hands at my father’s chest. “Get the hell away from her.”
His eyes flared as he stumbled, staring down at my raised hands. “We’re just having a conversation, Jace.”
“Bullshit,” Kinsley snapped, stepping up behind me. My arm jutted out, keeping her behind me. She placed her hand on top of my arm; the touch settled me slightly. At least, it did until she spoke. “You cornered me up here, tried to pay me off to stay away.”
“You did what?”
“I was doing it for you, Jace! You don’t need some jersey chaser dragging you around.”
“I’ll give you one second to back the fuck away from the mother of my child, or you won’t be walking out of here.”
My father’s face hardened, his fists tightening, as if he wanted to test my threat. Wrong move. I straightened my spine, staring at the man who’d made it his mission to shape me as his legacy. But Kinsley’s voice broke through the rage. “You knew.”
I turned to face her, but she kept her gaze on my dad. “You knew about Anna. That we have a daughter.”
My dad’s jaw ticked. Holy shit. “H-how?” I asked, and then a newfound anger raced through my veins. He’d known and never asked, never once tried to get to know Anna. “How long have you known? Were you the one who blocked her when she tried to tell me?”
“Please. There were so many women in your inbox that it took hours to block them all. How could I know this one was hiding such a secret?”
“How. Long?”
“Long enough,” he said, his voice practically a growl.
“When you came back to this city, I had someone follow you, make sure you didn’t get back into bad habits.
” His sneer turned to Kinsley. “Didn’t take long for Ms. Woods to find you, for her to trap you with that kid.
But I thought you were smart than that. I raised you better, Jace.
And then I saw them here today, and I knew I needed to intervene. ”
He practically spat out the last word, and I reached out and grabbed his collar.
My father might be a large man, but I had an inch or two on him, and my youth gave me an advantage.
“I warned you once. Don’t make me repeat myself.
Say one more word about Kinsley or our daughter, and I’ll end you, old man. ”
For the first time in my life, my dad looked remorseful, but it faded quickly, replaced but that cold indifference he wielded like a weapon.
“I’m just looking out for you, Jace. You can’t afford to be distracted right now, not by some woman and especially not by a kid.
You need to be focused on the game, not playing house in the slums,” he motioned to Kinsley. “She’s going to ruin you, son.”
My hands curled into a fist, ready to strike, but Kinsley’s fingers tightened, a silent reminder she was there for me.
Her dark eyes met mine, pulling me back to her and what mattered most. Hitting my dad, as deserved as it might be, would only mess up my hand, possibly my career.
I shoved him back from us. “Of course you’d see it that way. ”
“What?”
“That you’d think that this—” I pulled Kinsley’s hand off my arm and intertwined our fingers, “makes me weak. God, no wonder Mom left you. Did you even try to love her?”
“Don’t you dare—”
“I almost feel bad for you. Almost. Because loving Kinsley—loving our daughter—isn’t a weakness, Dad, it’s everything. She makes me stronger, more focused.”
Today, knowing she was out there watching, I played harder than I had in my life.
When I went out on that field, every time I made a play, it was all for her and Anna, to make them proud.
Kinsley turned, staring up at me with such adoration, giving me the courage to continue.
“Baseball might be your life, but it’s not mine.
It’s my job, and yeah, I fucking love it, but if it ended tomorrow, I’d be okay. Because I have my family.”
I twisted my head to stare down at the woman who’d changed everything for me.
My family—that would be my legacy. I didn’t need anything else.
Over the years, I’d seen my name in lights, heard hundreds of people chanting my name, but none of that would ever compare to being with Kinsley, raising our daughter together.
Color drained from my dad’s face, and he searched my gaze as if he finally saw me.
Well, it was too fucking late for that. He opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off.
“We’re done, Dad. I don’t want to hear from you again.
My life is none of your business anymore.
Stay away from me, Kinsley, and especially our daughter. ””
My dad stepped forward, his own hands clenching. “You can’t just cut me out of your life, Jace. You’re my son.”
“Yeah, but that’s my burden to bear.” I released Kinsley’s hand, taking a step closer to him.
“But know this: if you ever come near my family again, I will destroy you. That image you’ve treasured for so long?
I’ll ruin it, take any good will this league has toward you and turn it to dust. Just try me. ”
My father’s mouth gaped open, and he fumbled for words, but I was done trying to appease him.
I turned, giving him my back as I stroked my fingers down Kinsley’s cheek.
“You grabbed Anna’s toy?” She nodded, and my shoulders finally relaxed.
I pulled her hand to my lips and kissed her knuckles. “Then let’s go home.”