Page 50 of Wild Card

I glanced over his body, picturing the teenage boy in a baseball uniform. Having seen him in action a few weeks ago at the charity ball game gives my imagination a full understanding. “Were you perfect at baseball, too?”

He shrugs. “Got a full ride to LSU. Turned down the scholarship.”

“Why?”

“Because we had the money to pay for college. I wasn’t cool with taking someone else’s spot who needed it more.”

“That’s modest.”

“It’s decency. I knew I wasn’t taking the money or a permanent spot on the team. Even when the coaches said scouts were coming for me.”

“As in the Majors?”

“That’s what they said.”

“What happened?”

“I tried school a while then joined the Marines.”

I stopped walking, gawking at him. “You gave it all up?”

“I don’t see it that way. But others did.”

“What happened?”

“Nothing happened. I considered my options. For as long as I could remember, I wanted to be a Marine. The decision to enlist won out.”

“How’d your parents take it?”

“Would they have loved to have me attend school and stay close? Sure. They knew where I stood and it wasn’t a surprise.”

We started walking again, both of us quiet but my mind reeling. Finally, I spoke, my voice low and clogged with emotion. “My brother was a baseball player. He lived for the game. But he knew he’d never go forward, and when the time came, he hung up his cleats and followed his other dream to become a doctor.”

“To me, being a doctor is a fuck of a lot better than a ball player.”

“Maybe, but I think the only time I’ve ever seen my brother cry was the night of his last game.”

“I understand that. I made my choice, but that last game was still tough.”

“Did you cry?” I tease to try and break the seriousness hanging in the air.

“What do you think?”

“Of course not. Big, bad, soon-to-be-Marines don’t shed tears at the end of an era.”

He grinned, switching Wolf’s leash to his other hand, sliding his arm around my waist to haul me to his side.

“Once I made the decision, I was at peace with it.”

“Guess I understand the whole sliding into home base during the charity softball game. You couldn’t help yourself.”

He flashed me a smug grin that should set off warning bells, but instead, it fueled me.

“Little boys around the world put on their first uniform and dream of the chance to play professional ball. You gave up the chance at millions of guys’ dreams to join the service. That’s noble.”

“I was born to be a Marine.”

My heart skipped a beat and then melted as so many things bounced around my brain.

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