Page 33 of The Yips

Kelsey: Oh, yeah. Those first-class flights and luxury suites are sooooo hard.

Me: Is there a place at the bar for one of those players to sit, you know, incognito?

Kelsey: I thought you’d never ask.

Yep, it was already next to impossible to stay away from this woman.

CHAPTER 29

Kelsey

By the time I got to work, I had already scheduled a meeting with Avery to discuss my thoughts on the non-profit. I planned to meet at her house mid-day tomorrow, and she assured me it was OK to bring Crew. Sam must have talked to her immediately after he left my apartment. I was beyond excited about the possibility of bringing this vision to life. With my firsthand experience as a reference point, I easily envisioned how these programs could improve the lives of many women.

I hadn’t lied when I told Sam how dead it was at work, and I would have been satisfied texting him from behind the bar, but in person was even better. When Sam arrived, he waved while I poured a beer for one of the bar customers and found a seat at the corner of the bar. Several women looked twice at him, and while it was unlikely they recognized him, I’d realized that the man garnered attention almost everywhere he went. I doubted the clientele would expect to sit next to one of the players, as most men were here alone to blow off steam after work. It was a completely different place when there were no sports games.

“Light beer?” I asked him once I’d made it over to him, unable to stop the smile spreading across my face.

“Yes, please,” Sam answered, his grin matching mine.

“I’m meeting with Avery tomorrow. Thank you for helping me move that along.”

“That’s great! Oh, by the way, I thought you should know that your father invited me over the next time he cleaned his guns. He’s not giving me a free pass.”

The kitchen bell rang, indicating that one of my bar guests' meals was done. I excused myself to deliver their meals. After providing drink refills and ensuring they had everything they needed, I returned to Sam.

“I’m free and clear for New York next weekend,” I said. “And as long as you start on Monday night, I am good for that game, too.” Sam smiled brightly, and I realized then how important it was to him that I could attend.

“I grew up in the city. Can we plan something special for Sunday during the day? I would love to show you some of my favorite sights.”

“I’ve never been to New York. As long as we’re going someplace stroller-friendly, I’d like to see as much as possible.” Growing up in Boston, I was used to city living, but New York was bigger than Boston. I could only imagine how it had been to grow up as the son of a famous supermodel in one of the biggest cities in the world. I admittedly had Googled Veronica DeLuca and his sister Josie. Their resemblance to Sam was strong, but he was a perfect combination of both his father and mother.

“I’ll also likely need to go for a late dinner with my father on Saturday after the game. I’d like you to come, but I know it’s late for Crew. Would your dad be interested in coming to the game and taking Crew back to the hotel afterward?”

I’d learned enough about Sam Sr. on the flight back from Minnesota to know that I didn’t want Sam to face him alone. It was ridiculous how I already felt protective of him. Of all people, Sam was more than capable of taking care of himself. There was something so incredibly sad about how Sam’s father was never satisfied with his success and still managed to make him feel insecure. Sam was at the top of his game and in the middle of the prime of his career, and yet he was still one of the most generous and genuine people I had ever met.

“I don’t think he can do the entire weekend, but he could probably take the train and stay Saturday into Sunday. I’ll text him in a bit and let you know.”

I pulled my phone out once I was sure none of my customers needed anything from me.

Me: Dad, can you come to New York on Saturday for the game and babysit afterward?

Dad: Good seats?

Me: The last two times, we were behind home plate.

Dad: Those are as good as you’re going to get. I think I can. I’d need to look at the train schedule. I need to be home by Sunday night.

I took care of a few more customers while Sam nursed his beer and could get ahead on most of the closing cleaning. I wouldn’t be here too late tonight.

“Dad’s looking into the train schedule, and if he can make it work, I don’t see why he couldn’t come with us to help.”

“Kels, Monica can figure out his travel. Yours too, of course. If there is a flight, she’ll book it for him. You can connect with her in the morning. Oh, and don’t forget to pack one of the dresses Monica sent from Minnesota. You’ll probably want to wear it when we go out for dinner; selfishly, I’ve been dying to see you dressed up again.”

Sam hung around while I closed the bar and stood outside while I engaged the alarm. He walked me to my car, uneasily looking left and right at the men hanging out on the corner of the street. I never really thought twice about closing the bar; it was my life, and I was used to it.

“Are people always hanging around like this when you close?” he asked.

“Pretty much,” I said, holding up the pepper spray connected to my keychain. “But I’ve never needed to use this.” The pepper spray had been a Christmas gift from my father for one year. All three of us got that, along with self-defense lessons.

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