Page 35 of The Yips

“Does anyone?”

“No, but I remember how torn up you were when you lost your stepsiblings. This will hurt him more, especially since he’s so young. If you’re together for any significant period, you’ll have a hand in raising him. That’s not something to take lightly. You can’t just walk away from a kid once they’re attached to you, or you to them.”

I explained that his father wasn’t in the picture, and rather than setting her mind at ease, she was even more anxious.

“What if he comes back? At any time, another man can stake a claim to this child. It would push you to second place. Sammy, you’ve always been the one I’ve worried about. You jump in with everything you’ve got.”

“I can’t say I’ve thought through all scenarios, but I’m not afraid to put my neck out there.”

“Well, I’m looking forward to meeting her, but my job as your mother is to look out for you.” Mom had proven her commitment to me time and time again.

“I’ll have Monica send you the information for brunch, and if you decide you want to go to the game, let me know, and I’ll have tickets for you.”

I didn’t expect my mother to accept the tickets. She had spent years getting over the hurt from my father. Returning to the stadium would be yet another reminder of how much she had lost to him. She pretended to be over it, but I sensed that my father had mortally wounded her. Even after all these years, she would have allowed him to hurt her again. Had it not been for me and Josie, they might have stayed together, eventually destroying each other.

We hung up the phone, and I spent the rest of the morning working out. I also let Gramps know I’d invited someone important to me for dinner on Saturday and asked him to help if Dad got out of control. My father barely listened to his father, but having someone call him out if he acted outrageously would have been helpful. Gramps was smart enough to know I wouldn’t invite just anyone to dinner with Dad and would never let anyone walk into this situation blindly.

About midday, Kelsey sent me a photo of herself in the lingerie she had worn last weekend. Blood rushed to my dick, and holy fuck, she looked hot. I quickly saved the image to my private, password-protected photos. Well, photo. This was the first and only picture I’d been tempted to save.

Kelsey: I was thinking about wearing this Monday…

Me: Then I’d be arrested for intentionally hitting fans with my pitches anytime they dared to look at you.

Kelsey: I meant under my jeans and T-shirt.

Me: Then I’d be dragging you home with me after the game…

Kelsey: Crew…

Me: Not a problem. His bassinet from Minnesota? I own it. It’s a long story, but he has a bed at my place.

It took about forty-five minutes for her to respond, and I thought I’d overstepped. But maybe she’d gone for a run?

Kelsey: Okay. I’ll go back with you, only if you bring me home, caveman style.

Me: Did you think about that while you were running?

Kelsey: How’d you know?

Me: Just a guess.

I’d learned that when Kelsey was silent, it was best to give her space, even if I was dying to know the answer. If this were to go anywhere, I suspected I would be frequently testing every ounce of patience I had.

Me: Thanks for trusting me.

Kelsey: Don’t make me regret it.

CHAPTER 31

Kelsey

Ibrought my laptop to Avery’s with an outline of a proposal, and I wished I had more experience. I had texted Sam ahead of time, nervous that I was about to make an absolute fool out of myself. I had no idea how to write a professional proposal. I’d only ever put together presentations for school. I struggled to put my thoughts into words.

Sam: Avery will know how to package the proposal to make an impact. Don’t worry about those details yet. You’re still brainstorming.

Me: I want to make a meaningful impact.

Sam: Then that is what you’ll do.

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