Page 39 of The Yips

Carlos stood behind me, laughing as I broke a sweat trying to install the car seat in the back of my car. Not only did it take me a bit to find the latch, but there wasn’t enough goddamned room for me to move in the backseat of my car.

“Are you going to help or just stand there like a dickhead?”

“I think it’s hilarious with you trying to fit a baby seat in the bachelor car. You laugh at my Suburban, but I’ve never had to fold myself in half to get the seats installed.”

“Fine, I’ll get an SUV, but if you wouldn’t mind, could you help me? The YouTube video said that the seat shouldn’t move at all. And look…” I shook the seat back and forth, and it flopped around.

“Yeah, that’s no good.” Carlos squeezed into the backseat from the other side and made some adjustments. Within minutes, the car seat was installed and not moving.

“Thanks, man.”

“You’d trade this car in for this woman? When did you meet her?”

“It’s just a car.”

“Which tells me she’s not just a woman.”

“I don’t think so.”

Carlos stood and started to walk back to the locker room. “Well, whatever it means, if you start fucking up again, I’ll be pissed.”

When I took the mound, I looked into the stands, finding Kelsey, Crew, and her mother close behind home plate. Kelsey and her sisters strongly resembled their mother. They all got their red hair from her. I was glad to see that she had been able to make the game. As great as it was that Kelsey was close to her father, I wondered where her mother was most of the time. I would expect my mother to be much more hands-on if Josie and I had kids. She’d probably even jump in if Kelsey let her.

I pitched fast, not taking more time than necessary between pitches, and left the game in the 8thinning with a four-nothing lead and a runner in scoring position. I hated leaving a potential run on base, but I’d set the closer up for a save and had to rely on him holding me to no earned runs in the game. But really, it didn’t matter because I had something better to go home to tonight.

When she met me after the game ended, her mother was still with her and was holding Crew. The little bugger smiled and kicked his legs in excitement when he saw me. I took him from her mom, and he snuggled into me while I leaned in and kissed Kelsey’s cheek. Neither of us noticed the cell phones out as they snapped pictures.

“Hi, Sam. I’m Maria Colette, Kelsey’s mother.” She greeted me warmly, and I shifted Crew into my arms to shake her hand.

“Hi, Mrs. Colette, it’s great to meet you. Did you enjoy the game?”

“Call me Maria, please. I’m not a baseball fan, but you played well. I was here mainly to spend time with my family and people-watch.”

“Any interesting people today?”

“It’s Boston, so yeah. But most of it was alcohol-induced tonight. The nurse in me cringes at the long-term liver damage.”

“Do you need help getting to your car?” Kelsey asked her mother.

“No, I’m close to the main gate. Boston crowds don’t intimidate me.”

She kissed her mom goodbye, and Maria leaned in and planted a kiss on Crew’s head before leaving. “Love you guys,” she said.

“Love you too, Mom.”

I took Kelsey’s hand, and we walked to the player lot. She checked the car seat for stability before she took him from me and strapped him in his chair.

“Yep, you really are good at everything.”

“I had Carlos help me,” I confessed. “Do I lose points for that?”

“Why would you lose points for keeping Crew safe?” she asked as she slid into the passenger seat.

I couldn’t help myself, and once I got in the car, I leaned in and kissed her before I turned the key in the ignition. I loved how one of her hands instinctively cupped my cheek while the other wrapped around the back of my head. I pulled away reluctantly and took a few deep breaths. “Later,” I whispered.

CHAPTER 35

Kelsey

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