Page 14 of Single Glance

I stared at the phone in my hand, desperately waiting for it to ring. My eyes darted up to the clock, knowing it was now or never. Just as I started to lose faith, my phone rang out, Victoria’s brother on the other side of the line.

“Hey, man. Sorry about that,” Cole huffed out. “We walked down to the lake, and I left my phone at the house. Here’s your girl.”

All the tension left my shoulders when Emilia got on the screen, her toothy smile wide as she looked at me. “Is it time for your game, Daddy?”

“Almost, baby. You ready?”

“Yup.” She smiled back at me. “Love you.”

“Love you more,” I said into the phone.

“Love you forever and ever,” we both said at the same time. It was a simple tradition we’d started, way back when Emilia’s words were more like babbles. We’d said the same phrases, and I had one of the best games of my career—the one that got me picked up by our local minor league team. Ever since, I needed to hear her voice before I headed out onto the field. Call it superstition, call it luck, but whenever I heard my daughter’s voice before the game, I always played better.

We said a quick goodbye, and I got back into my pre-game ritual, taking the time to get my head right before wegot started. I was usually good at tuning out the rest of the world, but tonight, it was harder to focus. Maybe it was the pressure of wanting to do well.

Or maybe it had something to do with Hadley being out in the crowd.

When we got to the stadium earlier, I asked one of the guest services reps to help her find her seat while I went to the locker room, watching a little too long as she walked away. Sadness still clung to her, but it wasn’t as strong as before. Hopefully, the game would help her escape her worries for a while. I wished she’d tell me what had upset her. My fists clenched at the image of her in that car, defeat coming off her in waves. But I wasn’t someone she’d ever confide in. That was Victoria’s role.

My phone dinged, and an alert from a cash-sharing app awaited me. Hadley had sent me money for the seat. I chuckled, automatically sending it right back to her.

As soon as I moved down here, I bought three season tickets, hoping Victoria, Adam, and Emilia could attend some of my home games. They wouldn’t be able to make all of them, but I didn’t want them to have to worry about seats if they wanted to come. I liked that someone was using them, even if it was Hadley.

My phone pinged again, and there was the same amount, with Hadley sending a follow-up text.

MENACE

Accept the damn payment, sarge.

ME

Nope. I asked you here. Seat’s my treat.

I stared at my phone, waiting for a response. When it finally came through, I couldn’t help the wide grin that spreadacross my face.

MENACE

Fine. But I will make it up to you somehow.

ME

Stop giving Emilia glitter, and we’ll call it even.

Never gonna happen.

Have a good game, Cam. You’ve got this.

“Fuck, man,” Damien said from my side, breaking my focus from my phone. “Must be texting someone good. You’ve got that goofy grin.”

“Nah,” I said, trying to fix my face. “Nothing like that. Just getting my head in the game.”

Damien nodded, fidgeting with the chain around his neck. He touched each of the pendants before tucking it under his jersey and patted it twice. As he turned back toward me, I ducked my head, not wanting him to know I was watching. Baseball players were notoriously superstitious about their pre-game routines, and I didn’t want to be the one to throw him off.

Damien grabbed the towel from the top of his locker and twisted it in his hands. “How do you think we’re looking?”

“Pretty good,” I said. I truly believed it. Our team might be new and untested, but we’d walked away from our last series as the victors. Despite Weber’s comments, we’d done well in practice. At least, most of us had. I jutted my chin across the locker room to where another group of players gathered. “You might have to have words with Jace.”

“Still refusing to pass the ball?”

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