Page 28 of Single Glance

As much as I hated to admit it, I was relieved it wasn’t me. Not that I wanted the guy to fail, but I’d hate to be the subject of that negative talk.

The stands called behind me as I found my position in left field. They chanted my name, but I tuned them out, only focusing on the game in front of me.

Well, that, and my family up in the crowd. While a lot of coaches thought having family in the stands distracted players, for me, it was the opposite. I performed better when I knew they came to the games, when I heard them cheering me on. Everything I did was to make my little girl proud, and I wanted to show her how hard work paid off.

But as much as I wanted to show off for Emilia, it also helped that Hadley was up there too. I’d spotted her when we first ran out to the field, and she looked so damn good, especially when I saw her Hawks jersey. With her long, blonde hair sticking out of a baseball cap and a cold beer in her hand, she looked like she belonged here.

Like she belonged with me.

“Yo, Seda,” Manny, our center-fielder, called out to me. “Get your head in the game.”

“Talking a lot of shit after missing that fly ball,” I said. Manny flipped me off under his glove so the cameras couldn’t see him. I flashed him a smirk, knowing the guy could take some shit talk. After that bullshit play, he deserved it.

The next two batters struck out, leaving only one more needed to turn over the field. Better to have players strike out rather than risk another run, but I was bored with waiting.As I stretched my legs, I squinted toward the opposing team’s dugout, wondering who was next in their line-up.

My answer came only seconds later. Hernandez, one of the best right-handed batters in the league, stepped up to the plate. A deep samba rumbled through the stadium speakers, and his confident swagger matched the vibe. We all went silent as he pulled the bat over his shoulder, eying down our pitcher. The scoreboard behind me lit up, and I knew if I tilted my head, all his stats would be visible. But I wasn’t that kind of player, one who analyzed every stat before I walked onto the field. No, I read the player in front of me. Stats only told part of the story, and one night could change them. But this guy? I read the fire in his eyes from all the way back here. He was dying to beat us, but there’s no fucking way I’d let him, not without a hell of fight.

Our pitcher, Mitchell, wound up, but the batter didn’t move. “Ball!” the ump screamed out. Not a shock there. The entire team seemed to skip the first pitch, even this late in the game. Mitchell dusted the ball on his leg, then slammed it into his glove. He wound up and released the ball at an incredible speed. His fastball was a goddamn masterpiece.

But it didn’t matter, not when the ball collided with the player’s bat, sending it ricocheting in my direction. Instinct took over as I watched it fly past the bases. The thing was high—too high for me to grab easily. My feet moved backward, and I jumped right as it started to pass over the wall. I leaped up, nothing in my brain but the ball.

My arms stretched more than I thought possible, and right as I thought I’d missed, the ball collided with my glove.

When my feet hit the ground, I glanced down at my hand, where the ball rested. Holy fuck. No time to celebrate, I sent the ball back to Mitchell,giving him a nod. I’d caught the one ball, but there’d be others, and we needed to keep blocking runs if we wanted a chance at the win.

But when I looked up at the screen, the cameras focused on my family, Emilia and Hadley, hugging tightly, like I’d just won the World Series. They cheered, and Hadley yelled out, “Get ‘em, sarge!”

We might not win the game tonight, but when she screamed for me, it sure as hell seemed like I did.

We endedup losing the game, unable to fill the gap Denver had created. After that one save, I played the rest of the game. Some assists, nothing crazy, but I did my best. Part of this job was always going over every play, wondering what you could have done with a little more time and a little more effort.

“Good game out there tonight, Cam.” Damien saddled up next to me, freshly showered and looking like he was ready to let off some steam. I just nodded as I leaned down to tie my sneakers. Damien sat down next to me. “Can’t win them all. Remember, it’s a long season. Get in your head now, and you’re doomed. Learn from the losses and ride the high of the wins.”

“Talking as my buddy, or as the team captain?” I said. He just shook his head. Benny had left the captain’s seat open for the first part of the season. He wanted to make sure the right man was leading us before he made that call, and I respected that. But Damien had been the unofficial leader before I even stepped onto the team. It only made sense for him to take charge.

“Nah, man,” Damien said. “If I was talking to you as your captain, you’d know it. This is just me giving mybuddy an ‘atta boy. You did good tonight, Cam. Keep it up, and you’ll be on the starting line soon.”

My jaw clenched, trying to hide my smile. That was the goal, what I came here to do. While I was trying to show up every day and do my best, it was good to hear it from someone else, especially someone I respected as much as Damien.

He clapped me on the shoulder as he stood. “You’re coming out with us tonight.”

“Nah, man.” I shook my head. “Can’t do it. Gotta get my daughter home and into bed. She’s exhausted.”

“Right,” he said. “The kid. And what about that girl hanging out in the box? Hadley, right? My sister said she was watching you the whole game.”

“It’s not like that.“ At least, it shouldn’t be like that, not with so many strings binding us together. Still, no matter what I tried, Hadley was at the center of my mind, even when she shouldn’t be. As Damien argued with me, Benny popped out of his office, scanning the room until his eyes met mine. Fuck. He crooked his fingers, beckoning me into his office.

“Shit,” I hissed. “This can’t be good.”

“You’re fine,” Damien said. “Benny’s a good guy. He knows talent when he sees it. Like I said—get out of your head.”

Easy for him to say. He earned his place on this team. Hell, he’d earn a place in the Hall of Fame before the end of his career. As I walked over to Benny’s office, all I could think about was how much I’d enjoyed this ride, and that I’d fight like hell to keep my place on the Hawks.

TWENTY-THREE

“She’s getting heavy,” Cole chuckled as he adjusted a sleeping Emilia on his shoulder. “Gonna have to start lifting with Gray if I’m going to keep carrying her.”

“Tell me about it,” I said. “My back’s still killing me after trying to carry her to bed earlier this week.”

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