Page 4 of Single Glance

Gray shook his head. “Cut that sir shit out. It’s Gray—Anders, or Coach if we’re on the field. And this isn’t me blowing smoke up your ass, Cam. Our manager, Bennett Weber, is a hard guy to impress, and he liked what he saw. We’re excited to see what you’ll do up here.”

“Th—” My words cut off when Gray gave me a look.

“Like I said, this isn’t me telling you anything new. You’re talented; you wouldn’t be here if you weren’t. But getting to the game—that’s just the first part of this battle. It’s a long season, and we’ve already had our share of ups and downs.” He nodded to the window behind him. “You sure you’reready for this?”

“Hell yes.” I didn’t hesitate for a second. Nothing would keep me from that field.

Especially because this deal meant getting to be closer to my daughter. Almost three years ago, the league had announced it would add four new teams: two in the National League and two in the American League. I didn’t pay it much mind at first, mostly because I thought I’d still be in Texas. But after my ex moved up here, and they announced they’d be creating a team in upstate New York, it clicked. This was my shot at the dream—getting to play professional baseball and be close to Emilia. I fought like hell to get moved to Erie City’s farm team, and my agent had come through right after Boston made me an offer.

Not that playing for Boston’s farm team wouldn’t be great, but the city was never home. I’d visited long enough to get a sense of the place, but in my heart, I was a country boy. I couldn’t relax with that much noise around me. Also, the fans with the legacy teams were vicious. They’d eat you alive if you messed up a play.

But none of those issues mattered most. No, that was the distance from my daughter. I hated being five hours away from Emilia. She was in kindergarten now, and it affected how much time I got to spend with her.

Playing for the Hawks meant I could see her as much as possible—the stadium was only forty-five minutes from Saint Stephen’s Lake, where my ex and daughter lived with her new boyfriend. I was already looking at apartments halfway between the two, hopeful I’d get to spend most of my free time with Emilia.

“I’m ready for this, Gray.”

Gray nodded and tapped his hand on the top of the table. “I’ll behonest with you, Cam—this is a young team. A lot of these guys are coming up from the minors, just like you. Everyone is looking to make a name for themselves, but we don’t need a group of superstars. We need a team, one that can come together when we need it. Counting on you, kid, to be a leader, both on and off the field.”

My throat tightened, the pressure mounting on my shoulders. “I’m ready for it.”

He stood, holding out his hand. “Then welcome to the Hawks, Cam. Let’s make this a great fucking year.”

THREE

Twenty minutes later, the team’s social media manager led me around the stadium, checking out the place that would hopefully become my second home over the next few years. We’d already gone out to the field and up to the stands, and now she guided me toward the locker rooms.

As she pushed open the door, I inhaled sharply, hoping this would be a great season. I might have done well in the minors, but I was a long way from that now. Nerves hit me like a freight train as we walked down the painted hallway, where the rest of the guys would file in shortly.

It was one thing to start the year as a rookie. It was something else entirely to come in once the season already started. The rest of the team had time to build chemistry during spring training, to learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses. While baseball teams were often like revolving doors, most had a core group of guys who would lead us to victory. Were they pissed I’d been called up?

Teamwork was everything, especially when you were already starting at a disadvantage. Many of the teams we’d face were franchise teams and had been playing together foryears. They communicated silently on the field—would we even speak the same language?

As I walked inside, I sucked in a sharp breath, not quite believing the sight in front of me. In the minors, we’d had nice locker rooms, but nothing like this. Dark green flooring covered the space, with the Hawks’ logo etched in white in the middle of the room. The center of the room had four dark leather couches, and rich mahogany wood lockers lined the walls. Each one had a little spotlight over the top of it, proudly illuminating player’s names. Some taken lockers only said Erie City Hawks, a reminder that everyone had to earn their name on the wall. Staring at one of the blank placards, resolve settled in my gut. My name would go up there.

This was real. This moment, the one I had fought for years to achieve, was finally in my grasp. All the hard work, all the days away from home, all the milestones I’d missed—they had all been for this.

I was a major league baseball player.

Fuck, that felt good.

As I walked further into the room, I found my locker instantly. If the balloons and signs weren’t enough of a hint, my daughter stood in front of it, holding her mother’s hand.

“Daddy!” Emilia exclaimed as she burst across the room and leaped into my arms. I happily caught her, taking a whiff of the strawberry shampoo she loved so much. Even though it had only been two weeks since I last saw her, I missed her terribly. No amount of FaceTime calls would match the feeling of having my little girl in my arms. She pulled back and put her palms on my cheeks, squeezing them together. “Do youlike our surprise? Mommy helped me make the poster.”

“I love it, baby girl,” I said as I kissed her nose. After I put Emilia down, I hugged Victoria. “You guys didn’t have to drive out here for this.”

“Are you kidding?” Victoria said. “We’ve been here every time you started with a new team. It’s practically a family tradition at this point. No way we’d miss this one, especially with you being so close now.” She beamed at me, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. “You did it, Cam.”

I squeezed her a little tighter before I let her go. I cleared my throat, trying to hide my emotion at her words. Victoria had been my high school girlfriend and my first love. She’d been there from the very start—from my first junior varsity game to the call I got about joining the Hawks. She was the most stable person in my life, despite the shift in our relationship.

When we were younger, our paths seemed so clear. We’d attend the same college, then get married right after we graduated. But life had other plans, and we ended up getting pregnant with Emilia during our freshman year.

Although we tried to make things work, as we got older, it became clear Victoria and I were better off as friends. It hurt like hell at first, but over time, we made it work. Now, I couldn’t imagine my life without her.

“Where’s Adam?” I asked, looking down at her still-bare ring finger. “Is he avoiding me? He knows I’m going to kick his ass if he doesn’t make an honest woman out of you soon.” Victoria’s boyfriend, Adam, was one of the biggest movie stars in the world. He’d taken a break last year and moved to the same small town as his best friend, Victoria’s brother. Their paths crossed, and the rest was history.

When we first broke up, I dreaded the idea of Victoria with another guy. I thought itwould be this painful moment, like it might shatter our friendship into something entirely different. But none of that happened when she fell for Adam. In fact, it was like he’d always been a part of our family, completing Victoria in a way I’d never seen before. He made her happier than ever, and he loved Emilia just as fiercely.

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