Page 12 of Accidentally Sliding Into A Second Chance

My lungs seize, and I bite my lip. “Thanks, A. I needed to hear that.”

“Where is this new dog I’ve been hearing so much about?” My brother booms through the front door.

Ava’s face glows, and my chest loosens. Then chaos erupts with Scarlett and my dog greeting Duncan like a long-lost relative.

“We’ll see you when you get home,” Ava chuckles, just before hanging up.

“Bye,” I say to the screensaver on my phone. I’m grateful that Ava and Duncan are there to handle whatever disaster might arise.

Driving onto the highway, thoughts of Cat fill my mind, and I immediately shut it down. “It’s just work,” I reaffirm.

But there’s a nagging part of me that’s pretty certain Cat could never be just work, and that part doesn’t know what to do about it.

Chapter Six

Cat

ThesurpriseonDavid’sface when he learned I would be the person ‘harassing’ him about his social media was like a punch to the gut. He covered it up with a joke, but something was lingering in his eyes that made my stomach sink.

Why did Logan have to be the one to let the cat out of the proverbial bag?

It’s not like I did anything wrong by not telling him, but this isn’t how I wanted him to find out. I had planned to talk to Travis first so I could get a better understanding of what the organization wants from the players they selected. More specifically, from David. That way I had a game plan when I approached him with ideas and suggestions.

It’s easy to see why the Smokies picked Logan Miles as one of their players to spotlight. His smile could charm the pants off anyone, plus he’s easy-going and a straight shooter. The anchor of the team, they say. Not to mention, he enjoys the social interaction.

I haven’t met Evan Hanson or Justin Ingram, the Smokies’ first baseman or center fielder, but from a brief perusal of their social media accounts, they approach it the same way Logan does.

But David was picked for a very different reason. Like Logan, he’s easy on the eyes; unlike Logan, he has a compelling backstory that pulls people in.

Where Logan is all smoothness and ease, David is distant and closed off.

Logan is single and ready to mingle. David is a committed father and widower, there to get a job done.

He needs a careful approach—one that addresses the grief but doesn’t live in it. We need to share his story in a way that brings all he’s accomplished to life despite the tragedy he’s experienced.

This is the strategy I wanted to takebeforeI knew it was the David James I grew up with. Now that I know he’s ‘my’ David, the ‘how’ I get this done is even more important to me.

I can’t imagine losing your wife when your daughter is a toddler and you’re at the height of your career. Then, not only do you continue to play, but you become one of the best players in the league on both sides of the ball.

I understand grief and what it can do to a person. My life was upended when my parents got divorced, and I moved from the only home I had known. It took me years to pull myself together and feel normal. My Aunt Dottie was the light in my darkness when it felt like my parents abandoned me. I had her.

Who would I be today if she hadn’t been there? A shiver runs through my body gripping my gut.

Tears prick the back of my eyes knowing she’s gone. She’d be the first person I’d call to bounce ideas off about all of this. And I know she’d give me some wise words that would make everything better.

My throat tightens. “Gosh, I miss her.”

Like David, I’ve lived through grief, and I know what it can do to you. That’s why I want to be clear on what the team wants from him. He needs a special touch and a careful plan if this is going to be successful.

And it has to be. My job depends on it.

I just need to make sure we protect him and Scarlett while highlighting their life together. Their adding a dog to their family could help with where we focus.

The corner of my mouth tugs up when I think of Scarlett. She left an impression. It’s possible she could even be a bigger draw than Logan when people get an inside glimpse.

Her and Emmy together? We might just have something magical on our hands.

Hitting the call button on my steering wheel, I say, “Call Travis Foster.”

---