Page 3 of The Bad Boy's Homecoming
“I’m your grandmother’s companion, and she’s my business partner,” Missy said.
“All that sounds like a mooch to me, but maybe I’m jaded because baseball brings out the gold diggers.”
Missy clamped her mouth shut and poured herself a big cup of coffee.“I’ll be in the studio, Mrs.Hart.”
“Yes, dear, that might be best.I’ll join you later.”
Then he watched Missy turn left off the kitchen toward the sunroom.
“So this is more like an artistic commune?”he said leaning back in his chair so he could watch Missy’s curves sway off into the sunroom.
“Levi honey, I can see you forgot your manners in the big city, but you best find them and treat Missy with respect.Because she is staying.Now, you can have Wesley’s old room if you promise to be nice.”
“But my room has the best views—and my bed,” he teased, knowing he had lost this battle.He hadn’t planned on staying in town long, much less at his grandmother’s.
“Which is now Missy’s view and her bed.”She patted his arm.“Go on, eat up.”
His grandmother looked a little older each time he was home.The heels she used to wear looked more like comfy sneakers now, and there were a few more wrinkles he didn’t remember being there.But everything about her was warm and welcoming.
“Alright,” he said, putting both hands down on the table.“Hit me with it—what’s going on?Since when do you need a companion?”
His grandmother set her dainty coffee cup down on the matching floral saucer and sat next to him again.“Well, I don’t know that I really need one, but a few months ago Missy needed a place to stay where she could focus on her art.”
“Gran.”He reached out to cover her hand with his own.
“And your brothers are worried about me living in this big house alone, so I agreed to let Missy keep me company.Wait until you see her art—you’ll understand.From time to time, if I need a little help, it’s nice to have her so close by.I like her company.”
Levi nodded.“Then I guess she can keep my room, but if I get one whiff of her taking advantage of this situation.”
“Levi, you will not insult my intelligence.And I’ll have you know she happens to have been in law school, top of her class.”
“So you’re saying she’ll, what, sue me?”
“Now let’s talk about why you’re home when you should be getting in shape for the season.Did you need help washing some of this ink off your skin?”She tapped the latest tattoo of an intricate rope he had that twisted up his forearm.
“They’re permanent, Gran, and the ladies love them.”
“Oh all those nice women you meet and never bring home?Forgive me if I don’t trust their taste in body art.Stop skirting the issue.Why aren’t you in spring training?”
“It’s complicated.”
“Which is code for you’re not sure what you’re doing here.You forget I’ve known you your entire life.”
“I guess I just need a break.I’m sick of this persona the Warriors want me to play, and when we couldn’t come to agreeable contract terms, I thought maybe I should take a break.”
She sighed.“You love baseball.And you don’t have to play any part for anyone.You’re the greatest shortstop to ever play the game.”
“You always say that, and just becausemy grandmother thinks itdoesn’t make it true.Contracts are stuffed full of all sorts of binding agreements these days, Gran.”
“Then get a better contract.”
“I could, but it won’t be with the Warriors.”
“I see, and you’re not sure you want to play anywhere else.”
“That feels like failure.And starting over farther away from home isn’t something I’m interested in.”
“Then I guess you better figure out what you want to do next.I hope you listened to that financial adviser and didn’t blow all your money.You can’t live with me forever.”Then she stood up and took her coffee and a plate of pastries with her toward the sunroom.Leaving him to sit and think about what he was doing with his life.
