Page 63 of Guys Can't Write Romance
For a moment, Daisy let her thoughts drift, watching Chad high-five one of the kids after a strong pitch. What would it be like to build something like this, something real and messy, but important?
She gave her head a little shake, snapping herself out of it before that soft tug in her chest became something she couldn’t control. This was just research. Nothing more.
As practice wound down, she watched Chad organize the equipment cleanup, turning it into a race complete with ridiculous commentary. “And Smith takes the lead with the bat collection, but wait! Rodriguez is coming up fast with an impressive ball-bucket technique!”
The boys were laughing even as they worked, and Daisy noticed they took extra care putting everything away properly in the newly organized shed.
After the gear was stowed away and the kids sent home, Chad jogged over to the bleachers with a baseball in his hand.
“So,” he called up to Daisy, who was gathering her things. “Learn lots of good stuff today?”
“I think so,” Daisy said as she headed down the bleachers to join him. “I learned you’re either a good coach, or young boys with baseball bats aren’t as destructive as I thought.”
Chad laughed. “The trick is to channel that destructive energy into something constructive.” He held out the baseball. “Here’s your souvenir for graduating ‘Baseball for Newbies’.”
Daisy smiled as she took it, her fingers brushing briefly against his. She rolled it in her palm. “You know, it’s probably going to get labeled.”
He smiled. “Make it something cool, like ‘McKenzie 3000.’”
“I’m sure you’ll explain what that means at some point,” she said.
“Next lesson,” he said as they headed off toward the parking lot. “So, did you figure out how to un-suck Rick?”
“I think so,” she said, giving him a quick look before turning away. A question was burning in her chest, and had been since about midway through practice. The problem was, she didn’t know how to ask it, or if she even should. Finally, she decided to just blurt it out before she lost her nerve.
“Do you ever see yourself having kids?”
Chad slowed slightly, not sure if he heard right. “Kids?”
“Yeah,” Daisy said quickly, trying to keep her voice light and casual and not sound like she just stepped into traffic. “You’re good with those boys. I was just wondering if… you know... you see that for yourself, someday.”
Chad took a moment to think about it. “Yeah,” he finally said, his voice quiet but sure. “I can see that.”
Daisy blinked, startled by the simplicity and how readily he admitted it. Not like Ethan, who always diverted or dismissed the question entirely. “Really?”
“Yeah,” Chad said, rubbing the back of his neck briefly before glancing at her. “Not like tomorrow or anything. I’m pretty sure I’ve still got some growing up to do myself first. But definitely someday.”
Somewhere in Daisy’s chest, that soft tug returned, stronger now. “Well, for what it’s worth,” she finally said, “I think the team already thinks you’re grown up.”
Chad chuckled, shaking his head. “They’re baseball players, Daze. Their standards are low. What about you? Do you want kids?”
“Definitely. A whole bunch of them.”
“Yeah?” Something soft crossed his face. “I can see that. You’d be good at it.”
“You think?”
“Sure. You’d have them color-coding their toys by age three.”
She smacked his arm, but she was smiling. “Jerk.”
They reached her car, and Chad suddenly seemed very interested in the ground. “So, uh, does Boring- does Ethan want kids?”
She shook her head. “He wants to focus on his career right now.”
“Ah.” Chad kept his voice carefully neutral.
A weird tension filled the air between them, full of things neither of them was ready to say.
