Page 53 of Even Odds
Golden Boy Leads Bryan High to a State Championship!
That was the year I became the golden boy to the world. The reporter overheard my teammates chanting it lovingly and ran with it.
“You appeared on my radar after this,” Rio says, sorting through the newspapers. “Little freshman on varsity. Not only were you the tallest on the field, but you were the star.”
Of course he loved the golden look. Everyone does.
“Why are you showing me this?” I ask.
He taps the page. “Because I don’t see this kid. I know you were fifteen when the photo was taken, but it’s more than normal aging. I know what it looks like when a player who once bled baseball is going through the motions.”
Damp palms rub against my sweatpants. “Rio—” I start, but he waves me away.
“You aren’t being fined for last night’s outburst. Well, you are, but you’re not paying for it. If someone had said that about any woman I know, I would’ve reacted the same way.” Clearing his throat, he stands. “One day, you’re going to explode, Cade. Be honest with yourself. Take a break. Find someone to confide in. This shit gets heavy sometimes.”
I watch him as he rounds the desk. “You sound like someone with personal experience.”
His lips quirk slightly as he pulls me out of my chair and basically pushes me into the hallway. “Now get out of here. I want to go home and see my wife.”
Home is calling my name too, but Shay’s text from earlier means home will have to wait.
Agent Shay
Meet me here at 6
Current Location
Chapter Seventeen
Bringing Cade to SlimJim Batting will either be the best or worst decision I’ve ever made as an agent. Not because I’m worried about some big emotional pull that’ll drag us back together once we’re in our place.
It’s the fact that I didn’t tell Jimmy or Cade about my plan.
A flash of red darts past the window of my pseudo-office, and I watch as Cade parks and gets out of his car. Even with a multimillion-dollar signing bonus and a pro baseball salary, he still drives the minivan he got when he was sixteen.
From my desk, I lean forward to peer across the hallway into Jimmy’s office, where he’s reorganizing his desk drawers. His uneasy energy has been bouncing off the walls all afternoon. He scrubbed baseballs, mopped the concession areas twice, and hung new flyers in the neighborhood. If I had to guess, the article about Cade screaming at Scott Butts in his morning newspaper set him off.
“Hey, Jimmy,” I call out. “Can you grab something from the front door for me?”
Tired eyes roll. “We’re the same distance from the door, Shaylene. Why don’t you get it?”
“I could, but it’s a special delivery for you.”
He leaps out of his seat. “A chocolate-covered-pineapple kind of special delivery?”
I grin. “Better.”
A disbelieving snort leaves his crooked nose, but the ring of keys attached to his belt jingles all the way to the front door. It’s not until I hear a gasp and the heavy thuds of what I expect to be an overly aggressive hug that I make my way into the hallway. Jimmy’s arms are wrapped tightly around Cade like a snake.
Still, Cade looks comfortable in his embrace.
Then without warning, Jimmy flips him around and puts him in a headlock. “Dammit, Owens! You almost gave an old man a heart attack.”
The lack of oxygen reddens Cade’s cheeks. “Blame her,” he gasps, pointing a finger at me until Jimmy releases him. Returning to full height, he rubs his neck. “She set us up.”
When both of their eyes land on me, I take a bow. “Now that wasn’t so hard, was it? All it took was one smart woman and two men incapable of communicating. I think I deserve to hear two magic words.”
“Thank you,” Cade sings, while Jimmy says, “Smart ass.”
