Page 62 of Knox
The walk back to the hotel didn’t take long, and when I stepped into my room, I kicked off my shoes and stripped down to my boxers.
Since I’d showered before leaving the stadium, I skipped that and climbed into bed. It was almost midnight, so I hoped Crew and I would have a little privacy, and we could turn up the heat a little.
I dialed his number, and the video call connected after a few rings.
“Hey,” he greeted, but he looked tired with messy hair and dark circles under his eyes.
“You okay?”
He rubbed the back of his neck and gave me a tight smile. “It’s been a rough night.”
I sat up straighter. “What happened?”
“Grady tried to call Mallory before bed, but she didn’t answer, and he sort of spiraled a little.”
My heart sank a little. “Poor kid.”
“I tried to explain that sometimes people miss calls, but then he didn’t want to go to sleep. He kept asking if she got hurt again.”
“Shit,” I muttered. “Did she call him back?”
He nodded. “About ten minutes later. She apologized and explained she was talking to his grandma, but …” He took a deep breath. “It was already in his head, so it took forever to get him to stay in bed. He’s already woken up crying twice since then.”
“That sucks. Sounds like you both need some rest.”
“Yeah, but I wanted to stay awake for your call.”
I smiled. “You didn’t have to do that. I would have understood.”
Before he could respond, I heard a small, sad voice. “Dad?”
Crew sat up. “What’s going on, bubby?”
“I had a bad dream,” Grady cried.
Crew looked back at the camera. “I’ve got to go.”
“I know. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
“Love you,” he said, already standing.
“Love you too.”
I pressed the End Call button and stared at the blank screen for a moment. I wasn’t mad or even disappointed. I just wanted something I couldn’t have tonight.
But there was always tomorrow.
24
Knox
We tookthe series against the Dodgers two games to one, but the wins didn’t feel as sweet as I’d expected. It wasn’t the games themselves. Those had gone well. Our defense was on point, the lineup produced runs, and I’d reached base in all three games. It was the part after the games, when I was alone in my hotel, that didn’t go how I hoped.
The calls with Crew had been short, and some we’d missed completely. When we did talk, our conversations consisted of quick updates about his hand and how the team was doing. He was juggling a lot back home, and I missed him. I missed Grady too.
Now the guys and I were in San Francisco and headed to a team dinner at a seafood restaurant Parker insisted on going to. We occasionally had team dinners the night before a new series, and they weren’t just for those of us who were on the roster. Family was important to Parker, and that extended to how he treated his players, especially when we were on the road. Ifanyone’s spouse, partner, or children happened to be in town, they were also invited.
Inside, we were led to a private room where Parker’s dad, the Giants’ legend Joel Parker, was sitting with his wife Francine, and Parker and Rockland’s daughters. Parker had grown up in the city and ended his playing career with the Giants, so he was a local hero as well. Joel continued to live in the area with his wife, who happened to be Rockland’s mom.
