The Boy of Summer

6 - Shift

Shift: Where all infielders and/or outfielders position themselves clockwise or counter-clockwise from their usual position. This is to anticipate a batted ball from a batter who tends to hit to one side of the field.

Present day...

A Saturday night game meant Jett had the morning off. He had very little free time with his game preparation. Aside from working out, the catcher had the unique role of calling the pitches using signs throughout the game. He needed to know the strengths and weaknesses of the opposing hitters and that required him to prepare.

Coach had been teaching him to read batters since he was sixteen. It wasn't unusual for him to send him notes on a game. He used his free time to drive up to visit Coach. Jett remembered the first time Coach welcomed him into his house. It felt like home.

Coach was cooking his breakfast while he perused the kitchen. "New pictures."

In a frame was a picture of Kenzie. He forced himself to look away after studying it a moment. She was smiling. Coach glanced at him. "That was from her vacation."

Jett refrained from asking if the boyfriend took the picture. Instead, he asked, "How is she? Aside from telling me how to run the bases."

He laughed. "My girl is fiery, but she knows the game."

It had been over two weeks since Ben was in town and Jett had recently returned from a ten-day road trip.

He agreed with his mentor's assessment of his daughter. "How are your boys?"

The older man's face lit up as he talked about his team. "No team will ever match when you and Ben played together, but we're having a good year."

For the millionth time, Jett had thought about how glad he was his father bought him a baseball career. Not only did his father get his money's worth, but Jett met Coach.

Time flew in the Lynch kitchen and he needed to head to the ballpark. Stepping outside, he slid his shades off the top of his head over his eyes. As he began walking across the green lawn, a car pulled into the driveway.

He knew right away it was her. She wasn't in a hurry to get out of her car, so he walked over and rapped on her driver's side window.

She looked up at him and gave him a thin smile. In his head, he could hear the sigh that went with it. He opened her door and stepped back so she could climb out. Before either could speak, he felt a force behind his legs. Looking down two small arms were hugging his legs.

When he looked up Kenzie's face had completely changed. She had a smile that made her eyes sparkle.

Maisy said, "Kenzie, I didn't know you knew Jetty."

She crouched down, so she was eye to eye with the six-year-old. "Of course, I do. He's Ben's best friend and your mother is my best friend. And Coach... We all love Coach.  Just like we all love Nanny."

Maisy nodded, and he picked her up and hugged her. Behind them Betsy called out. "Maisy!" After a pause, she said, "Oh Kenzie and Jett just like old times. Are both of you visiting?"

Jett replied, "I was just leaving when I got attacked by a monster."

Betsy, Maisy's grandmother laughed at her antics.

Kenzie was smirking at him. He sobered, because when he saw her pull up, he really wanted to speak to her.

"Maise, go with Nanny a minute. I'm sure Kenzie will go see you." He looked at her for assurance.

Kenzie said, "Go on in and see Coach. I bet he has a treat for you." Once she skipped away, Kenzie said, "She talks about you all the time... like you walk on water."

"I don't. I'm very human. Listen Kenze." She tensed. "I'm glad we saw each other. You've been avoiding me for six years and I think maybe that's long enough. Can't we try to be friends. Hell, we both love the same little girl and she didn't even know we knew each other."

"Friends? What does that even mean?"

"I don't know. We stop going out of our way to avoid each other. Do you know I've had to miss every one of her birthdays? She was mad at me on her last birthday even though I took her out to make up for it. The poor kid is stuck in the middle and doesn't know it."

She sighed, as he resisted the urge to look at his phone. He knew it was getting late.

She had a mischievous look on her face. It was one of his favorites and she usually had it when she wanted to start a debate. Debate was the nice term since they were really arguments, like at dinner.

"I'll think about it, but you need to prove you're serious by hitting a home run for me tonight."

His mouth gaped open, but he said nothing. He nodded and walked to his car.

She called out. "Did you steal that from the Secret Service?"

He laughed. It was black with tinted windows but not as big. He wondered if he could fulfil her order. She would know he was trying. It wasn't the first time she had made that request.

After whiffing the second time, he ignored the looks he was getting as he returned to the dugout. He was stupid for trying to hit a bomb, but Kenze had asked him for the first time in over six years. On his third at bat, he didn't want to strike out again and told himself to be patient. He worked the count to three-oh and stayed back waiting on the fastball and he swung. The minute he made contact he knew it had a good chance of going over the wall. When he saw the umpire, he knew.

For the first time in six years, he patted his heart three times as he rounded third base for home. He returned to the dugout to high fives, slaps on his back, and swats on his ass. He couldn't wait until the game was over to see if he had a text.