(Complete) Kenzie Lynch grew up around baseball, but her father refuses to let her get involved with any players. Christopher Jett's loves baseball, Coach Lynch and the girl he can't have. After six years, can they learn to be friends and will frie...
Injured List (IL): Major League teams may remove injured players from their active roster temporarily by placing them on the "injured list" (disabled list or DL prior to 2019 season). Another player can then be called up as a replacement during this time.
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Present day....
Jett learned quickly that once Kenzie agreed to be friends, she took the liberty to text him critiques of his game. Damn, he had the manager, the batting coach, even the pitching coach, and Coach who never stopped mentoring him. Now he had a feisty woman who he couldn't disagree with, because she would argue with him. Secretly, he loved it.
She even sent him texts about his pitchers and other teammates. Suddenly he was giving suggestions to the guys. She accomplished having him think about her all the time, even if it was to see how correct she was. Some days he hoped she'd be wrong, but she rarely was.
Jett's problem was he didn't remember how to be her friend. Days off at home were always rare, and he usually went to visit Coach. Occasionally he'd even help him at practice in the afternoon. He was one hundred percent certain when his luck ran out, he would coach. He wanted to give back what Coach had given to him.
Eating breakfast with Coach, Kenzie and her texts were on the tip of his tongue. He swallowed the words, but they kept coming. Hell, she was always lingering in his mind. Experience told him if he was patient, Coach would bring up his favorite subject.
"I don't really like that guy with my girl." Coach spoke his mind.
"What's wrong with him?" He didn't like him, but for very different reasons that involved his hands and lips and things Jett couldn't think about.
"He doesn't make her smile the way he should."
Jett loved Kenzie's smile. He imagined she was smiling every time she texted him. She used to smile just for him.
"He thinks he's a hotshot and knows the game. He thinks her enthusiasm is cute."
Jett laughed at the absurdity "She lets him get away with that?" Kenzie never rolled over, she argued.
"She only argues with you like that." Shaking his head, he added, "Oil and water, you two since the day you met."
Oil and water must make something good, because it did for a little while.
"Why does him think he knows so much about the game?"
"He works for the team running those fancy programs that spit out the reports, you rely on."
"How'd she meet him?"
"Believe it or not she was out with Kim. She said it was the only time she ended up with the guy. Of course, Kim attracts the wrong ones and..."
Jett nodded. "Yeah and often more than one."
Kimmy had been worrying him more and more. She had always made poor decisions. As far as he could tell she had only done one thing right, and she was in school learning whatever six-year-olds learned.
As if he conjured up trouble with his thoughts, Coach's phone rang. He listened as Coach calmly said, "It's okay. Jett's here. He'll help."
The older man sighed, "Maisy's school called she has a fever and Betsy can't leave work. She said Kim was home when she left this morning, but she's not answering."
They say it takes a village to raise a child, and he was willingly part of that village. He had been her entire life, although it wasn't easy with his schedule especially those years he was away.
"I'll go check next door. You go get Maisy."
"Hopefully, Kim can watch her. I've got a meeting and practice and..."
"Lucky for you, I have the whole day off."
Jett took the spare key and let himself in. The house hid its turmoil well. They covered the refrigerator with drawings. The kitchen was clean as was the rest of the house. Déjà vu swirled through his brain as he descended the stairs to the basement where Kim's room was. Just as he expected, she was passed out and naked with an equally naked man beside her. The room smelled worse than some barns he'd been to as a kid with his father.
He tried shaking her and she moaned which prevented him from having to check her pulse. His worst fear was finding her dead and was glad it wasn't today. He'd gladly send her to rehab again not that it ever made a difference.
Hoping she was safe to sleep it off, he left. He didn't like to get involved with her men. He'd learned that lesson the hard way. It was bad enough when Kimmy begged for money, he didn't need her junkie boyfriends threatening him.
Returning to the house, he put on a smile to wait for the little patient. When Maisy saw him, she gave him a weak smile. He discreetly shook his head to let Coach know that Kim wouldn't be mothering today. Coach didn't appear surprised.
"The nurse said they should check her for strep. Bets is calling for an appointment."
Jett said, "I've got this. You do what you need to do. I know where her doctor is."
Coach looked like he might argue, but sighed with relief instead. When he passed Maisy to him and she held on tight and burrowed into his neck, he was doing the right thing. She always held on to him like he was her life raft and he never wanted to let her down.
He sat on the sofa and clicked on the TV. "Looks like you're on the IL." When she looked up with her big eyes questioning, he explained, "Injured list... unable to play."
"I don't feel like playing with you today, Jetty."
"I know Maise, I know."
He had one text to send. He had scheduled a session with his hitting coach, because Kenzie noticed a change in his stance. His excuse was a family emergency. He'd been seen with Maisy enough there were rumors about his love child. He didn't care unless they used her picture or mentioned her addicted mother.
Even his teammates didn't know the details of his personal life. The people he wanted to know the truth knew — his publicists, his agent and his parents. Anyone else he cared about was part of Maisy's village except for Ben, because he didn't want to get involved. He told Jett, he dodged a bullet by not pursuing Kim. Jett never told him, but he wondered if Kim wouldn't be so messed up if a guy like Ben stood by her. Still, they wouldn't have Maisy and she was worth all the bullshit.
He ignored the stares as he carried Maisy into the pediatrician's office. He had also texted his publicist. He didn't care if people thought she was his, he just didn't want Maisy confused.
The exam was quick, but they waited for the result of the strep test. When it came back positive they had one more stop at the pharmacy. When the doctor said she'd need to stay home another day, she looked like she was warning him. He was sure Maisy's doctor knew everything.
"I'm sure Betsy will work it out. She always does."
That seemed to be sufficient. Once in his car, he announced, "Next stop Walgreens. What do you say we get some popsicles for your throat?"
"Nanny has popsicles."
"That's okay, but we'll wait for Nanny at Coach's house."
She was a smart girl, and he wondered how much she understood.
