(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...
The Show: The major leagues. Particularly "in the Show". Or in "the Bigs" (big leagues, major leagues).
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Present day...
Jett was always happy to be home after a road trip. They hadn't scheduled him to start their first day back, so he slept in and went to Coach's for pancakes.
"You must have heard that woman contacted Ben again."
Jett nodded then he took a risk. "What was she like? Was she always that way?"
Coach stared at his coffee for a few moments. "She was beautiful. She took my breath away. I see her when I look at Kenzie."
She was that beautiful? Instead, he asked, "Was it ever good? You know the beginning?"
"Yeah, she was just a girl who lived near the ballpark and hung around with her friends."
"What was it double A?"
"No single. One of my teammates invited them to a local bar after a game. I talked to her and by the time they sent me to Triple A, she was pregnant. She came with me. We got married, because that's what you did and Ben was born. I went to Spring training, but was back at Triple A for another summer. She was pregnant again, and I was facing my third year at Triple A. You know what they say?"
"If you don't make it in five years, you probably won't."
Coach nodded. "I worked hard. I wasn't a good father or husband. Everything was the game."
"I know about that." Jett wished he had more than the game. Teammates made time for wives and children. Not that they didn't complain. After a long road trip, they were quiet and ready to return to their loved ones. Those last two words left Jett with a lump in his throat.
"The end of the season, I blew out my knee and had surgery. I tried to come back, but I couldn't stay in the crouch. You know how long you need to."
Like Jett, Coach was a catcher. Jett wondered why he never got his break, because he could call a game. He taught Jett everything he knew.
"I was at double A trying to come back unwilling to accept I was washing up and my beautiful wife was cozying up to the promising young pitcher who had been drafted out of college. When he got called to the show, she went with him. I had to quit. I had two babies and no wife. Let me tell you, I was angry and felt sorry for myself for a long time, but I moved forward."
"It's hard to imagine."
"You know, it all worked out. I love my kids and my job and living here."
Jett nodded again. If they ever traded him, he'd go, but this was his home. He wanted to ask why he forbad Kenzie to be with ball players when there were good ones like Coach, Ben, and he hoped, himself.
He didn't ask, because Betsy walked into the kitchen talking. "Hey Sean, what were you thinking for dinner? Oh, hi Jett."
He looked from Betsy to Coach who was shifting in his seat and clearing his throat. It hit him like a ton of bricks. Of course, Coach was happy. How long had he and Betsy been so cozy?
He ignored her pink cheeks and the awkwardness and asked about Maisy.
"She's good. Kenzie took her again. I owe that girl."
"She loves her. What's new with Kim?"
Coach answered. "Don't ask. It's too upsetting."
"Any time you talk her into going, I'll pay for it. I'll help in any way... camp for Maisy. I'm off Thursday. Can I spend the day with her?"
Betsy said, "Talk to Kenzie. She's planning to still have her."
"Doesn't she get in the way of her hot dates?"
Coach said, "I hope so."
Jett felt joy. Kenzie's father didn't like her boyfriend.
He hadn't seen Kenzie since the dinner with his parents — not since before her meeting with those wives.
She refused to invite him to her apartment and felt the tightening in his gut. He didn't think she lived with the guy, but maybe his things were everywhere.
She agreed to bring Maisy to him on Thursday morning. He felt like a divorced couple making custody arrangements.
"I'll bring her home. My dad invited me to dinner."
She sighed when he said, "He invited me too."
"Don't you have some model to screw, instead?"
"Kenze, you'll be shocked, but I haven't screwed since college."
That shut her up completely. She stopped arguing. Score one for Jett.
He and Maisy had a fun day together. It amazed him how easy it was to be with her. She expected nothing from him, but love and attention. Nancy, his housekeeper stock up on art supplies. He didn't care about the mess and Nancy waved her hand and dismissed him when he tried to apologize.
Niggling at the back of his mind was his new information about Coach. Was he imagining it? Did Ben and Kenzie know?
"Hey Maise." He was relaxing on the sofa with his feet crossed on the coffee table in front. She leaned against him watching Frozen again.
"Jetty, Anna's going to sing."
"Sorry, I was thinking about Coach." She looked up at him as if that was a good enough reason for her attention. "Do you think he gets lonely living alone?"
She looked at him. "He has me and Nanny." Looking around, she said, "You are alone."
Laughing, he said, "I have Nancy. She comes every day."
"She isn't your mommy. You need a mommy."
He was about to say he had a mommy, but he had heard her ask Nancy if her daddy played baseball. She laughed. "My husband is a policeman." She was saying he needed a wife.
Nancy, who was in the kitchen, hollered, "She's right."
He ignored her and rubbed Maisy's back as she continued to watch her movie. He had loved a woman so much he just wanted to bury himself in her, but with Maisy, he wanted her little arms around his neck. He loved her more than he ever imagined he could.
At dinner, he sat back and observed. Maisy talked nonstop, as she filled Nanny and Coach in on her time at Kenzie's and her day with Jetty.
The mood changed when Kenzie stepped away to take a call. Her voice was emotional. "I didn't know... None of this is my fault... I've got to go... Okay, yeah."
She took a minute before she returned to the table. The other two adults glanced at each other. Coach had a smirk, but Betsy didn't. Maisy was talking about her art work oblivious to the change of mood.
Coach said, "Come on Maisy-girl, let's play catch."
