The Boy of Summer

28 - Scout

Scout: A baseball scout is a trained talent evaluator who travels exclusively to watch baseball players. Baseball scouts determine whether the players' skills and talents represent what is needed by the organization the scout is representing.

Six years ago...

It was a home game and Kenzie scanned the stands looking for scouts. Some were obvious, because they sat in the stands holding up a radar gun at every pitch. She eyed a guy with a clipboard and watched as he made notes. Jett threw to second and caught a guy stealing, he made a note. Jett visited the plate to talk to the pitcher who couldn't throw strikes, he made a note.

Kenzie hoped the guy was there for Jett. He had teased her and said he would hit a home run just for her.

She argued. "You'll strike out."

"Nah." He smiled. She felt liquid again. She loved his smile. She was so in love with him, her chest ached. He relented. "If I do, you'll know it's for you. Every single one I hit will always be for you."

Jet was at bat and out of the corner of her eyes she saw the scout watching. The pitch was low and just outside. It was a ball, but it was also in one of Jett's sweet spots. Crack! She knew from the sound he got the barrel of his bat on it. Did it have enough? She saw the scout frantically writing.

Meanwhile Jett jogged around the bases. He looked in her direction and patted his chest by his heart three times. Only she knew each pat stood for a word. They were her favorite three words, especially when he looked her in the eye and said them.

She mouthed, "I love you, too." It was true. She was madly, truly in love with him.

She watched as the scout made a phone call. Jett was smart to wait a year. He started every game and had a hot bat. That generated interest. He would be drafted. The thought excited her and scared her, because she'd be taking classes and doing her practicum and he'd be somewhere else.

Kenzie would have to deal with Kimmy alone. She flitted in and out of motherhood and from one boyfriend to the next. Each one was worse than the one before. Her favorite activity was drinking.

Reality hit Kenzie, and she broke down when she told Jett. "I was at the school and a parent came in for a meeting. She acted just like Kim. I heard someone say she was strung out. Is Kimmy always high?"

She felt horrible and Jett didn't act surprised. "Kenze, I don't think she's still in pain from having the baby."

"But Chris." Kenzie called him Chris when they were alone, because everyone called him Jett and he needed a name that was private.

"Kenze, we gave her a walk. Remember? We promised to keep her secret in exchange for ours." She couldn't reply, because what could she say? She felt like hell. "We or lately you have spent as much time as possible visiting. We could tell, but Betsy isn't stupid. She must know. Why do you think she put Maise in daycare when Kimmy doesn't work?"

"Am I the last to know?" She looked hurt as he shrugged. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I knew you would feel this way."

She fell into his embrace. What was she going to do after the draft, when Jett left her to deal with Kimmy without him?

Kenzie parked in her driveway and looked at Kimmy's house. Everything looked the same, but nothing was. Her father still kept a perfect lawn. Betsy still had her gnome and pelican in her garden. Ben always moved them around on her. Behind the lawn ornaments was the home of a baby with an addicted mother.

She had borrowed Jett's car while he was out of town for a game. She didn't know if she was ready to face Kimmy. She wanted to yell at her and fix her at the same time. Was she naïve to think she could get her to quit?

Betsy was home on the weekend and smiled when Kenzie let herself in. Maisy who was just crawling dropped to her belly and rocked like a seal when she saw Kenzie. It felt good the baby was excited to see her. Her reward was to be picked up and smothered in kisses.

"She loves you," Betsy said, with a smile.

"Where's her mother?" Kenzie didn't hide her anger.

"Out, but she said she'd be back. What's wrong Kenzie?"

"Was anyone going to tell me? I knew about the loser boyfriends. I thought she was a crap mother and have been killing myself to help her. She may still be a crap mother, but it's worse than that..."

"Kenzie, I wanted..."

Coach interrupted her by calling out. "Hello."

"In here, Sean... I was explaining to your daughter why I've been protecting her from the harsh truth."

She looked at her father. "You knew!" He nodded.

Betsy said, "It's an illness. Her father had it."

Kenzie began pacing. Maisy settled comfortably in her father's lap. "You help with her too. Don't you? Because she's busy getting high?"

"Who's getting high?" Kimmy said with a cackle.

Kenzie whipped her body around. "You!"

"Miss. Righteous is here, but she's the one fucking a baseball player."

Kenzie hollered. "You promised!"

"Yeah, well my secrets out."

Maisy cried from the hollering.

Coach stood and handed the baby to Betsy and grabbed Kenzie's shoulder as he hissed, "Next door now."

She followed him out and across the lawn connecting the two houses. Once inside, he demanded. "Is it true?"

She nodded. How could she lie when she had just admitted Kimmy broke a promise?

"How many times have I told you no?"

"Too many, but why?"

"You're too good for any of them. They cheat. They feed their egos. You can't trust any of them."

"He's not like that! He's different."

"None of them are. You'll end up like Kimmy."

"I will not do drugs!"

"You'll have a baby to raise alone."

"I'm not stupid. I would never sleep with three ball players on the same night."

He froze. "Jesus, is that what she did?" Kenzie nodded. "You just proved my point. End it now!"

"Or what?"

"Don't test me, Mackenzie!"

"I'm leaving!"

She stormed out the door.