Page 30 of Sacrifice Bunt

Considering I just spent the last 30 minutes agreeing to something I’m not sure I want to do, a run sounds like a frigging blast.

Kyle:

I can’t wait to hear this story.

Noah:

Same place?

Heath:

Be there in twenty.

Kyle:

Same.

Noah put down his phone and got busy getting dressed. When they’d been in Arizona for spring training, the three of them had run together most mornings. They had a spot they’d gone to that was quiet and just them instead of being surrounded by a bunch of people. Shoving his keycard and phone into his shorts, he grabbed his sunglasses out of his bag and headed to the lobby. Since he didn’t have a car as a member of the visiting team, he used his phone to order an Uber. It arrived quickly, and he was off.

Keeping his mind off Zara was the only thing keeping him from another panic attack.

He used the time in the car to check email and text messages since he’d ignored them all the night before.

His mom had sent him a message saying she’d watched the game and that it sucked that he’d lost.

He was in complete agreement with her.

Noah:

I hate losing.

Mom:

You always have. You were the one bright spot of the game. That catch in the 5th was incredible.

Noah:

Thanks, Mom.

He could always count on his mom to make him feel better about anything, especially baseball. His dad might have taught him the game, but his mom was his biggest fan.

Mom:

I’ll see you for dinner Sunday?

Noah:

I’ll be there.

Whenever he was home on Sunday, they had dinner together. After the Los Angeles Emperors had drafted him, he’d moved his mom out with him and bought her a house. He’d been happy when she’d wanted to move to California with him because he felt like he could take care of her better if she was close by. They tried to see each other when he had a stretch of home games and always on Sundays if he was home.

The car stopped, and he saw Kyle leaning against his car as he got out. “This is the second day in a row that I’ve left my wife first thing in the morning,” Kyle said. “You people need to figure out your shit so I can enjoy this week with my wife while Jasmine is at camp.”

“Who kicked you out yesterday?” He knew the answer before he even asked the question.

“Zara.” Kyle shook his head. “She had some sort of emergency that required the two of them to put their heads together and drink.”

He had an idea of why Zara needed to talk to Celia, and was sure it was about him. “You didn't have to come today. Heath could have kept me company.”

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