Page 11 of Always My Comfort

Throwing the third pitch, the bat clapped off the ball, and it soared over our heads. The batter dropped the ball and made it to first base before the Rays had possession of the ball.

When the Braves were close to getting their second home run, the player struck out. The batter from before was hovering on second base, waiting to finish this, but the last two batters also struck out. One more and Luke would have a chance at a home run, and I’d get a chance to rest my arm.

The announcer informed the crowd of what was happening. There was a mix of emotion from both sides as the first batter took the base again. I pitched the first ball to my catcher.

Everyone was on the edge of their seats as I threw the second, straight to the catcher again. Someone screamed, but I wasn’t letting anyone distract me.

“Ladies and gentlemen, did you see that?” The ball was flying above our heads as the Braves’ landed another homerun before we caught the ball and tagged the batter on the second base. “Pitcher Jaxon Dexter just threw a 105 mile-per-hour pitch!”

Holy fuck. I did it. I beat my own record.

The announcer started to talk about my record, my past, and how I was related to Dante Dexter. I tuned out my stats and turned to find Luke raising his fist to the sky and the rest of my team cheering for me.

I glanced up toward the box where the Braves’ team manager was sitting, I couldn’t see much through the tinted glass, but I hoped he saw that I was worth the chance.

* * *

We won 17 to 15.It was a close call, but Luke hit the winning home run. Coach shook our hands and nodded at me with silent congratulations for my new record.

After the game, we piled into the guest locker room, taking turns in the four shower stalls, washing the sweat and grime from our bodies. The summer sun had wiped us of all our energy, and the usual locker room ball-busting was minimal today.

“Fix things with Melanie?” I asked Luke as he dressed, while I shoved all my belongings into my duffle.

“Oh, yeah. We’re all good now. I need to call her. She was gonna watch the game from home.” His smile was big as he pulled me in for a one-armed hug. “You did fucking good today, Dexter. If they don’t recruit you, it’s their loss.”

“Time will tell, I guess. Are we goin’ out tonight, boys?” Everyone’s mutual agreement filled the space, bouncing off the walls, and Luke quickly found a local bar after a quick search on his phone. We settled on a time and then left the safety of the locker room to where the paparazzi, friends and family, and cleat chasers were waiting.

All of them were hungry for a piece of us.

The Braves had cleared out before we even got to the locker room. Richard Balmer shoved past me on his way out. He’d been known to be a sore loser in the league, so I brushed it off, thinking nothing of the exchange.

Excitement filled the air of the bus back to the hotel, where everyone went their own ways to recover from the afternoon heat before a night of drinking. We had to be at the airport tomorrow morning for a flight back home, where all of us would be nursing hangovers.

Gage’s name lit up the screen of my phone. Accepting the call, I held the device to my ear.

“What did you think?” I asked, shutting the door to my hotel room behind me and flipping the lock and deadbolt. I dropped my duffle bag to the ground as he sighed.

“Didn’t know you were that good. Shit, that was amazin’. What did it feel like?” His voice was full of excitement and, surprisingly, awe.

“I wanted to show them I was worth a chance. Hopefully, they’ll recruit me for the team. I heard they were lookin’ for another pitcher.” Falling to the bed, I laid there, staring at the ceiling, listening to Gage’s deep breaths.

“When will you find out?” There was some commotion in the background. A dog barked, a child cried, and he sighed.

“They should have decided by the mornin’, but usually, I’d know by now.” Worry crept into my voice, and from the silence that followed on the other end, I knew he had stepped away from his own problems to help with mine.

“What’s the process? Is it like the NFL? They need to ask your coach, right?” He knew I wanted to come back home; I had mentioned it a few months ago, and at the time, he had suggested approaching the Braves’ manager, but that was unheard of.

“My coach knows I want to make a switch to be closer to you guys, and he’s fine with it. The other coach will have to ask him and then will approach me with an offer.”

“And if they don’t offer, what’s your backup plan?” Gage asked.

“Then, I stay with the Rays for another season and try again. My friend, Luke, mentioned the Marlins are lookin’ for a pitcher, but I want to get out of Florida. I’m tired of the humidity and old people.” He chuckled.

“You sure you don’t just miss us? Didn’t seem like you wanted to leave the last time we all got together.” He wasn’t wrong. Visiting and leaving was getting harder because I was seeing the life I was missing out on.

“Right, as if I’m even thinkin’ about settlin’ down and gettin’ married like you fools. I still have a few wild years left.” There was more humor in my tone than seriousness, but I really wasn’t ready. The thought of a girl to come home to and kids terrified me.

“One day, she’s gonna come into your life and knock you so hard on your ass, you’ll be beggin’ her to keep you. You’ll want it all. The house, kids, even the fuckin’ dog, because you’ll be happy. But until you meet her, you won’t understand what I’m sayin’.” His words filled the silence, their weight heavy. He sighed when Carter called for him. “Look, man, I gotta go, but don’t give up. You deserve this. You’re a natural, and I am so proud of you.”

---