Page 121 of The Foul Out

As she dove into the first of her stories, she tilted her iPad, and the view changed.

She was on the sofa, like normal. But behind her, at the small table where I’d sat so many times, Harper and Jace were sitting across from each other. Their plates were still in front of them, and Harper was sipping from a bottle of White Out.

I was dying to ask what was going on. Especially when Harper laughed at something he said. I thought the pang in my chest was bad before, but at the sound, it felt like a gaping hole.

The tablet shifted again, and Piper’s little face was back. “We worked on subtraction for too long. It was boring.”

She continued to tell me all the stories, and I half listened. Because half my brain was still stuck on Jace’s presence at their dining table. As soon as Piper ended the FaceTime call—abruptly, as always—I pocketed my phone and opted against the locker room shower so I could head home sooner.

Outside the locker room, I headed down the hall to my car. I never drove in Boston, but Cam usually stayed home while I was at spring training, so for a few weeks every year, I got behind the wheel.

“Kyle.”

The voice resonated deep in my bones. The familiar sound of my name as I left the locker room seeped into my every cell. I’d heard it thousands of time. Mostly in high school.

Holding my breath, I spun around. “Bill.”

My stepdad was leaning against the wall with a small duffel in one hand and a backpack on his back.

“I didn’t know you were coming,” I croaked

“Well.” He pushed off the wall and headed toward the parking lot, clearly expecting me to follow. “Your mother and Aunt Susan are gallivanting around the country for the next week, so I figured I’d come watch you play.”

Falling into step with him, I said, “I didn’t realize Mom was traveling.”

He nodded as we continued down the tunnel.

“I was pretty upset when I found out about Harper.”

Jaw clenched, I bit back a curse. Because his next words had the potential to forever change our relationship. But I had to ask. “Why?”

“I struggled, still do, with the idea of my brother hiding the existence of a child from me. And worse, walking away from her. I can’t imagine being so heartless. I carry a lot of guilt surrounding the way I accused her of lying about being his daughter when we met, but I truly couldn’t imagine James just walking away from her. Hell, if I’d known about Harper, I’d have done everything I could to have a relationship with my niece.”

My breath had been knocked from my lungs like I’d just taken a fastball to the gut. That admission wasn’t anything like what I’d been expecting.

“You and I don’t share any DNA, and yet from the moment I fell in love with your mom, you and Ryan each owned a piece of my heart.” He tapped his chest. “I’d never have been able to give either of you up.”

Images of Piper and Sam flashed in my mind, making my throat go tight and my eyes get hot. “I know that feeling all too well.”

“So the idea that my brother could just walk away from his daughter?” Lowering his head, he shook it. “I struggle with it.” He sighed. “But I do think he’d love seeing you with Harper.”

Stomach lurching, I pulled up short and fisted my hands. “What?”

“JJ said that James was very worried about her being alone. He wanted her to have someone she could depend on. Someone who’d be there for her through life. In a way he never got to be.”

“Chose not to be.”

Bill sighed. “Now that he’s gone, that’s something Harper and Susan will hopefully work through.”

That stung. I wanted to be part of every aspect of Harper’s life. Though with every day that went by, that idea felt more like a dream than a real possibility.

“But I think it would make James happy to know you’re with Harper,” he said as he took off again. “I know it would make me happy to see you two together.”

I jogged to catch up. “Even if it causes drama with Aunt Susan and Danielle?”

He nodded. “In the end, I think they’ll find themselves on the right side of this situation. Even if it takes them a little while to get there.”

“Maybe. Although I’m not sure it matters, since Harper won’t speak to me.”

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