Page 5 of Love in the Outfield

“I don’t know what it was. It was not so much awkward as it caught me off guard. I thought I was over her but I guess I was fooling myself. I feel like I just got nailed in the head by a fastball.”

“I’m sorry, that’s rough. I know how hard that break-up was on you. How did she act?” Quinn is the only one who knows howdevastated I was after I ended things with Georgia. Mom and Dad had tunnel vision when it came to my career. Love would come later, back then my only focus should be on baseball. They were oblivious to how hard that choice was for me.

“Here’s the thing,” I say huffing out a breath. “I hate to even say this out loud but she had a kid in her grocery cart that called her Mama. I’m no kid expert but I’d put him a few months shy of two. Caught a quick glimpse of him before she literally ran away. Dark curly hair, same color as mine. The thing is, I might not have even noticed except for the way she reacted. Her panic is what caught my attention. When the kid yelled Mama, Georgia shot up and ran out of there like she couldn’t get away fast enough.”

“Well shit,” Quinn says. “That would certainly complicate things.”

“Ya think?” I say dryly.

“What are you going to do?”

I scratch my head. “I have no idea. What if the kid’s mine? If so, she’s been hiding him from me for two years! Basically, lying. I’ve missed out on all his firsts. How could she do that to me or the kid? I mean I kept the same number. No excuse for not telling me.”

I hear a scoffing sound. “Seriously? Do you have selective amnesia or something? I seem to recall you breaking up with her by text message when you got traded.”

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I nod. “Yeah, I know. Total dick move. I did try calling her after I got settled and it always went straight to voicemail. It was too late.”

“Yeah, not your finest moment. I’m sure every girl wants to hear about her boyfriend’s trade on social media.”

“But you know what she meant to me and how hard it was. I was head over heels in love with Georgia.”

“I remember,” he says soberly. “Still, little bro, you copped out, could have handled it better.”

“I couldn’t deal with the goodbye. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to go through with it and you know I’ve worked my entire life for an opportunity to play in the major league. Mom and Dad pressuring me… I didn’t think I could juggle a long-distance relationship and my career.”

“I get it, but you owed her an explanation. I told you the same thing back then too.”

“But we’d only been dating for five months.”

“Still,” Quinn says.

“We’d talked, we knew there was a chance I’d be traded. It’s not like I’d made any promises.”

“Thinking and actually happening are two different things,” Quinn says. “Put yourself in her place.”

“I know but I needed to focus all my energy on baseball. It felt like a miracle to get called up from Triple-A. That’s a one-in-a-million shot.”

“I hear ya, but I gotta be honest, no excuse for not saying that in person. That’s all I have to say about it.”

I grit my teeth. Sometimes the truth hurts. “There’s nothing you can throw at me that I haven’t said to myself. But I had a week to find a place, settle in and hit the ballfield. In the big leagues.” Even I hear the whine in my voice as I defend the indefensible.

“Just sayin’ your anger at Georgia now is misplaced.”

“Is it really though? What if that kid is mine? I mean the quick look I got… the timing, pretty big coincidence, don’t you think?”

“It’s possible, little brother. You’d better call your lawyer and find out your rights before you track down Georgia.”

“No way, man. I’m not waiting. Plus, I’m not trying to start any battles here. I only want a relationship with my son... if he is my son.”

“She probably doesn’t want you anywhere near her or the kid,” my brother says, further twisting the knife.

My jaw tightens. “Too bad. Non-negotiable. I’ll take a paternity test and if he’s my kid I want to be a part of his life. I’ll take full financial responsibility.”

“Easy now, it won’t be that simple. There’s still a big chance he’s not your kid. Plus, you can’t push your way in and expect her to trust you and hand her kid off when you’re basically a stranger.”

“Quinn, seriously, I think he’s mine,” I insist.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself. Even if he is, it’s going to take time. You’re going to have to go slow. Your competitive nature works well on the field but not so much in a situation like this.”

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