Page 105 of Sometimes You Fall

Emotion clogs my throat instantly, watching this man talk to my son the way his own father should have.

Chase nods, his face stoic, before he puts his hat back on and then leans down to kiss my cheek. “I’m going to grab my bag and say bye tothe guys.”

“Okay. Think about where you want to eat for dinner. Your choice,” I call out to him as he nods and then jogs over to the dugout.

I turn back to Grady, trying to keep my emotions in check. “So, how do you feel, Coach?”

He takes a deep breath. “Really fucking proud, Scottie. Even though we lost, I couldn’t have been prouder of how all of the boys played.”

“You should be.” Staring up at him, I continue, “Just out of curiosity, what did you say to Chase in the seventh inning when the bases were loaded?”

Grady grins. “That’s between him and me, Scottie.”

“That’s how you’re going to be? Really?”

“Yup.” He wraps his arm around my waist and guides me toward the gate that leads out to the parking lot. “I can’t tell you all of my winning moves.”

“How come?”

“Because the game isn’t over yet, and until it is, you keep some plays close to the vest.”

Chapter nineteen

Grady

“This is definitely not how I anticipated spending my Thursday afternoon,” Dallas says as he follows me into the baby boutique. Parker, Penn, and I already ate our weekly lunch at Dallas’s restaurant, but then I asked them if they’d be willing to help me out with something for Scottie, and shockingly, they all said yes, so here we are.

“What are we after?”

“A crib.” I pull my phone from my pocket and open the website where our registry is. Scottie and my sister handled putting this list together, but sometimes when you want something done, you’ve got to do it yourself. Shoving the phone in their faces, the guys take note of the item we’re looking for, and they nod.

“Got it.” Parker scours the store, which is quite bigger than it appears from the boardwalk. “I’ve gotta say though, I’m in uncharted territory.”

“You’re a doctor. Surely you know something about caring for babies,” I say.

“I’m a doctor for animals. Their babies are much lower maintenance.”

Penn picks up a stuffed duck and inspects it. “Have you guys decided on a theme for the room?”

My eyes land on a onesie that has a pink ruffle around it like a tutu, so I pick it up, knowing there’s no way I’m not getting that for my daughter. “Not yet, but I wanted to surprise her.” Dallas and Penn both wince. “What?”

“Not a good idea, man,” Penn says. “Trust me. When it comes to decorating, you want your woman’s input.”

Dallas nods in agreement. “Willow and I had our first fight after moving in together over the color of rugs we wanted to put in the house. It was brutal.”

Parker rolls his eyes. “Don’t listen to them. I think what you’re doing is a top-notch boyfriend move.” He clasps a hand on my shoulder, even though I’m about four inches taller than him. “Scottie will love it.”

Penn juts his thumb at his brother. “Don’t take advice from the only single guy here, Grady. Trust me.”

Parker flips his brother the bird. “Fuck you.” He takes off down one of the aisles, leaving me alone with Penn and Dallas.

“I can hold off on colors and stuff, I guess. But I want to start getting something together. I want her to see that having a place for our daughter could actually make her feel more at ease instead of overwhelming her. And I want that place to be in my house where eventually I want her and Chase as well.”

“I take it things are a little rocky then?” Penn asks.

“Not rocky, just…bumpy.”

“Hitting a few bumpy bumps?” Dallas suggests.

---