Page 28 of Passed Ball

"Are you ready, my little starlight? You're going to help me write an essay for my advisor while your dad beats the Roadrunners into the ground," she singsongs as she takes Holland from me. "And tell your dad to wear a shirt, his nipples make me uncomfortable."

"Sorry." My apology is muffled by the shirt I'm quickly pulling over my head.

"Oh, don't worry, it's not in like a sexual harassment way. Your unkempt smattering of chest hair makes me sad for you and no one likes a sad nanny."

My laugh catches me so off guard that I snort, loudly, startling Holland and making her cry.

"See what I mean. You've made her cry with how depressing it is."

"It's not like I have a ton of time on my hands," I remind her, pulling my collar back when Tenley's too distracted to glance down at my chest.

The hair I normally trim is longer than I used to let it get, but I didn't think it looked bad. I thought it was rugged, manly.

I find myself wondering what a certain brunette would prefer.

Shaking away the wayward thought away, I look up to find Tenley staring at me, dumbfounded.

Thankfully, she lifts her gaze to the ceiling, letting me off the hook. "Well, I'm here early today, so bump grooming that to the top of your to-do list, Ginger Daddy."

I cringe. "Nope. Do not call me that."

"Yeah, you're right. You can't pull it off."

"On that note, I'm going to grab my bag and head to the stadium before you abuse me further."

"It's not abuse, it's caring. Stop and grab yourself a cup of coffee. You look tired," she says, taking Holland down the hallway towards her room. When she gets to the door, she spins back toward me, a grin splitting her face. "Actually, I follow Buns & Roses on my socials and I saw they had a special on sticky buns today."

Insult aside, that actually sounds really fucking good. Lilah makes the best pastries, and there's nothing like a coffee fresh from Buns & Roses.

Tenley and my daughter disappear and I can hear her singing a song that has to be made up because it contains all sorts of complex sounding medical terms in lullaby form.

On my way out the door, I grab the signed paperwork my lawyer needs to have the private investigator track down Kristy and serve her a court summons because nothing with the custody case can move forward until they find her. It's stressing me the hell out.

I'm still unsure what I'll do once we find her. All signs point to her not wanting to have any part in Holland's life, but I owe it to my daughter to find out for sure before filing to terminate her mother's rights in a few short months.

It all makes me sad, and a sticky bun can't cure it, but it won't hurt either, so I head to Lilah's coffee shop, dropping my notarized paperwork in the mail on the way.

And when I walk into Buns & Roses, sitting right there with her head bent over her laptop among the crowd of people buzzing around the shop is the woman that's been haunting me ever since I overheard her imply that she's never had good sex.

Chapter 13

Vivienne

I'm not one of those people who thrive on working remotely--I never have been. And most days my job doesn't accommodate it because we have volunteers and kids in and out all week. But today, I don't have a choice. There's a small construction project happening, and they needed to turn off the power for most of the day.

At least coffee tastes better when I don't have to make it. This morning, when I was bitching about not being able to work from the office, Tenley suggested making Buns & Roses my office and the deal on sticky buns sealed my fate.

I've been parked at a corner table all morning, working on finalizing the volunteer scheduling for summer camps. The coffee shop is alive with its usual soundtrack--a hum of conversation, the grind of espresso machines, and the clink of mugs against saucers. It's chaotic, but it doesn't bother me. People are always in and out of my office at Double Play.

When a shadow falls across my table, I assume it's someone passing by, so I keep my head down and finish what I'm working on. But the person doesn't move on.

I glance up to find a tall, broad baseball player standing over me. He looks good--rested, even. Tenley watching Holland seems to have done wonders for Xavier. The dark circles under his eyes have faded and his smile comes more easily. As long as there are no issues with it taking away from her life outside of work--namely, school--I'm happy it's working out.

"Xavier," I say in acknowledgment.

"Are you here for the sticky buns too?" He drops in the seat across from me, a coffee in one hand as he slides a bakery box across the table toward me. He pops the lid open, revealing fluffy pastries glazed in gooey sweetness.

"There's a small remodel happening at the office; I'm working here against my will. But the promise of a sticky bun as a reward was the tipping point," I explain, my mouth watering at the sugary smell invading my nostrils.

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