Page 156 of Restricted List

The three of us walk into the room we’re led to and find a woman, maybe in her late fifties or early sixties, with hair more gray than brown.

“Hello!” she says warmly. “I’m Eileen Finch. It’s wonderful to meet you.”

Lane takes her hand and shakes it. “Lane Brooks. This is my daughter, Sage, and her nanny, Rory.”

“It’s so nice to meet you,” I say. “Sage is very excited.”

“And I’m excited to have her here. She’s still very young, so it will take some time, but I’m certain Sage will become the perfect ballerina. Before we begin, I want to know more about you, and you can learn more about me. Sharing will help with Sage’s comfort, which goes a long way in training.”

Lane speaks up. “I’m not sure there’s much to know, but Sage is an only child. I’m a single father, so it’s just us two. Rory is her nanny and is the greatest help to me. I’m the center fielder for the New York Stars, so during the season, I’m quite busy and have to rely on her help. Sage absolutely adores her.”

“And I adore her right back,” I say, crouching down and pinching Sage’s cheek while she giggles.

“How wonderful that they have such a strong bond,” Eileen smiles.

“Rory and our friends are the only women Sage has in her life. I’m grateful they all love her, and she has some women she can look up to as she grows up.”

“You don’t have a partner?”

“No,” Lane sighs. “Sage’s mom and I were never together. She was quite the surprise when she came along, but she’s the best thing that ever happened to me. Her mom isn’t around, though, so I’m her only family.”

“Absolutely not,” I chide lightly. “You know our friendsareyour family. We all love both you and Sage. We’re not blood, but we’re still family.”

Eileen grins and clasps her hands together over her mouth. “I can tell I’m just going to love the three of you. To tell you a little about me, I spent ten years as a ballerina with the New York City Ballet before I left to open my studio. I had recently gotten married, and we wanted to start a family. Being here was much more conducive to that. We have three children, two daughters and one son, though they’re all grown now.”

“Did any of your children follow in your footsteps?” I ask.

“My youngest did. She was an incredible ballerina before she lost her passion.”

“Does she ever help out here?”

Eileen’s face falls, but she tries to mask it. “No. She doesn’t come by often anymore.”

There’s a twinge of sadness in her voice, and I think I accidentally touched on a tricky subject. I don’t know what may have happened, but it’s clear Eileen is upset over it.

She quickly gathers her composure and moves on as if nothing happened.

“Well,” she says, clapping her hands together. “Shall we start your first lesson, Sage?”

Being back at the stadium feels right.

I spent most of my youth with my dad at whatever field he was playing until he retired. From there, I’d go wherever he coached.

I’ve always loved baseball, and I can’t wait to see what the Stars do this season.

The guys are all out on the field right now, finishing up their practice before heading back to the clubhouse to prepare for the season opener tonight.

And we girls are hanging with Lucia in her office. The upside of being the only female athletic trainer is that she has her own space.

“I bet Sage just made the cutest little ballerina!” Ella exclaims.

“She sure did,” I smile, mussing up her curls as she sleeps on my shoulder. Eileen wiped her out, but at least she’ll be ready for the game.

“How’s Cole?” Lucia smirks.

“He’s great. He’s really excited to start the season.”

“He’s more excited to spend time with you, babe,” Lo says. “Even if he hasn’t told you yet, he’s so in love with you.”

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