Page 108 of Despite It All
“I want that too.” Her eyes glisten as she looks around again in amazement. “How did you manage all this without me knowing anything about it?”
“Turns out, having your girlfriend’s dad as the beloved police chief goes a long way.” A very long way, actually. With one phone call to him about what I wanted to do, in the hour I had an email for the offer on the gym.
After that, I talked to my agent and my manager and informed them I’ll be retiring at the end of this season. I managed to get tonight’s game off so I could surprise Wyla and hopefully still take her and Stevie to Seattle for the next six months but then that’s it.
We’ll be moving back here and I’ll run an actual gym in this town. There’s still plenty of things I’ll have to do, like completely repairing this place and getting it up to code but it’ll all be worth it knowing it gives me the flexibility to be with Wyla and Stevie more.
“And you’re sure about this? You’re sure you want to retire?”
“I’m sure, baby.” I rest my hands on her hips, pulling her a step closer. “I did talk to the high school here and the college out in Northshore, and offered to help them with spring training when that time comes. But other than that, I’m good. I’ve gotten what I’ve wanted out of my career.”
“And now, what do you want?” Her voice is low and she bites at her bottom lip.
“I want to wake up next to you every morning. I want to put my daughter to bed every night. I want to be there when things go wrong and when they go right. Wyla, I want to marry you. I want to have another kid with you, and I don’t want to push any of that stuff off because of my career. Me and you, Wy.”
That smile of hers lights up her face as a few tears slide down her cheeks. “Me and you, Jett.” She goes up on her toes and pulls me down to kiss her.
A request I happily oblige.
“I think there’s a closet around here somewhere.”
Chapter 40
November
Would you call me crazy if I told you I met a guy, had his baby without him knowing and now, five years later, I’m sitting front row watching the same man pitch for the last time in the final game of the World Series?
I most certainly wouldn’t have believed it if you told me this was how everything was going to play out, but here we are.
Stevie stands at the fence screaming for Jett as he pitches. She’s by far his number one fan.
“I can’t believe we’re being separated, and you’re taking my mini with you,” Callie grumbles next to me. “I’ve worked hard on building her sass! It’s not fair.”
I laugh. “Yeah, sass that’s going to take months of deprogramming.”
Callie rolls her eyes and reaches for Stevie to let her stand on her thighs so she can see better. For the past few months, Callie and I have gotten rather close and she has always jumped on babysitting Stevie when we needed it, if it meant getting out of Adam’s place for a bit.
I look out to Jett and watch as he throws another strike. I can’t say I won’t miss the baseball pants but I’m so ready for us to start our life back in Aster Creek.
Jett gets ready to throw again, and it dawns on me. This is it. It’s the top of the ninth and the Mavericks are ahead by two runs. Jett just threw his second strike, so this could be it. This could be his last pitch of his career, as there are already two outs.
Jett glances our way as Stevie yells for him again, and I can see his smile from here. He throws the ball, and I feel this need to hold my breath until I see it miss the batter’s bat going straight into Adam’s glove.
The crowd goes crazy, and the announcer comes over the speakers. “Ladies and gentlemen, the Mavericks are your new World Series Champions!”
The team runs in from the field and dog pile on top of Jett. I can feel the tears starting as Jett’s pitching coach, Blake, comes up to the fence. “Come on out here. I know Jett wants to see y’all.”
He lets us through the blocked off area onto the field and by that time the team has started to stand back up.
Just as Jett stands, Stevie’s racing across the field and jumping in his arms. “Daddy!”
He picks her up and tosses her in the air as she squeals. “Hey, Little Bee.”
She wiggles out of his hold. “Ah, you’re sweaty!”
Jett lets her down and smiles at me. “What do you think, Wy?”
Not wasting a second, I wrap my arms around his neck and he swings me around for a second before setting me down. “Stevie said I’m too sweaty.”
