Page 7 of Despite It All
“Hey, Anna, I’m so glad you could make it.” She smiles.
“Hey, Winry,” Anna greets her, then turns to me. “This is another one of Waverley’s sisters, Winry and her daughter Georgia.”
“Hi, nice to meet you.” Winry holds out her hand.
“Hey, I’m Jett,” I say, returning her hand.
Winry’s hand slows as she shakes my hand, and it looks like her mind is processing my name. What, are they fans or something and just don’t completely recognize me?
“Jett?” she whispers, and turns to her sister.
“Jett,” Waverley repeats.
They stare at each other for a minute and seem to be having some weird sister telepathy because one shakes her head while the other gives her a wide-eyed look.
“Guys, what’s going on?” Anna asks.
The sisters don’t say anything because the toddler in Winry’s arms squeals, “Dada!”
Georgia wiggles in her mom’s arms, reaching for one of the men walking up to us. The one with tattoos rests his hands on Waverley’s shoulder while the one not covered in ink takes Georgia from Winry.
“Hey, Princess.” He kisses her on the cheek, then looks at Winry who still seems to be trying to sort something out via their sister wavelength. “Hey, Win, are you alright?”
Winry starts to bite at her thumbnail. “Um, yeah… Um, y’all know Anna… and this is her brother… Jett.”
The two guys look at each other with furrowed brows.
I usually never willingly tell people that I play for the MLB but at this point, I just want to put all of these weird looks to rest. “I’m sorry, you guys might recognize me from baseball. I play for the Seattle Mavericks.”
They all glance at me still with this puzzled look. “Nah, it can’t be,” the man covered in tattoos says.
Can’t be? Can’t be what?
The guy, who I am assuming is the little girl’s dad, turns to Winry. “Win, why don’t you and Wav go find… your sister, and we’ll stay here and chat.”
Why are they being so weird? Even Anna seems genuinely confused. Winry nods and Waverley takes her hand as they race off.
Awkward silence fills the group as the man with Waverley stares at me, and the other stares at Anna. The assumed dad speaks up first. “I’m Graham, Winry’s husband, and I’m sure Win introduced Georgia. This is Owen, Waverley’s husband.”
I match the scowl on Owen’s face. I’m not typically an easily intimidated guy, but something also tells me that Owen isn’t exactly someone that you mess with. Not to mention a kid’s four-year-old birthday party is not exactly the best place to get into a fight.
More awkward tension fills the air around us.
Owen speaks next. “So, Jett…ever been to Nashville?”
Nashville Night – 5 years ago – pt. 1
I walk into one of the local dive bars that Adam is dragging me and Justin to. It’s a bar called… I don’t even know the name of this place, but there are peanut shells and spilled beer all over the floor, a mechanical bull in the corner, and bad karaoke going on in the front.
Adam insisted I had to go out at least one night this weekend. We flew in from Seattle yesterday for a fundraiser for one of my old teammates' foundations he got started this past year.
We grab an open table and order some loaded nachos and drinks. “Can I get an Old Fashioned with Woodford?” I ask, and the waitress nods.
“And some shots of Patron, please,” Adam orders before the waitress walks off.
I give him a look questioning if shots are exactly our best idea.
“What? It’s one round. Loosen up, will you?” Adam shakes my shoulder.
