Page 42 of Home Field Advantage
“You’re most definitely going to be seeing a lot of me, Dallas Westbrook,” I murmur to an empty room. “Whether I like it or not.”
CHAPTER 11
GO, BASEBALL!
Dallas
“Daddy, do I get to play too?”
“I don’t see why not. This is just a bunch of us getting together to have some fun.”
Tucker has successfully recruited a “team” of sorts to play ball down at the barnyard, and it’s our first night getting together.
I won’t lie, I’m excited to get a baseball in my hands again and maybe swing a bat. I might not be able to play professionally with my shoulder injury anymore, but this is something I can do.
Pulling into the dirt lot that Tucker gave me directions to, I take in the sight in front of me. Sitting on the edge of the ranch next to the wooden fence lining the property, there’s an open field that serves as the unofficial baseball field.
The barnyard.
It’s not much at all—overrun with uneven grass and dirt—but from what I understand, the kids love it. To them, this is a professional baseball stadium. The bases are flattened cardboard boxes, and the footpaths to each base are carved out by endless sprints from the kids running the bases. It’s rough around theedges with all the overgrown weeds, but it’s alive with imagination.
Tucker spots me, jogging up to greet me halfway from my SUV to the field. He opens his arms, grinning from ear to ear, and spins around. “Well, what do you think?”
“Man, if Tyler and Mitch could see where I’ve ended up.”
His eyes widen. “Are you talking about Tyler Goodman, the most epic third baseman ever to play the sport? And Mitch Holden, the second”—he leans in close to whisper—“because you’re the first. Duh. Best pitcher in the Major League?”
“Yep.”
His hands come up to the side of his head as he starts pacing in front of me. “They’re amazing. I’m obsessed with them. And you. Oh my god. This is amazing. Can they come out here and play?”
“I’ll talk to them.” I laugh at how much of a fan he is, with how far outside the city of San Francisco we are.
“Wow, that’s just so cool. I can’t get over it. Tell them I said hi. Anyway, what do you think?” He gestures to the field they call the barnyard.
“It can work.”
He rests an arm on my shoulder. “That’s the spirit.” Doing a double take, he spots Sage, who’s now standing next to me after switching from her sandals to her sneakers in the backseat. “Who’s this?”
“I’m Sage. I love baseball.”
Tucker beams with excitement. “Me too.” He leans in close to me, still staring at her. “Where did she come from?”
“That’s my daughter.”
“No shit. I didn’t know you had one of those.”
“Yes. I have one of those,” I say through my laughing fit. “She loves baseball, so I thought I’d bring her to hang out with us. If that’s okay?”
“I gotta be honest with you, I’m not good with kids. Mostlythe little ones because they’re too delicate for me. Oh, and I curse a little. Well, a lot.”
“Daddy does too,” Sage cuts in. “Just the other day he was unclogging the toilet, and he screamed sh?—”
Covering her mouth with my hand, I stop her. “He gets the point.”
“Yep. I like her. She can hang with us.”
Tucker takes Sage’s hand and leads her to the field where everyone else sits. Mostly faces I know, some I haven’t met yet. I can’t help but scan every face to see if Poppy is here. I don’t know if she’s the sports type, but I can’t help but hope.
