Page 65 of Unexpected Forever
The man has a multimillion dollar arm built by the gods. We were a solid team, anticipating each other’s moves and signals.
He’s dressed in his uniform, ready to take the field for practice starting soon. A pang of longing flashes through me.
“Hey, man.” We bump fists as he sits down next to me.
Baseball is a game heavy on superstitions, so it doesn’t escape my notice we sit in the same places we did every home game.
“How’s it going, Gentry?”
“Not bad. How’s your new catcher?”
He shrugs. “He’s young, but coming along.”
“He’s got some good stats behind him.” Though I know for Lucas, it is more about how well he connects with his catcher than any stat.
“Yeah. He’s good for the team. For me? Jury’s still out.” He bumps my shoulder. “Still hoping they can talk you into changing that manager contract into a player contract.”
I chuckle. “Not likely.”
Especially now.
“Hey, I gotta try. Haven’t heard much out of you lately.”
“Yeah, I’ve been busy.”
“How’s the bar coming along?”
“Well, I just found out the contractor I hired ended up landing a huge job in North Carolina he couldn’t turn down. So, it’s on pause for now.”
“I know someone who can help you. You remember Theo Thomas?”
I furrow a brow at his random question. “Former NFL quarterback?”
“Yeah. He started a renovation business after he retired last year. Went up to New York for a while but moved back here recently. I bet he could help you.”
“That’d be great. Text me his number when you have a chance.” I smile. “Didn’t know you knew any of the pigskin players.”
“He’s a fraternity brother and we’ve kept in touch.” Lucas pulls out his phone and his fingers fly across the screen, and a moment later my back pocket pings. “Give him a call. Hopefully he can get you going.”
“Thanks, man.”
“Hey, Cape Sands needs some place to get a good drink that doesn’t require a reservation or a dress code like the beach club.”
I chuckle. “I’m happy to oblige.”
“Grapevine says you’ve been doing some commentating. You headed to Seattle for the All-Star game?”
“Yeah, fly out tomorrow morning.”
He looks over at me. “You like that gig?”
I shrug. “I like it enough. I’m at least involved with the game.”
“Yeah, but not enough for you.”
Lucas doesn’t know too much about my past, but he knows me well enough I can’t deny it without him calling bullshit.
“No, it isn’t enough.”
