Page 85 of Spotlight
“Yeah. The last leg of our trip didn’t pan out. The weather was crap, and my back can’t handle riding for those long stretches anymore.”
“Really? You haven’t called or stopped by. What have you been up to?” I ask. I assumed he was still gone since I hadn’t heard from him.
“Oh, you know, working on the bike, doing a couple odds and ends jobs when I get them, and Terri keeps me busy with her honey-do list. She’s decided to paint the entire house in daffodil.”
My brows rise.
“It’s a fancy paint color way of saying yellow. I’m living inside a banana.” He chuckles softly.
I try to mimic the sound, but I’m still caught on the fact that he’s been back in town, and I haven’t heard from him until now.
“I wish you’d have called. I thought you were still on the road or I would have checked in sooner.”
“Eh. I knew you were busy with the team. I saw the highlights from your no-hitter. That was some game.”
“Thanks.” I do my best to shake off any weird lingering emotions. “How was the trip? Did you make it to Yellowstone?”
For the next half hour or so he tells me about the places they rode through, the ones they stopped in, and his favorites and least favorites. By the time I’ve finished my soda, and we decided to get dinner, I’ve successfully managed to put any hurt feelings aside.
I tell him about the Mustangs and how I’m still trying to find consistency from game to game and inning to inning.
“You’ll get there,” he reassures me. “Consistency is just putting in reps. You have the talent and work ethic. It’s just a matter of time.”
“Patience is not my strong suit.”
His mouth quirks up on one side in a smile that reminds me of Knox. They’re the most alike, from their love of motorcycles and really anything with an engine to their facial expressions. Knox would hate me saying it, but it’s true. But all of Dad’s faults as a parent, Knox has gone the other way. He’s loyal, dependable, and up-front about everything. There is no guessing how Knox feels at any given moment whereas, Dad is an enigma sometimes and his dependability is questionable.
These are things I already knew and accepted, or thought I had.
“I can get you tickets any time. Just say the word.”
“I appreciate that,” he says, but it isn’t lost on me that he doesn’t automatically jump at the opportunity to take me up on it. Of course we’re still in spring training. A lot of fans don’t really get invested until we’re playing regular season games.
We spend the rest of dinner talking about random shit. He asks about my brothers, and I give him the rundown. It’s a tight rope to walk in safeguarding their privacy and not feeling like I’m giving Dad information that they might not want him to know. I imagine it’s different in other families, but my brothers have chosen not to have a relationship with our dad, and I try my best to respect that.
“Have you talked to Archer?” I ask him. He’s recently been communicating with him more, but I’m guessing if I haven’t heard from Dad neither has Archer.
“No.” Dad shakes his head and drops his gaze to his food. “I figured he’s enjoying the off-season.”
My brows pinch together. “He’d still want to hear from you.”
It’s a guess but since that’s how I felt it seems like a safe bet.
“Yeah. Maybe.” He nods his head and pushes his plate away from him.
We only stay a few minutes longer. Outside of the bar, we stop along the sidewalk, and I step forward to hug him.
“It sounds like you’re going to be sticking around for a bit. Do you want to do something for your 60thbirthday?”
He groans. “Fuck no. I don’t need a reminder that I’m getting old.”
I laugh lightly as he grimaces. “Okay, a birthday celebration where we won’t mention the number. It might be a good way to get everyone together.”
And by everyone, I mean my brothers. It’s happened a few times by accident over the last couple years, my brothers sharing the same space as my dad. They’re all good at showing up for me, which is another thing they have in common, even if they’re too stubborn to realize it.
Dad mulls that over, clicks his tongue, and then nods. “Okay, sure. If you think you can get them to come.”
It’s still a few months away, which is good because I might need that long to convince them.
