Night Games (23 page)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chase

“Hey, Dad, you remember Chase, right?”

Grey’s father is holding open the door to her childhood home with a flummoxed expression on his face. He doesn’t know whether to shake my hand or throttle me, his conflicting emotions waging war beneath the surface. Grey gives him a kiss on his neatly trimmed beard, and he raises an eyebrow at my crutches as I hurtle in after her.

I can’t blame the guy for being confused. He just found out that I’m dating his daughter after it was blasted across the internet. Even though there’s no tangible proof, it’s well known throughout Stockton that I frequented The Blue Room during my stay here. Seeing Grey’s dad putting the pieces of the puzzle together in his mind doesn’t make for a pretty picture. It’s clear that he doesn’t think I’m good enough for his little girl.

“Where’s Mom?” Grey asks, that lilt of panic evident in her voice whenever she mentions her mother.

“She’s not feeling well today¸” Grey’s dad says, clearing his throat while glaring at me like I’m the sole reason for his wife’s distress.

“Can we see her? Is she still in bed?” Grey barges right by him, heading down the hallway, dragging me along with her.

“Mr. Kelleher, if you don’t think it’s a good idea—” I start to protest.

“Nonsense. Seeing you will do her good. Lift her spirits. Right, Dad?”

But Mr. Kelleher is noncommittal in his assessment. “She’s been through a lot in the last few days, Grey. As have you.”

“That’s why I have to see her, Dad. I need to explain—”

A feeble voice issues from the last bedroom on the left. “Grey, is that you?”

“Yeah, Mom. It’s me. I have someone special here to see you. Is it all right if I come in?”

It looks like Grey’s parents’ home was most likely constructed in the 1970s based on its retro style. Everything is all on one floor—the bedrooms, the living room, the kitchen. But the hallway is extremely tight. We’re in a single-file line, and on crutches there’s not much room to maneuver. I’m wedged between Grey and her father, feeling a little ill at ease.

I’m not comfortable around cancer patients. I remember taking J.J. for a chemo treatment once. I hated seeing the sunken eyes and shrunken frames of the people sitting around us. It was like their impending death was hanging on their bodies like a shroud. I didn’t want my sister to join their ranks. She was young, vibrant, healthy. There was no way I was going to let her end up like that. I did everything in my power to keep her with me.

Grey breezes into the room, leaving me behind. I’m too afraid to follow her in. I think it’s best that I wait until she calls. She might need a few minutes alone with her mom to straighten things out. I shift awkwardly on my foot, thinking desperately of something to say to Grey’s dad, but he beats me to it.

“So you’re out for the season, huh?”

Not exactly the topic I want to talk about, but it’ll do. I hear the soft whisperings between Grey and her mother, and I strain to make out what they’re saying as I answer him back.

“Yeah, I’m afraid so.”

“Well, there goes the division. They’ll never get it together without you.”

The first rule in baseball is that it’s a team sport. Forget that for one moment and a player will live to rue the day. Never get caught up in individual accomplishments. Check the ego at the door—at least in public.

“I don’t know. I think the Kings still have a good shot at making the playoffs.”

“Yeah? I don’t think so.”

Wow, Grey’s dad is actually sticking it to me big time.

“I wouldn’t count my teammates out just yet. I have faith in them.”

“Well, I’m glad you do, but I bet Terry Bloom’s ripping out what little hair he has left. The Kings are past the trade deadline. They have no one decent to fill in for you. They’re going to have to keep throwing that rookie shortstop out there that they called up from the Beavers, and he stunk while he was here. No way he’s going to turn it around up there. He couldn’t even hit .250 in the Minors.”

I know the guy he’s talking about, Brooks Davison. He was never supposed to play in New York this season. He still needs more time to develop as a player. The Kings undoubtedly rushed him through the system because they don’t have anyone else. Grey’s dad knows his stuff.

“You go to a lot of Beavers games?” I ask, trying to change the subject.

“Not really. Can’t leave Nancy alone at night in case she needs me. I follow the box scores in the paper though.”

Grey’s dad is definitely old school, but I like it.

“What do you do for a living, Mr. Kelleher?”

“I used to be a mailman. I had enough years in so I was able to take an early retirement when Nancy got sick. But I miss talking to the people on my route about the Kings or at least the Beavers. You’d be surprised how it’s a common thread connecting everyone around here.”

“Really?”

“Oh yeah. When it was announced that you were going to play in Stockton, it was like the Second Coming.”

“So you used to go to Kings Stadium every year, huh?” I ask, desperate to get the focus off me.

“Uh huh. Grey and Erin certainly screamed their heads off whenever you came up to bat. I think one year they even made a poster and got on the big screen.”

Now that’s an interesting tidbit I’ll have to tease Grey about.

“But can I ask, what are you doing here, son? What’s this all about? Something to take your mind off things while you’re recovering?”

It’s like he switched from lobbing softballs to beaning me between the eyes. It’s not like I didn’t expect this to come up, but I thought he’d handle it with a little more finesse. Grey’s dad may be a straight shooter—but man, is he direct.

“No, sir. It’s a lot more serious than that.”

“You’ve known each other less than a week. How serious can it be?”

“I know it’s probably hard to—”

“Listen, son. I’ve followed your whole career, okay? I don’t get all starry eyed over players like my daughters do. I don’t read the tabloids or the gossip columns or anything like that, but I think it’s safe to say you’re not the settling-down type. Never have, never will be. And Grey’s not like that. She only knows how to love with her whole heart and nothing less, especially when it comes to you. If you’re just killing time with her, I suggest you think long and hard about what your intentions are because her heart won’t mend as quickly as that knee of yours.”

“Sir, I—”

“Don’t tell me what you think I want to hear, Chase. Tell the truth. You have more media savvy than I’ll ever have, but when it comes to my daughter, I need you to level with me. Don’t sell me a line of goods. You’re really going to play house in her trailer for the rest of the summer? What then? You’re going to bring her to Florida with you? She’s just supposed to follow you around wherever you go? What kind of life is that for her?”

I want to respond with,
Better than the one she has now,
but I don’t.

“And what if she can’t handle being in the public eye like you can? What if it breaks her spirit?”

“She’s a lot stronger than you give her credit for. She’s handled herself remarkably well for someone not used to being in the spotlight.”

“But that’s all she’s ever going to be—some small-town girl who hit the jackpot by dating you. I want so much more for her than that. Being with you would define her. There’ll be no getting out of your shadow. And if you get tired of her, she’ll have to live with that rejection for the rest of her life. People around here will never let her forget it.”

“If we’re being honest, I’m more afraid she’ll leave me.”

“Why do say that?”

“Because she might get sick of having the paparazzi hound her every move. She might end up resenting me for losing her freedom. But I can’t let her go. She wants to give it a try, and so do I.”

“Grey’s my daughter, and I love her to death, but what is it about her that has you willing to jump through all these extra hoops when you don’t have to? You could pair up with another celebrity who is used to the attention. No one would think twice about it. But singling her out? It just doesn’t make sense. What do the two of you even have in common?”

I pause for a second, determined to find the right words to explain exactly what I’m feeling in my heart. I’m not the greatest when it comes to expressing my emotions, and I don’t want to screw this up. I can’t screw this up.

“Grey just sees me, sir. It’s like to her I’m still that guy I was before all of this happened to me. From the first time she looked at me, I couldn’t hide from her. She’s not after all the perks—she’s just interested in me. She’s someone worth taking a chance on because she’s in it for all the right reasons. Even if I never played again and left it all behind, she’d be okay with that. Or if I miraculously have the best year of my career next season, she’d be fine with that too. The scrutiny is probably going to be more intense than ever, but I know she can handle it, either way.”

“And you?”

“I’m not going to lie. It’ll be a blow if I don’t heal and I can’t return to the Kings. And if I do make it back and play at a subpar level, it’s going to be tough. I probably won’t be a joy to be around.”

“And you expect Grey to be there to pick up the pieces?”

“Of course not. I’m a big boy. I’ve been doing this a long time. It’s all I know. But maybe she can show me a different side of life, something better. Help me make the transition with dignity. Earning her love would be something worth striving for. It’d make me want to get up and face the day, regardless if I were still a Major League baseball player or not.”

“You’ve thought a lot about this, haven’t you?”

“Let’s just say I’ve had a lot of time on my hands to think about the future. More time than I ever had before, and I realized I have some pretty gaping holes in my life, ones I need to fill. I can’t keep on living just for myself or my life is going to be pretty empty when all this baseball stuff comes to an end. I can’t play forever.”

“And how does Grey feel about all of this?”

“I think she’s willing to give it a go. But she made it perfectly clear that she doesn’t want to be dependent on me for anything.”

“That’s a nice sentiment, but we both know it’s hogwash.”

“As far as money’s concerned, she doesn’t have to worry. I can promise you that.”

“It’s not the money I’m worried about. We’re simple people, Chase. We don’t have an extravagant lifestyle.”

“Then what is it?”

“She might make you happy. But is what you have to offer really what’s best for her?”

“Wait a minute—”

“No, hear me out. What if you can’t protect her from all this? What if—?”

“I’m already protecting her, sir. I would never let anyone harm her.”

“And what if old girlfriends start coming out of the woodwork? Or some woman claims you fathered her son? You’re a known playboy, Chase. Undoubtedly, you have some skeletons rattling in your closet. You can’t run from your past.”

Little does he know, I’ve already dodged it multiple times.

“Yeah, things like that are going to happen, and if situations like that arise, they’ll be dealt with. You don’t have to be concerned about Grey.”

“Son, what you’re telling me isn’t too encouraging.”

“Mr. Kelleher, I don’t have any illegitimate children running around out there if that’s what you’re implying.”

“As far as you know.”

I clench my jaw. He’s not going to give in on this. His mind is already made up. He thinks I’m some kind of jackass trying to snatch his beloved daughter away from him. But Grey’s not that innocent. Not by a long shot. And I like her that way.

“Chase, c’mon in. Mom is having a fit that Dad is hogging you all to himself.” Grey’s voice filters out to the hallway, easing the tension somewhat.

“Just don’t rush into anything, all right? Take it slow. See how it goes,” Grey’s dad urges, giving me a hearty pat on the back.

“That’s the plan, sir.” I mutter, moving forward. “Nothing in life is definite. You know that. I know that. Grey knows that. But even if life doesn’t offer us any guarantees, we still have to hope for the best.”

The corners of his eyes crinkle up as he gives me a knowing smile. This can’t be easy on him, what with his wife skirting the brink of death. I know what it’s like to get that close to losing someone. It makes me want to savor each and every moment I have with Grey.

“There he is. Mom, can you believe Chase Whitfield is in your house?” Grey bubbles with excitement, compensating for the frail condition of the woman lying in the bed.

I’m floored by how emaciated Grey’s mother is. I knew she was bad, but not this bad. My heart aches in my chest when I realize just how much Grey has been dealing with. I feel like a jerk for stealing her away, monopolizing her time, when she should have been spending every moment with her mother.

“My husband wasn’t giving you too hard of a time out there I hope. He can be an ogre when it comes to his girls.” Her voice is a bit raspy, but it sounds so much like Grey’s that I have to blink to make sure I’m not hearing things.

“And especially after what happened with Erin and Mark, he’s ratcheted up to hyperdrive. So beware.” Grey rolls her eyes.

Grey told me briefly about the fallout from her sister’s marriage, but I can tell it’s still a sore subject within the family. Grey said that her parents felt guilty for not picking up on Mark’s true character while he was dating Erin. They blamed themselves for not looking out for their eldest daughter, allowing themselves to be blinded by Mark’s charm. He turned out to be a different man altogether when he didn’t have an audience watching his every move. Behind closed doors, he was quite a brute. Erin was lucky to get out alive, and according to Grey, she still has a restraining order on her ex, even though he has visitation rights to the kids. Grey’s dad facilitates the exchange so that Mark doesn’t have any contact with Erin. The court says that he has to hand over his grandchildren to the man who beat his daughter, but he doesn’t have to like it.

No wonder he gave me the third degree. I’m like his worst nightmare come true. Someone who has more money, power, and influence than he’ll ever have. If something goes wrong, he sees his daughter as being at my mercy. He won’t be able to save her, and that has to needle him somewhat. I’ll just have to go out of my way to keep reassuring him. There’s no way I’d ever take advantage of Grey. I’d never lay a finger on her. I’d never deliberately hurt her. I’m not like that.