OLLIE HADjust changed out of his uniform when the text came through.
I saw Theo at the school today.
He slammed his locker closed a little harder than necessary and sat heavily on the bench. What kind of passive-aggressive…? Did his mom know how that sounded? It was like she was taunting him because she’d seen Theo without his express permission.
He was debating his reply when a second message came through.I was there to pick upMel. The baseball coach wouldn’t let me talk to him.
Ollie smiled. Given Ty’s relationship with his own parent, he could imagine how he reacted.
I told you. Baby steps. Theo doesn’t know you yet.
And he never will if you don’t let us see him. Come to dinner Saturday night. We’ll have the whole family over.
Oh sure, Ollie would simply bring his kid into a houseful of twelve near-strangers. That was a totally reasonable thing to do. Besides—We have plans Saturday. But maybe you and Dad can meet us for lunch on Sunday?
Hopefully she found that a reasonable compromise. Olliedidwant Theo to know his family. Just because Ollie’s relationship with them was strained didn’t mean they wouldn’t love Theo. Hell, they already loved Theo. They might never forgive Ollie for waiting this long to tell them he existed, but they hadn’t forgiven him for joining the Army either, so he was used to it by now.
He picked up his keys and was heading for the door when his phone vibrated again.Heads-up, your mom tried to talk to Theo today. I sent him to give the kids the batting order. FYI, longest baseball practice of my life. Only got through 3 innings. Theo ran out of score sheet.
Oh Lord. Ollie made a note to bring a cushion to sit on at the game tomorrow. Those high school bleachers weren’t built with comfort in mind.
Thanks for running interference. Should I pick up anything on my way home?
Xanax?Ty suggested.
Ollie snorted and slid his phone into his pocket.
Sadly, by the time the game rolled around the next evening, he wished he hadn’t taken that as a joke.
As official assistant to the assistant coach, Theo had the honor of sitting in the dugout with the team. That left Ollie and his dollar-store cushion all alone with no buffer when his parents showed up with his sister and Mel.
Like a pride of lions picking off a sickly water buffalo calf who’d wandered off on his own.
“Uncle Ollie!”
Naturally they sent Mel as their advance guard to catch him with his defenses down. She was six and looked just like Ollie’s sister Cassie had at that age—all gap-toothed and pigtailed and cute as anything. She ran up to him and hugged his knees. “Mom saysyouused to play baseball. Are you gonna play today?”
Ollie held back a laugh as he picked her up and plopped her beside him on the bleachers. At least he’d have a little insulation on one side. “Not today. I’m too old. These are the high school kids.”
“Oh.” She wiggled her butt like somehow that could make her more comfortable on the cold aluminum. “How come Theo is with them? Is he old enough to play?”
“My friend Ty asked him if he wanted to help coach.”
Unfortunately he mentioned this just as the adults came into earshot. His mother sat on his right, Cassie on Mel’s left. Ollie’s father sat in the row behind them, probably so he didn’t get dragged into the upcoming battle of wits.
“Ty?” his mother echoed. She was frowning. “Not Tyler Morris.”
How did Ollie’s mother know his name? Ty had left town before they moved here. “Yeah, that’s him.”
Cassie sucked in an audible breath.
His mother clucked. “I don’t think you should be hanging around with him, Ollie. That boy is ahoodlum.”
Oh my God, what?In the dugout, Ty was wearing a blue polo shirt, cargo shorts, and a school windbreaker. He was holding a clipboard. He looked like a nerdy dad. “A hoodlum, Mom? Dopeople still say that? Anyway, he hasn’t even lived here in years. Do you have connections in Chicago I don’t know about?”
Mom sniffed. “Mrs. Chiu was talking about it at church. Showing up drunk at his father’s funeral.”
Ah. Of course. Church lady talk. “Doesn’t the Bible say something about gossip?” Ollie poked Mel’s side until she giggled. His mom couldn’t get mad at him if he was making her granddaughter laugh. “What did she do, give him a breathalyzer?” Because he hadn’tsmelledlike booze anymore, that much Ollie could attest to.
