Trent (Season Two: The Ninth Inning #4) (9 page)

“Wow that had to have been
hard to have your family cause problems like that. The more you
talk about him, the happier I am you don’t think you should speak
on his behalf. He doesn’t sound like he deserves it. But anyway,
surely if I could marry the girl I stepped in front of so she had
no choice but to run into me, you can find someone.”

I can't keep lying to him.
It's not fair to him or me.

“Trent, you have to know
something, and it’s important for you to listen to me. My brother
is a bad person and I highly doubt I will speak at this trial. In
fact, I’m sure I won’t. We may have come from the same blood, but
I’m nothing like him. I tried so many times to save him and send
him to rehab. I did everything I could, but he and I are polar
opposites. Please remember that. I want you to know that.”

He tilts his head in
confusion, and for a second, I think he's figured it out. “I’ve met
you, Scarlett. Granted, I don’t know everything about you, but I
know enough that I wouldn’t compare you to your brother or assume
you’re just like him. You don’t have to reassure me.”

“Thank you, Trent.” It is
nice to hear it from him. “Before I let my brain and mouth overrun
this conversation, is there a reason you asked me to coffee? I
think you did because you were tired of the sad, gloomy looks
everyone was giving you. I know it’s only been seven months since
you lost your wife, but don’t you grow tired of it? I know I
would.”

He gives me a small smile and
nods. “Aside from my daughter, you’re the only person who doesn’t
look at me or talk to me like I just lost her yesterday. It’s hard
to smile and be the father I need to be when everyone is constantly
reminding me of what I’ve lost. It’s not like I’ve forgotten, you
know? Like tonight, I appreciate that the team is helping out other
families. I’m happy they did it because it's fantastic something
good can come out of this to help others, but… I don’t know how to
explain it without sounding like a jackass.”

“I understand. You’re trying
to raise your daughter as normal as you can and you’re trying to
move on the best you can. My mom and my brother would do drugs
together all the time. I did my best to ignore them, but where I
used to work, they knew what was happening and they would look at
me with the saddest expressions. They would always tiptoe around me
with questions. I was
never
invited to anything because no
one wanted me to know where they lived because of my family. I just
wanted to be normal. Now, I sound like the jackass.”

“You don’t sound like a
jackass. You sound like someone who’s always had to deal with a
lot. What about your friend from the gallery? She’s understands,
right? Surely, you have someone in your life who won’t judge or
punish you for the actions of your family.”

“Macy is the exception. She
came into my life when I needed her. She knows about my brother and
has never judged me because of him. She’s a good person. If I
learned anything in my life, it’s the fact you know when you’ve had
enough and when to move on. I think you’ll know too. It doesn’t
matter what anyone else around you says, you will know what is best
for you and Kaelyn.” I smile.

“I’m glad one of us is sure
about that.” He returns with a small smile. “Kaelyn tells me when
I’m doing a good job though.”

“I’m sure you’ve heard this a
million times until you’re sick of it, but it does get better. I
mean, the memory and the pain of losing someone never goes away,
but each day is a little easier. And you have Kaelyn and she’s the
best part of your life. She’s going to be the first you to tell you
the truth and you should listen to her. I know she’s only five, but
you would be amazed by some of the five year olds I see. You’re
doing great, Trent.”

“Thanks, Scarlett.” His phone
rings. When he looks at the display a real smile appears. “Sorry.”
He motions at me before he answers. “Hello.” He glances at his
watch. “I’m sorry, Kaelyn. I’m on my way home right now.” There's a
small pause. "Um, twenty minutes or so. Ask Granny to read you a
story until I get there, okay? All right, bye. I love you too.” He
ends the call and looks up at me. “Sorry. I’m late tucking her in
and she’s not very happy about it.” He softly chuckles after
getting an ear full from his daughter.

“It’s perfectly fine. I have
to thank you, Trent, for tonight. It wasn’t a bad as I thought it
would be.” It had been great to have this time with him before he
figures out he'll never want to be around me again.

“I should be thanking you and
your friend for dragging you. It did turn out better than I
expected. I’ll see you around.”

***

I KISS KAELYN’S temple,
fussing with her sheets one more time before leaving her room. She
must have been tired because it didn’t take her long to fall asleep
once I got here. When I make it to the kitchen, Granny is putting
dishes in the dishwasher.

“I can do it,” I tell her. “I
feel like you clean my house more than I do.”

“I do,” she answers, stepping
away and letting me take over. “How come you were late? I figured
you would high-tail it back here as soon as you could.”

My movements falter for a
moment. “I had coffee with a friend. The event was really nice and
Zoey is as amazing as Hector makes her out to be.”

“A
friend
? One of the
guys?”

“Ah, no. A girl I met at the
gym. Her name is Scarlett.”

“A girl? Well, I think it’s
nice you met someone. Are y’all just friends or are we talking
about something else here?”

I stop and stare at her.
“Just friends. We talk, that’s all there is to it.”

“Trent, don’t get defensive;
I mean no harm. I’m just an old nosey woman. However, I’m happy for
you. You can’t keep yourself locked up here. You need to mingle
with people, get yourself back into the real world. You spent the
entire offseason here in the house. Fresh air will do you some
good.”

“I’m not defensive, Granny.”
She gives me a pointed look as if I just proved her point. “I spent
the offseason with my daughter. If I need to mingle with people in
the real world, which you may have a point about, then I think it’s
time you start dating again.” Two can play whatever game she’s
starting here. “It’s been years since he died. You need to get back
to fishing for a good fish.”

Granny laughs. “Are you
kidding me, Trent? I was married to Gramps for over fifty years.
I’m in my seventies. The fish in my part of the sea are in
wheelchairs or on a golf course. As much as I loved Gramps, we
spent our lives together. You’re so young and have a young child.
Our situations are much different, but when the time is right, you
will enjoy the
fresh air
.”

“Just because I’m young and
you’re old doesn’t mean you don’t deserve the love of another
person. Think about it. If he’s in a wheelchair, I bet you could
borrow one and race him down the hallway. Kaelyn would love to try
and beat y’all on foot. And what’s wrong with golf? Gramps played
every now and then.”

“I swear, sometimes I think
you should have been a politician. You argue until someone sees
your point of view.” Granny shakes her head. “I know what you’re
saying, but hear me too. I want you to be happy. I don’t want to
see my grandson bury himself into some deep, dark hole that no one
can save him from. I love you and I can’t bear to see you in
pain.”

“My wife was murdered,
Granny. What else is there but pain?” I sigh and take a deep
breath. “You don’t have to worry about any dark hole. I can’t take
care of Kaelyn if I do that to myself. I hear you; I just don’t
want to.”

“Okay. You’re right, Trent.
Please remember I’m here for you in whatever you need. I don’t know
the pain you’re in because I’ve never been in your situation, but I
loved Deborah so much. You and Kaelyn are my world now, and I love
you.”

“I love you too, Granny. I’m
glad you’re here. I know I don’t say it enough, but thank you for
helping me take care of her.”

“You never have to thank me.
I’m here for you both. Always.”

After practice, we have a
photo shoot. There was apparently an issue with those we did before
the season started and we’re having to redo most of them. Colby,
our shortstop and one of the older guys on the team, is currently
getting his done.

“Smile, you old geezer,”
Hector laughs, causing a few of us to laugh as well.

Colby narrows his gaze. “I’m
not old.”

The photographer sends us his
own glare, so we leave Colby alone for now. I can vaguely hear
Hector saying something to Blake about marriage and Jordan pipes
up.

“Don’t do it,” he says.
“Everything is all fine and good, then you get married, and soon,
you’re separating for whatever reason.” I know he’s been married
and separated, but he never really talks about his wife, nor does
he ever sound bitter about it, despite his advice. His tone lacks
the conviction.

“You don’t mean that,” I say
before I think about it. If he truly thought marriage was a bad
idea, then he would make his argument more convincing. Plus, I’m
pretty sure he wears his wedding ring on the silver chain around
his neck. No man who has given up on love and wants nothing to do
with it still wears his wedding ring.

He shrugs. “Maybe.”

I glance down at my own
wedding ring and Granny’s advice about mingling with the fresh air
runs through my mind. Eventually, the ring will have to come off,
right? Isn’t it too soon to be even thinking about this? What does
it say about my marriage with Deborah that I’m already wondering if
it’s time to take it off?

Huffing, I try to block out
my own thoughts. It’s starting to sour my mood. Part of me wishes I
hadn’t deflected as much as I had with Granny. She would have been
a good person to get advice from, but I can’t go back to her about
this without her looking at least a little smug.

Colby finishes up and then
it’s my turn. I listen to the guys talking, still about
marriage.

“Have you ever been married,
Colby?” Hector asks.

“Nope,” he answers.

“I don’t care about
marriage,” Tanner inputs, causing a few to chuckle.

“That’s because you’re the
youngest and you’re probably hoping Blake will mess up so you can
date the girl with the hands of a God,” Roman adds, laughing.

Tanner still goes on and on
about Sofia’s hands. He probably sees her more than he has to.
Blake pointedly ignores them.

“C’mon, you have to admit
she’s amazing,” Tanner says. “Those hands,” he makes a small groan,
“I’d give up both arms to have them on my body full time.”

“One more word about Sofia
and you’ll regret it,” Blake glares at him.

Tanner holds up his hands,
surrendering. “I can’t help it. Hands—”

“Of a God, we know,” Blake,
Hector, Felix, Spencer, and Roman finish for him
simultaneously.

Laughter breaks out. Serious
or semi-serious topics are officially done as the guys take turn
poking fun at some of the things Tanner does and says. Once I’m
finished, I’m free to go. I promised Kaelyn I would fix her
favorite dinner tonight, so I head straight to the gym. If I go
now, it’ll give me plenty of time to work out and make it home just
when I need to start dinner.

One would think that I get
enough of a workout with the team, but I like coming here and doing
whatever I feel like. I come to this gym instead of going where the
team works out because I can relax more and be somewhere other than
work. This is more like clear my head time than working out for my
job time. At least, it feels that way. Today, I think I’m going for
the treadmill.

I catch sight of familiar
blonde hair in a ponytail. Okay, so I noticed the hair and the
mirror in front of the line of treadmills helped me declare it
familiar. I cross over and take the empty one next to Scarlett.