Hotbox

by Delia Delaney

  “What happened?” Jayden asked.

  “Collision at home plate our first game of the season,” Jack answered. “Garrett didn’t really appreciate the contact. He hurt his wrist on the slide and had to sit out half of the season.”

  “He blamed it on me,” I told her with a shrug.

  “He also said he was gonna kick your ass,” Aaron laughed. “Has that happened yet?”

  Coach Tucker arrived and handed Jayden a hot dog and a drink. He must have heard Aaron’s comment because he gave him the famous Tucker glower, but then he turned to Jayden and said, “I waited in a very long line for this.”

  “Thank you,” she said with a smile. “I’m starving.”

  “Hey, how ‘bout us, coach?” Aaron asked. “Where’s my dinner?”

  “You for sure don’t have a voice like an angel,” he scowled at him again. He handed a bunch of condiment packets to Jayden and said, “I didn’t know what you wanted on it, sweetheart.”

  “Oh, I’m not picky. Thank you very much.” She looked at me with a smile and took a sip of the drink. “How’d you get out of getting me a hot dog?”

  I leaned in and softly said, “I had to distract him with something while I whisked you off to the batting barn.”

  Saturday’s game was at nine in the morning. Jayden was supposed to go boating with the Davis’s for the day, but she claimed she didn’t want to. We had discussed it the night before and I thought I had convinced her to go, but I saw her sitting with Megan after we fielded the first inning.

  She smiled and blew me a kiss.

  I was thrilled to see her, but also worried why she didn’t spend the day on the boat. I guess I wasn’t as convincing as I thought I was, or something changed.

  We won the game and were scheduled to play again at six. I anxiously gathered my gear and headed for the stands. Jayden was waiting for me by the railing; the same railing she was standing at the first time we ever talked to each other.

  “Nice game, catcher.”

  “Thanks, beautiful spectator.”

  “Oh, I’m not just a spectator; I’m your biggest fan.”

  “Yeah? Can I take my biggest fan to lunch?”

  “Sure, I would love that.”

  “But…I only have an hour to spare for lunch. I’m supposed to head home and ‘rest’ before our next game.” I took her hand in mine and we walked to the parking lot.

  “Rest? You mean…take a nap?”

  “Something like that. Sit around, not go anywhere…”

  “Can I ‘rest’ with you?”

  “I would love that but…don’t you have people to see today? What happened to going boating?”

  “I didn’t really want to go boating. I told you that.”

  “Is Cali going to hate me?”

  “No,” she chuckled. “Cali is very understanding.”

  The way she said it finally made sense to me. “Ah, so Chris hates me. Jayden, you don’t have to choose. You shouldn’t miss out on time with your friends just to watch a baseball game. There are more to come.”

  “Ty, I don’t think you understand. I don’t want to go boating. Seriously. And if you must know the exact reason why… I don’t know if I have one. I just don’t feel like it. I’d rather watch you play.”

  “Okay,” I said, giving in. “So what do you feel like eating?”

  Jesse and Aaron were both at the house when we got there. Jesse was on the couch watching TV and Aaron was in his room asleep. I had been up since six, so I was a little tired, too. Jayden sat on the couch and talked to Jesse for a little bit while I showered and changed my clothes. I’d have to put my uniform back on in another few hours, but at least I could hold my girlfriend without smelling like dust and sweat.

  I stood at the end of the hall and watched her for a minute. I admired the way she conversed with people so naturally. She was very friendly, listened well, and was truly interested in what people had to say. I especially liked how she spoke to me, but the way she looked at me caused me to lose my wits sometimes.

  They were talking about regionals, and Jesse was informing her that it would be in Seattle. She caught a glimpse of me and tilted her head with a smile. I motioned for her to join me, so she got up and followed me to my room. I left the door cracked open, smiled at her, and stretched across my bed.

  “Is it nap time?” she asked.

  “Yes.” I patted the bed next to me.

  She raised her eyebrows and smiled cautiously, but slipped her shoes off and walked toward me. “I’m not in the habit of sleeping with guys, you know,” she said with a coy smile.

  “I surely hope you aren’t. But…maybe you’ll make an exception…just for me?”

  Her smile grew just a little bit, but she still seemed apprehensive.

  “I’ll behave myself,” I promised her.

  With that she laughed. “I’m sure you will. I’m just not sure I will.”

  The comment surprised me and I smiled. “Well you’ll just have to try really hard, ‘cause I’m tired and I need a nap. If you’re gonna take advantage of my vulnerability to you, I’d rather be awake.”

  With another laugh she cuddled up against me and I held her in my arms. I had to smile when she fell asleep before I did.

  Chapter Ten

  “Ooh, that’s a pretty threatening look,” Jack observed. “I think Devin’s right; he’s out for blood. You’d better be careful, man. I’m serious.”

  I watched Garrett Freeman at shortstop and he did seem to have a nasty scowl on his face. His issues weren’t my concern, though. I was only there to play baseball and that’s what I was prepared to do. Unfortunately, I was focused on what Jayden and Coach Tucker could possibly be talking about at that moment. She had walked by to find a seat, and it looked like Coach had greeted her, and then they began talking with one another. I assumed maybe he was talking to her about her singing, possibly inviting her to do it for another game. But she looked my way as I was watching them, and I had to assume they were talking about me. I was a little worried at first, but then she smiled and gave me a wave.

  We batted first as a visiting team. Devin struck out, Jack got out on a pop fly, and Aaron got on base with a single.

  When I was up to bat and my name was announced, I heard Jayden’s whistle well above the other cheers. It was very recognizable, and very loud. I stepped away from the plate after the first ball was called and could easily see her from where I faced. Memories of our first date in the batting cage came to mind, and it made me smile as I waited for the next pitch.

  I was so in love with her.

  On that thought, I gave the bat a nice easy swing on an inside fastball and sent it over the fence for a homerun. I passed Garrett Freeman on my way around second but I didn’t bother to look at him. I was actually surprised that his team let me hit instead of walking me like they sometimes do, but I was grateful for the occasion—I hated being walked.

  The score was still 2-0 by the fifth inning. Garrett stared me down whenever he came at bat, but I didn’t indulge him with the eye contact. He got on base twice, but his team wasn’t able to get him around for another battle at home plate.

  After my first hit, I was walked every time I came to bat. Jesse got a base hit, which was great. If Jesse gets on base, he can usually work his way around them pretty well. Jesse and Jack are our fastest runners, and Jesse is second in the league for stolen bases.

  The score was 3-1 by the end of the eighth, and we were able to hold until the conclusion of the game.

  Jayden had parked her car at my house and walked to the game, so after grabbing milkshakes, we sat in my truck in my driveway to be alone. Aaron and Jesse were both home, but there were also a few other cars there as well.

  “So you and Coach looked like pretty good friends,” I had to say to her.

  She smiled and nodded her head. “Yep, we’re pretty tight.” She knew I was curious about their conversation, but from the little gleam in her eye, I could tell she might not inform me
of what it was about.

  “So you two are conspiring against me, huh? Fine, I get it. I won’t ask.”

  She laughed. “We’re not ‘conspiring’ anything. I only found out a certain piece of information that…I’m still mulling over.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “Piece of information, huh? That sounds a little scary.”

  She was still smiling as she scooted closer to me on the seat. “Actually it is a little scary.”

  For some reason that made my heartbeat quicken and I was suddenly worried about all of the “scary” subjects that could have come up. Coach Tucker was closer to me than any man I knew, but I couldn’t imagine him sharing things with Jayden that I wouldn’t want her to know.

  “Ty,” she said softly. “I’m really…impressed with you.”

  That made me raise my eyebrows again. “I’m not following you.”

  With a smirk she asked, “How are all your extra workouts going? And how is cleaning all the gear, the dugouts, and doing extra field prep?”

  She paused for a moment to study me. I didn’t say anything in response since I didn’t know where this was heading. She took my hand and held it softly, and while she was looking down, I enjoyed the opportunity to stare at her up close. She was so beautiful and I felt like the luckiest guy in the world to be with her. Yeah, I was envied by most of the guys that knew us, but what Jayden did for me couldn’t even be defined. Maybe it could, but I wasn’t used to having someone in my life that I would do anything for. Being in love wasn’t a feeling I was familiar with, and she meant so much to me, I was seriously scared to say or do anything that could possibly end it all.

  She looked at me with a smile. “I think it’s very admirable to step up and be responsible for your choices, Ty. Admitting to your coach that you had broken a team rule is very…valiant. I just want you to know that your integrity is what draws me in so much, and it’s what makes you so special and sets you so far apart from all the others.”

  She scooted even closer so she could kiss me, and it was one of those moments where I wanted to be impulsive and just tell her that I loved her. But I let the kiss complete the moment because I figured everything Jayden said was always perfect, and anything that I might add could easily ruin the night.

  “Anyways,” she smiled, pulling away to look at me. “I just thought I’d tell you that I know what you did, and I’m glad the team captain is all that his coach really claims he is.”

  “And how is it that all of this came up?”

  “Tucker asked me if I’d sing the anthem at an upcoming game. I told him no,” she smiled. “Then he bribed me, so I said yes.”

  “He bribed you?” I laughed. “With inside information?”

  “Yep. Said he’d give up a pretty good secret about you if I agreed to do the anthem. I’m a very curious girl, Ty. I had to accept.”

  I laughed again. “He’s something else. Leave it to Tucker to tell my girlfriend something I’d rather her not know.”

  “And why is that, Ty? What makes you so humble?”

  “Humble? I screwed up, Jayden. It’s my responsibility to make it right. It was just the right thing to do. There wasn’t anything admirable about it.”

  “No, that’s where you’re wrong. It’s just another example of how honorable you are. Do you know that Tucker is aware of all the things you guys do? He knows who’s breaking curfew; he knows where you guys are all the time. The one thing he wants from his players is for them to be accountable for their own actions. He said there have been many players over the years that could have been more successful if they had learned just one lesson on accountability, and another on integrity. To him it’s more important than winning games. I know you know this, Ty, but you should also know that you’re a great example to the other players. They see how you conduct your life, on and off the field, and whether or not you’ve become a direct reason for them to live a more honest life, you’ve made an impression on them already. That is the kind of person you are, Ty, and that is the kind of person I am very thankful to share my life with.”

  I’ll admit I was a bit intimidated by how open Jayden was sometimes. I wasn’t used to someone that shared so much with me without expecting anything in return. Occasionally she’d ask questions on a general level, but still hadn’t pressured me to reveal much about my dad or my past. I appreciated that on some level, but at the same time, I felt guilty. She was the type of person that I trusted to share anything with, and I just couldn’t do it yet.

  Our next game was Sunday at five, but before that, earlier in the day, something significant occurred.

  It was the first time I met Joe Adams…

  I was on the phone with Jayden at ten that morning. We were talking about things in general (she was doing laundry) when I heard a male voice in the background and Jayden responded with, “I’m not going to be here.” After the voice spoke again, Jayden returned to me and said, “Hang on just a sec.”

  “I’ll let you go,” I told her. “Call me back.”

  “No, that’s okay.” I waited for about five seconds until I heard a door shut. “Sorry about that.”

  “Was that your dad?”

  “Yeah, he thinks his conversation takes priority over everything. He’s not very patient.”

  “So…when can I meet him?”

  “My dad?” she practically laughed.

  “Yeah.”

  She was quiet for a few seconds… “Maybe sometime soon. I don’t know.”

  At least she was being honest.

  “Is there any reason why I can’t come by today and introduce myself?”

  She paused again. “Yes.”

  “Yes there’s a reason? Why?”

  She sighed. “Because you have a game to focus on, Ty. I don’t want you…rattled.”

  “Rattled? You seriously think your dad has that much—”

  “Yes.”

  It was my turn to pause. “So he doesn’t like any guys around you, or is it just me?”

  “Well… I’d say that all guys rub him the wrong way, but right now it’s just you.”

  “Because you’re keeping me from meeting him.”

  “No—”

  “Yes. How do you think that makes me look?”

  “He’s already mentioned that, but I told him it’s me that won’t allow you to meet him.”

  “And he’s okay with that?”

  She paused. “No. He’d like to meet you.”

  “Then let me come over.”

  With a sigh she said, “Ty, it’s not like you’re never going to meet him. I just don’t want it to be today.”

  “Jayden, give me your address so I can come over.” She didn’t say anything. “Jayden, if I can’t meet your dad today, then I’m going to do really poorly tonight because I’ll be so upset that you’re ashamed of me and—”

  “Oh, stop it!” she laughed.

  “Well, what am I supposed to think?”

  “You’re supposed to be happy I’m trying to make your life easier.”

  “Just let me have my way.”

  “Fine. But you’ll be sorry. I’m warning you, Ty… My dad probably knows more about your life than I do. I’m talking about extensive background checks. Driving record—”

  “Clean.”

  “—School records—”

  “Good.”

  “—Where you’ve lived, the jobs you’ve held, your family—”

  Oh, great.

  “—He knows where you live now, what you drive, who you work with, who you play with, probably your entire schedule… He’s probably even had you followed for a day.”

  Holy crap.

  “I’m serious, Ty. He doesn’t joke around when it comes to my life. My dad is amazing, don’t get me wrong, but I’m his only child. My mom left us when I was seven. She ran off with another guy and never looked back. He not only tries to make up for a lot, but he’s also afraid that I’ll somehow leave him too.” When I was silent for a moment she asked, “Now do you sti
ll want to meet him?”

  Hell no. “Of course I do,” I replied. I did, but I didn’t. It was complicated.

  She sighed. “Okay. Then can I tell you my biggest fear?”

  “Of course you can.”

  She paused for a second. “I’m afraid you’ll run for the hills.”

  After hearing all of that, who would blame me? But I knew the best things were worth fighting for and Jayden was the best thing that had ever happened to me. I might duck and cover, but I wouldn’t dream of ever leaving her.

  “I could never do that,” I told her. “I promise. If your dad hates me, I’m really sorry. But I can’t change how I feel about you.”

  There was silence for several seconds before she very quietly said, “Okay.”

  She gave me her address and I told her I’d be there around eleven. The last thing she said was, “Ty, just be honest with everything. He’ll know if you’re lying.”

  What was I getting myself into?

  I easily found Jayden’s house because of her car parked out front. I’m not sure what I expected, but it seemed rather ordinary. It was a simple two-story house in a nice neighborhood with similar houses. I really was nervous as hell; if everything I’d heard about her dad was true, I could be dead within the next hour.

  I took the deepest breath I could possibly inhale. She opened the door as I walked up the steps, looking beautiful as always. She closed the door most of the way and kissed me on the porch.

  “I’ve missed you,” she said.

  “I’ve missed you, too.”

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked with a smile.

  No. “Yep, I’m sure.”

  She pushed the door open and led me inside. I felt like I was on my way to the torture chamber. There was a game on TV and her father was sitting in a recliner watching it. He slowly looked up and eyed me warily.

  “Dad, this is Ty,” Jayden announced. He stood up from his chair and faced me. “Ty, this is my father, Joe.”

  I reached out and shook his hand. “It’s good to finally meet you.”

  He didn’t say anything at first. He only stared at me with cold, interrogating eyes. I almost got a chill. Finally he said, “Have a seat,” and motioned to the couch.