Page 48 of Hard Check
“It’s good. Cold.”
“This isn’t cold. This is October. Wait till January, then you can say cold.” Gary picked up the clippers. “My nephew played in Florida for a while. Cape Coral. He said y’all call shopping carts ‘buggies’ down there. That true?”
“Some people do.”
“Lord.” Gary shook his head. “Buggies.”
By the time Leo left the chair, he’d learned that Earl’s wife had left him in 2014, come back in 2016, and nobody discussed what happened in between, that the Stags’ owner had once tried to change the team colors to teal and nearly got run out of town,and that Gary’s daughter was studying nursing in Green Bay and was single if Leo was interested.
“I’m good,” Leo said. “But thanks.”
“Suit yourself. She’s a catch.”
He paid cash because Gary didn’t take cards and stepped onto the sidewalk where Jonesy was leaning against his truck, eating a Dum Dum.
“You survived Gary’s,” Jonesy said. “You’re basically a local now.”
“He tried to set me up with his daughter.”
“Yeah, he does that. He tried Novo too. Novo told him he wasn’t ready for to settle down and Gary respected it. He’s just an old fool who wants to see everyone happy.”
Leo laughed, sudden and sharp, and Jonesy grinned around his lollipop stick like he’d won something.
His phone buzzed as Jonesy dropped him back at the Icehouse lot.
Did Gary try to set you up with his daughter?
How did you know?
He does it to every new guy. Rite of passage.
She sounds great. Maybe I should call her.
Don’t be an ass.
You have nothing to worry about. I only want to be set up with grumpy mechanics.
I’ve got two brothers. Neither one’s your type.
That’s a shame. You know anyone else who might fit the bill?
I’ll ask around.
He pocketed the phone and pulled out of the lot. The heat was on high and Jonesy’s country station was still programmed into the presets. Leo actually found himself singing along instead of changing the channel to something a bit less twangy. He thumbed through his contacts at a red light and called Phil.
Phil picked up on the second ring. “Leo, how’s it going up there?”
“Good. I’m on the first line. Season’s going well.”
“I know. I’ve been watching the game sheets. Assist totals are strong.” A pause, deliberate, the way Phil spaced things when he was managing expectations. “I’ve made some calls. Informal, nothing concrete. A couple of teams have expressed interest, but it’s early. Nobody’s making moves.”
“When do you expect they’ll start talking seriously about it?” Leo’s gut tightened. Instead of being eager to get the hell out of here, he was worried his reputation had followed him up here and the Stags would assume his improved attitude was just an act. Or that they’d need someone at a different position and view him as expendable because he got paid more than the rookies who’d eventually get called up to play in Chicago.
“Could be December. Could be at the deadline. Could be next summer. The feedback I’m getting is that teams want to see you settle in. Play the full season. Show you can be part of a system.”
Leo’s grip tightened on the steering wheel. “That’s what Briggs said when he traded me.”
“And you’re doing it. The numbers say so. The front office seems pleased with your performance. Just give it time.”
