Page 22 of The Curveball
“Try finding out you have a kid when that kid is already a teenager,” Rafe fires back.
My gaze bounces between the two of them. They’re looking at me with compassion and support. And when I look at Dom, I see the same.
Not pity, just understanding.
And the anvil sitting on my chest suddenly feels a hell of a lot lighter.
“We’re here for you, Dix. The Thunder are a family. That’s what Luca wanted when he got the crazy idea to turn this team around, and that’s what we promised you when we convinced you to join us. Whatever you need, we’re here.”
My shoulders sag with relief. “Thank you.” I swallow around the lump in my throat. “I, ah, I need to find a job for the offseason.”
Fuck, this is awkward.
Rubbing the back of my neck, I drop my gaze to the floor as my cheeks heat. “Not that you don’t pay us fairly, but I’m gonna need more if I have a baby to support. So, I guess if you hear of any jobs that might work with our schedule, could you let me know?”
“I’ll put some feelers out,” Luca says promptly. There’s not even a hint of judgment in his voice despite the fact he’s a literal millionaire, and I just admitted to needing money. “No matter what, it’ll be okay, Dixie.”
For some reason, I believe him.
Once again my entire life has been turned inside out. But this meeting went better than I could have ever hoped.
The panic and overwhelm is still there, but along with it is a strong determination to prove myself worthy to Sage.
Dom said it took courage for me to tell them my story.
What kind of courage did it take Sage to find out she was pregnant and decide what to do, all onher own? The strength, compassion, and selflessness in her that made her choose to keep the baby and try to find me has me in awe.
I don’t know what it’ll take, but no matter what, I’ll be there for whatever Sage and our baby need.
They won’t be alone ever again. Not if I have anything to say about it.
10
BRADY
By the timeI get home from the stadium, I’m feeling a lot more grounded. I still can’t believe that in a few months I’m gonna be a dad, but the panic is slowly fading and I’m starting to feel a little excited about it.
I never pictured having a baby this young, but hey, I never pictured having to step up and be the guardian to my siblings when I was just eighteen, either. That turned out okay, and so will this.
Besides, anything that brings the woman I haven’t been able to stop thinking about back into my life has to be a good thing.
Now I need to come up with a game plan for how to approach the next few months with Sage. How to earn her trust and get her to let me in so I can be a part of my kid’s life.
Step one of this plan: finding a job to supplement my baseball income.
But as I open my computer to start searching, a videocall from Blair comes in, and I’m quick to answer that instead.
“Hey kids! How’s it going? You better not be skipping class to call me,” I say, teasing. My words find their mark in my sister.
“Oh my God, Brady, we’re eighteen. Not kids. You don’t have to be all bro-dad with us anymore.”
I swear, if Blair’s eyes could roll any farther back, they would.
“We’re totally fine, we’re safe, we’re studying. Relax.”
I clear my throat and look pointedly at Barrett on the screen. “How ’bout you, B?”
“He’s fine!” Blair says. “Besides we like, just saw you yesterday.”
