Page 5 of Dibs
He hesitated for a moment before grasping my outstretched hand. “Uh … yeah. Me too.” There was an awkward pause as he released my grip. “I didn’t realize Stat was short for Statler.”
“Yeah, but I wouldn’t have expected you to remember me anyway.” I rubbed a hand against my sweaty nape.
His brow furrowed. “You wouldn’t expect me to remember a former teammate and someone I shared a dorm with for half a year?”
“Wait a minute!” Jase looked between his father and me. “Dad, you know Coach Stat?”
Chase nodded with a small smile. “Yeah, we played baseball together at UCLA.”
“No way. That’s so cool.” Jase turned to my son. “Did you know our dads knew each other?”
Dylan glanced between us with wide eyes and shook his head. I hadn’t realized it would be such a big deal.
“By the way, I remembereverything,” Chase said, low enough for only me to hear.
I swallowed hard, trying to find a response. Did he mean he not only remembered me, but he rememberedthatnight? Thankfully, more parents converged on our group before I could reply. Everyone was excited to meet former MLB star, Chase Matthewson.
Stepping away from all the fawning, my phone chimed with an incoming text.
Heather: Landed, babe. I’ll be there soon!
Maybe once she showed up, I’d be too distracted to worry about my old college roommate.
* * *
“Where are we going for dinner?”Heather peeked around the corner of the bathroom door.
My gaze moved from the ESPN commentators on the TV to her. “At the restaurant downstairs.”
She frowned, her auburn hair dripping from the shower she’d just taken. “Really?”
“Yeah, the team thought it would be easiest to meet there so everyone could get the boys back to their rooms at a decent time.”
She stepped back into the bathroom, and I heard the blow dryer turn on. I was surprised she didn’t reply or complain about not going to a fancy restaurant.
“How much longer, Dad?” Dylan griped from the door of our connected rooms.
“As soon as Heather’s ready, we’ll head down.”
He rolled his eyes, and I couldn’t help but wonder if he felt the same way about my girlfriend as his brother did. Still, I didn’t ask him about it. The awkwardness I’d felt with Chase was enough of an issue for one weekend, and I didn’t feel like dissecting my relationship on top of it.
Forty-five minutes later, we finally entered the restaurant, and the hostess led us to where our group was seated in the back. The table was full except for the four chairs next to Chase and his family. Dylan hurried over and took the seat next to Jase. Tyler sat next to his brother, which left the two seats across from Chase and Jamie for Heather and me.
“Hi there. Sorry we’re late. Heather just got in a little bit ago.”
Jamie smiled. “You’re not late. We’ve only been seated for about five minutes.”
Our server appeared a moment later, and once everyone ordered, conversations picked up around the table. One of the dads, a few seats down, turned our way and addressed Chase. “Congratulations on your retirement. What are you going to be doing now?”
I was curious to hear his answer. From the conversations I’d overheard between Jase and Dylan previously, I had learned that Chase was moving to the San Diego area permanently, but I had no clue how he planned to occupy his time.
Chase took a sip of his water and then answered, “I’m not sure. For now, I’m just looking forward to spending as much time with my kids as I can.”
Heather leaned toward me and whispered, “Isn’t he a little young to be retired? Where did he work?”
“He played baseball for the Rockies.”
Heather’s eyes immediately flicked toward my old roommate. “So, you were a professional baseball player?” Resting her chin on her hand, she smiled at him. “You should help with the team. I’m sure there’s a lot you could teach the kids.”
