Homerun Daddy, page 2
part #1 of Timberwood Cove Series
“This is important to you, huh, Cole?” I asked with a soft smile.
He nodded eagerly. “Yes. The thing is, he didn’t sign up because he didn’t think his uncle could afford it. His mom died and I guess that’s why he can’t pay, but he loves baseball more than anything.”
My chest tightened. “Yes, absolutely, Cole,” I said without another thought. “Tell him to come to the next practice.”
There was no way I could let something as superficial as fees get in the way of a kid playing baseball. I knew exactly what it felt like to want to do something with every fiber of my being and not be able to. No kid should have to experience that. Especially one who seemed to be dealing with so much. I didn’t know the details of Cole’s friend’s situation, but it seemed to me if baseball was something that could help him through a rough time, he needed it.
Cole rewarded me with a huge grin. “Thank you so much! You’re the best coach ever!”
“Hey, what about your dear old dad?” Linc nudged Cole with his shoulder.
I laughed and pushed my chest out in mock pride. “What do you expect, Travers? You’re up against me.”
Cole grinned at our teasing, then got to work devouring the food that had arrived while we talked. Linc looked over at me and mouthed, Thank you.
I shrugged. It was nothing to thank me for. Helping kids discover their love for baseball had become my passion. Who was I to say no to letting his friend on the team? If I could do that small thing to help the boy, great. Maybe Cole thought that made me the best coach ever, but to me, it was just the right thing to do.
I may have had doubts about my ability to be the pack leader, but when it came to these kids, I had no doubts. I’d always do the right thing by them, no matter what.
2
Bryce
“Do you think she’ll like the sunflowers, Uncle Bryce?” Liam looked up at me from the passenger seat of my truck, worry lines etching his forehead.
An eight-year-old boy shouldn’t have worry lines. Hell, an eight-year-old boy shouldn’t have to deal with any of what Liam had been through in the last six months.
I gave him a reassuring smile. “I know she’ll love them. When your mother and I were little, she wanted a sunflower garden. Always talked about how they were her favorite flowers.”
Liam’s lips tipped up. “I didn’t know that. Maybe I should have brought more. Made a little garden for her myself.”
My shattered heart cracked a little more at his words. He was so innocent. So kind and caring. Lori had done an amazing job raising him. I didn’t know how I would ever fill her shoes now she was gone.
“This is perfect,” I told him, reaching over and squeezing his shoulder. “You ready?”
Liam took a tremulous breath, then nodded resolutely and climbed from my truck. Most days, he seemed to keep it together better than I did. Of course, he didn’t have the overwhelming guilt of his mother’s death resting on his shoulders.
By the time I managed to get my stiff legs out the door and lower myself to my feet, Liam was already on my side of the truck and reaching inside for my cane.
“Here you go, Uncle Bryce.”
He had to be the most considerate kid I’d ever known. “Thanks, big guy.”
I tried to suppress the wince of pain as I took a step forward, leaning heavily on my cane. My hips and legs were always extra tight when I’d been sitting for any length of time, and every step on my bad side sent shooting pain up through my back. The doctors and physical therapists said it would get better with time, though I may never walk completely normally again. Six months after the car accident, I was inclined to believe it.
Liam stayed right by my side as we made our way from the paved road that wound through the cemetery onto a dirt path that would lead us to my sister’s grave. The ache in my hips was nothing compared to that of my heart.
People said the pain of losing my sister would ease with time as well. So far, that hadn’t happened. Not when every time I thought of her, I replayed the accident in my mind, wondering what I could have done differently. If she would still be alive if I hadn’t made the split-second decision that had caused the fatal crash.
Liam put his hand on my arm as we approached Lori’s grave, as if he were the one giving me strength. This boy. He was something else. I’d never met a kinder soul in my life. I smiled, trying to be strong for him in return.
When we stopped in front of the small gravestone, Liam let go of my arm and stooped in front of the grave. He reached forward and brushed off some of the dirt that had gathered since we’d come last week. At first, I hadn’t been sure it was a good idea to bring Liam here so regularly. I thought it might just lengthen the time it would take for him to heal, but it seemed to be good for him. Afterward he seemed a little more at ease, a little more at peace as if keeping a strong connection to his mother gave him the strength he needed to go on another week.
I swallowed hard as Liam cleared away the lilies we’d brought last week and replaced them with the vibrant sunflowers. It was fitting, as spring was just beginning to show its face in Timberwood Cove.
As I stood watching my nephew, a lump formed in my throat, only made worse when the faint strains of his little voice wafted toward me. Singing to his mother.
“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine…” He sang so softly and sweetly, his voice so full of love that it caused my chest to constrict.
It felt as if the weight of the world was on my shoulders. Liam was entirely my responsibility now, and I had to be strong for him. He needed me. Almost as much as I needed him. We were all each other had now. Liam had never known his father—he was the product of a one-night stand—but his mother had done more than double duty with parenting. She’d been the best mother any kid could ask for. It felt nearly impossible that I could be everything Liam needed now—but I was going to do my damnedest to try. It was the least I could do when it was my fault we were even in this position.
As Liam’s song faded and he began to speak softly to his mother about what he’d been up to this week, my mind drifted back to the accident, as it always did.
The rainy road that wove through the forests north of Timberwood Cove. The fog on the road as the cool rain hit the pavement, still hot from an unusually hot fall day.
It was as if I were transported back to that moment. Looking over at Lori as she made some flippant comment about how we wouldn’t have to be on the evening run into town to the hardware store in the first place if I’d remembered she needed me to replace some of the planks on her deck. I’d made some teasing remark, turning away from the road so she couldn’t see me roll my eyes.
She’s just shaken her head and laughed. That’s how it had always been with Lori and me. We liked to give each other a hard time, but deep down neither of us ever took it seriously. We knew each other better than that—knew each other better than anyone. That’s how it was with twins. There was a connection between them no one else could understand.
Which is probably why I hadn’t been able to move on from that night. I’d lost the other half of my soul that night. How did you move on from something like that?
In my mind, I heard Lori’s laugh cut off abruptly before she screamed my name.
“Bryce!” She’d thrown her arms out in front of her as a look of terror crossed her features, and I’d snapped my eyes back to the road.
Too late.
There, standing in the middle of the foggy road, illuminated by the beams of my headlights as we topped a hill, was a giant wolf, at least one and half times the size of any I’d ever seen before. It’s green eyes glowed, catching in the headlights.
Not knowing what else to do, I’d swerved quickly to the left to avoid it. It had been an immediate reflex, no thought given to it. No thought given to the fact that I couldn’t see over the top of the hill. Where a semi-truck was just appearing.
I swerved back to the right, right where the wolf was, and braced for impact. I didn’t want to hit an innocent animal, but the alternative was colliding head-on with the truck.
It was too late, though. The last thing I remember was wondering where the wolf was, why I didn’t see it standing in the road. Then the flash of headlights and the blare of a horn, mixing with Lori’s scream before everything went black.
“Uncle Bryce?” Liam’s little voice broke into my thoughts, jerking me out of the memory and back to the present. Tentatively, he added, “Are you okay?”
He looked up at me with a worried expression, and I wondered what I must look like in that moment. If the horror and guilt and pain were evident on my face. Quickly, I schooled my features, slipping on my mask I thought I’d nearly perfected. The impenetrable mask of strength I had to put on for Liam’s sake.
“I’m okay,” I said softly, forcing my mouth into a smile, though I wasn’t sure it didn’t look more like a grimace. In the wake of my memories, my legs were feeling weak, but I pushed down on my cane, standing taller and straightening my shoulders.
I had to be strong for him. I couldn’t fall apart when so much was at stake. I was all he had left. Liam deserved the best life I could give him, and there was no room for weakness in my attempt to make that happen.
Liam turned back to the grave to tell his mother goodbye and that we’d be back next week with more updates.
“Maybe I’ll have something exciting to tell you,” he whispered. “Something I’ve been working on.”
My eyes squeezed closed and I blew out a breath, reaching out to my twin myself now.
Please Lori. I need your help. I’m trying my best, but I worry it’s not enough. Please give me the strength I need to raise your son to be the best person he can be. Then…then I’ll be okay.
It wasn’t about me anymore, though. Everything I did now was for Liam. Moving him from the town he and Lori and I had lived in to Timberwood Cove. Enrolling him in one of the best elementary schools around. Providing him more opportunities for a normal life than what we’d had before.
I couldn’t think about what I needed outside of Liam. If I could just maintain the strength to be what he needed, I’d be fine. That would be enough to help me through my grief.
Liam pushed up from the ground and turned to me, reaching his hand out for my empty one, and we headed back toward the truck. My right leg was feeling stiff again, and I leaned on the cane as much as I could, trying not to let Liam see the struggle it was for me to make it back. He couldn’t miss the limp, though.
I’d probably always have it.
Trying to draw attention away from my broken body, I glanced down at Liam. “What do you say we pick up some dinner on the way home?”
His eyes lit up. We never went out to dinner. It was hard enough to afford to keep us fed and clothed with a roof over our heads on the disability checks I now received—I’d been unable to continue in my trade after the accident. Yet one more thing I loved that had been ripped away in that fateful accident. It was hard to work construction when you could barely stand without help, much less climb a ladder or haul equipment around.
“Are you sure?” he asked me, biting his lower lip. “I mean, we don’t have to.”
God. This kid was forever selfless. He shouldn’t have to worry about making ends meet. That was my job.
“Of course I’m sure,” I said, forcing my voice to sound upbeat. “You deserve it, and if you eat some vegetables, I’ll even get you some ice cream after?”
A smile spread across his face at that, and it made it more than worth it that I’d be eating peanut butter and jelly for lunch until the next check came in.
Once we got settled back in the car, Liam immediately flipped on the radio and tuned it to a sports station. He bounced up and down on the seat, pumping his fist in the air as he yelled out, “Yeah, they’re in the lead!”
I had to laugh at his enthusiasm, and I felt the tightness in my chest loosen. Liam always had that effect on me, able to cheer me up and make me feel lighter.
“Is it the Timberwolves?” I asked, pulling the truck out onto Town Hall Road, heading toward the quaint downtown of Timberwood Cove. There were a lot of cute little restaurants along the street, but I continued past them. They were all above my price range.
“Yep,” Liam said, beaming. “They’re my favorite.”
I chuckled. As if I didn’t know that already. Liam lived and breathed the Takoma Timberwolves these days. He watched all the games—or listened to them when he couldn’t, like right now—and brought home books from the library about his favorite team.
“Are they having a good season?” I asked, and Liam delved into all the stats from the season so far—though it was just beginning, he seemed to have it all figured out.
“They’ll be at the World Series this year,” he stated confidently. “Just you watch.” He frowned a little. “Though they’d have a better chance if Jaxon Parsons was still on the team.”
“Their old pitcher?” I asked, though I knew the answer. If the Timberwolves were Liam’s favorite team, Jaxon Parsons was practically his idol.
He nodded, then he shot me a huge grin, his eyes lighting up like he’d just had an idea.
“Hey! I know we couldn’t ever go to see a real game with the Timberwolves,” he said, and my heart gave a heavy thud, realizing he meant we wouldn’t ever have the money. “But my friend Cole at school plays baseball. He’s in little league. First practice was today, in fact.”
A flicker of sadness crossed his face, but it was gone almost before I’d seen it. I’d caught it, though. He wanted to play baseball just like his friend. I could practically read his thoughts; that he wouldn’t even mention it to me, knowing we couldn’t afford it.
I gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. I wanted to be able to give that to him. Baseball had become his passion, likely something that was helping him get through his grief of losing his mother, but we certainly didn’t have the money to sign him up for little league, especially if we were splurging on going out to eat tonight.
And from the way it sounded, the little league season had already started.
“You and Cole seem to be pretty good friends,” I commented. “I’ve heard you talk about him before.”
Liam nodded vigorously. “My best friend.”
Any tension I felt melted in that moment. Liam was doing better than I could expect, already making friends in a new school, which I knew had to be hard. Starting over in a new town, a new school, with a very different family dynamic than he’d had before, he seemed to be thriving. Well, as much as he could be, all things considered.
“So, what I was going to say, is that he’ll be having some games soon, and I’ve never seen a real baseball game in person. Maybe we could go?” Liam looked at me hopefully.
There was no question. “Absolutely, big guy. You just let me know when, and we’ll make it happen.”
The excitement that spread over his face was all I needed. It gave me the strength to keep going. Knowing that there was a way for me to put that smile on his face got me through another day.
“Thanks, Uncle Bryce,” he said, turning his attention back to the game.
We were nearing the edge of the tree-lined downtown street, and my eye caught on a little diner on the last corner.
The words Kay’s Diner were lit up in neon on an old silver building. Perfect, I thought as I pulled into the parking lot. This looked like a fun place, and pretty affordable.
“Oh, I’ve heard about this place,” Liam said. “Cole said it’s one of his favorite restaurants.”
I smiled, happy I’d decided to bring him out to eat. I hated that he probably always felt like he didn’t have much compared to his friends. We rarely went out anywhere, he wore second-hand clothing, and lived in a tiny house near the school. I wished I could give him more.
After cutting off the ignition, I climbed out of the truck again, trying to move faster this time so Liam didn’t feel as if he had to come help me. I barely leaned on the cane and focused my attention on walking with as little of a limp as possible.
Liam chattered on about going to see his friend’s baseball game and what we might eat at the diner, but I was distracted by the wheels turning in my head. Was there a way I might be able to afford getting Liam in little league? There had to be.
I crunched the numbers in my head, calculating how much I’d have left in savings for next month’s rent if I pulled some out to let him join. If it wasn’t too late, that is.
My heart warmed just imagining the look on his face if I told him he got to play baseball just like Cole. It was enough to make me willing to figure it out. Somehow.
Liam ran ahead of me and opened the door to the diner, and I gave him a big grin as I lightly limped up to him, suppressing the wince of pain as I put more weight on my right leg instead of the cane.
“Aren’t you the gentleman?” a woman said as she exited the diner, giving Liam an impressed little smile and pat on the head.
He beamed at her. “Just making my mom proud.”
It felt as if the breath had been knocked out of me. In spite of the tragedy of our situation, I knew I couldn’t be luckier to call this boy my nephew—and hopefully my son, soon, if everything with my case worker for Liam’s adoption came through.
“She already is, big man,” I said, walking into Kay’s Diner and ruffling his hair myself. “She already is.”
3
Jaxon
“Hope everything was good tonight,” Kay said with a friendly smile as I handed her my check and credit card.
“Always,” I said with a grin.
She nodded, satisfied. Kay always manned the front of her diner. It was part of the appeal. She knew everyone in town and always made them feel more than welcome. The food was pretty amazing too.
As she processed my payment for dinner, I glanced around the diner. Linc had headed to the restroom, and Cole was around here somewhere. As I turned, I caught a scent of something in the air.
