Page 45 of Sideline Play
“Thanksgiving,” Remi mouths. “I’ll cook.”
“Thanksgiving? Maybe come up a day or two before?”
“We’ll be there.”
“I can’t wait.”
“Me either.”
Making a duck face at the screen, Roman exaggeratedly kisses the air and says, “See you then, Squeaks. Now that I know you’re not dead in a ditch, I’m off to go throw some pitches with Reeves before heading into Phoenix House, becausesomebodyhad to go become an athletic trainer and not help me run my charity.”
Flipping him off, I repeat for the umpteenth time, “Hire help already!”
“Find me a woman I trust as much as you and I will! Now go have Tate do some exercise band things or whatever you’re doing so he’s fit enough for next season. Because as good as Knox can be, those few games before we were knocked out of the playoffs were hell. Pitchers should not have to calm down the catcher. We need our captain back.”
“Your wish is my command,” I mock. I’m about to ask my dad if he’s going too when he holds up his finger and says, “Just a moment,” watching Roman leave the room.
“Okay, he’s gone.”
“What’s up?”
“Two things—well, maybe. First, how much did you tell Remington?”
Chewing on the inside of my cheek, I answer, “All of it.”
“Okay so yeah, two questions. Second, are you up to date on your birth control or do you need me to have Watson send a script to a pharmacy there in Gatlinburg?
“Oh,” my dad adds, “and Remington, you can come out now,” making both our eyes go wide as we stare at each other and I blab, “How the hell did you know?”
Scooting around to sit beside me, Remi waves, “Hey, Skip.”
Giving him a stern look, my dad reprimands, “Don’t, ‘Hey, Skip,’ me while in bed with my daughter, Tate. Explain yourself,now.And fair warning, if I don’t like what you have to say, I’m booting your ass to the shit show coming outta Dallas. Guaranteed and No Trade doesn’t mean I still can’t have Boomer sell you.”
“Dad—”
“Scarlet Amelia Jones, not now. This is between me and my player. I’ll get to you in a minute.”
“Yes, sir,” I mumble, rolling my eyes.
Pulling me closer and kissing my head as he soothes his knuckles along my back, Remington answers, “With all due respect, Skipper, I don’t think my relationship with Scarlet has any bearing on whether or not I’m effective on the field and if I can compartmentalize my role on the team as your player from my role as her boyfriend.
“Furthermore, I don’t like the way you spoke to Scarlet just now. Regardless of how you feel about us being together, don’t dismiss your daughter when she’s speaking to you. OtherwiseI’mgoing to have a problem withyou.”
Propping the phone up, my dad sits back in his chair, arms crossed as he simply responds, “And what if I was to say that by following through on whatever this is with her will result in you riding the bench until you’re begging to be traded.”
“Then I’ll quietly keep accepting my paychecks and publicly support you even while you slowly tank the team. Another possibility is I tell Donny to work somethin’ out with Boomer and the front office so I can retire. Because as long as Scar’s in Nashville, so am I, and nothin’ you threaten me with or do is gonna change that.”
“So you’re serious about this? About her? Even if it means the end of your career.”
“I can live without baseball, Skip. I can’t say the same about losing Scarlet.”
Snapping my head to the side, I look up at Remington and ask, “Really?”
Uncaring of my dad watching us, he cups my face and says, “Yeah baby, really.” He leans in to give me a kiss that, despite its chaste nature, has warmth flooding my whole body, slowly consuming me with a gentle sort of arousal. The kind that is full of warm, comforting embers instead of a blazing, burning frenzy. Unable to act on it until we’re alone, I opt to clue Remi in on my dad’s seemingly split personality. Smiling, I nod to where I still hold the phone and murmur, “I think you passed.”
“Passed?”
Looking back at the screen, I find that as suspected, my dad is wearing a shit eating grin, all sense of intimidation gone from his countenance. His posture once more relaxed as his easy going nature returns.