“Okay…” I decide he must need to vent to me about the politics of managing a professional baseball team, so I don’t ask why this has anything to do with me. “Who’s in charge of the Colts’ wives and girlfriends’ group?”
A sharp laugh escapes him. “Only two of our players are in committed relationships.”
“Really? No.” That’s crazy. Especially since I know the only two.
“We’re a young team. Shane and the front office were rebuilding the team when I came along, and that tends to leave us with younger guys. I mean, our outfielders are the youngest in the league.”
The DICs is what I hear the guys calling the outfielders because their names are Drew, Ian, and Camden. I’m a sucker for an acronym, plus I’m not really a fan of Drew since he’s hit on me no less than ten times.
“Sounds like a Shane problem to me.”
“Well, he’s passed that problem down to me.” My dad frowns.
“Well, you have Leighton and Callie.”
He shakes his head. “Leighton only became the guardian to the three kids a year ago, and Callie is still nursing her baby.”
I cover his hand where it rests on the arm of the chair and squeeze once. “I’m sorry, Dad. Maybe you can hire someone?”
“That’s the thing, slugger…”
I wince at the pet name. He’s about to ask me something. Something I most likely will not want to do. I decide to get this over with and ask him point blank. “What do you need?”
His hazel gaze turns toward the table before he locks eyes with me. “Shane has some ideas. Wants to encourage the players to find partners.”
“Does he want to plan a speed dating round during the seventh inning stretch?” I laugh, but my dad doesn’t.
“A bachelor auction was the idea he was throwing around.”
“Does Shane not realize that the real issue is that his players don’t want to settle down?”
He tips his head back and exhales as though the whole situation exhausts him. “He swears his wife has changed him. I don’t ever mention to him that it’s his fourth marriage. But he swears this one is it. He had an instant feeling she was the one.”
“Good luck to them, but we’re talking mostly about twenty-something professional athletes who have women practically crawling at their feet. Shane is what? In his fifties?”
“Hey now, watch yourself.” He smirks.
“You’re not in the same category. Do you know how many posts I have to scroll past of women calling you Daddy Ripley or Daddy Ripped? You really need to not use the bottom of your T-shirt to wipe your face when you’re overheated, Dad.”
He shivers, but I’m not naïve enough to think my dad doesn’t have his fair share of women—at least in the offseason. During the season, he’s way too busy to entertain anything unless they want to talk baseball.
“Anyway, he wants me to find someone to handle this, and honestly, you’re the only one I trust.”
“Me?” I point at myself, my mouth hanging open.
“You’re the best person for the job. The organization will pay you.”
I uncross my legs, then cross my legs again, buying myself a second because I know where this is going, and I already know I’m not going to say no. “The best person is an actual wife or girlfriend of any of the forty players on the roster.”
“You organized that amazing hospital fundraiser with your mom a few years ago. And then what about your mom’s wedding last year? You had a lot to do with that.”
“Dad, that’s so different than this. I’m not really part of the team.”
“Yes, you are. You’re my daughter. And Hazel said you’re close to Leighton and Callie. That the three of you get your families together.”
I exhale. “Still…”
He holds his hands up, palms facing me. “I know it’s a lot to ask. And I’m happy to go tell Shane he’ll have to hire someone from outside the organization, but I’d rather handle this in-house. These are my boys, and they’re a good team. They could use some bonding, I’m not gonna lie. The DICs are always competing with my infield. Sure, friendly competition is good, but they’re all so young and their egos barely fit through the door. An outsider brings drama I don’t want. Plus, if you do this, I’ll control the narrative more than Shane. If he hires someone, she reports to him, and I have no idea what he’ll make these guys do.” He inhales and glances at his desk. “This team can do it. They can win the whole thing, and I just… well… Shane’s going to do this no matter what, and I’d rather have some control over it, make sure he’s not making my guys go here and there, take their eyes off the prize.”
