Page 24

Before spring training starts up, all of the guys get together for a big team dinner. It’s nothing official, just something one of our former players started about five years ago. A way for us to catch up after the offseason. It’s one of many things I love about playing with the Thunder. We’re no major league team, just a group of guys who love baseball and are lucky enough to do it and be paid for it. But we’ve all got full lives off the field with families, jobs, and whatever else the guys do when they aren’t playing ball.

The preseason dinner is a chance to hear about what everyone did over the offseason, because even though we all live in the same general region of Vancouver Island, it’s hard to get everyone together.

Foxxy and I walk into Dot’s Diner to find the party’s in full swing. Dottie’s nice enough to let us take over the diner once a year, opening on a Monday, despite that normally being her day off. She and her son Troy are huge supporters of the team and always have been—even when we were playing in a stadium that was falling down around us, wearing uniforms with holes in them, and barely filling half the seats. That was before Luca Calloway purchased the team and dumped a ton of cash into bringing the Cedar Creek Thunder back to life.

“How’s it goin’, boys?” Cal Prescott, one of our first basemen, comes up to us with a grin. There’s a round of hugs and back slaps as Lucky and Hiro, two other players, join us and we all start to catch up.

Part way through Lucky telling us a story from his trip to visit his parents in Nova Scotia, Dottie walks up with a tray of milkshakes that we all take eagerly.

“You’re an angel, Dottie,” Foxxy says with a moan as he sips his chocolate shake.

“And you’re a flirt, Denver Foxx. You and your Tom Selleck moustache.” The older woman smirks, then sashays to the next group, her poodle skirt swishing behind her.

“It’s my lucky ’stache, Dottie,” he says, stroking his fingers over it. “Can’t shave it, even if I wanted to.”

Lucky finishes his story, which somehow involves a fishing boat and a pair of bright pink high heels, then I drift over to the counter where Dottie’s setting out some food. I’m munching on some fries when Cal joins me.

“Feels weird here without Dixie, doesn’t it?”

“A lot weirder than it should, seeing as he was only with us for one season,” I comment dryly. “But yeah. It does.” Brady Dixon was a hell of a player. So good, in fact, that he got scouted by the Vancouver Tridents major league team and moved over to the mainland just after Christmas.

“Have you talked to him?” I ask as Cal reaches for one of the burger sliders.

“Yeah, he and Sage found a great place to rent; sounds like they’re getting settled.”

I nod. “Cool. Hopefully Rafe found someone good to replace him or we’re gonna be down a pitcher in the bullpen this season.”

“Didn’t you hear? They signed a local kid who just moved back after finishing college in Vancouver. He’s a mechanic or something, works at his dad’s shop so his schedule can be flexible. Rafe seemed stoked to have him, guess he’s crazy good.”

“Nice.”

“Hey, June bug was telling me about this woman she met the other day. You guys know her brother or something?” He shoves me good-naturedly. “Apparently, she and Isla went out for lunch with Olivia and tried to get some dirt on you, but there was none. Makes sense for you, but can you honestly tell me Foxxy didn’t get up to some epic shenanigans back in university?” He chuckles. “Anyway, June said she’s really pretty. Is she?”

I glare at him. “Why?”

Cal just grins, earning his fucking awful Pretty Boy nickname. I don’t want to think about him and Olivia meeting. He’s got the handsome-boy-next-door shtick down to an art form.

“I dunno, man, new girl in town? Maybe she needs someone to show her around.”

“She doesn’t.”

He studies me for a second before nodding sagely. “Ah. It’s like that. Interesting.”

I blink slowly. “It’s not like anything. The same way you and Juniper are not anything.”

Cal stands there, his head tilted to one side, looking just like the fucking golden retriever everyone teases him about being. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

I roll my eyes and pick up a burger. “If you can’t figure it out, then you’re hopeless, man.”

He stares at me for another second, then shrugs. “Whatever. Hey, is Janey coming into town any time soon?”

“Hands off my sister, Pretty Boy.”

Cal just laughs. “Dude, you know I wouldn’t do that. I was just bugging you.” His face grows serious. “How’s she doing with all the latest bullshit, anyway?”

I grimace at the reminder of my father’s drama. “She’s okay. Media vultures are still circling, but we mastered the art of ‘no comment’ years ago.”

He nods. “We got your back, man. Anyone comes here trying to get a sound bite, they’ll get a baseball bat somewhere they don’t want one.”