Page 58

After putting away my gear, I move to the batting cages. Levi, our batting coach, is waiting there, and I greet him with a nod of my head. He’s a solid guy, and best of all, he hates drama, so I highly doubt he’s gonna say anything about me and Foxxy being on the outs.

Sure enough, all he does is put me through a series of drills before setting up the pitching machine and leaving me to it.

Smashing balls into a net helps, just a little, to settle my thoughts.

But not enough. I stay in the cages until there’s almost no one left out here with me. It’s only when Levi shouts at me from the dugout that I finally leave. The rest of the guys are in the locker room, making plans for the evening and discussing strategy for the home opener. I move through them wordlessly, showering and getting changed.

At least one thing became clear to me in the batting cage. I have to make it right with Foxxy, and we need to talk to Liv.

I don’t have a fucking clue what to say to her. It’ll take many more sessions in the cages to figure that out, but I need to try.

And the first step is asking forgiveness for being a coward with my head in the sand during the last week. I’m done avoiding things. It’s time to grow up and be honest with myself about what I want.

Opening my phone, I navigate to the auction site I’ve been browsing for the last couple of days. When I see I had a successful bid on one particular item, I click to confirm the purchase.

“Is that a used jigsaw puzzle?” Lucky leans over from his cubby, staring down at my phone. “New hobby, Griff? Are you trying to join the old man club or something?”

I take his teasing in stride, leaning back against the wall behind me. “You would know. Aren’t you, what, three years older than me?”

He snorts. “Shut up.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I sense someone staring at me. I know without looking that it’s Foxxy, and he would know exactly why I’m buying a rare, vintage, botanical-themed puzzle, and who it’s for. I glance over, and sure enough, he cocks his head and raises his eyebrows at me.

I look away.

I’m about to turn on my truck to drive home when the passenger door opens. “Jesus, fuck!” I shout, caught completely unawares as Foxxy slides into the passenger seat. “What the hell, man?”

He smirks and folds his arms across his chest. “Sorry.”

“No, you’re not,” I scoff, but my words lack any real heat behind them.

“So, you’re buying puzzles, huh?” His tone is smug.

I stare forward, out the windshield, and clench my jaw. I know I just decided we need to figure our shit out, but I’d kinda hoped to have the drive home to figure out what to say.

“Look. I’m not saying we should go over to her place right now and profess our undying love,” I start. “But maybe I was overreacting a little bit.” My body stays tense as I wait for Foxxy to lay into me. When he doesn’t, I chance a look over at him. The calm, knowing expression on his face both makes me want to roll my eyes and relaxes me. Just a little. We’re gonna be okay, he and I.

“Anyway. You were right, it’s not our job to decide for Liv what she may or may not want from us. We said she would be in control, always. So yeah, I’m ordering puzzles. I’m trying to reach out an olive branch. And maybe we could…I dunno. Try to talk to her.”

He’s silent for a second. Then I’m shoved into the door. “Hell fucking yeah, man. ’Bout time you came to your goddamn senses.”

I rub my shoulder and glower at him. “Thanks.”

Foxxy’s grinning at me like a fool as he settles against the passenger door. Clearly, he’s in no rush to go to his own car. I guess we’re having this conversation here.

“So what’s the plan?”

“I have no clue.” I exhale sharply. “You know I’m no good at this.”

“Bro, I know you think you’re not good at relationships but look at you buying puzzles and stuff. You know what to do to win her over, you just gotta trust yourself and go for it.”

I shift uncomfortably. “It’s not that easy.”

“It really is,” Foxxy insists, leaning forward to brace his elbows on his knees. “Look. Your dad is a tool. A cheater, an asshole, and just an all-around bad dude. I know that messed with your head growing up, and you think you’re somehow cursed or something. But you’re not.”

His voice gentles, taking on a tone I don’t know that I’ve ever heard from him.

“You’re not him, Griff. You don’t have to live with his mistakes as if they were your own.”