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“Yeah. You’re rich. And you have your whole life in front of you. Get Kendrick, bring her up here, and get back into life. Who knows. You might find someone.”
“You lost someone?” Bryce said, deliberately misunderstanding.
“No. Like a woman. A wife. Someone who appreciates you for your integrity, your work ethic. For the things you accomplish.”
“My employees accomplish everything. I’m a nobody.”
He knew what Dwight was saying. When everything had gone down on social media, there had been an immense amount of pressure on him to apologize. He couldn’t apologize for something he hadn’t done. And if he had “admitted” that he had done it or given some kind of answer that started admitting guilt, he would have been lying. Even though that would have gotten him off the hook.
So he didn’t.
It would have been much easier to lie.
After all, if he would have apologized, there was the potential that he would have been forgiven. At least, people might have forgotten.
Dwight lifted his head, looking out the window, not wanting to argue anymore. Round and round. He had his identity wrapped up in baseball just as much as Bryce had, but no amount of arguing would take away what happened, and Dwight was right. It was time for him to find his identity where it always should have been—in his relationship with God.
“Thinking about retiring at the end of this year,” Dwight finally said, casually, like that wasn’t a huge bombshell.
“Retiring? You’re at the height of your career. You just signed a huge deal two years ago.”
“I know. Two years left on that, but...I lost my fire. I don’t care. I’ve been at camp for the last six weeks, and it’s hard to feel the drive I used to have.”
“You missed me.”
“You laugh, but it’s true. There are a lot of good guys on the team, but there are a lot of jerks too. It’s hard to tell which is which. When I played with you, I knew there was always someone standing for right. As long as I was doing right, you would be at my back, doing the same thing.”
Dwight’s words made him feel pretty good on one hand, but sad on the other. Sad that there weren’t more men of character who could stand for right, and sad since Dwight was one of the best shortstops in the game.
“Just because you lost your drive, because it feels like a job, doesn’t mean it’s time to quit.”
No matter how terrible he felt, it wasn’t right to drag his friend down too. Dwight deserved to have a friend who encouraged him and tried to point him in the right direction, even if Bryce honestly disagreed.
What was the point of life anyway? Just to live and play with a bunch of jerks who wanted to step on him in order to get ahead?
There was never anyone standing there with a hand reached out, offering a helping hand. Or if there was, they didn’t really mean it. They just wanted to sound good—but when it came right down to it, they didn’t want to go out of their way or put themselves out in any way to help a friend who was down.
“Yeah. I know. It just... It just feels like it’s time.” He dropped his ankle from his knee, focused on the glass he held his hand.
“Dinner?” Bryce said after watching him for a bit.
“I guess.”
“You talked to the Baldwin twin again, didn’t you?”
“Maybe,” Dwight said without looking up.
Obviously.
“She rejected you the last time. I can’t believe you asked again.”
“I figured if I gave her time to think about it, she might reconsider.”
“You know she’s never going to go out with you?” He believed in supporting his friend and all that, but the Baldwin twin had never shown any interest at all.
It didn’t surprise Bryce that she wouldn’t be interested in a city boy. Although most girls wouldn’t turn down a date with a famous athlete, in his experience anyway. He never had too many rejections at the height of his career. A lot more after his accident. And then he couldn’t stand the pitying looks they turned his way. Pity was why he got accepted. And he quit asking after the accident.
“I guess I’m just a sucker for punishment,” Dwight said. “I stopped at the auction barn this morning as I came through. Since I knew I wasn’t going to be here tomorrow for the actual auction. Man, I love watching her work.”
