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“To build… a house?” Savannah guesses.
“He has a house,” I grit out.
“I have three houses,” Rex corrects me. “Four if you include the townhouse in Toronto.”
“So what are you going to do with this land?”
“I’m going to build the biggest baseball training camp complex of all time.” He grins at me, holding his arms out and backing away.
I squint, blood rushing to my head.
“What?” I shake my head, trying to make sense of his words. “What’s wrong with the training camp the Kings use in Jacksonville?”
“That camp is old.” Rex swats that idea away. “The buildings are refurbished from an old school. The grass is trash. It’s too damned hot, even in the fall and spring. I want a totally new complex. Something that the Kings can use, but also all kinds of other sports teams, too. Four fields, great local grass, brand new pitch machines, specialized classrooms, a clinic for players to do rehab.” He finishes his list with a cool smile. “My camp will have everything. I’ve got all the ideas. I just need you to close the deal with the financiers, and maybe River to help with buying the land itself. I’ve laid all the groundwork! I’ve already got seven potential teams lined up. They are tired of having to fly halfway across the country just to get to a decent camp.”
As Rex talks, a knot forms in my chest. I shake my head.
“What you’re talking about sounds like it’s going to cost a lot of money. Like billions, with a B. And it’s not just a casual project either. It’s going to take at least until the summer to get through all the red tape and corporate bullshit. That’s assuming that this land isn’t the protected habitat of the wild sea slug or some garbage like that.”
Savannah looks concerned, but she just bites her lip. Rex doesn’t even look at her, though. He’s focused on me.
“Look, Cole. Between you and me, I don’t know how many years I’ve got left playing pro ball. Maybe a year, maybe five, maybe ten. I could tear my ACL tomorrow and be benched for the rest of my life. Right?”
“Of course. But I’ve seen players last for much longer than that. You’re only thirty-three.”
Rex glances at Savannah and shrugs. He smiles at Savannah. Something in my chest tightens.
He says, “That’s not really the point I’m trying to make. At some point, I’ll have to retire. I want to have something to fall back on.”
“That’s pretty smart of you,” Savannah says, nodding slowly. “It’s good to think a few steps ahead of your current position in life.”
Every word that comes out of her mouth praising Rex’s idea makes me curse my brother’s charisma. I know his game all too well. But Savannah?
She is totally innocent.
I cut her a hard glance. “Sure. But–”
Rex holds up a hand to silence me.
“Cole. You’re my agent. And I’m probably your biggest client. Right?”
I set my jaw, but nod. “Yeah.”
“You’re like having a tiger in my corner. But when I stop playing, you’ll lose all of the income that I bring in.” He waves to the land around us. “If we take the time to build something now, with our eyes on the future, that won’t happen. Essentially, you would trade a few months of work on this project for a lifetime of repayment. I’ll be the general manager of this place whenever I retire. And you will be a stakeholder that earns large dividends.” Rex lifts his hands and looks around us. “All you have to do is to relax and say yes.”
Honestly? This is not the first time that Rex’s retirement has come to mind. I have noticed Rex miss a few pitches over the last year. He’s been winded a little more easily. But I just chalked that up to age.
No one can play ball like a twenty-year-old when they are closer to forty. Still… Rex is suddenly bringing it up like it’s no big deal.
And that makes me worried.
“Are you saying that you’re ready to retire?” I squint at my older brother. “Did your team’s medical examination turn something up?”
Rex rolls his eyes and waves me off. “Nothing like that.”
“You’re talking about a ton of work. Building a training camp is a huge project.”
Rex sighs. “I mean, if you feel like you can’t do it, I’ll find someone else. But if they are an agent, they will probably want me to sign with them.”
