Scored(53)

“That is not funny. I can’t believe you’re saying this in front of everyone.”

“They can’t hear me,” I insist.

“Shh,” Mikey says. “We’re. Watching a-a movie.”

“Sorry,” Paige whispers and mimes zipping her lips.

“Not you, Paige,” Catherine says. “Dallas has to hush up about his big stuff.”

I almost choke on my drink and Paige buries her face in my chest, groaning.

“I forgot about her bat hearing. Sorry.” I kiss the top of her head. “Let’s go in the living room so we can talk.”

Paige bolts out of there like I’ve set her ass on fire. I take my time and gather our stuff so I can put away the trash and recycling.

“Is it time for Paige to head home?” Mom asks as I move past their row. “I didn’t get to say goodbye.”

“She’s not leaving yet. I told her she could pick one of the guest rooms if she wanted to stay longer.”

“That’s nice of you, son,” Dad says, his mouth twitching. “But don’t change things on our account.”

“Trust me, I’m not the one who… Never mind.” No way will I embarrass Paige by finishing that sentence. “Enjoy the movie.”

It takes me about ten seconds to put everything away and find Paige. She’s sitting on the sofa, her legs curled up to one side as she plays on her phone.

“Texting Layton to come save you?” I ask, joining her. I put my arm around her shoulders and pull her close. I liked sitting there in the dark with her. Just sitting with her head on my chest while we watched a movie that made me want to tear out my eyeballs was almost as good as sex.

Almost.

“No. I was checking out my schedule for next week.” She smiles and puts her phone down. “I have off next Friday and Saturday. Nolan must really love that sweatshirt or he’s hired more staff.”

“Don’t you need the hours?” I ask.

“Not really.” She shakes her head. “Um… so there’s something I haven’t shared with you.”

I glance at her. Red paints her cheeks. “And that would be?”

“Remember me sharing about my mom’s seven marriages?”

I nod.

“Well, one of those times was to a major league baseball player who went on to actually own the Texas Stars. The owner is my dad. When he found out I was his daughter, he… um… set up an account for me so I could have a better adult life than I did as a kid without him or his money. I don’t live off of it but it’s there for me to use when I need it, like the safety net I never had growing up.

“It’s not a secret and he didn’t ask me to keep it a secret, but we really don’t talk that much. He has another family—not that I blame him for moving on. My mom separated from him once he made it in the league. It’s her thing,” she adds, her shoulders drooping.

For a moment, I don’t say anything, because I don’t know what the hell to say. What I should ask, or not ask… Shit, I’ve never been in a situation like this before. “Her thing?” I ask, banking that talking about her mother instead of an absentee father is safer territory.

“Did you ever watch Bull Durham?”

“The question is how often do I watch Bull Durham.”

“Then you know Susan Sarandon’s character basically thinks it’s her job to help those boys find their way in baseball. That’s my mom—not Susan, but the character is almost identical to my mom in every way.”

“Fuck, bright eyes. I don’t what to say.”

She shrugs and looks away from me, but not before I spy how watery her eyes have gotten. “Most people don’t, so I don’t share it that often. Sorry to unload all this on you now, but being with a normal family made me think about my lack of one.”

“Don’t apologize for something—hold up. You think my family is normal?”

“Very normal. Mom, Dad, two kids… football and s’mores.”

“You didn’t happen to notice that my brother’s face looks like it’s been through a meat grinder, he talks really slow, or that he uses a wheelchair?” I ask incredulously. While I didn’t expect Paige to be a jerk or stare at Mikey like he was a freak show because of his scars and deformed face, I sure as fuck didn’t dream she’d call any of us normal. “Mikey is the reason my foundation even exists. The first time Mikey was diagnosed with leukemia, he was a sophomore in high school and I was in sixth grade.”

“The first time?”

I swallow hard, hating all the memories that come rushing back. All the crying, praying, and wondering if my brother would live to see the next hour, much less the next day, but I remind myself that he’s sitting in the theater room, Catherine at his side.

“It came back three more times, each prognosis worse than the last… My parents couldn’t afford the medical bills, or the gas to John Hopkins, until some private organizations got wind of what was going on and made the burden go away.

“But wouldn’t you know it, as soon as Mikey got the all-clear that he was in remission, his car got T-boned by a drunk driver. Mikey was on the way home to celebrate with his wife, and he never saw it coming. It’s a fucking miracle he’s alive. They had to cut him out… I wasn’t there. I… well, I was doing my job, you know? But as soon as I got the call, I flew back on the first flight home.” I blow out a shaky breath and wipe my hands on my thighs. “That’s when I decided to start taking life a little more seriously. Stopped pushing my luck between my last drink and when I drove home. Started pushing my foundation more.”