CHAPTER 16

I opened the door, and once again the world of baseball entered my life.

“Trip!” Pop said when he saw me. He seemed surprised, but friendly. I explained that I’d been visiting Lisa, and that she and Zoey had gone shopping.

“You were wise to stay home,” he laughed. “They’ll be hours.”

He looked at me for a minute and said, “Sit with me by the pool. I think there’s some lemonade in the fridge . . . Yep. Grab a couple of glasses.”

So we headed out to the patio. It was a gorgeous morning, cool for the summer. We didn’t say anything for a few minutes. Then he said, “Great game against the Miners.”

“Yeah, it was.”

“I meant you. You played great.”

“Thanks.”

“Scott Harris told me you’re sort of tired of the game lately. That he wanted to give you a rest.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Apparently not what your dad had in mind.”

“No, sir.”

“Well, he talked to some of us about it. Said he’d pull his money out of the team if Scott didn’t put you in the lineup.”

“I heard that, sir.”

“Call me Pop. You know, we kind of laughed at him. I mean he’s very generous, but several of us have means.”

“So the season wouldn’t end if he . . .”

“Oh no. I think Scott was worried about that for a while. But we’re all interested in keeping the Runners going.” He looked at me. “And in taking care of our players.” He paused a few seconds.

“Anyway, I talked to Coach this morning and told him to do what he thinks is best.”

“Dad will freak if I don’t play.”

“Trip, I know you’re the one who has to deal with him, but his ‘freaking’ won’t affect the Roadrunners. And the Roadrunners do need you—you’re a great player. But we need you healthy. Anyway, your dad won’t know until Coach actually benches you. Right now he’s assuming he’s won, that you’ll be in the lineup.”

His cell phone rang. “Excuse me,” he said, and then, “Yeah, it’s not locked. Come on in.”

A minute later the door to the patio opened and in came Wash.

“Hey Trip!” Wash said. “Thought we’d have little chat about your situation.”

I looked at Pop. “You knew I was here?”

He smiled. “A friend of yours told me.”

Lisa!

Wash tells stories, and of course he had one relating to my predicament.

“Trip, I played on a team with a guy—fantastic, could have made the MLB. And he loved baseball when he played. Who doesn’t love doing something they’re terrific at? But he had different plans for his life. He went to law school, and now he’s in St. Louis defending people who can’t afford a lawyer. He’s happy with the past and happy with the present because he did the job he wanted to do when he wanted to do it. Once it was baseball. Now it’s law. But he’s the same guy, loving to do something he’s good at.”

I nodded. But Pop and Wash coming over to talk to me sort of blew me away. I couldn’t get a word out of my mouth.

“Come to practice today, okay?” Wash said. “Have fun. If we get to San Diego and you feel like sitting, that’s fine. We just want you with us.”

“Sure,” I said. “Thank you.”

Pop said, “Do you need anything? I’ll be at the practice.”

“No, thanks, Pop. I’ll pick up my stuff at home.”

“I know what you’re thinking, Trip,” Pop said. “There’s still your dad. He’s very proud of you, you know?

“He thinks that pushing you is his duty. Heck,” Pop laughed, “he thinks that pushing everyone is his duty. But you’re growing up into your own person. Julio’s going to have some trouble with that. I did. I was not happy with idea of my youngest daughter—who was a very talented softball player, by the way—I was not happy with her deciding she wanted to be a shrink. Today I’m very proud of her.”

All in time, maybe. But right now the idea of seeing Dad at practice, with his current Yankee obsession, made me a little sick. If I had known what would happen in a few hours, I would have felt even worse.