Over the Fence: Lyssa Layne's Baseball Romances (73 page)

“Yeah, I know how that goes,” I mutter.

Jace gives me an apologetic look, having forgot that his wife and I had similar situations when we became parents. “Whatever, it doesn’t matter. I mean, as much as I hate that cocksucker father of his, I can’t imagine life without Grey so it’s all good. All I’m trying to say is that Laurel’s paranoid but we have a very open house. I mean, sex is fuckin’ awesome and I’m not going to lie to our sons about that. They know Laurel and I do it. I’ve shown them dirty magazines. There’s a whole lot of socks hanging from our doors to signify do not disturb and poor Laurel and the laundry…” Jace pauses as he shakes his head while I cringe at the thought of what the women have to touch when cleaning up teenage boys’ rooms. “I don’t think either of our boys are to the point of having sex yet but when they are, they’ll be ready because we’ll have prepared them, not because of something they heard from one of their bonehead friends or read on the Internet.”

Hmm, not exactly the answer I was looking for, but then again, it’s exactly the answer I expected from Dickey.

“So, what you’re saying is that you plan on having the birds and the bees talk with them?”

“Having?” Jace laughs and pounds my back playfully. “We had that a long time ago.”

The bullpen pitching coach hollers my name to start warming up.
Cabron…
Jace Richards is already ahead of me on the birds and the bees chat. I never thought Dickey would have this parenting stuff more together than me… or really anyone for that matter.

CHAPTER 5

I still can’t believe I had to sneak past Jace Richards’ hotel room to go out tonight. After I closed out the game and earned us a win, Dickey lectured me the entire bus ride back to the hotel about how I needed to stay in tonight and show Isabel some respect. Little does he know that I need the exact opposite of that after he stressed me out by making me realize how far below the parenting bar I actually am.

Now, I’m sitting in an upscale restaurant with poor lighting, staring at a menu with prices that Isabel would flip over. The pressure of home is building up and I can now honestly say I feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders. Three days ago, I was in California enjoying a meal with some of my best friends and everything at home was perfect. In a mere seventy-two hours, I suddenly feel like a stranger in my own family.

“Benny Martinez. How’ve you been, old friend?”

I look up, painting on a smile as another one of my oldest friends, Gregg Turner, arrives at my table. Gregg, Grant, and I were all drafted the same year and joined the MLB pitching rosters together. We might not have always been teammates over the years but there’s something about playing in the minor leagues together, not knowing whether any of us will make it big that has solidified our friendships and we’ve supported each other through our trades and job changes. Of Gregg, Grant, and myself, I’m the only one still actively pitching while the other two have ‘retired’ to coaching. Standing up, I reach my arm around Gregg, giving him a bro hug before we both sit down.

“Greggy, it’s been too long. How are you?” I ask, knowing it’s a loaded question. Gregg was never one to commit to any woman, much like myself. For years, he and Camila Lemos, my sports agent, well, all of us guys in our group’s agent, did the long distance, friends with benefits thing. Then, Camila went and fell for one of her linebackers and that was the end of Gregg and Camila. There’s been a few rumors floating around about Gregg lately so it should be interesting how he answers. Plus, it takes the topic away from me and distracts me from my internal family drama.

Gregg grins as he drops his napkin in his lap. “I’ve been really good, Benny, really good.”

“Yeah?” I cock my head to the side, intrigued at his answer. “Find someone to replace Camila?”

Gregg shakes his head, laughing. “It’s always all about sex with you. Isn’t it, Martinez?”

I shrug and throw up my hands. “What can I say? I find beautiful women a turn on.”

Gregg hesitates at my comment then continues skimming the menu. “How’s Isabel?”

Setting my menu back on the table, I take a long drink of my wine and mutter, “Don’t ask.”

Gregg lifts his head quickly, concern in his arched eyebrows. “You two alright? You didn’t…”

I sigh and set my wine glass back down. “Yeah, just parenting stuff and she won’t get off her high horse about still working.”

Gregg’s eyebrows return to their normal place and he nods. “Still no ring?”

Chuckling, I hold up my empty wine glass for the waiter to come fill it. “Come on, Greggy, you know how it is. You and I both love the freedom. There is no ring and there won’t be until I retire.”

The waiter arrives to take our order and refill our glasses. When he’s gone, I look at Gregg, waiting for him to agree with me on my commitment comment. Instead, he taps his fingers on the table nervously.

“What is it, Greggy?” I’m already expecting the worst. If he went and got married to the first chick he met after Camila, I’m going to have to knock some sense into him.

“Well, I did enjoy my freedom and the flexibility I had in my relationship with Camila, much like you and Isabel, but… I met someone, Benny, and it’s not like that anymore.” Gregg’s eyes light up with that lovey dovey look that Grant, Tate, and Jace walk around with all the time.

I down half my glass of wine, thinking maybe the waiter should have just left the bottle at the rate I’m going through this. “Fine, Gregg, tell me all about her and how wonderful she is so in a couple of months when I see you next, I can make fun of you.”

Gregg’s cheeks turn bright red and he takes a drink of wine as big as mine. “Him,” he says so softly that I lean forward, not sure I heard him right. Gregg clears his throat and speaks slightly louder but still low enough that only the two of us can hear him talk. “The rumors are true, Benny. I’m gay, probably have been for awhile, but didn’t realize it until I met Clay.”

I hold up my hands, shaking them back and forth as though it’ll stop me from hearing what he just said. “Wait a second. I understand that any woman you get with after Camila, the Brazilian bombshell, is going to fall very flat, but a guy, Gregg? I mean… it’s fine if you are… gay, but how? Like how did you even know that was an option?” I feel like an idiot as I stumble over my words. I can’t say that I’ve ever known anyone close to me that’s gay so I’m not really sure if I’m handling this situation correctly or failing it miserably.

Gregg laughs and nods his head. “You’re right, Camila is a gorgeous lady and it’s hard for any other woman to hold a candle next to her. I think deep down, I always knew I was gay which is why it was easy to have what I did with Camila. Mia James was here in KC visiting her brother and his family when she introduced me to Clay. Less than twenty-four hours after meeting, we met up for coffee at nine in the morning and ended up catching a midnight movie the same day. It took one day for me to know what had always been missing between Camila and me.”

I shift uncomfortably, not sure what to ask or say next.

Gregg picks up on my body language and rolls his eyes. “Don’t worry, Benny, you’re not my type.”

Laughing nervously, I shrug. “Sorry, man, I don’t really know what to say. I mean, if you’re happy, that’s awesome, and if he’s a total asshole, I’ll kick his ass for you. Or… can you kick his ass? How’s that work?”

Gregg snickers. “How about we don’t talk about ass while I tell you about my boyfriend?”

I smile, grateful for Gregg’s sense of humor. “Fair enough. Tell me whatever you want about him so long as we don’t talk about Isabel or Marcos tonight. Deal?”

Gregg’s smile drops to a frown. “Wow, Benny, things must be pretty bad. Sure you don’t want to talk about it?”

A shot of pain lightly throbs behind my left eye. “It’s the same shit as it’s always been. Isa wants things to be as they would’ve been if I didn’t have a multi-million dollar contract. She’s throwing in my face that she works full-time and doesn’t have time to police Marcos and his girlfriend. I don’t know, Greggy, we’re just two totally different people.”

Gregg leans back in his seat, spinning his wine glass by the stem. “First off, parenting is hard and puts a stress on any relationship. Second, they say opposites attract. Clay and I definitely aren’t mirror images. He hates coming to my games, would much prefer antiquing, which I think is a snoozefest. But that doesn’t apply to you and Isabel, the two of you were made for each other, it’s evident to anyone that’s ever seen you two together. You think maybe she’s so insistent on working because she
doesn’t
have a commitment from you?”

Finishing my second glass of wine, a small buzz teases me and I laugh. “Look, Greggy, don’t think you can convince me to marry her. Everything is perfect the way it is. Isa gets to live in the ridiculous apartment without AC while a freakin’ mariachi band basically plays in our courtyard. We could put air conditioners in every single one of those apartments, I could BUY the entire building plus the whole block we live on, but Isa doesn’t want to ‘flaunt money.’ I abide by her demands so she’ll have to deal without me giving her a freakin’ Cracker Jack ring because that’s probably all that she’d allow me to give her.” I’m already wildly waving my arm in the air to get the waiter’s attention.

Gregg pushes my arm down and holds up his hand to the waiter. “I don’t think this is probably the best place for us tonight, Benny. I’ll pay the check then I’ll take you wherever you want to go.”

Finally, one of my friends that understands and isn’t telling me to “respect Isabel.” The woman doesn’t even respect me and how I provide for our family. I can look all I want but who am I kidding, I would never touch. I love my Isabel way too much for that.

CHAPTER 6

It’s been a few weeks since I pulled that all night bender with Gregg and his boyfriend, Clay, but I still feel like shit. I think this is one of the first signs that I’m getting old. Forget hair loss or losing speed off my fastball, when the day comes that it takes me weeks to recover from one night of partying, that means I’m officially aging.

Aside from taking days to catch up on my sleep and dragging ass like I partied like it was 1999, that night gave me a good kick in the rear as to what exactly I want out of my relationship with Isabel. Watching Gregg and Clay made me recognize what I was missing… my sweet Isabel. Not just physically because she was in another location but watching the two of them so in love, without flaunting it to the world, is what I want with Isabel, what I don’t want to lose. Throughout the night, their small touches didn’t go unnoticed by me nor did the concern that Clay had for driving a drunken me back to the hotel. The two were genuinely connected on another level, the way Isabel and I were years ago. Somehow, the daily grind of work, parenting, and all the other pressures of daily life got to us and we’ve fallen into a routine that doesn’t allow us to fully love one another as we did at one point. The second I get home, that’s going to change and I have Gregg to thank for that.

A sharp elbow to the ribcage interrupts my peaceful slumber aboard the Boeing 737. Opening one eyelid, I peek over at Dickey to see what the issue is. I find him with his headphones covering his ears and giving me a death glare.

“Dude, I can fuckin’ hear you snoring over my music.” Jace narrows his eyes, making sure I get his point loud and clear.

“Sorry, man,” I mumble, rolling away from him so I can go back to sleep.

My eyes aren’t even closed again when this time I get an elbow square in the middle of my back. “What the—” I roll over to see what Dickey is pissed about now.

“I’m freaking out, Benny. I’m totally, completely, freaking the fuck out, man.” Jace’s knee bounces up and down and now that I take a closer look, his eyes are bloodshot like he hasn’t slept in weeks himself.