“Hey, buddy. How was your day?”
“Good! Mommy and I made chocolate chip cookies and I ate the dough.”
“Hmmm,” I said as my mouth watered. “Do you think Mommy saved any cookie dough for me?”
“Uh-huh.” His head nodded rapidly up and down, and I placed my hand on top of it to slow it down. “She put some in a box for you,” he added slyly.
“A box?” I gave him a funny look as Cassie walked into the kitchen.
“He means a container. It’s in the fridge. Hey, babe.” She pressed her mouth against mine and I almost forgot we had an audience until he tugged at my shirt.
“Daddy, will you swim with me? Mommy said I had to wait until you got home to swim. But now you’re home. Let’s swim. Please. I wanna swim.”
My eyes widened as he talked a hundred miles a minute. “Sure thing. Just let me talk to Mommy for a second, okay?”
His shoulders slumped as he said dejectedly, “Okay.”
Cassie kneeled down so that she was eye to eye with him. “Why don’t you run upstairs and go put on your swim trunks and grab your floaties, okay?”
Chance’s lip jutted out into a pout. He had Cassie’s mouth. “I don’t need my floaties, Mom!”
She stood up and put her hand on her hip. “Chance. If you don’t get your floaties, you can’t go in the pool. You know the rules.”
“Never go in the pool without floaties or an adult,” he recited in a monotone voice, and I suppressed a smile as I realized I had a lot of rules to learn.
“That’s right. Now, go get changed. Daddy will meet you in your room as soon as we’re done talking.”
“Okay!” His mood instantly improved, Chance took off running up the stairs, leaping with excitement from the left side of one stair tread to the right side of the next, just for the sheer joy of it.
“Holy shit, babe, he’s exhausting,” Cassie said. “He’s like the Energizer bunny. He’s never tired. Ever.” She blew out a breath and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand.
I took her hand and pulled her close as I reconsidered what I was about to tell her for two full seconds before blurting it out. “I’ve officially decided that I’m not playing after this season.” Holding her against me, I prayed she’d be excited as I waited for her response.
Cassie’s eyes lit up, but she held back a smile as she asked cautiously, “Are you sure?”
I nodded. “I told you at the beginning of the year that I thought it would be my last. I went into this season thinking that and I’ve mentally said my good-byes to everything and everyone. I’m ready to leave,” I said, and was happy to realize that I really meant it.
“Jack, if you’re ready to leave, then I can’t wait to have you home.” She smiled as the tears welled in her eyes.
Sighing with contentment, I pulled her closer and buried my face in her hair, inhaling the fragrance of her shampoo. The feel of her body pressed against mine not only aroused me, but comforted me as well. This girl was my life. I was holding my life in my arms and as long as I had her, I knew I’d be okay without baseball.
“I can’t wait to be home, Kitten,” I said into her hair. “I’ve missed so much. I don’t want to miss any more. And the nastiness of the business, it’s just not worth it.”
Cassie knew what I meant. The business side of the baseball industry had the potential of souring your entire experience if you allowed it to. I wanted to leave on my terms, before I not only hated myself, but the sport as well.
“You’re sure? One hundred percent certain this is what you want?” She tilted her head back and looked me in the eyes.
“Without a doubt. And you know what the best part is?” I asked, and watched as her long blonde hair swayed as she shook her head. “I feel relieved.”
“Then you know it’s right.” Her smile grew as she pushed her lips to mine and pulled me hard against her. When she broke the kiss she asked, “Does Dean know? Or Marc and Ryan? Do they know?”
“Not yet. They’ve been fielding offers from other teams lately since my contract’s up. There’s been some pretty great offers, but I haven’t even considered them.”
“Daddy, I’m ready!” Chance shouted from the top of the stairs.
“Be right up. Give me two seconds,” I shouted back and watched as he kicked at the railing. “Don’t kick the railing please, buddy.” He stopped and dropped to his butt, his legs folded Indian-style as he waited for me.
“You should probably tell Dean in person,” Cassie suggested. “Want me to invite them over for dinner? Coby loves swimming in the pool.”
“Actually, that sounds great. Can we invite Gran and Gramps too?”
“Of course. I’ll call everyone. You go swim with your boy.”
Giving her a quick kiss, I bolted upstairs to change.
Cassie handled everything while I swam in our saltwater pool with Chance. He splashed and kicked, but mostly he wanted me to throw him around. Playing in the pool with this kid was almost a better workout than the gym. My shoulders ached by the time Dean and Melissa arrived and my little nephew jumped in the water, begging for me to throw him too.
“Frow me, Unckie Jack. Frow me!” Coby screamed out in excitement, his cheeks turning bright red.
I grabbed him and tossed him into the air as he squealed. His little face popped right back out of the water as soon as he entered it. “That vest thing you’re wearing is pretty cool,” I said to Coby, impressed with the floatation devices kids these days had to wear.