down the first base line. “You can bring him here. He’d love that.”
“Yeah, that’d be fun.” Zach had no doubt Tyler would love that, but not as much as Zach would. His fear of having a family had died a long time ago. He was looking forward to learning what it meant to be a father. At least he had a good role model. His old man could be ornery at times, but he was as steadfast and reliable as they came.
“You were trying to avoid telling me why Rennie called off the wedding.” He slipped his hands into the pockets of his pressed cotton shorts. “You want to try dancing around the topic a little longer, or are you ready to spit it out already?”
Zach smirked. His father had never been one to pull punches. It was kind of reassuring to see he hadn’t lost his edge. “I pocket dialed Ren the night before the wedding.”
John frowned as Zach led him toward the staggered wooden benches that served as stands. “You pocket dialed her?”
“Yeah.”
Zach settled in, wondering how it would feel to watch Tyler take the pitcher’s mound. He would probably be more nervous for his son than he was for himself. He hoped he would be able to help foster Tyler’s love of the game…
His father snapped his fingers in front of Zach’s face. “Still waiting for an explanation.”
“Remember Kev and I came to the club that night to have a couple of beers and talk?”
“I remember.” His father had been there tending to some staffing issue, but he stopped by their table before he left to remind them they had to be back there early to meet the photographer. “Your conversation seemed pretty intense. What were you talking about?”
“Life…” Zach let his laced hands hang between his knees. He was itching to get out on the mound, to engage in the one activity that always took his mind off everything else, even Rennie. “Marriage, kids.”
“Make sense, given you were about to take the plunge.”
“I guess.” Zach ran a hand over the back of his neck. Disappointing his father wasn’t easy, even though he should be long past the age where he sought parental approval. “I said some things I probably shouldn’t have. Or maybe I should have said them, but to Rennie.”
“What kind of things?”
“I told Kev I felt pressured into getting married.” He closed his eyes as he imagined how Rennie must have felt hearing his words, especially knowing she was carrying his baby. She would have been devastated. No wonder she’d wanted revenge before she left town. It all made sense. “I also told him I wasn’t gonna be ready to have a kid in the foreseeable future. I think I told him maybe when my baseball career was over.” Zach realized how ridiculous that sounded. He was a long way from packing it in, and he’d been ready to settle down for several years. He kept telling himself he hadn’t found the right woman, but one look at his ex-fiancée convinced him he’d just been looking for someone to elicit that same reaction she always had.
“Ah, son”—John ran a beefy hand over his mouth—“you sure as hell made a mess of things, didn’t ya now?”
Zach knew he couldn’t defend his words, so he didn’t even bother trying. “I loved her, Dad. That wasn’t the issue. I think I just needed a little more time to figure out who I was before I committed to being part of a couple for the rest of my life. Is that so terrible?”
John chuckled. “You’re asking the wrong guy. I married your mama when I was twenty-three.”
“No regrets?” Zach braced himself for the response. He’d always believed his parents had a perfect marriage. Even if it wasn’t true, he’d rather go on believing it.
John looked into Zach’s eyes. Even though Zach was wearing sunglasses, he could read the intensity in his father’s stare. “You’re not human if you don’t have a doubt or two. People fight, that’s a part of life, but that doesn’t mean I ever would’ve given up on what me and your mama have.
“Yeah, that’d be fun.” Zach had no doubt Tyler would love that, but not as much as Zach would. His fear of having a family had died a long time ago. He was looking forward to learning what it meant to be a father. At least he had a good role model. His old man could be ornery at times, but he was as steadfast and reliable as they came.
“You were trying to avoid telling me why Rennie called off the wedding.” He slipped his hands into the pockets of his pressed cotton shorts. “You want to try dancing around the topic a little longer, or are you ready to spit it out already?”
Zach smirked. His father had never been one to pull punches. It was kind of reassuring to see he hadn’t lost his edge. “I pocket dialed Ren the night before the wedding.”
John frowned as Zach led him toward the staggered wooden benches that served as stands. “You pocket dialed her?”
“Yeah.”
Zach settled in, wondering how it would feel to watch Tyler take the pitcher’s mound. He would probably be more nervous for his son than he was for himself. He hoped he would be able to help foster Tyler’s love of the game…
His father snapped his fingers in front of Zach’s face. “Still waiting for an explanation.”
“Remember Kev and I came to the club that night to have a couple of beers and talk?”
“I remember.” His father had been there tending to some staffing issue, but he stopped by their table before he left to remind them they had to be back there early to meet the photographer. “Your conversation seemed pretty intense. What were you talking about?”
“Life…” Zach let his laced hands hang between his knees. He was itching to get out on the mound, to engage in the one activity that always took his mind off everything else, even Rennie. “Marriage, kids.”
“Make sense, given you were about to take the plunge.”
“I guess.” Zach ran a hand over the back of his neck. Disappointing his father wasn’t easy, even though he should be long past the age where he sought parental approval. “I said some things I probably shouldn’t have. Or maybe I should have said them, but to Rennie.”
“What kind of things?”
“I told Kev I felt pressured into getting married.” He closed his eyes as he imagined how Rennie must have felt hearing his words, especially knowing she was carrying his baby. She would have been devastated. No wonder she’d wanted revenge before she left town. It all made sense. “I also told him I wasn’t gonna be ready to have a kid in the foreseeable future. I think I told him maybe when my baseball career was over.” Zach realized how ridiculous that sounded. He was a long way from packing it in, and he’d been ready to settle down for several years. He kept telling himself he hadn’t found the right woman, but one look at his ex-fiancée convinced him he’d just been looking for someone to elicit that same reaction she always had.
“Ah, son”—John ran a beefy hand over his mouth—“you sure as hell made a mess of things, didn’t ya now?”
Zach knew he couldn’t defend his words, so he didn’t even bother trying. “I loved her, Dad. That wasn’t the issue. I think I just needed a little more time to figure out who I was before I committed to being part of a couple for the rest of my life. Is that so terrible?”
John chuckled. “You’re asking the wrong guy. I married your mama when I was twenty-three.”
“No regrets?” Zach braced himself for the response. He’d always believed his parents had a perfect marriage. Even if it wasn’t true, he’d rather go on believing it.
John looked into Zach’s eyes. Even though Zach was wearing sunglasses, he could read the intensity in his father’s stare. “You’re not human if you don’t have a doubt or two. People fight, that’s a part of life, but that doesn’t mean I ever would’ve given up on what me and your mama have.
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