Left Field Love
: Chapter 29

Coach Thompson catches me sneaking into the room where we hold film sessions five minutes late. I hold my breath when our eyes connect. I’ve seen him make an example out of tardiness before—calling guys up to the front of the room or making everyone stay late. But when I mouth a Sorry, he just nods.

He’s trusting me, assuming I have a good reason for being late even after missing whole days of camp. I’m not sure he’d consider driving six hours roundtrip to spend fifteen minutes in Landry a good one. It was irresponsible and selfish.

But I didn’t feel like I had a choice. I was planning to travel to Landry this weekend to give the papers to her, then she unexpectedly showed up last night. As soon as they arrived this morning, I started driving. It felt like a conversation we needed to have in person. I mean, I basically proposed to her.

After our film session ends, I end up at O’Reilly’s with a bunch of the guys. It’s an Irish pub close to campus that serves three-dollar pints on weeknights.

Our large group takes up an entire corner of the pub, but none of the other patrons seem to mind. It’s a mix of other Clarkson students and a few older guys who must live here year round.

“Jessica’s coming,” Drew announces to my left, dropping his phone on the table. Jamie scoffs. The rest of us exchange looks. “Sounds like Sophie and Maggie are coming, too.”

Now I’m the one getting side glances. I realize I never responded to Sophie’s text last week. I’m assuming she’s probably heard about Lennon’s visit, adding to the incoming awkwardness. Jamie confirms when he adds, “I’m sure she’s heard about Lennon’s visit by now. Maggie met her at morning practice, apparently.”

“She did?” I ask.

“Yeah, she said there was some chick with your sweatshirt there.”

I take a sip of beer. I figured Lennon noticed all of the girls in the stands, but she didn’t say anything to me. It’s something we’ve never directly discussed, aside from the few teasing comments she’s made after her friends acted differently around me. Cassie Belmont still clams up around me, and she’s Lennon’s best friend.

Lennon hates being the center of attention, which I often am. And the amount of money I have makes her uncomfortable. In the span of one day, I put her on the spot and handed her a six-figure check.

“Is Lennon visiting again soon?” Jamie asks.

“I don’t know. She’s got a lot going on at home right now.” I leave it at that.

Jamie nods. “I hope she does. You’re funner to be around.”

I snort and take another sip of beer.

“I always figured you were full of shit when you said you don’t resent not being able to hook up with other girls,” Elliot says.

“You’ve obviously never been in love,” I reply.

“Nope,” Elliot replies. “Not interested.”

“Incoming,” Drew mutters.

Sophie reaches us first, wearing a low-cut top that has every guy looking at her. I rub a finger along the rim of my pint glass as she takes a seat on the stool next to mine. I keep my gaze on the table.

“Hey, guys,” Sophie says. There’s a flurry of responses from the guys.

When I look up, she’s staring straight at me.

I smile because it’s that or make this even more awkward. “Hey.”

“I’m the one who invited you, not Winters. Spread the love, St. James,” Drew teases.

Everyone at the table besides me and Sophie laughs. Sophie is clearly not thrilled about being called out for her fixation on me. I can sympathize but I’m also thinking if she were a little less obvious, there would be nothing to say.

Conversation shifts to discussing some Greek-themed frat party happening this weekend.

“How was practice earlier?” Sophie asks me, since neither of us are participating in the conversation.

“Fine,” I reply. “It wasn’t too hot this morning, and then we just had a short film session tonight. Easy day, all things considered.”

“More like the best fucking day of Winters’s life.” Jamie joins our conversation. “Three years, and he finally got his girl to come visit.”

“Fastest I’ve ever seen him leave practice,” Drew chimes in with.

“He didn’t even stay downstairs to see if the Jays won last night,” Elliot adds. “Wonder why.”

“He dragged Lennon upstairs to watch the end of the game,” Jamie tells Elliot with a smirk.

They’re purposefully trying to be dicks, but I’d rather endure their joking than make small talk with Sophie

I shrug. “I like her more than you three idiots.”

Elliot grabs his chest like I’ve wounded him.

“Maggie mentioned Lennon was at practice this morning,” Sophie says.

“Girl’s got some sass, Caleb,” Maggie tells me from her spot across the table.

I grin. “Yeah, I know.”

Sophie studies my expression. “She didn’t stay for very long.”

“She had to get back to Landry.”

“Her grandfather died, right? Your parents mentioned it. They went out to dinner with Mom and Dad a few nights ago.”

I tense at the mention of Earl, and I’m sure it shows on my face. “Yeah,” I reply, taking a long sip of beer and hoping Sophie gets the hint this isn’t a topic I feel like discussing.

She doesn’t. “That was really nice of you to stay in Landry. I’m surprised she let you, though, knowing you had camp.”

There’s some judgment in her words—judgment of Lennon. It turns my next ones curt.

“She didn’t have a choice.”

Sophie smiles, registering my annoyance and trying to temper her words. “Like I said, nice.”

It feels like the conversation we had at Mayfair never took place. Maybe she was drunker than I realized, and doesn’t remember it. Maybe I underestimated how much she likes a challenge. Maybe it’s her parents’ influence. No matter the reason, it’s annoying.

“Who needs another round?” Drew asks.

“Me,” I reply, standing. “I’ll help you grab them.”

Elliot and Jamie both request fresh beers. The girls all ask for cocktails. I hope Drew is listening to their orders, because I’m not really paying attention.

I lean heavily against the wooden counter as we wait for the bartender to come over.

Today has been a lot. Mostly good. Waking up with Lennon this morning, having her come to practice, introducing her to my teammates. But I worried about what she’d say about the money the whole drive to Landry. And then stressed about running late the whole trip back to Clarkson.

I’m exhausted.

“I’ll stop inviting Sophie out,” Drew says quietly.

“It’s fine. She’s your friend.”

She’s my friend too, which makes this more complicated. Before I moved to Landry for high school, Sophie and I were close. Our parents were—are—best friends. When we were younger, there were a few times when I thought about making a move. But I never did. And then I met Lennon. Sophie and I are never going to happen, and I wish she’d accept it.

“I’m not going to pick a girl over you, Winters. No matter how hot she is.”

The bartender comes over to take our order. Thankfully, Drew remembers everything. Between the two of us, we’re able to carry the bottles and glasses back over to the table.

“Caleb!” Maggie calls as we return. “We were just talking about you.”

“Oh, yeah?” I ask, a little wary.

“You’re from Landry, right?”

“Right.” I smile but no one else catches the joke, the way anyone from Landry who knows me would.

There was a time when I never would have claimed it as my hometown. Landry is tied up in a lot of complicated feelings for me. Resentment toward my grandfather. Annoyance toward my parents. Special memories shared with Colt, Luke, and Jake. Love of Lennon.

“I’ve heard Landry is amazing,” Maggie gushes. “Like some sort of posh resort town?”

I shrug. “Yeah, sort of.”

“I’m going to Landry this weekend for the Landry Cup,” Sophie says. “You can come with me, Maggie. See it for yourself.”

I look over at Sophie, surprised. “You’re going to the Cup?”

She nods. “Your family invited mine. I’ve never been, and Coach gave us this weekend off. You should come.”

“Not my thing.”

“Doesn’t your family have horses running?” Sophie asks me.

“I think so,” I reply, shrugging. “I don’t really follow any of the racing stuff, honestly. My grandfather had a whole team of people running it all for him, and my dad has kept them on to manage everything related to the horses. I’m not involved.”

“You grew up in Landry and you don’t follow horse racing?” Jessica asks incredulously. She’s the only fellow Kentuckian at the table.

“I didn’t really grow up there,” I respond. “I just visited in the summers and went to high school there.”

“Still. You know it’s basically Horsetown, USA, right?”

I nod. “That’s what Lennon calls it. What little I know is thanks to her.”

“Her family has racehorses?” Jessica asks.

“Yeah.” There’s no family now, though. They’re Lennon’s.

“Are any of them racing on Saturday?” Maggie asks.

“No, they’re not,” I reply.

I don’t know if revitalizing her family’s racing legacy is something Lennon wants. Most of the responsibility involving the horses was foisted on her. I don’t know if she wants it to remain part of her life.

I guess I’ll add it to the list of things we still need to figure out.

Everyone rushes to leave practice Friday afternoon. It’s sweltering out and we only have one weight session this whole weekend. After hours of practice this past week, that sounds like a mini vacation.

I finish getting dressed and say goodbye to the few remaining guys in the locker room, leaving through the side door that leads right out into the parking lot. I’m halfway to my truck when my phone rings.

I pull it out of my pocket.

Mom isflashing across the screen.

I sigh, then answer.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Are you in some sort of trouble?” she demands.

“What? No.”

“Don’t lie to me, Caleb. Your father and I can help. There’s a private investigator who—”

“Mom. I’m not in any trouble. I swear.” I reach my truck and toss my baseball bag in the back.

“Why did you transfer half a million dollars out of your trust fund, then?”

And…there it is. I kick the back tire as I pass it, annoyed but not surprised. “You and Dad weren’t supposed to have any access or control over that account after I turned eighteen.”

“Our financial manager does. A transfer that size raises flags, Caleb. Is someone blackmailing you? Is it drugs? Gambling?”

I’m disturbed and amused those are the first assumptions she’s making. And dreading the truth. Naively, I guess, I thought she and my dad wouldn’t replace out.

“I told your father you shouldn’t have access to that trust fund until you were twenty-five. Did he listen to me? Of course not.”

I keep silent. I’m guessing she knows exactly where the money went. Knew before she called.

“You gave money to her.”

I stay silent.

“Is she in some sort of trouble? There’s—”

“It was a gift.”

“A gift? Your father gave me diamond earrings while we were dating. He didn’t write me a check for five hundred thousand dollars. I mean really, Caleb, what were you possibly thinking?”

“I was thinking that she needs money and I have money.”

“Plenty of people need money, Caleb. Are you going to start passing out hundred-dollar bills to strangers on the street, too?”

“I’m not planning to spend the rest of my life with plenty of people, Mom. Just her.”

Silence. It’s the farthest I’ve gone, when defending Lennon to my parents.

“You don’t even know where you’ll be living next year, Caleb” she finally says. “I know she matters to you right now, but things change. People change.”

“I’m going to marry her, Mom. You—and Dad—can flip out about it all you want. It won’t change anything. Except your involvement in my life, going forward. I’ll stop answering the phone.”

“There’s no need to react hastily, Caleb.”

“Hastily? We’ve been dating for almost three years, Mom. When are you going to get over it?”

She sighs. “Will you be in Landry this weekend? It’s the Cup; the St. Jameses will be visiting.”

“I can’t come back this weekend.”

Another sigh. “I’m planning to host Thanksgiving at the chalet this year. Will you be able to come to that?”

“I tell you I’m busy Saturday and you want to make plans in November?”

“We have to plan ahead. There’s—”

“Is Lennon invited for Thanksgiving?” I ask.

“I—yes, of course.”

There’s no of course about it, since my mother has purposefully excluded Lennon from everything else. But I decide to choose my battles. “Fine. I’ll ask Lennon.”

“If you change your mind about this weekend, let me know.”

I exhale and shake my head, even though I know she can’t see. I know exactly why my mom wants me to come home this weekend. And I’m not interested in playing my part in the perfect family façade.

“I have to go, okay? I’ll let you know about Thanksgiving after I talk to Lennon.”

“Fine,” she says. My mother hates not getting her way.

“Fine,” I repeat, then hang up.

I crank the air conditioning and drive home.