Stealing Home. Sherryl Woods

      Maddie grinned. “Frankly, I’m rather enjoying this new, say-what-I-think side of me.”

      There was only one more week of baseball practice before the season opener. Even though he now had some idea of what was going on with his star pitcher, Cal still didn’t have a plan for addressing the problem.

      If it were entirely up to him, he wouldn’t add to Ty’s stress by threatening again to take him out of the starting rotation, but the school system, community and parents expected big things from the team this year. That was one reason they’d approved the funding for new bleachers and new sod for the field. A brand-new brick building had been added to house the refreshment stand and restrooms, as well. After all that expenditure, they wouldn’t tolerate losses while Tyler tried to regain his emotional equilibrium.

      That’s what happened when a kid had played as brilliantly as Ty had last year. Expectations were high. Cal had even heard from a couple of Major League scouts who’d noticed media reports about the boy’s skill on the mound. Unfortunately, if they saw him right now, they’d wonder what all the hype had been about.

      Cal studied Ty’s increasingly discouraged expression as his teammates hit pitch after pitch. He was about to join him on the mound for a chat when he spotted Bill Townsend climbing into the bleachers to a row that was shaded from the afternoon sun. Ty noticed his father at the same time. For an instant, based on the expression on Ty’s face, Cal thought the boy might toss down his glove and stalk off the field.

      Instead, though, Tyler seemed to reach down deep and tap into all that anger. His next pitch flew across the plate at a burning clip, nicking the outside corner for a perfect strike.

      “That was some real heat, Ty. Way to go!” the catcher said, tossing the ball back with a grin.

      “I liked it better when I could see the ball coming at me,” the batter grumbled, but there was admiration in his voice as well.

      More than pleased, Cal wandered over and climbed onto the bleachers next to Ty’s dad. “Glad you coulds top by,” he told him.

      Bill gave him an odd look. “I assume you know why I’ve stayed away.”

      “Your wife mentioned the divorce,” he admitted. “But I think you can see what your presence means to Ty. That’s the first decent pitch he’s thrown since spring training started.”

      “At least he’s finally putting all that anger he feels toward me to good use,” Bill said wryly.

      Cal chuckled. “You got that, too?”

      “Hard to miss. That ball would have taken my head off if I’d been in its path.”

      “You sticking around for a while?” Cal asked.

      “Is it okay?”

      “It’s fine with me. I’m going to give the kids a break in a minute. Why don’t you ask Ty if it’s okay with him.”

      Cal went down on the field and called everyone on the team in. “You guys are starting to look like a team again,” he told them. “Take five and get something to drink. It’s important to stay hydrated in this kind of heat. After the break, we’ll switch so the rest of you get a chance at bat. Ty, can you stay on the mound for some more batters?”

      The boy gave him his once-familiar cocky grin. “You sure you want me to humiliate them like that?”

      “You wish,” his teammate Luke Dillon said. “I’ve hit three home runs off you since practice started.”

      “Pure luck,” Ty retorted. “I’m back in the groove today.”

      “Maybe you shouldn’t get too smug,” Cal warned him. “A couple of outstanding pitches don’t make a season.”

      “Don’t even make a practice, if you ask me,” Josh Mason, another teammate, said snidely. “Come opening day, I’ll be on the mound. You wait and see.”

      “No way, sucker,” Tyler retorted.

      “Okay, enough,” Cal told them. “Five minutes, guys. Tyler, why don’t you check in with your dad.”

      Ty scowled at the suggestion, but he grabbed a sports drink and slowly headed for the bleachers. Cal noted that he didn’t climb up beside his father but sat down several rows away. It was Bill who finally broke the awkward silence between them. Cal couldn’t hear what he said, but Tyler responded with a nod.

      At least the two of them were talking, or rather Bill was talking and Ty was listening. Cal wondered how long it had been since that had happened.

      He also couldn’t help wondering what Maddie had done to bring it about. He doubted it was a mere coincidence that Bill had shown up here today, just hours after Cal’s meeting with her. However it had come about, though, he was grateful. Maybe it was a first step in getting his star pitcher back in his groove. Maybe he’d call Maddie tonight and report on the change.

      “Idiot,” he muttered to himself as he beckoned the players back. He was just looking for an excuse to call Ty’s mother and that, as he’d warned himself only a few short hours ago, was a very bad idea.