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.
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