Better Than Perfect (31 page)

“Do you really think he wants a phone just so he can keep in touch with me when I’m on the road?” Johnny hadn’t had the chance to find out more about this girl. But he knew there was one.

“Girls?” Alice clutched her chest, in a mock swoon.

“Afraid so.” Johnny put his arm around her shoulder in case she really did faint. Yeah. Right. That’s why. “Probably just a girl. If he’s anything like me.”

She sighed and leaned a little closer to him.

“I had no idea.” She shook her head.

“You’re his mom. You’ll be the last to know.”

“Oh, I’m being replaced already.” She tilted her head and rested against Johnny’s shoulder.

“I think you’ll always be important to him.” Johnny didn’t need to add
if he’s anything like me.

After a little more kidding around with each other, and a few inside jokes that poor Jason could only stand there and pretend not to notice, they settled on a phone for Zach. Then it was time to pick the perfect plan. Again, far too many options were available.

“There is a two year commitment, to get the phone at this price,” Jason reminded them.

“I think I can handle that.” If Johnny had his way, he’d have more than that.

“Are you sure you don’t want to put it on my plan?” Alice asked, but it felt like she was only trying to let him off the hook. Not that she wasn’t willing to let him make the commitment.

“I’ll take care of this.” Johnny moved his hand to rest on the small of her back, and was relieved when she didn’t pull away.

“I can add a third line for only nine ninety-nine.” Jason flipped to the page in the brochure outlining the family plan. Three phones, unlimited texting, a large number of minutes and a combined data plan all for one price.

“Not at this time.” Alice jumped in. “I still have time left on my current contract.”

“I’d be happy to look it up for you.”

“That’s okay. We’ll go ahead and add this phone to Johnny’s plan now.” She squirmed a little, probably hoping that they wouldn’t have to explain their current relationship. “But it would be easy enough to add my line to theirs later, right?”

“Sure.” Jason went back to the computer and started ringing up the phone, the case, the accidental damage insurance. No need for a car charger, since Zach didn’t have a car.

Johnny paid for the phone, signed the next two years of his life away and got Jason to show him and Alice how to add their numbers into the phone’s contacts.

“Don’t worry, most thirteen-year-olds are plenty tech savvy. He’ll have no trouble figuring out the features of the phone,” Jason assured them. “But he can’t turn on the blocked features without your password.”

“Sounds like we’re all set, then,” Alice said.

Jason shook their hands and presented the new phone to Johnny.

“He’s been wanting a phone for some time,” Alice said as she slid behind the wheel. “I don’t know why I haven’t given in before now.”

“I’m glad I could help.” Johnny folded his legs into the passenger’s side. He’d scooted the seat all the way back and there still wasn’t a lot of room for him. “I’d like to do more.”

“We can talk about all that later.” She started the engine and pulled into the street. “You know, when it’s official.”

“I have no doubt that he’s my son.” Johnny put his hand on her arm. “Do you?”

She shook her head. “Not anymore.”

“Good.” Johnny left it at that. He didn’t want to know if she still had doubts about him.

They drove through the city on their way to her home. That was something else he’d want to discuss. Later. There was no way he’d live in Mel’s house. And his apartment didn’t have room for all of them. Especially if they were going to add to their family.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, thinking about the baby they might have created together.

“It’s only a phone.” Alice gave a nervous little laugh. “It’s not nearly as traumatic as him getting, say, his learner’s permit.”

“I meant, how are
you
feeling? No morning sickness, yet?”

“Oh. No. Too soon.” Alice kept her eyes on the road. “Besides, I hardly had any with Zach. Just enough to make me feel like I was doing it right, but it wasn’t bad.”

“I wish I could have been there.”

“But then you wouldn’t be where you are now.”

He hated to admit that might be true.

“Are you sure you can’t wait and give Zach the phone when he gets home from school?”

“I’d like to at least get to Tonopah before they close up the streets.” Johnny leaned his head against the headrest.

“You really want to drive all that way?”

“Yes.” He had about a thousand things on his mind, and needed that many miles to sort through them all.

“Okay, I never do this but…” She turned her head to merge quickly into the other lane, made an abrupt turn and headed in the opposite direction.

“You’re kidnapping me?” Johnny held on as the sound of blaring horns rang out behind them.

“No. I’m taking Zach out of school early.” She eased onto the street she needed and proceeded to the school. “We can’t let you go down to spring training without some kind of party.”

“A party?”

“If this is your last season, we should send you off in style.”

She pulled into the visitor’s parking spot in front of the school. Dashed into the office and came out with Zach less than fifteen minutes later.

* * * *

“You’ll have to sit in the back,” Alice told Zach once they approached the car.

“Are you sure Grandpa’s alright?” He looked worried.

“Oh, yeah. The family emergency has nothing to do with him.” She smiled at his thoughtfulness. “I’m sorry if I worried you.”

“So why did you pull me out of school?”

“We’re celebrating.” She opened her door and watched Zach climb in behind her. A big smile appeared on his face once he saw Johnny.

“What are we celebrating?” Zach asked while he made himself comfortable, tossing his backpack aside and buckling his seat belt.

“Pitchers and catchers report to spring training in two days, twenty-one hours and seventeen minutes.” She may have been off on the minutes.

“You’re leaving.” Zach slumped back into the seat.

“This afternoon.” Johnny tried to smile, but couldn’t quite pull it off. “I’m driving down. It will take two days to get there.”

“Oh. Why don’t you fly?”

“I like to drive. Besides, I’m hoping to stop by and see my mother.”

“Oh.” Zach leaned forward. “Where does she live?”

“Vegas.”

“Cool.” Zach seemed to sense that Johnny didn’t want to talk about her. Just the fact he’d mentioned his mother was something.

“So, we have a surprise for you.” Johnny changed the subject.

“More of a surprise than getting out of school early?”

“I think it’s more of a present than a surprise.” Alice maneuvered to their favorite hot dog place. Outside of the ballpark, that is.

“Cool.” Zach probably figured they were getting him a phone. He’d asked for it, and they had no reason not to give it to him. “Oh, we’re getting hot dogs. And it’s not even Valentine’s Day.”

“What does Valentine’s Day have to do with hot dogs?” Johnny turned around to look at Zach.

“Well, you know how pitchers and catchers always report to spring training around February fourteenth?”

“I never really pay attention to the date.” Johnny still didn’t see the connection.

“Instead of celebrating Valentine’s Day, we celebrate that. We get hot dogs and other ballpark food, then we have Cracker Jack for dessert.” Zach was excited to explain their special day. “It’s, like, a tradition.”

“Sounds like a nice tradition.”

“It sure beats hearts and flowers and stuff.” Zach said. “But sometimes I still get my mom chocolate.”

“Well, you can never go wrong with chocolate,” Alice added.

“I’ll try to remember that.” Johnny glanced over at her with a molten look in his eyes. Damn. Why did he have to leave so soon?

“So how do you usually celebrate—oh, stupid question.” Zach palmed his forehead. “You’re the one reporting to spring training. You’re going to work.”

“Yes. It is work, but it’s kind of a celebration, too. There’s nothing like getting back on the field. The grass is greener than you remember. The sky is bluer than any other time of year.” Johnny made it sound almost mystical. “There’s nothing better than getting back into the rhythm of the game. Seeing the guys you played with or against the previous year.”

“Cool.” Zach dreamed of being one of those guys someday. And maybe with Johnny’s help he would have a chance.

She parked in front of the hot dog place and they headed inside for an early lunch and an impromptu goodbye party.

They placed their orders and found a seat by the window. Johnny presented the cell phone to Zach while they waited on hot dogs, fries and a chocolate shake for Zach.

“Oh, cool. Thank you.” Zach’s face lit up with the surprise. “So can I text you anytime?”

“Anytime.” A warm smile spread across Johnny’s face. “I’m not allowed to have my phone in the dugout, but I’ll be sure to get back to you.”

“Yeah, we can’t use our phones in class, either.” Zach did that half eye-roll he did when he thought he was being treated like a little kid. “They tried to make it so we couldn’t have phones at school, but too many parents complained about not being able to get a hold of their kids.”

“Just know that having a phone is a privilege,” Alice reminded him. “And a responsibility.”

“I know.”

“There are some rules.” She should have discussed them with Johnny. But she wasn’t used to having a co-parent. A partner. “Such as no texting or calling after eight PM on school nights.”

“Okay.”

“And check to see if your friends have unlimited texting,” Johnny suggested. “You wouldn’t want to ring up their bill with non-stop texts if they can’t afford it.”

“Good point.” Zach was familiarizing himself with the phone, but he was listening. “I’ve heard stories of kids getting huge bills and not even realizing it.”

“What else have you heard about kids getting into trouble with phones?” She had to ask.

“Oh my gosh, Mom. Really?” Zach rolled his eyes and shook his head. “I’m not going to take pictures of myself naked or anything. Or anyone else, either. That’s so lame.”

Johnny looked a little surprised by the frankness of their conversation.

“And I won’t text dirty messages, either.” Zach gave Johnny a look. A can-you-believe-I-have-to-put-up-with-this kind of look. “I won’t do anything Johnny wouldn’t do.”

Should she explain that there were times when she’d used Johnny’s example on and off the field as a discipline tool? It had been pretty effective at curtailing tantrums and whining when Zach was younger. As he grew older, holding Johnny up as a role model had provided a good starting point for discussing some of the trickier subjects having to do with growing up.

He’d been there for Zach in many ways, even if he didn’t know it.

Their order came up and they ate quickly. Zach polished off his jumbo hot dog, fries and he gulped down his shake.

“It’s too bad you can’t be here when I have my tryouts.” Zach grabbed one of Alice’s fries.

“You’re ready,” Johnny assured him. “Just remember what we worked on.”

“Yeah. Okay.”

“You’re a good ballplayer.” Johnny reached out and patted Zach’s shoulder. “You have talent. It’s up to you to make the most of it.”

Zach’s cheeks flushed as he sucked down the last of his milkshake.

“I still wish you could be there.” He stared down at the table. “Not because you’re famous and all, but just…because.”

Because a boy needed his father.

* * * *

Johnny reluctantly finished his lunch. He needed to hit the road, but wasn’t ready to leave. Not when he finally had a family to miss.