He shook his head. He didn't need to think about any of that, least of all right now.
Logan took his stance, and Matt wound up, stopped, and straightened out his stance. He wound up again and then said, "I wonder how the girls are holding up."
"If you're trying to break my concentration, it's not going to work."
"No, of course not. I'm just wondering, you know, if Andy liked the strip club."
"You could try pitching, you know," Logan shot back, and this time Matt complied. He threw a speed ball right down the center of the plate, a beauty of a pitch if ever he'd thrown one, and when Logan swung, he was met with nothing but the whoosh of air.
"What's the matter, Logan? Distracted?" Derrick called from the outfield, and Matt laughed.
"Just warming up." He grabbed the ball from where it'd landed by the gate and threw it back to Matt.
Matt turned the ball in his hand, trying to focus on what to throw next, but instead wondered about Shay. How her night had been. If she'd had a lap dance from some guy who'd put his hands all over her...
He chucked the ball, and it was so fast and outside the mark that Logan had to jump back to avoid getting hit.
"I'm starting to think you're the one who's distracted," Logan said.
"Dream on," Matt said, but he straightened his stance a little more firmly all the same. There was no doubting Shay had an effect on him, but he had to ignore it. Hopefully, if he did that long enough, it would go away altogether.
Then he could focus on the important things. Like how weird it was to be in a major league stadium again. There were no signs for local businesses here. No, here it was Coca-Cola and Coors and—
"That's a ball from a mile away," Derrick called as Matt let another throw soar over Logan's head.
"You know, you don't have to take it easy on me. I'm a big boy," Logan said.
Matt rolled his eyes and snagged the ball out of the air when Logan threw it back to him.
"Sorry, just a little out of practice, I guess."
He focused again, pushing Shay from his mind and instead becoming one with the stadium. The way it felt to be surrounded by the huge luxury bleachers. Remembering how it felt to hear the roar of the crowd when he struck out one batter after the next.
He threw, and Logan's swing met with nothing but air.
It hadn't been so long ago that that had been his life. It wouldn't be too long until it was again.
And then, when it happened, Shay would be there in the VIP section, maybe wearing all the team pride swag she could, her dark hair hidden until a baseball cap. She'd jump up and down and chant along with the crowd. Rooting just for him and—
"Ball!" Derrick shouted as Matt's last throw landed just outside the plate. "Count's loaded. What you going to do?"
Logan grinned and choked up on his bat, and then stepped outside of the bat to practice his swing.
This was it, one last chance to redeem himself. He rolled the ball inside his mitt, took a deep breath, loosed it, and—
"Fuuuuuuuuck." A pain so intense shot through his wrist that he doubled over. He hardly heard the crack of the ball on the bat as it connected. Instead, he held his injury with a firm grip and bit down hard on his bottom lip, his cheek, anything to distract him from the pain and get the guys to ignore his reaction.
It didn't work, though.
Instead of heading for the plate, Logan was sprinting toward the mound, along with Matt, both of their brows knit in concern.
"Yo
u okay, man? We need to go to the hospital?" Logan asked.
"Let me see it." Derrick held out his hand, and Matt allowed him to survey the damage. Still, the hurt was already ebbing away. He must have just moved it wrong, got part of the bone that was still healing from the bruise.
"It's fine, okay? Let's just get back to what we were doing."