Better Than Perfect. Kristina Mathews

old ones.” Mel Sr. made the excuse before she could protest the latest offering. “We’ll donate them. Maybe we could start a program to get more kids playing golf.”

      “You really don’t have to buy him so much.” Alice placed a daughterly kiss on his cheek. “He enjoys spending time with you.”

      “Well, an old man can’t take any chances.” Mel stepped inside the foyer. “I don’t know how many more golf games we’ve got together.”

      Mel Sr. had taken his son’s death hard. Even harder than the rest of them. He often shared his regrets with the two women in his life. He worried he hadn’t spent enough time with his son. Hadn’t told him how proud he was of him. He’d been too busy providing for the future; he hadn’t taken the time to live in the moment. So he tried to make up for it with Zach.

      “Zach’s not going anywhere.” As soon as she said it, she realized she was a liar. If she went back to school, he’d move to Reno with her. She’d already determined which high school she’d enroll him in.

      “Maybe not, but I’m no fool. He’ll find someone much more interesting to hang out with.” He tried to smile, but couldn’t quite pull it off. Was he worried about Johnny stepping into Zach’s life? He shouldn’t be. Unless…

      “Hey Grandpa, I’m ready for our tee time.” Zach’s golf shirt looked a little snug. He was already almost as tall as his grandfather. Harrison men weren’t known for their height. But they’d certainly made their presence known. Mel Sr. was still a big man in the financial world. Like that old commercial, when Melvin Arnold Harrison spoke, people with money on the line listened.

      “Zach, are you sure you want to spend your Sunday morning with the old man?” Mel put his arm around the boy. Another inch and they’d be the same height. But she had a feeling Zach wasn’t even close to ending his growth spurt. He was going to be tall. Very tall. Well over the six feet her husband had aspired to in vain.

      “Thanks for taking me.” Zach hadn’t even noticed his new clubs yet. “I like golf. It’s, like, my second favorite sport.”

      “If it wasn’t for that one fellow… I was this close to converting you when his scandal broke out.” Mel shook his head.

      Zach looked away, embarrassed. They all knew the famous golfer he refused to mention by name.

      “Now almost as many people watch, hoping he’ll lose, as used to cheer him on. It’s a damn shame.”

      “That’s why I’m glad we’ve got Johnny Scottsdale working for our camp. He’s a real hero.” Zach had built his image up so high, Alice hoped for both their sakes, Johnny wouldn’t let him down.

      “Is that so?” Mel looked at her, surprised by the news. Alice hadn’t had a chance to touch base with the Harrisons about the change of players. She was planning on calling Frannie after Zach and Mel left.

      “Johnny Scottsdale.” Mel turned his attention back to his grandson. “So did you meet him?”

      “Yeah. Only for a few minutes, but he was totally cool.” Zach exaggerated their interaction. Johnny had barely glanced at him. He’d seemed surprised to see her. “He didn’t know my dad died, but then he seemed really sorry. So sorry he forgot to sign an autograph, but that’s okay. Getting to work with him is even better.”

      “Zach’s going to be an assistant. What he doesn’t know is, that means he gets to be my slave for the duration of the camp.” Alice thought about how she was going to use him. “He’ll help me check in kids at registration. Run equipment from station to station. And of course, collect any personal belongings left behind to organize a lost and found.”

      “But I’ll also help any of the pro players if they need someone to demonstrate pitching or anything,” Zach added hopefully.

      “Of course.” She hoped Johnny would be willing to have him help. He had no idea how much Zach looked up to him. Of course, he wouldn’t. He’d forgotten all about her and Mel, so he certainly wouldn’t have thought about their child.

      After Zach left with his grandfather, Alice busied herself with pre-camp activities. She sorted the t-shirts into groups, pinning a color-coded and laminated number to the back of each shirt. It would have been nice to be able to provide uniforms, but she had no way of knowing if each family had access to nightly laundry facilities, so it was easier to use the pin-on numbers.

      Once all the shirts were numbered, she placed them in a reusable tote bag with the Goliath’s team logo, along with a packet of special edition trading cards and a Harrison Foundation Fun Camp water bottle.

      She’d just packed the filled tote bags into large plastic bins, ready to be loaded into the back of her compact SUV, when her phone rang. She figured it was probably her mother-in-law, so she didn’t bother to check the Caller ID before answering it.

      “Alice.” A voice from the past caught her off-guard. “It’s Johnny. Johnny Scottsdale.”

      “Hello Johnny.” She hoped he didn’t catch her sharp intake of breath. “Did you get my email? I sent over everything I could think of to help you prepare for the camp.”

      “Yes. It was thorough.” A shuffling sound told her he was switching the phone from one ear to the other. She’d bet he was walking around his apartment, or wherever he was calling from. He’d never been able to have a phone conversation while sitting in one spot. “I was kind of hoping we could meet sometime today. So you could…walk me through it.”

      “Sure, I’ve got a few things to wrap up, but I can meet you this afternoon.”

      “How about a late lunch?” Johnny suggested. “Is that one place still around? That diner Mel liked to go to?”

      “It’s still around. Still owned by the same family.” She allowed her mind to drift back to happy times. When Mel had been excited to show his friends around the city he grew up in. He’d made an effort not to take them anywhere too fancy. He’d been almost as ashamed of his wealth as Johnny had been of his poverty.

      Her mother hadn’t understood why she’d chosen to spend that Thanksgiving with her boyfriend’s roommate’s family rather than coming home. But her mother hadn’t offered Johnny an invitation, so where he’d gone, she’d followed.

      At the time, she’d thought she would have followed Johnny anywhere. To South America, Japan or even Australia if that’s what it took for him to make a career in baseball.

      She would have followed him so she wouldn’t have to worry about all the other women. He acted like he didn’t notice the number of female fans who seemed to increase with each win. But she’d noticed. She couldn’t help but notice how popular he’d become. Some even hit on him when she was standing right next to him.

      She hadn’t wanted to drag him down with her jealousy. Her insecurity. And she’d never survive any kind of infidelity. So she let him go. Let him leave for the Minor League camp as a free man. To focus on baseball. To become the pitcher he was today.

      They agreed on a time and Alice knew she didn’t have nearly enough work to keep her occupied until they’d meet. She wondered if it had been worth the sacrifice. If he’d been happy. If she’d be able to work with him without her heart breaking all over again.

       Chapter 3

      Johnny went for a run down the Embarcadero, dodging seagulls and skaters and street performers. He was really dodging his feelings. His past. And the realization that he needed to start thinking about his future. He usually started his preseason workout sooner, but with the cross-country move he was behind schedule. He finished his run but failed to clear his head.

      Long drives, cold showers and intense workouts had been his go-to distractions. Had he really believed he could brush away the memories like an umpire dusted off home plate? He’d spent the last fourteen years shutting down his emotions like he’d shut down his opponents’ lineups. Not quite—his career Earned