Page 74 of Under Pressure

Jett chuckles from the opposite side of the clubhouse, eavesdropping like always. He’s on the phone with his daughter the way he always is before a game, but his eyes are on us. I ignore him and focus on the guys closest to me.

“This is about the girls coming to the game, right?” Finn asks.

I point at him. “You’re officially the smartest guy here. Congrats, big dog.”

He grabs his glove and gives it a squeeze. “They’re going to be fine. I doubt they’ll let Quinn go anywhere on her own. They all take Girl Code very seriously.”

“Did you blackmail the poor girl into coming?” Rhys Casey asks, drawing a few laughs from around him.

I keep focused on Finn while flipping Rhys off, already going over the quickest ways to make him pay for that comment after the game. He’s one of our five starting pitchers, and while he isn’t as good as Finn, he’s still pretty impressive to watch. Too bad his skill isn’t enough to save him from retribution.

“How is it that everyone knows about Quinn in the first place?”

Kellan laughs at my question, his eyebrows in his hairline. “Are you being for real?”

“Is there anyone whodoesn’tknow?” Finn adds.

“Alright, so I’ve been a bit obvious. Sue me,” I grunt, fiddling with the brim of my hat. “It’s not like Finn was discreet with Aubrey.”

Finn doesn’t bother arguing. “Fair enough.”

“The only one who actually did a good job of hiding shit was Rome, and that was only because he was scared Wes would beat his ass,” Kellan says.

I click my tongue. “Actually, I knew pretty quick.”

Jett wanders over to us, his phone gone. He takes a seat in the chair beside Kellan and nods. “I did, too. Anyone with eyes could tell.”

“Now you’re just trying to steal my thunder,” I grumble.

Finn leans against the wall, damn near massaging his glove now. “Yeah, I’m not buying it.”

“Where’s Wes, anyway?” Jett asks, not doing shit all to defend his claim.

I smirk. “Maybe he’s doing some bonding with his soon-to-be brother-in-law.”

“Jesus. I still can’t get over that. Rome’s marrying Brielle? Wes’ little sister, Brielle? Don’t get me wrong, I can see it and understand, but I didn’t see that shit coming at all. I keep waiting for a big brawl out on the field,” Rhys says.

Finn tips his chin in a nod of understanding but explains. “They’re actually cool. Roman treats her like a princess, so Wes has no reason to pick a fight with him.”

“Speaking of fights—anyone know when Asher’s coming back?” Kellan asks.

The lighthearted mood in the busy clubhouse dips a bit at the question. It’s a reminder that we’ve been missing our star centre fielder for the last couple of weeks and struggling because of it. He’s a part of the group, and knowing that he’s been gone because of a family illness has been hard to ignore.

While neither he nor Roman has shared what exactly is going on, Finn did give us a few brief details of what he knows from Aubrey. Asher’s mom has been sick with cancer for a while now, and it’s gotten worse as of late. Apparently, Aubrey ran into Asher when her grandma was going through chemo, and they bonded a bit because of it.

“No. I’ve tried calling, but he never answers. He texts back every few days, though. It doesn’t sound good,” Jett says.

I blow out a breath. “He’ll be okay. If anyone’s strong enough to carry this, it’s him.”

“Just keep reaching out to him. He needs to know he has our support right now, even if he doesn’t want to admit that he needs it.” Jett frowns, his shoulders slouching.

We always joke that Jett is the team dad, but there isn’t anyone more deserving of that title. He’s a bit more reclusive than Kellan or me, for example, and I know that has to do with how much time he spends with his daughter. Nobody blames him for that, especially when he still manages to be such a steady pillar in the clubhouse.

Knowing that Asher is struggling and that he can’t fly out to help him has got to be weighing heavier on him than the rest of us.

“We will,” I declare.

Finn pushes off the wall. “Aubrey sent him a care package last week. If she does another one, let me know if you want to put anything in it.”