Chapter 4 - The Unseen InvoiceSaturday morning broke crisp and clear. The rain from the night before had left the dirt on Field 3 dark and damp, but the sun was shining bright over the outfield fences.
Sloane arrived thirty minutes before game time, holding two paper cups of hot coffee. She wore a warm wool sweater and jeans, her auburn hair pulled back into a neat braid.
She walked over to the dugout where I was setting up the lineup card.
“Arthur told me Brendan called you,” she said quietly, handing me one of the coffee cups.
“He tried,” I said, taking a sip. “He’s a charm.”
Sloane looked down at her cup, her shoulders tense. “He called me right after. He threatened to take me back to court for custody if I keep letting you drive Theo home. He said I’m being negligent.”
“He’s bluffing, Sloane. He just wants control.”
“You don’t know him, Caleb,” she whispered, her voice laced with years of built-up fear. “Brendan doesn’t lose. When we got divorced, his lawyers dismantled everything I had. They made it look like I was unstable because I worked night shifts. The only reason I kept custody was because Arthur stepped in and threatened to cut Brendan off from the family estate.”
I looked into her eyes, seeing the exhaustion that no amount of sleep could fix.
“He can’t hurt you here,” I said softly. “You’re not alone in this anymore.”
She looked up at me, surprised by the conviction in my voice. For a moment, the distance between us closed, the quiet morning air thick with something unspoken and deep.
“Coach!” Theo called out from the infield, waving his glove. “Warm-ups!”
Sloane offered a faint, grateful smile. “Go coach my son.”
By 9:55 a.m., the bleachers were filled with parents wrapped in blankets, sipping hot drinks. Theo stood near second base, his eyes darting toward the parking lot every time a car pulled in.
At 10:02 a.m., a sleek, polished black Cadillac Escalade pulled up along the fence line.
May you like
The door opened, and a tall man stepped out wearing a tailored charcoal coat, designer sunglasses, and leather shoes that looked entirely out of place in the dirt.
Brendan Mercer had arrived.
Related Stories
