“Thank you, sweetheart.”

“Give me your phone,” he heard his father demand.

“I’ll be in touch. Tell Hattie I said hello and a bit later … well, I’ll contact her, and we can plan some girl time.”

“I cannot even believe you’re championing this!” Sylas shouted.

“I’m certain she’d love that,” Axl said.

“Good, and have a nice day, darling. Speak soon. Love you.”

“Love you too. And I know you can’t talk about it right now, but before we hang up, you have to know. I’m glad for you. I want you to be happy and I’ve wanted that a long time. I’m pleased as hell you’re going for it and I’ll support you any way I can.” He let that sink in and finished, “Later, Ma.”

Another hesitation before he got a husky, “Good-bye, Axl.”

She disconnected.

He dropped his cell on the counter and shared with Hattie, “She’s leaving him.”

She came right to him, put both hands on his chest and asked, “Wait, was that your mom or your dad?”

“First, Dad.”

“Your dad phoned to say your mom was leaving him?”

“My dad phoned to share he’d investigated you, knows you stripped, and is pissed as fuck I brought a stripper into his house and I’m so stupid I don’t know you’re after his money.”

She began to take a step back, but he hooked her with an arm and waylaid her.

“You know I don’t believe that shit,” he growled.

“I know,” she whispered, hands pressing in.

“He’s a goddamned dick.”

“Honey.”

“They got in a fight while Dad was spewing his shit, and then Mom called. She walked away from him and said she wanted some time this week. I put it out there, she confirmed.”

“Well, that’s good,” she said hesitantly.

“It’s fuckin’ awesome.”

He was still growling.

She pushed in with more than her hands.

“I’m okay,” he lied.

“You so totally are not.”

At that, his head dropped.

Just dropped, like he wasn’t in control of it.

It hit her shoulder.

That was when she slid her arms around him, held close and pressed against him tight.

She said nothing, just held on.

When he got it together and lifted his head, she caught his eyes. “You’re not stupid,” she said softly.

“I know, baby.” He let his gaze move over her face and then asked, “How hard is it for you to keep your shit right now?”

Her voice was vibrating when she answered, “Very.”

“I’m okay.” It wasn’t a lie that time.

“All right, honey,” she said, then moved totally in, turning her head and resting her cheek to his chest.

And yeah.

It wasn’t a lie.

Now he was okay.

* * *

“Gonna get us some hot dogs, nachos and beers. Babe, you wanna go with me to help carry?”

It was the fourth inning.

And something bizarre was happening.

Don looked to Hattie.

Hattie looked to Don.

Don jerked his head.

Hattie looked to Axl and smiled big and bright. “Of course.”

For fucking certain.

Something weird was happening.

“Anything else you want, Dad?” she asked as she got up.

“Beer, hot dogs and nachos sound like just the ticket.” Don’s gaze came to Axl. “Thank you, son.”

So fucking weird.

“Yeah,” he grunted, grabbed Hattie’s hand and all but dragged her up the steps from their seats he paid a fucking fortune for to get on the first-base line.

Things did not start out weird.

They met Don at a handicapped parking spot and Don was as Axl would have expected. Guarded and reticent.

The vibe was awkward and stilted as they hit Will Call, went in, got their programs and found their seats.

Through warm-ups, the same.

Before the game started, Axl headed up to get them their first round of beers, and when he got back, that was when it happened.

No longer stiff and uncomfortable, it was a father out with his daughter and her boyfriend, kicking back, watching a ball game and having a great time.

Don thanked him for the tickets and said next time, it was on him.

Don asked him how his job was going.

Don asked him how he felt about the Rockies’ stand against the Mets from which they just got home.

Don asked him if he’d ever been down to Arizona to catch spring training.

Don told him he’d followed Smithie’s Instagram and saw Hattie dancing, “And maybe you and me can take in a show sometime, if that isn’t too weird.”

And no, that wasn’t weird.

The rest of it was.

He stopped his woman in a concession stand line, let her go, got in front of her and looked down at her.

“What the fuck?”

She was very bad at trying to look innocent. “What the fuck what?”

“What’d you say to him?”

“Um …”

That gave him nothing and she didn’t expand.

“Hattie,” he prompted.

“Okay, so maybe I told him that your dad called you stupid and a pussy and that you found out today your mom was leaving him. And he was really flipped out about your dad calling you stupid and a pussy. He said, ‘Jesus, barely know the guy, and still know he’s far from stupid and for sure, he’s no pussy.’ Then he got kinda … angry on your behalf.”

For the second time that day, Axl couldn’t believe his ears.

“Let me get this straight, your whole life, he is not cool with you. He hears about my dad not being cool with me, and he’s angry on my behalf?”

She shrugged.

“Jesus,” he muttered.

“Hattie?” they heard.

They both looked in that direction.

And fuck him.

Automatically, his jaw tilted sharply, and his back went straight.

A dude was looking Hattie up and down, smiling, and getting in their space.

“Jesus, Hattie, hey,” the guy said, the smile going broad.

And then he went right in.

Right … fucking …in.

With an arm snaking around her waist, he bent and kissed her cheek.