Free Trent (Season Two: The Ninth Inning #4) by Lindsay Paige, Mary Smith Page A

want
that for you,” he stammers on his words.
    A million questions run
through my head. I want to know all the answers, but I’m sure he
won’t tell me the truth.
    “Dom, why did you do it? Why
didn’t you come to me if it was about the money? I’ve always given
you money.” The tears and emotions burn through my body, and I
think of Deborah, Trent, and Kaelyn. I remember seeing the tape of
the shooting and I let the tears fall. “I could have helped
you.”
    Dominic turns his head away
from me. “I know.”
    “Then why? She was a mother—
a good mother to a little girl. She was married to a
wonderful husband. She gave you the money. You didn’t have to shoot
her!” I scold him fiercely.
    “You want to do me a favor?
You want to be the world’s best sister?” His eyes are hard as they
stare back at me. “Go away and never come back. Guard!”
    I jump at his cold yell for
security to come back in. Without another word, or so much as a
glance, I watch the guard take my brother away from me for the last
time.
     

     
    Through my years of therapy,
I learned something important: you can’t help people if they don’t
want it. And Dominic doesn’t want my help.
    I sit with a bottle of wine
as sad music plays. There are a lot of tissues on hand to wipe my
tears as the conversation with Dominic replays repeatedly in my
head. I want to stay curled up on this couch for the rest of my
life, but I can’t do it. If he wants to shut me out of his life,
then so be it. Tomorrow is a new day and I have to be a role model
for my kids.
    I don’t own a Memphis Angels
baseball shirt, so after work on Friday, I run to get one from the
nearest store. The red and blue colors are bright and I’m tempted
to grab one with Trent’s number, but I stop myself.
    Hello, stalker .
    I quickly head home, shower,
and change before going over to the foster home and picking up my
two boys. Sure, they’re not technically mine, but I feel as
if they are. David and Joey, decked out their own baseball jerseys,
race out to my car.
    “Miss Knowles, are you as
excited as us?” David jumps up and down.
    I take a deep breath. Two
nine-year-olds have a lot of energy, and I need to keep up with
them all evening. “Yes. I barely slept last night thinking about
this game.”
    “Me too.” Joey beams as he
buckles his seatbelt.
    After I make sure they are
both strapped in, I head to the stadium. Of course, Trent is going
to be there, but this is for the kids. Since it’s kids night, the
team is going to be signing for the kids and I know the boys want
some autographs. I think it’s nice how the Angels are giving back
to Memphis.
    The boys are bubbling over
with excitement and they talk the entire drive. It takes me forever
to find a place to park, and the crowd is worse than I imagined.
Thanks to Macy, I was able to get some good seats behind the
dugout. I haven’t told the boys yet though. I want them to be
surprised.
    David and Joey ask for
everything under the sun when we walk in, but I’m able to convince
them to wait a little bit before we grab something. I take them
both by the hand and lead them down to the railings. I hand them
the posters they were given out at the gate and two Sharpie
markers.
    “Now, don’t fall over.” It’s
not a long fall, but I can’t let them get hurt on my watch.
    They’re bouncing on their
toes as the team begins to come out. The crowd cheers as they make
their way to the long line of waiting kids. I try my best not to
stare at Trent, but I can’t help it. I watch him when he climbs the
stairs of the dugout and begins to make his way down the line. He
smiles at all of the children and even poses for a few selfies.
Then, he finally reaches us.
    “Scarlett.” He smiles at me.
“Decide to take in a game?”
    “I brought along some fans.”
I point to David and Joey in front of me.
    “You know Miss Knowles?” Joey
looks between us.
    “She’s my friend,” Trent
tells him. “And who are you