Playing for Kinley (Cruz Brothers Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

heard the exhaustion in his voice. He was a great father but I knew he felt a lot of pressure with his job and taking care of his family. Basically, he worked his ass off to provide for and take care of them, ensuring that he would never end up like the worthless man who raised the three of us.
    “Yeah, but you’ll never get those years back, man, so enjoy them now.” Not that I knew anything about that. I was nowhere even close to starting a family of my own. “And Mickie? How’s the hospital?”
    Mickie had been an ER nurse since she and Dawson got married. She handled her long and sometimes irregular hours, two kids, a husband, and a house to take care of with a grace that I more than respected.
    Dawson had definitely not married our mother.
    Something I think he was immensely proud of.
    But I was surprised when his face hardened at that question, his eyes losing some of the light they had five seconds ago. “It’s good, I guess. She got promoted to department supervisor a few weeks ago, which is great because it’s more money. But her hours have also gotten crazier.” He paused for a second and then, “It’s just been a little hectic around here lately.”
    I studied him for a minute, wondering what he wasn’t telling me. With Dawson it could be anything. Out of the three of us, he had always been the least likely to discuss his feelings aloud with anyone. From a young age, he always kept everything he was feeling inside. To the point that I didn’t know how he hadn’t exploded like a powder keg with all the emotions he was bottling up.
    “You know, if you guys need help watching the kids, I can schedule out more time to come down here. At least until spring training in March. I know Mason helps but he’s got his own stuff too, so if you need me to help out, you know I will.”
    He waved me off. “I know, man, but it’s okay. We’ve got it covered, really. They go to their friends’ houses if we can’t figure out a babysitter and we trust those parents. Mickie’s also got a nurse friend who comes over when she can, and our neighbor down the street is always willing to watch them when she’s not visiting her daughter in Annapolis.”
    “But everything is okay with you two? With you and Mickie?”
    He nodded but didn’t really smile, making the lines around his eyes look more prominent. “Yeah, we’re good. With all the changes over the last month, it’s just been stressful. Things’ll settle down once we get back into our routine.”
    “Alright. Well, you know you guys can always call me if you ever need anything.”
    He nodded. “Appreciate it.”
    Deciding it was time to change the subject, we dove into a lengthy baseball discussion—since that was usually what we did when the three of us got together—but we were cut off when Mason came in the front door, bringing a whoosh of cold air with him.
    He looked at me. “Aired up your two front tires. They were low.”
    I shook my head and stood up to give him a hug. “Nice to see you too, man. And thanks.”
    I stepped back and took in the sight of my brother, even though it had only been about a month and a half since I’d seen him last. He was looking healthier than ever these days, much better than five years ago when he was starting to head down a much darker path. His dark blonde hair wasn’t shaggy and unkempt and his stubbled face wasn’t pale and gaunt.
    He’d pulled himself out of the hole he was in and got help, much to our relief.
    And he’d been clean and sober ever since.
    Suddenly, I was almost knocked on my feet by a four-year-old tornado that crashed into my legs, wrapping his arms around them and hugging me to him.
    “Uncle Parker!” Leo screamed.
    I smiled and picked him up. “Hey, kid.”
    My nephew looked as much like Dawson as a kid could ever look like his father. His skin was a light olive color and his hair was dark like both of his parents. But his hazel eyes, those were all from his mother. It was obvious