Yesterday AJ had begun to think he’d imagined the overly cautious way she’d eyed Bigsby. Then his mind had been quickly preoccupied with Addison and the ump. Tonight he figured her evil eye was even more intense because of the brawl in yesterday’s game.

AJ smirked, amused by the expression on her face as he ambled up to her. “Are you really that superstitious about mingling with the opposing team members? Because that’s one hairy eyeball you’re giving them.”

She shrugged as the expression on her face softened. “I have a lot of superstitions. Most I came up on my own. But this one is one of my mom’s big ones. She always says it’s bad luck to intermingle with the other players, especially the catchers on the other team. Growing up, she said she always thought somehow they’d be able to read her. She might unintentionally give up one of Papa’s secrets or something. Makes sense to me, especially given all the stats I have here.” She pointed at her notebook. “And here.” She pointed the pen at her pretty little head. “So I stay far, far away from all the opposing team players, but especially the catchers.”

AJ laughed, shaking his head. “Something tells me you’re too smart to unintentionally be giving away your papa’s secrets. But I won’t argue with your superstitions.”

He hadn’t given another thought to Clair’s reluctance to mingle with opposing team players until the last game in the St. Louis series, but only for a few heart-stopping moments.

Except for the day Addison had come down on the field to chat it up with Danny before the game, the following games of the series she hadn’t made it down from the stands at all. Her mother’s leg was acting up again, and she said she didn’t want to leave her alone in the stands. It was disappointing to have to wait until after the games to see her. At least in Los Angeles, their next stop, he hoped he’d see Addison more often.

That last game in St. Louis he’d been lost in thought getting his gear on, when he noticed Clair standing next to him but saying nothing. “Clair Bear”—he looked down at her—“I didn’t even see you there. You’re so quiet.”

She was staring out at the field, but he could tell she wasn’t looking at anything in particular. “If I tell you a secret, do you promise not to tell anyone? Not Papa and especially not my mom?” She glanced up at him, her big normally cheerful eyes uncharacteristically serious.

AJ squatted down to face her and searched her troubled eyes. “Well, that depends, sweetheart,” he said, feeling his insides heat a little.

Remembering her superstitions and how Addison had planted the seed to the biggest one—no intermingling with opposing team members—he wondered now if what had crossed his mind for a fleeting moment might not be true. Maybe Addison’s superstition was actually her way of protecting Clair but sparing her the ugly truth. It’d make perfect sense that Addison might feel concerned about her little girl around so many men while her papa was often distracted. It was an ugly thought but sadly reality dictated caution. Maybe Addison felt Clair being around the team members with her dad was safe enough but to allow her to mingle with a bunch of strangers was pushing it.

Could Clair’s secret be something ugly? “If it’s something they should know, I think I’d have to tell them.” He was almost afraid to ask the next question, but he did anyway. “Is it bad?”

“No”—she shook her head quickly—“I don’t think so, just something I overheard, but I know I wasn’t supposed to, and I’m not sure how I feel about it.”

That could be anything. AJ searched her eyes a little more, still unwilling to commit to keeping anything from her mom or Lara. He didn’t like this part of being her best buddy, but if this was in any way bad, he was glad she felt safe sharing it with someone.

“What is it?” he asked, hoping they could skip the promising.

“I think my mom’s been lying to me about not talking to my dad anymore.” AJ’s brow’s shot up, not sure how to react or what to say to that. Luckily, he had time because she continued. “She’s always told me she hasn’t seen or talked to him since before I was born. Lots of times when she’s on the phone she gets quiet when I walk by. I just assumed it was grown-up talk because it’s what she always says. But a few weeks ago, she didn’t know I was in the other room, and I heard her whispering in the kitchen on her phone. I wasn’t trying to snoop, I swear. At first, I wasn’t even paying attention.”

“I believe you,” AJ said, trying desperately to mask the deep displeasure he was suddenly drowning in.

“His name is Fred,” she said matter-of-factly.

The blow was like nothing he’d ever experienced. Had Addison really lied to him about something this big?

How heavily this weighed on Clair was apparent in her weary eyes, and it nearly killed him, especially when she added her next pleading comment. “But you can’t tell her I told you this. Please.”

AJ avoided making any promises because he had no idea how he could possibly keep this to himself. Instead, he hoped maybe Clair had misunderstood. “Why do you think it was your dad she was talking to?”

“The first thing I heard her say when I realized she was in the kitchen was something about the decision had been made a long time ago and they both agreed it was better that way. Like I said”—she shook her little head, eyes widening a bit—“I didn’t really pay attention, so she whispered other stuff I didn’t catch, but then I heard her say, ‘That’s not gonna happen, Fred. She’s never needed you in her life before. She doesn’t need you now and won’t need you then.’ Then she said she had to go and that she’d talk to him later.”

AJ gulped, staring at Clair, because it didn’t get any clearer than that. “Have you ever told your mom you wanted to meet him?”

She shook her head. Even scarier than his first question about whether or not this was bad, was asking the next question, but he did anyway. “Do you wanna meet him now?”

AJ watched her as she looked around, unsure, and then shrugged. “I don’t know. All I know for sure is if it was my dad she was talking to that day she doesn’t want me to know about him. My mom is the smartest person I’ve ever met, and if she doesn’t want me to, then there’s gotta be a good reason.” Nodding, AJ smiled, still amazed at how bright this little girl was. “I hadn’t even thought about it again until last night when I woke in the middle of the night and heard her whispering on the phone in the front room. It just reminded me of the call I overheard. But you have to promise me that you won’t say anything to her about this ever, AJ.” She gave him her big puppy dog eyes. “Please, best buddy?”

Her outstretched pleading face had him staring at the big gap in her teeth, and he had no choice but to smile. At least he knew for a fact whom Addison had been on the phone whispering with last night. Even after several exhausting hours in his room every night since she’d been here, they couldn’t get enough of each other. As soon as she saw Clair was asleep, she’d sneak out into the front room of their suite and call him as promised.

Maybe the guy did call her every now and again. Maybe, like she’d said before, he didn’t deserve to exist in her life, and this was her way of keeping him nonexistent. She dealt with him on her own when she had to, but never once mentioned it to anyone else. It would be the only explanation that would keep AJ from demanding answers.

For now.

“I promise,” he said, reaching for Clair’s little hand and squeezing it. “But you have to promise me something.”

“Anything,” she said too quickly.

“If you ever feel sad, mad, or just confused about this, you’ll come talk to me about it. You won’t keep it bottled up inside that pretty little head and let it drive you crazy just because you don’t want anyone to know. Okay?”