Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2017 23:42:18 +0000 From: Douglas DD Subject: Aiden Chapter 30 Greetings and welcome back. After visiting Washington State University and watching his hero, Marty, play baseball, Aiden is ready for his own practices to start. This story is mine and copyrighted by me. Please be 18 or older to read. Nifty keeps bringing us stories. A donation to Nifty will ensure that continues. CHAPTER 30 IT'S ALL ABOUT BASEBALL As March moved into its second week, Aiden's mind was filled with baseball. He and Gordon continued to help Larry at practices. There was no doubt that Sammy was the boy in charge, but he was fair about giving them work. Aiden and Gordon found him to be fun to work with. On the ride home after practice, Aiden told Larry how nice Sammy was to them. "He doesn't act bossy at all." "If Sammy was ever mean to you guys, Jeffrey would rip him a new one," Larry laughed. "Rip him a new what?" Too late, Larry realized he'd stuck his foot deep into his mouth. "It's just a figure of speech," Larry replied lamely. "You said you'd explain what those fingers of speech were if I didn't know." "Figure of speech," Larry emphasized. "Whatever. What does it mean?" "It means Jeffrey would rip him a new asshole." Larry turned the car into the driveway when Aiden said, "Who needs two of those? You'd have to buy twice as much toilet paper." Both Larry and Aiden were laughing hard as they entered the house through the garage entrance. "I guess what it really means," Aiden said as the laughter died down, "is you get really mad at somebody for doing something really bad." "Close enough," Larry said. "I learn the strangest stuff from you and dad." "It's all part of growing up," Larry told him. "Just all part of growing up." Aiden went up to his room and looked at the two pictures of Marty hanging on his wall. He, Larry, and Phil were going to Pullman on Friday, March 24, to watch the WSU Cougars and Marty play a double header on Saturday, unless the Mustang baseball team had to make up a rainout that weekend. Aiden was already praying hard for sunshine all week. He followed Cougar baseball on his computer. He knew all of Marty's stats in detail. He followed the other players as well, especially Marty's husband, Rich, who was a relief pitcher and backup infielder for the Cougs. He could recite the team leaders in almost every stat category—of course, it helped that Marty led most of them. The most excitement he felt was finding out which team he would be playing for in the Park League. He soon would be a baseball player for real. Aiden was much more excited about baseball than he had been about soccer, and his level of excitement back in the fall had been at a high level. But, his dads were baseball coaches, his bro Marty was a star college baseball player, the Donkey played baseball and coached it at the middle school where he taught, and all of his best friends, except Mason, played baseball. As a result, his sports interest gravitated to baseball. Aiden knew that Mason wanted to play on a team. He wasn't very good, but he played with his friends as much as he could, and had even hit with them in the school batting cage a couple of times. Aiden felt good because he was able to teach Mason some things, and while Mason was still not very good, he was getting better. Miles, Muddy, and Gordon were going with Aiden and his dads to the batting cages in Centralia the upcoming weekend. Aiden asked Mason to come along. He knew Mason probably couldn't afford to pay his share, so he was going to use his allowance to pay his friend's way. He and his dads worked out a way to keep Mason from learning about who was paying for what. Phil and Larry both told Aiden that they were proud of how he was looking out for his friend. His dads also told him that when summer arrived there would be a weekend trip or two to Seattle to watch the Mariners play. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Mayfield Parks would field two 10-and-under teams in the seven-team Park League. The rules for being placed on the team were complicated, but flexible. Larry and Phil checked out the head coaches of the two Mayfield teams. The Dodgers would be coached by Bill Goodman, who was an administrator at the Kentburg branch of Centralia Community College. He was a veteran of the recreational leagues. He'd spent fifteen years coaching teams from eight-and-under coach pitch to thirteen-and-under ball, the highest level in the Park League. The recreational league had two teams each from Mayfield, Kentburg, and Meadow Park, plus one from Clark Pass. The other Mayfield team was the Knights. The coach was Ned Estes, who was new to Mayfield. He worked at the Mayfield dam doing maintenance and repair on the generating equipment. Estes had been a head coach of elite travel teams in the Seattle area for the past eight years with two fourteen-and-under regional championships and a state championship to his credit. He expected that resume to be enough to give him one of the top teams in the area. What he hadn't counted on was small-town politics. "This place is so fucked up," Ned complained to his wife, Britney. "For everything twelve-and-under and above they have this club. The fucking thing is run by the kids and they pick the coaches. What the hell kind of a program is that?" "Well, they did interview you, dear." "Some interview. There are three kids interviewing me. A senior, a junior, and a fucking eighth grader. I have a thirteen-year-old interviewing me to be a coach. That's bullshit. And then those bastards thank me for coming and tell me all of their teams have head coaches, but I could be an assistant for one of the teams. I told them I had coached a state champion and maybe they should hire me over somebody who never won anything. I mean, they call themselves the Go to State Club. You'd think they'd want somebody in their program who actually won a state championship." Britney had heard most of his rant already and tried to stay calm. "Linda Simmons tells me that the high school has won three State A Championships since the club was formed. Her son Eric played for two of them." "Yeah, and she just happens to be my boss's wife, so of course she's going to defend the shitty way things are run here. I mean the head baseball coach is a fucking homosexual. I'm willing to bet her son was a crappy ballplayer who rode the pine and played because his dad is the Superintendent at the dam. Hell, maybe he played because he was putting out for the coach. That's the way this fucking place operates." Britney knew that Eric had been the boy who started the Go to State Club back when he was a sixth grader. She also knew that he had thrown an historic perfect game in the state championship game at Safeco Field when he was a senior. She had tried to explain that to her husband. Any mention of the Club had put him into a darker mood, and he'd act like he didn't hear what she'd said about Eric's game or any other accomplishment. "The only travel team not in that fucking club is ten-and-under, and who do they have coaching them? Two rookies—kids barely in their twenties. Why are they coaching? Because they happened to play high school ball here— like that makes them qualified. What a crock of shit." "Honey, you have a team now. There's no use rehashing everything again." "Right, and what do I have to do to get a team? Go to the fucking Park Department and get assigned a ten-and-under recreation team. Recreation!!! Where everybody bats in the lineup and nobody gives a crap who wins. Well, not on my watch. We WILL give a crap who wins, mark my words." Ned had considered seeing if a travel team was available in Kentburg, which was only a ten to fifteen-minute drive east. But, he decided he would show Mayfield just exactly who he was, and then work to get a competing elite team started for the following year. "Hell, I might even find myself some future players. Who knows?" Larry and Phil knew Bill Goodman, who was a member of the Mayfield Booster Club. They liked and respected him. They saw him as a person of integrity who knew a lot about baseball and was able to teach and motivate kids. They didn't know much about Ned Estes, other than he'd apparently been a successful coach in Seattle. Larry asked Dennis Simmons, another member of the Booster Club and Estes' boss, what he knew about him. "He's a serious man. He's a good worker. He strikes me as being a bit arrogant, but he gets along with his co-workers from what I can see." Dennis trusted Larry to keep that information confidential. "If Eric were Aiden's age, would you let him play for the man?" "I don't see any reason why not," Dennis said. It was a statement he would come to regret. Larry and Phil really liked Bill Goodman. But, while a parent could request a coach for their kids, Larry and Phil decided not to request a coach, but to accept the luck of the draw. Their only request was that Mudrak and Aiden be placed on the same team, which was also their right. However, they could not make that request regarding Aiden playing with Gordon and Rusty, since the cuts for the travel team wouldn't be made until after the draw. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ On Wednesday, Aiden was taken to the Bednarzyk house after practice. Because it had been raining all day, practice was indoors. The practice had been short, but as far as the young boys were concerned, it had also been boring. Aiden and Gordon went home with Sammy and Jeffrey because Larry was going to meet Phil in Centralia. They had narrowed their choice of vans down to two and were going to test drive both. George Bednarzyk and Lois wanted to help Larry. They thought that Sammy was bonding with the two younger boys, and felt that treating the boys to dinner would help cement that bond. After all, when Gordon and Aiden became freshmen at Mayfield High, Sammy would be a senior. Lois cooked up lasagna for dinner, along with garlic bread and a tossed salad. Dessert was chocolate or vanilla ice cream, or both. George and Lois took note that even though their guests were only nine, they were already packing in the food. They weren't quite up to the level of twelve- year-old Sammy or fifteen-year-old Jeffrey, but they gave them a run for their money. After dinner, Sammy and Jeffrey showed the younger boys Marty's apartment, which was across the patio from the main house. "Marty doesn't mind us coming in," Sammy explained, "as long as we don't mess anything up." "And really, it is now Marty and Rich's apartment, since they are married. But once Marty gets drafted, I don't think they'll be here much," Jeffrey said with a tinge of sadness. "I'm horny," Sammy announced. "Like that is news," Jeffrey smirked. "No, seriously. I was horny at baseball practice. It was indoors and I wanted to suck one of their dicks," Sammy said, pointing at the two nine-year-olds standing in the center of the tiny living room. "Right there in the gym?" Aiden asked. "No, doofus. I was going to take one of you to the locker room and suck you there. You have had your dicks sucked by now, right?" "No," Gordon said quietly. "I'm only nine." "I've had mine sucked," Aiden boasted. "For real?" "By who?" Sammy and Jeffrey asked simultaneously. "For real, but I can't say. I said I wouldn't tell anybody." Gordon thought about what Aiden had just said. When his friend said he would keep the sex things he did a secret, he really meant it. Maybe he didn't have as much to be afraid of as he thought. "Have you sucked anybody all the way?" Sammy asked. Aiden nodded. This time nobody asked him who it was. "I've been sucked lots of times, even in here," Sammy said, referring to the apartment. "Me, too." Jeffrey didn't go into how he'd lost his cherry in the bedroom five years before. He felt that for now it was too much information for the younger boys. But, like his younger brother, Jeffrey was quite hard thinking of getting involved in some oral sex with the preteens. "Do you want to suck me off?" Sammy asked Aiden. Gordon started slinking into a corner. His little cock was rock hard inside his jeans. The talk of oral sex was exciting him, but his fear of going past groping or nude wrestling was still real. Aiden noticed his friend's discomfort. "Not if Gordy doesn't want to do it, too." He looked over at Gordon who showed his relief as he shook his head. "Maybe some other time," Aiden was surprised he volunteered that much. He wondered if it would be wrong to get involved in cock sucking with yet another boy—in this case his fourth. Plus, he really wanted to get sexy with Gordy really bad. "You'll do it with me sometime, for real?" Sammy asked. Aiden simply nodded rather than saying anything. He hoped that nodding didn't totally commit him to anything. Sammy had pulled his sweats and boxers down to his ankles while they talked, revealing his four-inch pubescent erection, topped by scattered wisps of pubic hair. "I am so fucking horny I can't stand it." He started jacking off with fervor. "Damn, bro, maybe we should start calling you the Hurricane instead of me," Jeffrey observed. "You are the horniest little horn dog I know." "Shut up and suck my dick." Sammy stood in front of the couch working his rock hard cock. "I fucked a girl in Marty's room a couple of weeks ago." He pointed to the bed that was visible through the open door. "She's a sixth grader and is really fine. All us guys think she's got the biggest boobs in the sixth grade and she won't be twelve until May." Sammy pulled off his shirt and tossed it on the floor. He plopped down on the couch and kicked off his pants and underpants. His hand went back to work, flying along the shaft of his thin cock. He was leaking precum now, his cock being lubricated as the slimy emission was picked up by his hand. "Come on bro, suck me. Show them you're still the Hurricane. Or Aiden can suck me. I want a blow job bad." Jeffrey decided it was time to put an end to his little brother's whining. He got down on his knees and placed his lips around Sammy's cock, taking it in down to the wispy pubes. Sammy had been so close to orgasm that he shot his wad into Jeffrey's mouth within seconds of burying his cock into his brother's throat. "Ohhhh, fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck," Sammy moaned. "Fuck oh damn, that feels fuuuuuuuuuuuucking good." His body convulsed as his orgasm shook him. Aiden and Gordon could tell that Jeffrey was swallowing his brother's cum. "Thanks, bro, I really needed that," Sammy rasped as he came back to Earth. "I know," his teen brother said. He looked at the two younger boys who had watched the sexual encounter between the brothers with awe. "I had to bring him off or he would be impossible to be around all night. Probably wouldn't get his homework done." "I always get my homework done. I would have just jerked off—but a BJ from you is miles better than a JO from my hand." "Was it better than the girl you fucked on Marty's bed?" Jeffrey asked. "Yep, cuz I didn't have to wear a condom and I didn't have to change the fucking sheets." Sammy got dressed and the four boys left the little apartment. Aiden wished he'd pulled down his pants to show Gordon and the two older boys how hard he was. Gordon was also wishing that Aiden had pulled down his pants—he really liked looking at his best friend's cock. When the boys returned to the main house, they were chided by George for spending so much time in Marty's apartment. He wondered if his two sons had been giving sex-ed lessons. If they had, he trusted they had not done anything harmful to the younger boys. On the other hand, they might have simply spent the time talking about baseball or some other boy topic. The four boys went to work on their homework at the kitchen table. Jeffrey and Sammy had gone to their rooms to change into soccer shorts before starting. Aiden didn't fail to notice the bulge of Jeffrey's erection in his shorts. The middle school student and the high school student had the most homework to do. Aiden and Gordon were finished within a half-hour, while Jeffrey and Sammy slaved away. About an hour after Gordon and Aiden finished, Larry and Phil arrived from Centralia. Sammy had also completed his work and the three boys were watching TV. Aiden got up and hugged his two dads. "Did you buy a new car?" he asked. "I think we've made up our minds," Phil replied. "But, before we buy it, we want you to ride in it." "Why me? I'm not going to drive it; I'm too young." "It's a big purchase, and you'll be riding in it a lot," Larry said. "You are part of the family and we want your input. Tomorrow after practice you and I will go to Centralia and meet your dad and then go for a ride and, if you approve, buy a new car. Then we'll celebrate with dinner at the Steak House." Aiden grinned. The fact that his dads wanted his opinion on something as major as buying a new car made him feel like he was a very important member of the family. "Can Sammy go with us to the batting cages on Saturday?" Aiden asked. "As long as it's okay with his parents," Larry replied. Their permission had already been procured, providing it was okay with Aiden's dads. The boys had gotten all the pieces to fall into place. The next day Aiden rode with his dads in a Honda Odyssey mini-van. It sat eight, which gave it plenty of room for his friends. Plus, it smelled really nice and was comfortable, it had a sun roof, and it had room to put stuff. "I like it," Aiden said. "Buy it." "Whatever you say, kid," Phil laughed. They paid cash for their new mini- van. As they had originally planned, they didn't trade in Larry's car. If they found they didn't need a third vehicle, they could always sell it. The van in the color they wanted, with the bells and whistles they wanted, would be ready for them to pick up on Tuesday. "I guess that means we'll have to take the truck and the car to get everybody to Centralia," Larry said. "And it's worth it. It's great to see you with so many friends, Aiden." Peter, their usual waiter, had the day off at the Steak House. But the service and food were still great, especially since Larry and Phil were long- time regular customers. Aiden thought his steak and fries were perfect. On Friday, Aiden sat in the stands of the beautiful ballpark situated behind the high school. It was suitable for tournament play. School and summer tournaments were often scheduled there, right up to high school district tournaments. Aiden watched the game carefully, especially Jeffrey, who was playing third. But he also jumped up and cheered for the Mustangs when they got a big hit or made a good play. His cheering was frequent. Nick pitched a two- hitter as the Mustangs shut out the Winston Raptors 4-0 in a league game. The Mustangs were now 2-0 in league play and 3-0 overall. Aiden dreamed about watching them win another state championship. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Aiden was excited when Phil tucked him in on Friday night. The next day he would be going with his friends to the batting cages in Centralia. His excitement had him tossing and turning. He finally was able calm himself down some. His thoughts shifted from the cages to what had happened in Marty's apartment with Jeffrey and Sammy. Not for the first time, Aiden felt disturbed by what he had witnessed. While the sex between the two brothers was exciting, there was an intensity surrounding it that he didn't understand. What he saw wasn't the same as the messing around he did with his friends, or even with Chase. His dads had talked to him about puberty and hormones. He couldn't wait to learn what it was about, but, it also looked scary and confusing. He was also concerned that Gordy might have been offended by the sex between the two brothers. With those thoughts in his head, Aiden drifted off into a somewhat restless sleep. Larry and Phil had a big flock of boys to herd to Centralia. Aiden, Gordon, Miles, Mudrak, Rusty, Sammy, Jeffrey, and, surprisingly, Mason were all going. They ended up just needing Larry's car since George Bednarzyk said he'd help out with his SUV. George had called Larry on Friday. They not only discussed transportation to Centralia and the boys who were going, they also discussed the progress Mary Polk was making on Aiden's adoption. The paperwork had been filled out and filed with CPS. It now had to cycle through the court, with a hearing scheduled for April fourteenth. "My reason for helping you take the kids is selfish," George admitted. "This way there will be room for Jeffrey, too. From what he's been telling me he needs the batting practice." "He hasn't been squaring up on very many pitches," Larry agreed. The session went well. They had reserved two cages and since Larry and Phil were certified coaches, the facility allowed them to feed the pitching machines. However, they took turns on one of the machines so the other one could coach. They paid a discounted price since only one employee needed to be present. Larry and Phil were both pleased with Aiden's hitting. He had shown tremendous growth as a player, helped by his natural aptitude. He was slicing line drives into the netting. When he was complimented on his improvement, Aiden gave credit to his bat, but his dads knew it was their son's hard work that was the biggest factor. "Muddy is hitting the ball better, too," Aiden pointed out. As the big kid learned more about the basic fundamentals of hitting, he had started hitting the ball with more authority. Sammy was a natural player, much more so than his older brother. But, Jeffrey was a harder worker. Phil worked with him on getting a hitch out of his swing that he and Larry had both noted in practice. They now had more time to work with him on it. The biggest surprise in the group was Mason. While he didn't do much as a hitter, he also wasn't missing everything. He obviously was having fun. Everyone, including Mason himself, cheered for everything Mason hit, whether it was fair or foul. The group worked on fielding in the pavilion for about a half-hour, and then went to the Centerville Café for lunch. The boys sat on their own. Larry, Phil, and George were impressed by how well the group of energetic, rambunctious boys behaved. They were particularly impressed with how quickly Jeffrey pounced on anybody who got a little loud or gave a hint of getting out of line. It only took a couple of reminders to help keep everyone well-behaved. Larry had a long conversation with Mason's mother that night. He convinced her that Mason's studies and reading time would not be irreparably damaged by playing recreational baseball. He used Aiden as his example, citing the boy as a voracious reader as well as an almost straight-A student. "The ancient Greeks believed in balancing the intellectual and physical aspects of the psyche," he reminded her. "Besides, it will help him make more friends." "He does seem happier being around your son and his friends. But, I know he is not very athletic. Won't the other boys make fun of him?" "A lot of the boys on the rec teams aren't very athletic. As for making fun of him, I doubt his coach will allow it. And I know Mudrak and Aiden won't allow it. I will see to it that they are placed on the same team." "Thank you Larry. And thank you for taking such an interest in Mason. He idolizes you. It means a lot that somebody as important as you are in this town takes that kind of interest in a shy little boy." "I'm just a teacher, coach, and dad, being a teacher, coach, and, well, a big brother to your son." Madeline Johnson signed her son up at the Park Department office on Monday. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The two Mayfield ten-and-under coaches received their rosters on Friday and spent the weekend calling their players. Both teams had twelve players with the possibility of two or three more being added to each roster once the travel team made its cuts. Nobody was cut from the Park League teams. Phil, Larry, and Aiden left for Pullman right after school was out. Phil took off work early and since the Mustangs didn't have a game scheduled until Wednesday, Larry gave the team the weekend off. "But, I'll work your rear ends off on Monday," he told them. They took the Accord instead of the new mini-van, opting for the intimacy of the car. The trip would take close to seven hours, including a dinner stop. It would be close to eleven by the time they got to their hotel in Pullman. They would spend Saturday afternoon watching the double header between the WSU Cougars and the Oregon State Beavers. That evening they'd have dinner with Marty and Rich, spend another night in their hotel, and leave for home on Sunday morning. "Why can't I spend the night with Marty on Saturday?" Aiden asked for what seemed like the one hundredth time. "Because he lives in an apartment that doesn't have enough room for you," Larry replied. "But I could sleep on the couch." "Aiden, it simply wouldn't be a good idea. The environment on a Saturday night in an apartment building occupied by college students is simply not proper for a nine-year-old boy." "But, I'm almost ten," he reminded his dads, even though his birthday was over five months off. "It's also not proper for a ten-year-old boy." Aiden sulked for a while until Phil got tired of his act. "Son, you can either act like you're almost ten and enjoy this trip, or we can turn around and go home." And eat one night's room fee, he thought. "This trip was set up for you to watch Marty play. If that isn't enough for you, then there is no use going on." Aiden continued his sulk until they got to a place to turn around. "Why are we stopping?" Aiden asked, as if he didn't know. "There's no place to eat here." "We passed a restaurant a few miles back," Phil said. "We can stop there on the way home." "I'm sorry," Aiden said. "I'll be good. I want to see Marty play." "We'll discuss it after dinner," Larry said. "Maybe with some food in you, you won't be as cranky." "I'm not...okay, I won't say nothing until after we eat. Are we turning around to eat?" he asked with trepidation. "No, we'll continue on and stop for something once we get to Yakima, which is a half-hour away. And you should say I won't say what?" "I won't say anything. Never use double negatives," Aiden growled. Larry knew he probably should have let it go considering the mood the boy was in. After that they left the boy alone until they stopped off to eat in Yakima. Larry was right. After Aiden stuffed himself with fish and chips and ice cream, he was in a much better mood. "Maybe I can spend tomorrow night with Marty," he speculated. "That will be up to him." Aiden liked the answer and grinned. Larry sent Marty a text letting him know they had checked into their hotel in Pullman. Marty and Rich stopped by the hotel that evening for a quick visit. Aiden gave Marty a gigantic hug. "I love you Marty. I hope you hit lots of home runs today." "I'll do whatever I need to help my team win," Marty told him. "You sound just like daddy. You put the team first." "He's the man I learned that from," Marty said. "I'm learning it, too." "It's something you never forget, whether you're playing a baseball game or doing other things in life. Think about what you can do for others, and you'll do just fine for yourself." It was after eleven when they finally got to bed at their hotel in Pullman. Aiden slept on the rollup cot. He decided not to sleep naked, even though he knew his dads wouldn't care. For some reason, it just didn't seem right. The alarm went off at 7:30. While Aiden wanted to sleep in, he knew they were getting up early so they could have breakfast with Marty and Rich. Aiden snoozed while Larry and Phil took their shower. They woke him up after they finished. Aiden thought it was cool that his dads showered together just like he and his friends did. Marty and Rich arrived about ten minutes after eight for breakfast with Larry, Phil, and Aiden. They ate at the IHOP that was two blocks from the hotel. Aiden had two fried eggs over medium and three pancakes, which he wolfed down. "How does a little boy have room for all those pancakes?" Rich asked good-naturedly. "I practice eating at home," Aiden giggled. Larry confirmed that. "We may need to add on to the kitchen when he hits puberty so we have room to prepare all the food he'll need." "Just tell them to just keep the fridge stocked with snacks," Marty told Aiden with a laugh. "I can't wait to watch you play, Marty bro," Aiden bubbled. "I can't wait to play, so you can watch me play, Aiden bro." "And I hope I get to see Rich play, too," Aiden said diplomatically. After finishing breakfast, they left for the WSU campus and the baseball field. The first game of the double header started at noon and they had to be at the field by ten. There was a decent sized crowd of around 2000 fans at Bailey-Brayton Field, the Cougars ballpark. Marty had gotten the three of them seats in the second row along the third base line. "That's so you can spend the afternoon watching me," Marty laughed when he'd told Aiden on the phone about procuring the tickets. Marty made sure to give Aiden a wave and a smile when he took his place on the field in the top of the first inning. The Cougars were first in the Pac-12 Northern Division. They were ranked fourteenth in the country. Marty was seen as a sure-fire All-Pac 12 player and was a top candidate for All-American honors. He was already on the All-Academic team with his 3.7 grade point average. The Cougars won the first game 10-3. Marty went two-for-four with an RBI double and scored a run. Larry and Phil were pleased to see Rich come out to pitch in the eighth inning. He threw two innings of one-hit, shutout ball, striking out two and walking none. But the second game was Marty's showpiece. He made three diving stops at third base. Two of them netted outs at first, and the other started an around-the-horn double play. He also took away a sure extra-base hit by snagging a line drive hit up the line. At the plate, he singled in his first at-bat and hit a two-run double his second time up to give the Cougars a 3-0 lead over the Beavers. He struck out in the seventh. The Cougars had a 4-0 lead after seven innings, but the Beavers struck for five runs in the eighth to take the lead. Rich came out to pitch the ninth inning and threw a 1-2-3 inning. The Cougars went into the bottom of the ninth needing a run to tie the game and send it into extra innings and two runs to win. Jordan Wilson, the Cougars' lead-off hitter singled to open the inning. Aiden stood up and cheered like a life-long Cougar fan, which he almost was. Corbin Ingles flew out to left field, which brought Marty to the plate. The Oregon State coach came out to have a chat with the pitcher, who was his closer. They discussed the scouting report on Marty. The pitcher, catcher, and coach, all knew how good Marty was. "Don't give him anything good to hit," was the coach's final piece of advice. Aiden was standing up, yelling himself hoarse for Marty to hit a home run and win the game. The rest of the crowd was up and cheering as well. The pitcher not only didn't throw Marty anything good to hit with his first two pitches, he didn't throw him anything he could hit at all. Both pitches were high and outside. He could at least have pitched him inside and moved him back a little, the Beaver coach thought. That had been part of their quick strategy session. While Marty was the best player on the Cougars, Anthony Garcia, their cleanup hitter, was a very capable hitter. The Beaver pitcher was aware of that and didn't want to see Marty get on base as the winning run. He decided to challenge Marty with a fastball and shook off his catcher, who wanted him to throw a breaking ball. The fastball was right in Marty's wheelhouse. He took a hard swing, and when the ball came down, it had cleared the crimson outfield fence for a game-winning, walk-off home run. Aiden was screaming, "That's my bro, Marty!!" as he jumped up and down in ecstasy. If he could have, he would have joined Marty's jumping and screaming teammates who gathered at home plate to meet him. The Cougars ended up with a big 6-5 win. Marty came over to where Aiden's seat was, his wide smile showing his happiness. "That was for you little bro," he yelled. "See you at dinner." "I love you Marty. That was an awesome home run." They enjoyed dinner at a restaurant in Moscow, Idaho. Moscow and Pullman were right next to each other, with the state border separating them. The University of Idaho was situated in Moscow. Marty said that Moscow had better restaurants than Pullman. Phil and Larry didn't know if that was true or not, but they couldn't complain about the one Marty chose. The steaks were excellent. "That was a hell of a hit," Larry said, referring to the walk-off home run. "I didn't know if it was ever going to come down." "It was the best hit I've ever seen in a baseball game," Aiden grinned. He was sitting in the seat next to his hero. "I got lucky—he gave me a fat pitch," Marty said. "Also, congratulations to you Rich for picking up the win," Larry said. "It's only my second career win," Rich said modestly. "Against no losses," Marty reminded him. The conversation settled down as the food was served. Marty turned the subject to Aiden. "When do you have your first practice, bro?" "Coach Estes talked to daddy this morning before we came to the game. He said it will be on Tuesday and then we have another practice on Saturday. It's going to be so fun. And I'll tell Coach I'm playing third base." Marty ruffled Aiden's hair. "How about you tell coach you'll play wherever he tells you to play." "But you said third base was the best and I should work to play there." "I did and you should. But doing what the coach wants you to do should come first. Oh, you can tell him you want to try playing third if he asks, but don't go begging for it. Eventually, you'll play in the best place for you. I played in that rec league when I was your age, and everybody else pretty much played everywhere, too." "I've been working on being a pitcher, too," Aiden said between bites. "I bet you'll be a good one. And Coach Sanders says you've been hitting the ball really well in the cages." "Yep. I like hitting. I want to hit like you." "Just do the best you can; the rest will fall into place." Larry and Phil loved listening to the chat between Aiden and his idol. Marty lived up to everything they loved about him. His advice to Aiden was from his own experiences and were right on the mark. Their boy couldn't ask for a better mentor. The dinner ended with hugs between Rich and Marty and their visitors, especially Aiden. Aiden didn't ask to spend the night with Marty. He conceded his dads were right and this wasn't the place for it. Besides, he was totally worn out. When they got back to their apartment, Marty and Rich stripped naked and got ready for bed. "I think Aiden's gonna be a hell of a ball player," Marty said as the two young men snuggled together. "And I got a husband who's a hell of a ball player," Rich murmured as he gave Marty a gentle kiss. "And a hell of a home run hitter." "Yeah, it felt awful good. But it WAS a fat pitch." "I love fat things," Rich whispered as he gently massaged Marty's hard 7.5 inches. "I love you so much." "I love you, too." The two shared kisses again but, in the end, there was no sex that night. Two baseball games and a steak dinner had left Marty and Rich a mighty tuckered-out pair of husbands. Aiden didn't bother with the rollout bed that night. He climbed right into the king-size bed and cuddled between his dads. He fell asleep quickly; sleeping soundly and dreaming of baseball. He couldn't wait to start practicing and playing with his team. The day had been a day of baseball, and that night, in his dreams, life was all about baseball for the little nine- year-old. Next: Take a Walk.