“Sounds like a great program. Let me look into some of the resources I use with the foundation Scout and I set up, and see if they can help narrow down the best places for you to look.”

“Really? I was merely asking for advice, I didn’t expect you to pull any strings or ask a favor of you.”

“I know, but it’s for kids and under the circumstances, all of us owe them our all given what they’ve sacrificed for our country.”

“You’re the best, Easton. Thank you.”

“I’ll be in touch.”

I’m just about to put the phone down when it rings in my hand.

“Kelly!” I say to the empty room when I see his name on the screen, and then answer. “Hi.”

“That’s a very enthusiastic greeting if ever I heard one,” he says through a laugh.

“It was?”

“It was.” I can see him nodding. “And you have every right to be preemptively enthusiastic, because I found your man.”

“You did?” I clap my hands together like a little kid. “Tell me everything.”

“I’m sending it over in an email right now. Where to find him. All about his background—”

“You did a full PI background on him without me even asking? Thank you, Kell,” I say, scrambling to get my computer and download the email despite the hotel’s shitty Wi-Fi service.

“I figured you’d want every in on how to find him.”

“You know me too well.”

“Mind telling me what you plan on doing when you find him?” he asks.

“That’s up for debate.” I chuckle. “It’s a cross between letting him know his dream wasn’t baseless. If he still plays, maybe trying to get him a tryout with an MLB team so he can say for posterity’s sake that he had a shot. Or it could go a whole different way and we could sponsor a veteran game to thank our heroes. Any and all of them could possibly give KSM some good publicity.”

“Ha. That Finn thing is stuck in your craw, isn’t it?” He chuckles.

“No. Yes. Whatever.” I laugh at my own expense.

“Not sure your guy’s going to bite on that if I’m being honest though.”

“Why do you say that?”

“War changes a man. On paper he appears completely different now than he was then.”

“Meaning?”

“I don’t see anywhere that he’s played since he returned. He had a small-time record before enlisting and since he was discharged, is squeaky clean. I mean, it’s like the guy is a completely different person. Hell, he doesn’t even go by his name anymore, just a nickname given to him by his platoon. I mean the guy’s a war hero and does a shit ton for the veteran community as a whole on top of owning his own bar.”