“When a man chooses to be a father, his dreams for his children and family come first and are more important. A father’s job is to make dreams come true for others. You did that for your son.”

Eddie Blackburn was grateful when he heard those words from a dear friend a couple of weeks after his son Cole left home to be on his own. For 18 years Eddie poured his heart and soul into making sure Cole didn’t have daddy issues. His own dreams were dashed by a father who disappeared leaving Eddie to drop out of school, run the family business, and pick up the pieces.

It all changed the night Eddie saw Kelli Swanson sitting on his sofa watching television.

Kelli was a basketball All-American. Intensely private, she hated the attention, longing to be anonymous. Personal and family issues led her to make choices that altered the path that once seemed a given. After it all fell apart, Eddie was there to pick up the pieces.

When Cole was born, Eddie vowed that he’d provide the guidance his son would need to change the family narrative and achieve something in life. Cole’s incredible baseball skills forced his father to make decisions that would have a deep effect on his son’s future and perhaps alter the path of all three lives.

Kelli’s Pine is a place of redemption through love, perseverance, sacrifice, and family.