She shifted uncomfortably and then sighed. “I’m sorry I didn’t call you sooner.”
He could see the sincerity in her eyes. “Yeah, well, I didn’t exactly make it easy for you. I realize that I screwed everything up in New York. I know that part of this is my fault and I’m sorry for that. I shouldn’t have sent you back here on your own.” He reached forward and lifted her chin so their eyes met. “You should have called me the minute you suspected you were pregnant. You know I would have been here.”
“I was con he spoke to e
19
Over the next few weeks, Beau saw to it that Kate took things easy. He’d pretty much moved back into her house for the time being. There was no way he was leaving her to fend for herself.
Within a few days of leaving the hospital, and with her doctor’s approval, she was back at work. Beau had tried talking her out of working at all but he’d lost that battle. She loved her job and he couldn’t fault her for that.
As for Beau, he and Tommy had been talking regularly. While things with his stalker had been quiet since New York, he knew it was only a matter of time before another incident occurred. Now that he and Kate were together again he was worried as hell. He didn’t want her or their baby caught in the crossfire from this maniac.
As hard as the police (departments in not only Texas and Montana, but also New York) were working on the case, they had no leads to go on. This psycho had murdered a man in the middle of the day, in cold blood, and left no useful evidence behind. It was unreal. And, it was terrifying.
This fact encouraged Beau to broach the subject of a trade with Tommy. Naturally, Tommy had been surprised. Beau had spent his entire career in Texas. But what Tommy didn’t know was that Beau had already had several conversations with his manager. While Beau was more than well respected and loved in the organization, the Renegades were looking to make changes too. And Beau Callahan was quite an expensive commodity to hang on to. His remaining salary just didn’t fit into their game plan anymore.
In a way, Beau felt relief to hear this. As much as he loved Texas, and as grateful to his fans as he was, he had been unhappy there for the past few years. His life on a personal level had become empty. With the emergence of this maniac that was stalking him, it had become unbearable. He was tired of being alone and running. It had taken Kate and the prospect of becoming a father to make him realize that.
Now he had to play the waiting game. The Renegades were talking with several teams about a trade. Beau’s wish list was being considered and his most appealing prospect was Seattle they wereK just 5">. The Reign had endured several re-building years. They had an established team now and he saw a good potential for himself there. Not only that, it was a lot closer to Montana than Texas. And, spring training was in Peoria. He would be able to go home to Arizona for a couple of months out of the year.
He hadn’t talked things over with Kate yet. While it was early February and he knew the idea of him leaving for spring training was on her mind, she wasn’t talking about it and he wasn’t bringing the subject up either. His main priority for the past few weeks had been to get her well and back on her feet again. Now that he’d accomplished that he knew he needed to bring her in on the decisions he was facing.
The one thing he did know for sure was that a fresh start with a new team was going to be good for him.
Hearing his phone ring, he grabbed it from the kitchen counter. It was Tommy.
“What’s up?”
“It’s done. Renegades and the Reign struck a deal. You’re starting spring training in Peoria in a week.”
Beau felt a huge weight lifted off his shoulders. He leaned back against the counter while Tommy filled him in on the details of the trade. The paperwork was a technicality that Beau would have to deal with, but everything else was official.
“I haven’t talked to Kate yet so don’t say anything publicly on my behalf at this point.”
“Let me know after you do and I’ll release a statement. The Reign want a press conference too. They’re talking about tomorrow for that. You’ll have to fly out to Seattle.”
Press conferences went along with a trade. While Beau wasn’t excited to toss himself out in front of the media, he knew the chore couldn’t be avoided. “Sounds good. Finalize the travel and I’ll get back to you.”
“You’ve got it. Congratulations, man. I know this is what you wanted.”
“Thanks, Tommy.” Beau disconnected the call. He quickly dialed Kate’s number, checking his watch at the same time. It was nearly two. She would probably have her phone off but he wanted to at least leave her a message. As he had anticipated, her voicemail picked up.
“Hey, it’s me. Listen, I want to talk to you about something tonight. Do me a favor and come straight home. I’m going to go hang with my brother for a few and then I’ll meet you back here.” He hesitated for a moment, another set of words on the tip of his tongue. He wanted to tell her he loved her. He’d been wanting to say the words for a while now but they weren’t coming off of his tongue easily.
“Okay, I’ll see you in a few,” he said instead, feeling somewhat like a coward. Why was it so hard for him to say the words to her? He knew he loved her. There was no disputing that. He supposed that when he was ready, they would come out without him even having to think about it.
Grabbing his keys, he headed for his truck.
Kate climbed out of her SUV and grabbed her book bag and the sack of groceries she’d picked up on her way home from work. She did a balancing act on her way up to the front door, knowing Beau wasn’t home from Trey’s yet. His truck wasn’t out front where it was usually parked.
She had gotten his message earlier and was curious as to what he needed to talk to her about. His voice had sounded a bit off—nervous almost. She had a bad they wereCE b” “ feeling it was about spring training. She knew he was due to leave any day now. She had avoided discussing the matter and obviously he had been doing the same thing. With the date looming up in front of them she guessed he probably didn’t have a choice but to broach the subject.
She was not looking forward to him leaving. She’d gotten used to his presence again quickly. Damn it all, she was going to miss him like crazy when he left.
She felt the emotion bubbling inside of her and chastised herself for letting her mind wander in that direction. She had to accept that Beau played baseball for a living. He’d been doing so for most of his adult life. That meant he would be gone for six months out of the year. They would have to deal with periodic separation…unless she decided to go to Texas with him. She’d been tossing that idea around a lot lately and had pretty much decided that wherever Beau went, she was going too. But she would have to finish the school year out first.
Perching the bag of groceries on her hip, she attempted to shove her key into the front door lock. Naturally, the grocery bag tore and several pieces of produce rolled across the porch. Irritated, she shoved the front door open and then turned to pick up the fallen items. She never got the chance. A man’s fist slammed her in the face, knocking her over backward. Immediately everything went black.
By the time Beau had left Trey’s and was heading back to Kate’s it was almost four-thirty. He had intended to be home an hour ago but Trey had insisted they toast the trade to Seattle. He and Kylie were ecstatic. He knew Kylie had been worried about Kate moving too far away.
Picking up his phone, he checked to see if Kate had called him. She hadn’t. He speed dialed her and waited. He got her voicemail. This was a little strange, considering she always answered her phone after work. He supposed she might be busy changing out of her work clothes or something.
“Hey, baby. I’m on my way. I’ll be there in a few.” He disconnected and headed toward Kate’s. He was about two minutes from her house when the announcer on the radio station he had on caught his attention—or rather the sound of his own name did.
“Apparently, ladies and gentlemen, it’s official. Beau Callahan, star first bas
eman for the Texas Renegades, is no longer a Renegade. Yep, you heard it here first. Mr. Callahan is now officially a member of the Seattle Reign. I got this news straight from a Renegades publicist himself. The ink’s dry, the deal’s done….” The announcer went on to explain the details of the trade between Texas and Seattle.
Swearing, Beau put his foot on the gas, hoping Kate hadn’t been listening to the news. If one station had the goods, they all did. This was liable to be all over the country by now. He immediately regretted not going to Green Gables and talking to her himself earlier.
When he pulled up in front of her house, he noticed her SUV was in the driveway. At least she was home.
Climbing out of the truck, he headed up the walk and prepared to use his key to open the front door. He didn’t have to. The door wasn’t locked.
He cursed, annoyed. He’d warned Kate repeatedly about locking up, even if she was home. Clearly, she had forgotten.
He walked into the house, expecting to find her at the refrigerator, digging through it for something to eat, where he found her most nights when he got home after she did. When he looked to the kitchen, he found it empty. they were s
For some reason, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and he had the instinctual feeling that something wasn’t right. And then he saw her. She was sitting in a far corner of the room in an easy chair, staring up at him with wide eyes. Her face was tear streaked and a large red blotch covered one side of her cheek.
“Sonofabitch, what happened…” The words died on his lips when her eyes flicked to the hallway toward the bedroom. That was when he saw the man standing just outside the bathroom door, a gun in his hand.
Beau’s heart tripped into overdrive. His first instinct was to put himself between the man and Kate. He quickly did so, his gaze narrowed ominously.
“Kate, go,” he told her, never losing eye contact with the man in the hall.
“Well, well, well, it’s about time you joined our party.” The man looked over Beau’s shoulder at Kate. “I think you know better than to move, sweet cheeks. I’ll shoot him through the head if you do.”
Beau heard Kate let out a small whimper. Immediately, he saw red. “This has nothing to do with her. Let her go and we’ll talk about this—you and me.”
“Oh this has everything to do with her.” The man stepped directly into the room and Beau found himself struggling for some sense of recognition. Did he know this guy? Surely if this was the man who had been stalking him all this time he would recognize him from somewhere…..wouldn’t he?
Tall and lanky, the guy looked to be in his late thirties or early forties. He had bushy brown hair and at least a few days’ worth of stubble on his cheeks. He was dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt under a tan colored jacket. There was something about his eyes that bothered Beau, but he couldn’t put his finger on what.
“Who are you?” Beau finally asked, still careful to keep himself in front of Kate.
“If you cared about your fans you would know that my name is Charlie Dwyer. I wrote you a lot of nice letters. You never wrote me back so I had to start getting nasty.”
Beau had never heard of the guy. “You thought I would answer threatening letters that you sent to my house?” He shook his head. “I don’t know you. Why are you doing this?”
Charlie Dwyer’s hand shook as he lifted the gun and pointed it at Beau. “You should know me. You singlehandedly ruined my life. Because of you I lost my wife, my kids, my house—everything.”
Beau shook his head. “I play baseball for a living, man. I don’t fucking know you.”
“Well, you’re about to. Step away from her and come over here. I like being able to keep my eyes on her. She’s very pretty.”
“No,” Beau said, firmly.
“Beau, just do what—”
“What the fuck do you want?” Beau asked, cutting Kate off abruptly.
Charlie snickered, his blue eyes going dark. That was when Beau realized what was bothering him. “You’re Channing’s son, aren’t you?”
Channing Dwyer was the night custodian at Arlington Stadium in Texas, who had been a witness to the breach in security on the locker room, months earlier. Beau had known the old man for years. This explained the eye re they wered onhe wascognition. This guy looked a lot like his dad. In fact, now that Beau had figured out who Charlie Dwyer was, he realized the resemblance was uncanny.
Dwyer’s expression changed to one of surprise. “I’m shocked you remember a stupid old man like Dad. Somebody like you has no purpose for an old guy that cleans floors.”
Beau shook his head. “I like your dad. He’s a friend of mine.”
“Sure he is.” Dwyer stepped a bit closer and Beau felt his adrenaline pumping. He had to get Kate out of here.
“Listen, if you just let her go I’ll sit down and we can work this out. I have obviously done something to piss you off. I’m willing to be reasonable and hear you out. But not with her here.”
“Why? Because she’s the love of your life? Because you don’t want to lose her?” Dwyer’s voice trembled and he shook his head. “I had that too once—but she left me. All because I lost some money—all because you couldn’t swing a fucking baseball bat. You’re paid millions upon millions and you still play like shit. You ruined everything.”
Suddenly Beau began to understand. “You bet on me and lost? That’s what all this is about?” He almost couldn’t believe it. There was no way that this man had killed someone because he’d lost a few bucks gambling. It wasn’t possible….was it?
“I didn’t just lose a bet, Callahan. I lost everything. I have no home, no family. I have nothing.”
Beau let out a hiss of breath. “I’m sorry you lost some money. I have off days. There’s not much else I can say to you.”
“Even when you have off days you still get your paycheck!” Dwyer’s voice rose significantly. “And now you think you can run away to Seattle and this will all be over? That’s the biggest fucking betrayal of all!”
“I’ll give you the fucking money you lost! Just let her go!” Beau snapped, growing more nervous by the moment. He didn’t like the way Charlie Dwyer was swinging that gun around. At any second, it was likely to go off.
Dwyer hesitated and then slowly shook his head. “It’s too late now. People have had to die. I never wanted to hurt anyone but I didn’t have a choice. I had to get your attention.”
“That’s bullshit.”
“Nothing else seemed to work. I tried reasoning with my father too, but dear old Dad was set in his ways. He was going to blow the whistle on me so I had to take care of him first.” Dwyer snorted, letting out a cynical laugh. “Just so you know, he didn’t know it was me that night at the stadium. He didn’t figure it out until much later. Damn fool. He should have minded his own business.”
Beau felt his heart crack down the middle. He didn’t want to believe that Channing Dwyer was dead.
“I’m done playing around here. There is nothing you can do to change my mind. You have to pay for this—for everything. Get over here and kneel down on the floor.” He gestured to Kate and Beau felt an instant panic wash over him. His arm shot out and he motioned for her to stay put. There was no way he was going to stand by and let this happen.
“This isn’t about her. Let her go.”
“You love her, now you can lose her, just like I lost my wife they were worried b” “. Get over here now!” He said, raising his voice at Kate. “I mean it or I’ll shoot him!” He pointed the gun at Beau, his hand shaking.
Kate stood up, her eyes locking with Beau’s. He saw complete and utter terror there and his heart broke for her. He honest to God didn’t know how he was going to get them out of this one. This guy was certifiably crazy. He obviously had no conscience.
“You don’t want to do this,” Beau said somberly, shaking his head discreetly at Kate. He prayed she would stay back out of his way. Apparently she got the message because she stilled. “What about your
wife and kids? Do you think this is what they want you to do?”
“It doesn’t matter what they want anymore. They’re gone. My wife has asked for a divorce. She’s found someone else. And you’re wrong. I do want to do this. I said, come here! Now!” Dwyer reached for Kate, yanking her arm roughly. Beau had no intention of standing by and letting him hurt her. Without thinking about it, he lunged, catching Dwyer off guard. His shoulder connected with Dwyer’s chest, knocking him off balance. The gun flew to the floor with clatter and went off. Kate screamed but Beau didn’t have time to turn around and see if she was hurt. Dwyer’s fist was already in a defensive stance and heading for Beau’s face. He ducked quickly and landed a blow of his own. His fist knocked Dwyer’s head back into the hardwood with a snap. Immediately, the man went lax.
Beau turned, frantically in search of Kate, praying she was okay. By the grace of God, she was standing unhurt, the fallen gun in her hands and trained on Charlie Dwyer’s motionless form.
Suddenly all the anger that had been bubbling inside Beau for the past twenty months came rolling out. He stood up straight, breathing hard, trying to tamp down on the rage he felt inside. He wanted to kill this man. With every fiber of his being, he wanted to blow by blow, watch the life leave this monster’s eyes.
“Beau?” He heard Kate’s shaky voice and turned away from the huddled mass at his feet. When their eyes locked, he exhaled, walked over to her and took the gun she held. She was in his arms a moment later.
Kate huddled deeper into the blanket she was wrapped in and tucked her knees underneath her on the couch. Hours had gone by since the police had been called. Trey had arrived with Kylie. Richard had shown up. Hell, just about everybody in town was in the house.
She and Beau had already given the police a play by play of the evening’s events. Charlie Dwyer had been arrested and taken into custody. Finally, Beau’s tormentor was behind bars.
Unfortunately, he had left a trail of bodies in his wake. Not only had he killed Patrick Longwell, but Channing Dwyer had been found dead in his home in Texas. Just as Charlie had warned them, he had killed his own father.
In the Eye of the Storm Page 15