I spend a few minutes shaking hands and giving hugs before talking to the coaches. I'd yet to see Paul, but it was probably a good thing. Where I didn't want to ask about him, curiosity got the better of me.
"Did you guys trade Paul Thompson and I just missed it?" I smiled up at the head coach.
"I'm right here. Had to grab something from the locker room." His voice caused my stomach to tighten, in a bad way.
I turned and forced a smile. "Hey. I was wondering why you weren't with the other guys."
"Were you now?" His eyes moved across my face and down my body. "What are you doing after the game? Want to grab a beer and catch up?"
"No. She doesn't." Danny's voice surprised me a little. He moved up to my side and wrapped a possessive arm around my shoulders.
"That's funny, McAdams." A cocky grin spread across Paul's handsome face. "I don't think it was you I asked out."
"She's taken, Thompson. Find someone else to try your tricks on." Danny's face was a mask of challenge.
I almost felt small between the two of them. Something about Danny stepping up as my man left my heart racing, my body wet and aching for his. "Hey. It's all good. No beers for me tonight. Good to see you, Paul."
"You too, beautiful." He turned his attention back to me, but I ignored it.
I pulled from Danny's hold and walked back across the field. "You don't have anything to worry about, Danny." I glanced over at him to find him stewing in anger.
"No? You want me to go cuddle up to every girl that's waxed my cock while you're watching? That sound fun to you?" He voice was deep and hateful.
"What?" I pursed my lips and looked around. "I'm not sure what you're talking about. I never slept with Paul."
"Right. As if I believe that shit." He turned and walked to the mound, almost stomping.
I held my tears back. He was going through a lot, and he was overreacting. It was part of his persona and every alpha male asshole to do it. I let out a slow breath and ascended the stairs to the owners’ box. For some reason, a small group of reporters was standing outside the door, in the middle of the fucking aisle where people were trying to get by to get to their seats.
"Miss Harmon. Todd Dangle from News Channel Two. Can you please speak to the recent discovery that another one of your players has popped positive for HGH?" He shoved a microphone in my face, catching me off-guard.
"How did you guys get in here?" I reached for the door and moved into the box, closing it hard behind me. "What the fuck was that?"
Alan turned from watching the field. "What was what?"
"The media is right outside our door." I walked into the room and grabbed a bottle of water. "It's like there's no rest for the weary."
"That sounds about right." He reached out and rubbed the top of my back as I came to stand beside him. "They're all hyped up because Jackson popped positive for HGH this week."
"Why wasn't I informed of that?" Tension wrapped around the inside of my chest. First Danny was being a cock, then the media decided it was okay to pound down my door in the middle of our paying crowd of visitors and now I wasn't being kept in the loop on the happenings with the team? What. The. Fuck.
"Because you have a lot going on." He let out a long sigh. "You father wasn't kept up to speed on that shit either, Terra. It's my job to handle the players."
"Then handle them," I barked and lifted my water to my lips, drinking deeply. "Where are they getting the steroids from?"
"No clue, but we're investigating."
"We should move faster. This is getting ridiculous. Fans are going to start getting upset and stop buying tickets. That's how this works. We're an American tradition. A wholesome, happy, safe place to bring your family and your kids for an afternoon of fun. If people start to feel like our guys are toked up on an illegal substance, it's going to affect all of us."
"I know. I'm on it. Just avoid the media as best you can until we get a few things cleared up." He pressed his hands to the glass. "And if you need to hide out for a while, feel free to. I can help take care of everything."
Something about the way he spoke left me uneasy. If I wanted to hide out for a while? Was that a joke? And where would I go? In the locker room to get fucked against the shower wall like a teenage girl with nothing to lose?
I glared down at the field as anger burned deep in my belly. How dare Danny come over to the Oakland side of the field and remind me and Paul that I was off the market. Like I didn't know that. Like I wasn't mature enough to stay committed to one man.
I wasn't the slut. He was.
"Wow." One of the older guys walked into the box behind me, his voice stealing me from my thoughts. "What the hell is going on with the media out there?"
I bit my tongue and let Alan explain it. Obviously, he knew more than I did.
The game started, and thankfully, I calmed down a little. We were doing well until the top of the third when once again, Danny hit a batter. This time, it was Paul.
This time, it was on purpose.
Chapter 25
Daniel
"What the fuck was that?" Paul Thompson pulled off his batting helmet as he screamed and chucked his bat.
Where I hadn't planned on smacking him with the ball, the fact that I had was pretty damn cool. He charged the mound, and I dropped my glove, punching him one good time in the face before he tackled me to the ground.
"You think she's yours, McAdams? You're fucking wrong." He popped me in the face before I could roll us over and move up to sit on his chest. I hit him several times before Rick pulled me off of him.
"Have you two lost your damn minds?" Rick screamed.
I jerked away from him and walked to the dugout as the crowd booed. I wasn't sure who they were booing at, nor did I care. I was furious at Terra for going over to talk to Paul before the game. What was she thinking?
Was she trying to make me jealous? Cause I was.
"Great way to set me up for a win, dear," I mumbled sarcastically and pulled at my clothes. I'd take a shower and head out. I was going to catch all sorts of hell for my actions, but it wouldn't be tonight. I couldn't hold back my aggression for much longer, and letting it out on Joe, Rick or Terra would be less than smart.
I jerked my locker open to grab a pair of boxers and realized that I had a zillion missed calls on my phone. I slammed the door, not caring who they were from. Probably an unknown number. Whoever the fuck it was, it could wait.
After getting in the shower, I pressed my hands to the wall beside me and leaned against the cold tiles. There were too many moving parts in my life, and I seemed to be half-ass attentive to all of them. Something had to give.
Sadly enough, it seemed like that was going to be me.
"Danny?" Terra's voice filled up the locker room, and I stifled a curse. Of course, she was going to come give me grief over it. I'd been a total dick before the game and now was her turn to get in a bit of payback.
"I'm in the shower. I'll be out shortly," I barked, hating the tone of my voice. She didn't deserve me being a dick, but I couldn't force that part of me back in its shell.
"Alright. Sure." She sounded hurt, but it was getting to be a tone I was used to. Fuck me for being such an ass. I finished washing up and dried off before wrapping a towel tightly around my waist. I walked out to find her sitting on one of the benches, her face filled with either concern or disappointment.
I put my back to her and opened my locker. "What do you want, Terra?" I knew using her full name was another asshole move. The score kept rising for me.
"Did you mean to hit Paul?" Whether there was a hint of anger in her voice or not, I somehow wanted to believe there was.
"Why do you care?" I glanced over my shoulder as if she were a ball boy or someone less important. What the fuck was wrong with me.
"Because I own this team, Daniel." She shot back at me. She was damn good at that.
I turned to face her. "Then remember that next time a rival team comes to our field. Don't run over
there and high-five and hug every swinging dick on their team. It looks like shit if you didn't know."
She paled. "What did you say to me?"
"You heard me. Don't think I didn't see the way you looked for Paul. You think I'm stupid?"
"I think you're being stupid." She got up and walked toward me, her face coloring pink. "What's gotten into you? Where is the Danny I slept beside a few days ago?"
"Maybe he's still in the bed. Go wake him up." I turned back to my locker and pulled out my phone. "And who the fuck keeps calling me?"
"No. We're not doing this." She gripped my shoulder. "Turn around and talk to me."
"As my lover or the owner of my team?" I pulled from her and half-snarled over my shoulder. The phone thing plus Paul was fucking my emotions ten ways to Sunday.
"As your girlfriend," she barked.
"Is that what you are?" I pulled the phone to my ear and lifted my finger. "Be quiet for a minute. Someone keeps trying to call me over and over. Probably an ex-girlfriend that just wants to check in."
"You're an asshole." She turned and walked toward the door.
"You knew this," I called after her and turned my back to the door before plopping down.
My mom's voice filled up the line, her tone frantic. "Daniel. We're at the ER again. Your father's not doing too good. Please come up here when the game is over." The call dropped. Next one. "Daniel. It's mom. Just wanted you to know that Lyndsay is with Joan next door to the house. They're hooking your dad up to a bunch of machines. I'm not sure what's going on, but I'm a little scared. Say a prayer for us, son. Please?"
Message after message of her growing more frantic.
My stomach turned upside down and it was all I could do to make it to the nearest trashcan to lose my lunch. I wiped my mouth and got dressed as fast as I could. Baseball was my whole world for so many years, but nothing was more important than my family, though I'd almost let it become that way.
I jogged down the long stairs to the parking lot and stopped short at the sound of Terra crying. Fuck. I needed to tell her that I was sorry and that I loved her.
"Hey. He's an asshole. Lots of players are assholes." Paul.
What the fuck was Paul doing on our side of the field? In our tunnel?
"No. He's a good man. He's just going through a lot. I don't need your help, Paul. Please. Seriously."
"I know you don't, kitten, but I'm not going anywhere."
Kitten?!? Rage filled my insides. No fucking way this dude was on my side of the field and now calling my woman kitten. Oh hell no.
"I'm good. Seriously." Terra screamed as I jogged down the hall and crashed into Paul again.
"You sorry mother fucker." I punched him several times before head butting him. He held his own for a little while, but finally curled onto his side and spit blood across the floor.
Terra was frantic. "Stop it! For God sakes, Danny. Stop!"
I got up as she knelt beside him, talking softly to him. Almost lovingly from what I could tell.
"I'm leaving. Make sure he knows that I was your first." I turned and spit blood behind me before walking out into the cool night air. The minute it slammed into me, I knew I'd made a grave mistake. Tears blurred my vision, but I choked them back down.
It wasn't my fault that the world was caving in. I was holding on as best as I could, and doing a rather shitty job of it.
A million regrets raced through my head as I drove like a bat out of hell to the hospital. I parked the bike on the side and jogged into the ER to find my mom teary-eyed and sitting alone in a corner of the waiting room.
"Daniel!" She jumped up and ran over to me, wrapping her arms around me and crying softly.
"How is he? What's going on?" I gripped her tightly and glanced around.
She moved back and whipped her eyes. "It's okay. He's stabilized, but I'm pretty sure he had a mini-heart attack."
I let out a painful sigh. "We told him to come up here and get checked out. What was so damn hard about that?"
"What happened to your face?" She reached up and touch my lip where it was busted.
"Ouch!" I jerked back. "Damn, Mom."
"Don't you talk to me like that." She put her hands on her hips and tried to be hard, but she quickly crumbled into tears again.
"I'm sorry. I got in a fight." I pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. I held her until my phone buzzed in my pocket.
Terra.
"How is your dad?"
I sent a one-word reply and turned my phone off. Okay.
I'd fucked things up, but tonight wasn't the night to figure them out. My mom and dad needed me too much to remain selfishly focused on anything but them.
And knowing me... Ter would always come first.
Chapter 26
Terra
"Paul. Are you okay?" I glanced up to watch Danny storm off. What the hell was going on with him? It was almost like he'd become a different man than the one I'd fallen in love with.
"Yeah. That guy is an animal." He pulled himself up and coughed, spraying blood on the floor in front of us. "You need to stay away from him, Terra."
"Okay. Let's get you some help." I reached for him, but he pulled away.
"No. I'm fine. Take care of yourself. Seriously." He turned and walked back down the long tunnel that leads to the stadium.
"I will." I pressed my back to the wall and lifted my hands to cover my face. A long sob left me as I slid to the ground. My father would have been so disappointed in me for letting my personal life interfere with his team. It was the one thing I knew he would have wanted from me as the new owner. To be strong and not fall in the face of trial, tribulation or Danny McAdams.
"Terra?" Joe's voice surprised me.
"Yeah. Sorry." I pushed up from the floor and wiped at my eyes. "Pretend I'm not crying?"
My father's oldest friend walked over and reached for me. His hands were strong and warm as he held my shoulders. "I was going to check on Daniel seeing that he's been a loose cannon lately, but the locker room was empty."
"He's gone." I shrugged, feeling like the weight of the world was on my shoulders. "You should have taken the team from Daddy."
He chuckled. "Not a chance kiddo." He pulled me close and wrapped his arms around me. "Your father has loved this place since we were kids. We used to come out here and pay them to let us mow." He laughed, but the sound fell flat. "I miss him so goddamn much. You might be the only one who knows how big the hole in my life is now that he's gone."
I held him tightly and nodded. "I do. I just wish I could make better decisions."
"We all want to do that, kiddo. Hindsight is truly twenty-twenty. If we were given the end from the beginning then we can make the right choices all the time and live purely tranquil lives, you know?"
I glanced up and smiled through my tears. "But then we would be gods."
"And what fun is there in that?" He smiled and moved back to wipe the tears off my cheek. "McAdams loved your dad too, Terra. He's gone through a lot lately, and I think that's the only reason I haven't kicked his ass off the team. He's close to Jeremy Denning, so the kid getting popped for steroids hit Daniel harder than he'd want anyone to know." He released me fully. "He was almost a mentor to the kid."
"I know." I wiped away my tears. "I'm sure we have a lawsuit of some sort coming from Oakland, or at least Paul Thompson. Danny just beat him to a bloody pulp down here a few minutes ago. You just missed the show."
Joe glanced at the ceiling and let out a long sigh. "Fucking guy is going to have to pull himself together."
"I wish I could help with that, but I don't know what to do." I crossed my arms over my chest.
He tilted his head back down as his face filled with sorrow. "Maybe just talk to him about everything. He's not going to bring anything up to you or anyone else. Guys don't do that." He smiled sadly. "Ask me about the night your father died."
The tension in the air grew so thick that I almost couldn't catch my breath.
"What happened the night my dad died, Joe?" I reached out and took one of his hands in mine. I could remember a time when his hand dwarfed mine when he would toss me to my dad in the air, and my dad would toss me back.
"He wanted to go home, but Danny pushed him to come to Ruska's and hang out with the team."
"Oh, no." I lifted my free hand and pressed it to my lips. The pressure and pain Danny had to be carrying around left me feeling ill.
"Yeah." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I told Martin it would be good to see the guys outside of the field. He needed to reconnect with them. So, he finally agreed thanks to Danny's request and my prodding."
"Joe. You know it's not your fault that my father died. That's ridiculous."
"I know that’s what you believe, but I can't shake that it is partly my fault."
"No." I squeezed his hand and stepped closer. "Someone hit you guys going fifty miles per hour. We're lucky you both didn't die when the car rolled."
"I sometimes wish I would have." He glanced up and locked eyes with me. "I'm not taking up for Danny, Terra because he's being an idiot, but I am telling you that there's a lot going on inside that kid. Step up and help him out, or move back and let someone else do it."
He pulled me into a tight hug as I took quick breaths through my nose. It felt almost like the world was closing in around me, and the only person I wanted to comfort me was the one that kept striking out to hurt me.
It was because he was hurting, but it didn't matter. I was defenseless against him.
"Come on. We got a ballgame to win." He moved back and offered me his arm. "Let's go pull this one out of the shitter for your father."
"You know he could care less if we win or not." I slipped my arm into Joe's. "He used to say that as long as we were all-"
"Having fun?" He finished my sentence and laughed. "Try again. That was a cute thing to say to a sweet little girl. Your father was a tiger, a fighter, a winner. Much like the pitcher you've given your heart too."
We Belong Together: A BBW Second Chance Romance Page 13