“This is nerve-racking,” J.T. muttered. “If she strikes out the game is over. There’s no way any of those other women can get a hit.”
“You’re right about that.” Matt focused on Kelly. She stepped back into the batter’s box, smoothed the dirt with the toe of her cleat, and took her stance. A seagull cawed noisily as it flew over the stadium. As Blaze Field was right next to the bay, gulls were plentiful and, at times, damn annoying. “Come on, Kelly,” he murmured under his breath. “Win this fucking game.”
The pitcher went into her windup and delivered a perfect fastball. Kelly swung and the sound of it hitting the sweet spot on her bat was loud. The ball shot into left field. It was low but had some speed. Everyone, including Matt, jumped up from their seats to watch it. The left fielder sprinted toward the wall and made a valiant effort to jump and catch it, but the ball went over her head and hit the dirt just past the grassy area. It rolled toward the wall. The left fielder tried to pick it up, but dropped it. The crowd roared.
He looked back at the diamond. Chantal had already crossed home plate. Sheila was sprinting from third and made it easily. The left fielder finally picked up the ball and fired it back to the infield. As Kelly rounded third base, the ball was heading for the catcher. They were neck in neck as she dove to the ground, face-first, and slid into home plate just as the catcher caught the ball and made the tag on Kelly’s shoulder. All eyes were on the umpire.
“Safe!” he yelled with his arms outstretched.
The small crowd in the stadium went nuts, screaming with excitement. J.T. slapped him on the back. “Hell, yeah,” he said with a grin on his face.
On the field, the Blaze wives and girlfriends had cleared the dugout. They were on the field screaming and hugging each other. Sheila and Chantal helped Kelly up and engulfed her in a group hug. Kelly’s batting helmet was on the ground as her teammates rallied around her, delirious with the thrill of victory.
Over their heads, Kelly looked toward the dugout. Their eyes locked and the pure joy on her face ignited a spike of heat low in his gut. He stared at her, stunned.
Just when the hell had Kelly Maxwell turned into the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on?
Chapter Six
After posing for a few publicity photos with the A’s wives and girlfriends, Kelly left the Blaze women in all their victorious giddiness to attend to her other duties. The game was over but there was still work to be done. Shortly, Katherine would present the check to the director of the Wishes Do Come True organization, and immediately afterward a drawing would be held in which the winner—one of the children from the program—would get to have lunch with his or her favorite Blaze player at a nearby restaurant of their choosing.
Right now the Blaze players were on the field. For the past half hour they’d posed for pictures, signed autographs and talked to the kids. This particular event was a team tradition, and one the players supported wholeheartedly.
Crossing the infield, she was proud of her guys. They’d checked their egos at the clubhouse door and had come together as a team to support the cause. Each of them, even Dave Rizzo, was making the rounds with the kids and parents. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Matt posing with a dark-haired girl who looked to be about nine or ten. The little girl’s complexion was wan but her smile was wide and joyful.
Kelly had been observing Matt ever since the players had taken the field to mingle with the kids. She was curious to see if he’d blow them off like he did the interviews. At first he’d hung back, as if hesitant to approach the children. It made sense. After all, he’d only been with the team for a couple of weeks, and was a former Dodger, San Francisco’s most hated rivals. She couldn’t blame him for being a little leery. But as it turned out, he needn’t have worried, the kids had flocked to him. Now he appeared relaxed and too damn sexy for his own good in faded jeans and a blue button-down cotton shirt. She’d been aware of him watching her during the game and had been worried it might affect her performance. Thank God it hadn’t. Striking out in front of him would have been embarrassing.
Threading her way through the crowd, she headed toward Katherine and her assistant, who was holding the ceremonial cardboard check that would be presented to the charity. As she approached, Katherine’s enigmatic blue eyes skimmed over her before she smiled. “Nice game,” she said.
“Thanks.” Kelly glanced down at her dirt-covered uniform and then at her boss who, as always, looked casually elegant in a pair of tailored black pants and a sleeveless tie-neck animal-print blouse. Next to Katherine, who was much shorter, Kelly felt positively Amazonian. “I didn’t have time to shower and change.”
Katherine waved a well-manicured hand at her. “Don’t worry about it. You won the game...and in exciting fashion to boot. Thanks again for stepping in for Jill.”
“It was fun. Are you ready to present the check?”
“Yes.” Katherine nodded and then said, “But before I do, I need a favor.”
“Name it,” Kelly said quickly. She was used to Katherine’s hectic schedule and tried to help her out whenever possible.
“I’ve had an important meeting come up unexpectedly. I won’t be able to make the lunch with the winner of the drawing. Would you be willing to stand in for me?”
“Of course. I’d love to.”
“Wonderful.” Katherine put her hand on Kelly’s forearm and squeezed. “You’re a life saver.” She glanced at her assistant. “All right, Liz, let’s present that check.”
Kelly’s smile faded as she watched Katherine and her assistant head off toward the podium that had been set up near home plate. Her work clothes were hanging in her office. She’d planned on using the shower in the women’s executive restroom and changing back into them. But now that she was representing Katherine at the lunch, the serviceable navy blue pants and matching blazer seemed inadequate, and more than a little drab. Luckily, since she lived two blocks from the ballpark, going home to shower and change wouldn’t take much time at all.
And she wasn’t doing it because Matt might be the player attending the lunch.
Or was she?
Hell, no. She didn’t care what Matt Scanlon thought of her. They were adversaries, not friends. She’d probably just imagined that hot look they’d exchanged after she’d won the game.
Hadn’t she?
Of course she had. Matt’s taste in women was public knowledge. He had a certain type, and she wasn’t it.
That was fine. He wasn’t her type either.
* * *
No one had been more surprised than Matt when one of the young girls he’d spoken to, and had posed for a picture with, won the drawing and chose him as her favorite player. Well, maybe Dave Rizzo had been more surprised. His slack-jawed expression when Lily Lovett had declared Matt her favorite player was a picture perfect moment for sure.
Stepping out of the elevator on the second floor of the stadium where the Blaze front office staff was housed, he nodded to the receptionist sitting behind the gleaming chrome and glass desk and strode down the hallway toward Katherine Whitton’s office. She was the senior vice president of communications and media relations, and would be accompanying him on his lunch with Lily and her mother. He wasn’t sure why she was tagging along but he wasn’t going to question it. He was trying to clean up his act, not make things worse by arguing with the suits.
He’d met with Katherine once and didn’t have an opinion about her one way or the other. She’d given him the standard welcome to the club speech and made it more than clear what she expected of the players in regard to the press. And while she hadn’t brought up his behavior for the past year, her message was clear—don’t fuck up here in San Francisco like you did in L.A., Scanlon.
After that meeting he’d glimpsed her once or twice, usually when she came down to the clubhouse to talk to the Blaze skipper, Tom Morgan. From what Matt had observed, the two seemed to have a contentious relationship. If the rumors in the clubhouse were to be believed, th
ey had some sort of history prior to working for the Blaze.
As he passed Kelly’s office he glanced inside but the room was dark. He’d seen her leave the field about forty minutes ago and assumed she’d returned to her office to change her clothes and go back to work. Maybe she’d gone home instead. Slightly disappointed by this, he made his way to the office not far from Kelly’s. Katherine’s assistant wasn’t at her desk but he heard voices so he moved to the doorway and halted at the threshold. Lily Lovett and her mother sat together on a low floral-covered bench placed by a large picture window that overlooked the field.
Lily’s dark eyes lit up when she saw him. Her face was slender but she had a big smile on her face. Just like the one she had when she told him that God had answered her prayers and brought him to San Francisco to play for the Blaze. Lily was probably the only person in the Bay Area happy about the trade.
“Hi, Matt.” Her voice was strong and clear despite her fragile appearance.
“Hey, Lily.” He moved into the office. “Are you ready for lunch?”
Lily nodded so vigorously her wire-rimmed glasses slipped down the bridge of her nose. “My mom’s coming too,” she said, pushing the glasses back into place. She seemed like a sweet girl. He’d been worried about being around the kids, especially because they were ill, but so far he’d handled it better than he’d thought.
“I know.” He glanced at Dorie Lovett, who had her arm around Lily’s too-thin shoulders. “Where would you ladies like to go? I heard the choice was up to you.”
“Lily wants to go to Kamu’s.” Dorie gazed down at her daughter with undisguised warmth. “She says all the players hang out there.”
“Some of us do. And there’s a lot of Blaze memorabilia to look at.” He smiled at Lily. “Good choice. I think you’ll like it.” Glancing at the vacant chair behind the tidy dark walnut desk, he frowned. “Where’s Katherine?”
“Katherine won’t be able to make it today. I’m filling in.”
Matt recognized Kelly’s husky voice immediately. Turning toward the door, he took one look at her poised at the threshold and his breath jammed in his throat. Holy fucking shit. She was wearing a dress.
It wasn’t just any dress. It was a sundress. He’d always been a sucker for a woman in a sundress, and Kelly Maxwell in a sundress was a sight to behold. The black dress itself was modest. It wasn’t even that short, but the soft fabric clung to her body and showed off her toned arms and her amazingly long legs to perfection. She wore low-heeled sandals and her toenails were painted a deep shade of red. He felt a tug of arousal in his groin and swallowed. Hard.
Unable to resist, he let his gaze travel leisurely up her shapely body and was further stunned when he noticed she’d forgone her usual ponytail. Her light brown hair cascaded around her shoulders like silk. He wanted to touch it. Jesus, he wanted to touch her.
What the hell?
“Matt?”
“What?” he said and then caught the quizzical look in her eyes. “Did you say something?”
“I asked if you’re ready to go.”
“Yeah.” He forced his gaze from her and discovered both Lily and Dorie had risen from the bench and were looking at him expectantly. “Let’s go. I’m hungry.”
“Me too.” Lily beamed at him. Despite her pallor, her eyes sparkled with happiness. “This is so cool.” She giggled and moved forward to grab his hand. She looked up at him with adoration and despite his best intentions to remain unmoved, the wall he’d built around his heart during the past year crumbled just a tiny bit. It caught him by surprise. He glanced at Kelly. She was looking at Lily with a tender expression, a slight smile curving her lips. She looked both maternal and sexy at the same time.
Damn. A lot of things had caught him by surprise today.
* * *
As Lily and Dorie checked out a memorabilia display case on their way back from the restroom, Kelly’s heart constricted when she thought of what lie ahead for Lily. There were a lot of things in life that weren’t fair, but what was happening to Lily made them all seem pretty damn insignificant.
“What’s wrong with her?” Concern was etched on Matt’s face. “It’s not good, is it?”
“No. It’s not,” she said sadly. “Cardiomyopathy.”
“That’s a heart disease, right?”
“Yes.” She reached for her iced tea. “I don’t know a lot about it, but from what Dorie told me, Lily’s heart muscle is too thick. She was diagnosed a few years ago.”
Matt leaned back in his chair and ran a hand over his jaw. “Shit.”
“My sentiments exactly.” She took a sip of her tea and then set her glass down. “I can’t imagine what Dorie’s going through. To watch your child suffer and not be able to do a damn thing about it. It’s heartbreaking.”
“Yes, it is.” The bleakness in his eyes and the sadness in his voice caught her off guard. Even before she’d met him and had it confirmed, she’d thought him to be a cocky, arrogant jerk. But his interaction with Lily during lunch proved he had a heart. It was obvious Lily was star struck, and a little nervous. But Matt soon put her at ease, and before their entrée had arrived he and Lily were practically best friends. Kelly searched his face trying to find a trace of the man who could piss her off like none other, but at this moment, that man was gone.
“She worships you, you know,” she said softly. “She was hanging on your every word all through lunch.”
Matt’s lips curved into a half smile, erasing his desolate expression. “I think she was pretty impressed with you too.” He leaned forward to pick up his water glass. His light blue shirt contrasted against his deeply tanned skin. His tousled dark hair curled over the collar; she had a sudden urge to touch it, to run her fingers through it and then press her lips to—
“You kicked ass today.”
“What?” Her cheeks burned as she met his amused gaze. Thank God he couldn’t read her mind. And what the hell was she doing thinking those kinds of thoughts about him anyway? This just proved she’d been without a man for far too long. They might be getting along at the moment but it wouldn’t last. She still had to do her job. Yes, he’d done the interview with Trevor Jackson earlier today but she doubted he was going to start going into the media room after games, or sit down with any more reporters.
“You kicked ass today,” he repeated.
“I did. Didn’t I?” she said, not bothering to deny it. For some idiotic reason it pleased her that Matt was impressed.
“And modest too, I see,” he said before sipping his water.
“What can I say?” Kelly couldn’t help but smile. “I love to win.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that.” He set his glass down. “I love to win too.” His eyes roamed over her. For some reason, he reminded her of the swashbuckling heroes on the covers of the historical romance books her mom loved—dangerous and sexy at the same time. It was a potent combination. Her skin prickled with excitement under his bold perusal. “I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen you in a dress.”
“I wore a dress that night in L.A.”
“You did?” His eyes widened a fraction. “I didn’t notice.”
She cocked her head and gave him a wry smile. “That’s because you were too busy checking out my sister.”
One of his dark brows lifted. “Was I?”
“I don’t blame you. Kayla’s gorgeous. I’m used to it.”
He regarded her intently for several seconds, his eyes enigmatic. “About that night...” he began.
“We’re back,” Lily interrupted as she and Dorie returned to the table. She slid onto her chair and grabbed her napkin. After she spread it over her lap, she looked at Matt. “Matt, can I ask you a question?”
“Sure, kiddo. What do you want to know?” he asked, looking at her with affection. Kelly was amazed at the rapport that had developed between him and Lily so quickly. He seemed to be a natural with kids. Another thing about him that surprised her.
Squirming o
n her chair, Lily glanced at her mom and then said, “Will you come to my birthday party next month?”
“Lily,” Dorie exclaimed with alarm. “We talked about this in the restroom.”
Lily bit her lip and lowered her gaze to her plate. “I know,” she said in a soft voice. “I’m sorry, Mom.”
“It’s okay, Dorie,” Matt said and then turned to Lily. “When is it? If I’m not on road that day I might be able to make it.”
Lily’s head shot up, her wide eyes hopeful. “August third.”
“I think I’ll be in town.” He looked at Kelly. “We play the D-Backs the beginning of August, right?”
“That sounds right.” She shifted so she could reach into her purse hanging off the back of the chair. “Let me check.” She pulled out her cell phone and went to her calendar. She’d entered all the Blaze games and their start times at the beginning of the season. “You’re right. We play Arizona. It’s a day game and the start time is twelve forty-five.”
“What time’s your party?”
“It’s at six,” Dorie answered for Lily. Her face was flushed with embarrassment. “But please, don’t feel obligated. We know you’re busy during the season.”
“It wouldn’t be an obligation,” he said to Dorie and then turned to Lily. “How old will you be?”
“Ten.”
“Wow. Ten is an important milestone. I’d be honored to come to your party.”
“OMG,” Lily squealed with excitement. Her pale cheeks turned rosy. “I can’t wait to tell my friend Bobby. Next to me, he’s your biggest fan.”
He frowned. “OMG?”
“It means ‘Oh my God,’” Kelly supplied for him. “Don’t you text?”
“Rarely.”
She turned to Lily. “LOL,” she said and Lily giggled.
Matt shook his head. “I’m not even going to ask.”
The Winning Season Page 7