Dropped Third Strike (Portland Pioneers #1)

by Micah K. Chaplin

  “Sam and Kathy don’t live that far from here,” Ron said. “They really haven’t been here to see him yet?”

  “Not that I’m aware of,” Kate said.

  “I don’t understand that,” Ron said. “Why wouldn’t they come see him?”

  “Maybe they’re busy,” Kate said.

  “We’re busy too, but we take every chance we have to see you,” Sharon said.

  “I know, and I’m glad you do, but maybe the Benjamins are different,” Kate said.

  “Something just seemed off when he was talking about them,” Sharon said. “Did they have a falling out? I know he’s made some mistakes, but ... he’s still a good kid.”

  Kate wasn’t surprised her parents still worshipped Reid. They’d always been very forgiving and open-minded. Reid’s parents were certainly more conservative and guarded.

  “It’s none of our business, Mom,” Kate said.

  “I thought Reid was your friend. Doesn’t that make it your business?” Sharon asked.

  Kate sighed. “Reid and I aren’t friends like we used to be. And even if we were, his relationship with his parents wouldn’t be any of my business.”

  “Don’t you care about his happiness?” Sharon asked.

  “Right now, I really only care about his role as a hitting coach,” Kate said.

  “That’s cold, Kate,” Ron said. “And that’s not like you.”

  “It’s business, Dad,” Kate said. “My relationship with Reid is strictly professional.”

  Ron shook his head. “Kate, I know this industry is tough sometimes, but I hope you never forget that the players and your staff are also people. And I especially hope you never forget where you came from – which happens to be the same place as Reid. Think about that, Kate.”

  Kate didn’t know how to respond to her father’s lecture on ethics. And he wasn’t the only one who had something to say about her relationship with Reid. Chelle pulled Kate aside while the others were busy with the kids, who were clamoring for autographs from the players.

  “So, what’s it like being around Reid again?” Chelle asked.

  Kate shrugged. “It’s fine. No big deal.”

  “Really? I think it’d be weird seeing him after all you two have been through,” Chelle said.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kate said. “We were study partners. That’s it.”

  Chelle walked around to look Kate in the eye.

  “I found your diary when I got your room. I know about prom,” Chelle said. “And I know what happened that one summer too.”

  Kate studied her sister for a few moments, trying to determine what exactly Chelle knew about that summer.

  “I was young, but I knew what sex was and I knew what it sounded like. I definitely heard sex coming from our basement that summer. Sounded like it was pretty good too.”

  Kate turned red and hushed her sister, who just laughed in response.

  “Don’t worry. I haven’t told anyone. I liked having a secret.”

  “It was supposed to be my secret.”

  “Well, it’s mine too. So you can be honest about all of this with me. I know something went wrong after that summer, even if you never said. What’s it like seeing him after all that?”

  Kate was quiet for a few moments. She felt a mixture of embarrassment, annoyance, and relief that her sister knew about her history with Reid. The relief part was odd, but for the first time since his return, Kate had someone with whom she could discuss her feelings about Reid’s sudden return to her life. It kind of felt like a weight had been lifted, even though she didn’t know what to do with that weight now. As Chelle stood waiting for an answer, Kate was having trouble finding words.

  “I don’t know,” she said finally.

  “You seemed really tense at dinner the other night,” Chelle said. “You didn’t even talk to him.”

  “Everyone else was talking to him anyway,” Kate said.

  “But he was waiting for you to talk to him,” Chelle said.

  “What are you talking about?” Kate asked.

  “You forget how much psychology I studied before I decided to stay home with the kids,” Chelle said. “I watched both of you during dinner.”

  “And?”

  “And I saw the way he kept looking at you.”

  “What way?”

  “Like he wanted you to talk to him, acknowledge him ... anything.”

  “I think I’ve acknowledged him plenty by giving him a job.”

  “I think he wants more than that.”

  “Well, I don’t.”

  Chelle gave her sister a look.

  “I don’t. I really don’t,” Kate repeated. “He’s invited me to dinner and tried to get me to hang out, but I just can’t go there.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because he hurt me, and he doesn’t seem to realize it. More than that, he doesn’t seem to have a clue what he did to hurt me.”

  “Maybe if you clear the air, you can work on getting over that hurt.”

  “Who says I’m not over it?”

  Chelle gave her a look and Kate shrugged.

  “I don’t see the point in talking about it. What’s done is done. Besides, he doesn’t even think what he did was wrong.”

  “I wish you could hear yourself. In one breath, you’re saying you can’t let Reid in because he hurt you. And in the next, you’re saying it’s all in the past. Which is it, Kate?”

  “Whether I’m over it or not doesn’t really matter. I just don’t care to re-live it.”

  “Maybe you don’t want to, but maybe you need to. If he really doesn’t understand what he did to hurt you, you should tell him. He seems like a good guy, Kate. I think he’d try and make it right. Maybe he deserves another chance.”

  Kate rolled her eyes. “What makes you think he even wants another chance?”

  “It sounds like that’s what he’s trying to do. But, honestly, I’m more interested in whether or not you want another chance with him,” Chelle said.

  “I don’t,” Kate said. “I’ve told you over and over I’m not interested in a relationship.”

  “You have your work, I know,” Chelle said in an annoyed tone. “Your work is important and time consuming, and you’re really good at it. But I think someday you’ll regret making work your life.”

  “It’s my life, so it’ll be my regret,” Kate said, shrugging.

  “But you’re my sister, and I want you to be happy.”

  “I don’t see what Reid has to do with that.”

  “He’s made you happy before.”

  “He also hurt me pretty bad before. I can’t go down that road again. He’s had two chances. That’s more than enough.”

  “Aren’t you a baseball woman? What happened to three strikes?” Chelle asked.

  “Baseballs are thicker than my heart,” Kate said, turning to go.

  “But clearly not as thick as your head,” Chelle said, her voice fading as Kate walked away.

  Chelle broached the subject of Reid a few more times during their stay, but Kate shut it down as quickly as she could. She’d said enough to her sister already. More than enough. Chelle was convinced Reid and Kate had unfinished business, and that her sister needed to address it. As far as Kate was concerned, it would have to remain unfinished. She wasn’t keen on re-opening those wounds.

  As the countdown until their return to Portland entered single digits, Kate stayed busy making roster decisions for the Pioneers and each of their farm teams. She felt good about the teams they would put on the field at each level. She was particularly pleased with the major league squad. The pitching still presented some worries, but the offense was looking strong. Some of that was due to the work done by veterans over the winter and some was due to new acquisitions. She was certain Reid deserved some of the credit as well, although she wasn’t about to approach him and offer that praise.

  In fact, Kate did her best to steer clear of Reid for the rest of spring training.
She was in her office most of the time, making phone calls and dealing with business. She walked through the practice fields daily and was at almost all of the home games. But she kept her distance from the hitting coach, and he stayed away from her as well. Either he was too busy or he got the message from their last conversation. She hoped it was the latter, but that proved not to be the case as he sat down next to her when they boarded the team plane back to Portland.

  “Hey Boss. How am I doing so far?” Reid asked, smiling at her.

  In addition to his signature grin, Reid was also wearing dark grey slacks and a deep blue polo shirt. Every stitch flattered his physique, and it took all of Kate’s willpower not to just stare at him.

  “The offense looks really good,” she said. “The hitters look comfortable at the plate, and they seem to be seeing the ball well.”

  “So you think I’m doing a good job then?” he asked.

  “It’s hard to tell how much credit you deserve just yet,” she said. “The season hasn’t even started.”

  “Wow. You’re tough,” he said.

  She shrugged. “I prefer to think of it as honest. Besides, the players deserve some credit too. They work hard.”

  “Yeah, I guess I see your point,” he said. “I just hope you’ll give me a fair chance to impress you at some point this season.”

  “I gave you a job, Reid. I think that counts as a fair chance,” she said.

  “I’d like to think I earned the job a little,” Reid said.

  Kate didn’t respond and she felt Reid studying her as she pretended to read her roster notes.

  “You really don’t like me, do you?” he asked after a few silent beats.

  “It doesn’t matter if I like you or not.”

  “It does to me. How do I know that won’t affect your professional evaluation of me?”

  “Clearly, I know how to separate business decisions and personal feelings or you wouldn’t be here right now. Just do your job. That’s enough for me.”

  “It’s not enough for me. I want us to be friends again, Kate.”

  “We haven’t been friends for a long time, Reid.”

  “I know, and now I want to change that. I’m willing to do anything.”

  “Your job is to improve the offense. That’s the only reason you’re here.”

  Silence followed.

  She kept her eyes on the document in front of her.

  “Look at me, Kate.”

  She wanted to ignore him and stand her ground, but she decided it would give her protest more credit if she made eye contact with him and was able to stay strong. She turned her head slowly, meeting his gaze. She should have known this would weaken her resolve. Those eyes were too much for her. They’d always been too much for her. Those light brown circles with flecks of green were so powerful, especially when they sparkled. They were pretty flat at the moment, filled with curiosity and a little bit of hurt. But they still affected her. She felt her stomach flip flop.

  “I have been racking my brain, trying to figure out why you’re so angry with me,” he said. “Our past is a little up and down, but I can assure you I never set out to hurt you. I would never do that. I guess I did though, and I’m sorry for that.”

  “If you don’t know what you did, then there’s no reason for you to apologize.”

  “Obviously there is. I hurt you, and I don’t want you to still feel hurt by me. I want to make things right with you.”

  “I don’t know if that’s possible.”

  “There has to be a way, Kate. Please.”

  “Why are you so hung up on this? Why can’t you just go about your work and ignore me?”

  “Trust me. I wish I knew the answer to that. All I know is I’ve been trying to ignore you for the past three weeks and it didn’t work.”

  “It worked for me.”

  He sighed and shook his head. “If you say so.”

  Feeling defeated, Reid got up and moved to another open seat. After three weeks of trying to devise a way to talk to her without arguing, he had decided to go with the honest approach. No jokes. No baiting. No sarcasm. Just honesty. But it didn’t work any better than his previous attempts. If anything, it might have made things worse. When she finally looked into his eyes, there was anger and annoyance, but he was pretty sure he saw a little hurt there too. He had cut her deep. Far deeper than he’d been aware. As far as he could recall, his only crime had been breaking up with her over the phone. It was definitely not his proudest moment, but at the time he believed it was the right decision for both of them. He vaguely remembered that call, blaming their break-up on distance. There should have been no reason for her to take it personally. So what if distance was only part of the picture? She didn’t need to know the rest of it. No one did.

  That summer Reid spent with Katie during college had been amazing. One of his favorites to date. He’d been with a few girls before Katie and more since her, but the sex with her still stood out as the best he’d ever had. He should have known that would be the case though given the electricity he’d felt the first time he kissed her.

  When he asked her to prom, he knew he liked her, but the invitation was supposed to be platonic. He enjoyed her company and thought they’d have a good time together. He definitely hadn’t planned to kiss her, but after their evening together, it felt right. Until it was over and he realized something had shifted between them, unlocking a whole new level of emotions he wasn’t ready to deal with. So he avoided her until he left town. He’d seen the confusion in her eyes when he passed her in the hall, and that made him feel guilty as hell, but the guilt wasn’t enough for him to confront all of the other things he’d felt.

  The first night he slept with her was also unplanned, and it brought back all of those emotions from prom night – with even more intensity. They were still scary, but he couldn’t stay away from her this time. And it seemed she couldn’t get enough of him either. That summer was a blur of kisses, bare skin, and more orgasms than he could count – although now he wished he had. He was pretty sure he hadn’t outdone that number in such a short span of time since then.

  When it was time to go back to school, he told her didn’t want to commit to a relationship with a label. But if he was being honest with himself, he knew he was already in one. He was completely devoted to Katie. He thought about her every morning and every night and plenty of times in between. He texted her as often as his phone plan would allow, and he looked forward to their regular calls. They never lacked for conversation. He was beyond smitten with her, and it was starting to take over his life. His studies started suffering but not nearly as much as his baseball game. When a teammate confronted him about his slow bat and bad fly ball routes, Reid instantly knew what he had to do. Katie was slated to come see him, so he figured he’d break up with her then. But then she arrived, and every time he looked at her, he only wanted to kiss her and take her to bed. Needless to say, they didn’t do a lot of talking that weekend. He thought maybe they’d be able to work through it. Katie still wasn’t pressuring him for any kind of label, so he decided maybe he could keep it casual and try and refocus on his game.

  Then he came home from class on Monday and found his roommate dead. The autopsy said Tony had taken a lethal concoction of pills.

  It hadn’t been an accident. But Reid was alone in that knowledge.

  While he waited for emergency personnel to arrive, Reid found the note. Tony’s handwriting and grammar weren’t the best, but the message was clear. His high school girlfriend – a girl he’d planned on marrying after graduation – had cheated on him and was pregnant with the other man’s baby. Tony said he couldn’t live without her and he also couldn’t stay with her and raise that child, so he took the only route he saw available. Reid shook his head as he read the note. He had seen Tony and his girl just a few weeks earlier. He’d talked to Tony that morning before class. There had been no indication anything was wrong.

  Before the paramedics entered the dorm room, Reid tuck
ed the letter in his pocket and later destroyed it. He knew it was wrong of him to tamper with the scene, but he felt like he was doing the right thing for Tony’s family. Somehow, he decided it would be easier for his friend’s loved ones to accept his death if they believed it was accidental.

  While he may have eased the suffering of his roommate’s family, Tony’s death had left a huge impact on Reid. He suddenly realized how much power a girl could have over a guy, and he didn’t want to be that guy. He couldn’t afford to be that guy.

  In the week that followed, Reid put off calling Katie. He’d never had to break up with anyone. All of his relationships had been casual and fleeting. A few of the girls got upset when he drifted away, but it never really bothered him. Katie was not like those girls. She was special, and he had to handle this differently. When he finally called her Sunday, he knew he couldn’t delay it any longer. He broke up with her almost immediately after she answered the phone. There was just no point in dragging it out. He was still a little numb in his grief over Tony, so Reid didn’t hear any hurt in Katie’s voice. His memory told him she’d agreed and that the split was amicable.

  Reid shut out a lot of people after that. He didn’t hang out with teammates outside of practice. He declined invitations to parties. He went home for Christmas break but spent most of his free time at the gym or in his room. His parents had never been of the touchy-feely nature, so they didn’t ask a lot of questions. They assumed Reid just needed a break to recharge after the fall semester. They knew Tony had died, but they didn’t know any other details. They also didn’t know Reid had been the one to find him.

  When Reid returned to campus for the second semester, Reid tried to focus on his studies and baseball. Those two things would carry him beyond Durham, and he felt like they were the only two things within his power. They also required enough of his time and energy that he didn’t have much left for other activities.