Earning a Ring (More Than a Game Series Book 4)

by Kristina Mathews

  “Okay.” She walked slowly up and down the bedding aisle, her hands behind her back, as she inspected the choices.

  “Do you think it’s a good idea taking her to San Diego?” he whispered to Rachel.

  “Yeah. I think we’ll have a good time.”

  “We?” He didn’t want to get his hopes up too high, but it sounded like she was willing to join them.

  “Yeah, I think you need me to come with you.”

  “I do need you, Rachel.” And not just because of Hailey. But he didn’t know how to tell her.

  “You should have talked to me.”

  “Yeah. I know.” Bryce swallowed the big lump in his throat. He knew he’d screwed up.

  “We’ll get through this.” She patted him on the shoulder and turned her attention to Hailey. “Oh, that’s perfect.”

  Hailey had selected a multicolored quilt, with a bold, almost tribal pattern. The pinks were vibrant, not prissy. She chose mismatched sheets in bright pink and green with bright blue pillowcases. He wondered if she’d get much sleep. But at least her room would be cheerful.

  “That looks great.” Bryce added, “What else do you need?”

  Hailey shrugged again.

  He and Rachel exchanged a look that said neither of them knew what a nine-year-old girl needed either.

  When she was younger, he’d constantly been scolded for using the wrong toothpaste, the wrong laundry soap. Did she still need special soaps, shampoos, and detergents, or could she use what he and Rachel used?

  They ended up getting shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, and strawberry-scented body wash. It wasn’t everything she’d need to make her feel at home, but it was a start.

  Chapter 27

  They had barely put the sheets on Hailey’s bed before they had to report to the ballpark. Rachel had agreed to look after the girl, show her what she did to get ready for the game, and introduce her to the television crew. She couldn’t imagine what the poor child must be going through. She’d had to leave her home, her mother, and her friends to fly across the country and stay with the father she barely knew and his new wife.

  Rachel’s heart ached for the little girl. She had often felt like a stranger in her own family. And she knew that it would take time for her to trust her new stepparent.

  Time. That was something neither Rachel nor Bryce would have enough of. The baseball schedule was grueling enough to a single person. But throw in a family—children with bedtimes around the seventh inning stretch—and it would be darned near impossible to have a normal family life.

  Something that would be more than just a temporary problem next season. No. She couldn’t think about next year. They just had to get through this month. Keep Bryce’s daughter safe and as happy as a child of an addict could be.

  Rationally, Rachel knew that Bryce’s ex-wife hadn’t overdosed on booze and prescription drugs because of her marriage and impending motherhood, but she wondered if Hailey would blame her. A nine-year-old would be looking for a reason. Someone to blame. A way to make sense of it all.

  “So, Hailey, are you okay following me around tonight?” Rachel kept her voice as cheerful as possible. “I can show you an insider’s view of the ballpark.”

  “Okay.” Hailey shrugged.

  “I’m sure you’d rather be with your dad, but all those smelly guys?” Rachel made a face and fanned her hand in front of her nose, eliciting a little giggle from Hailey.

  “My mom never let me watch baseball.” She bit her lower lip, as if it was something to be ashamed of. “But when I went to McKenzie’s house, I got to watch my dad play sometimes.”

  Rachel wanted to sweep the poor girl into her arms.

  “My mom wasn’t a big sports fan, either,” Rachel admitted. “But my stepdad is. He’s one of the reasons I got interested in watching and playing sports.”

  “You play sports?”

  “Not anymore, but I played softball as a kid, and in high school.” Rachel hoped to encourage her. Playing sports had been a huge confidence builder for her. Maybe it could do the same for Hailey.

  “My mom seemed to think sports were a waste of time. That I should be interested in dance or music or stuff like that.” Hailey brushed a lock of hair off her forehead. “She even signed me up for a theater camp. Like I want to get on stage in front of people and make a fool of myself.”

  “Maybe she just wants you to have many experiences. The only way to find out what your passions are is to try new things.”

  “Yeah, I guess.” The girl sounded disappointed. “It’s just the experiences were always what she wanted, not what I was interested in.”

  “So what are you interested in?”

  “I like to draw and write stories.” Hailey’s eyes lit up as she talked about her hobby.

  “I wish I’d known. We could have brought a notebook.” Rachel was pleased that the girl felt comfortable enough to share her passion with her. “Oh, I’ll bet my friends Kip and Kurt would know where you could get some paper and pens.”

  “Who are Kip and Kurt?”

  “They’re the broadcast team. They talk about the games on TV. Kurt does the play by play and Kip is the color commentator.”

  “Huh?”

  “I forgot. You don’t watch a lot of baseball, do you?”

  Hailey shook her head and looked down at the ground as though she was ashamed.

  “Well, we’ll fix that, won’t we?” Rachel gave what she hoped was an encouraging smile.

  “Okay.” Hailey looked up at her with big blue eyes. They weren’t the same blue as Bryce’s eyes. She must take after her mother. A flood of emotions filled her. Jealousy was one of them. This little girl was the product of a one-night stand between Bryce and some woman he’d met in a bar. Rachel wasn’t sure if the fact that he’d married the woman made things better or worse. She supposed it was better for Hailey, even if things didn’t work out between her parents. At least the little girl wasn’t a bastard. Even if she didn’t know what a bastard was.

  Rachel knew. She’d known the feeling even before she’d heard the word. Before she’d seen the blank spot on her birth certificate where her father’s name should have been. It meant feeling inferior. There was something about her that was lacking. Roots. A history. A daddy.

  Hailey had a daddy. And he was damn good one, despite what he thought about not having been around. He still held his little girl’s heart in his two steady hands.

  “Let’s go on up to the booth. You’ll get a great view of the ballpark, and maybe even learn a few things about the game.”

  “Okay.” Hailey was a sweet, agreeable girl. Rachel was in danger of becoming attached. No. It was already too late. Just like her father, the girl had charmed her way into Rachel’s heart the moment they’d met.

  Hailey slipped her hand into Rachel’s as they made their way up to the club level where the broadcast booth was located. Yep. She was a goner. It was going to be really hard to say goodbye to the child at the end of the month.

  And Bryce? She didn’t know what she was going to do about Bryce.

  The man had broken her heart more times than she could count. The other women were one thing, back when they weren’t even dating and he didn’t even owe her anything. But this…this was a major life crisis and he’d completely shut her out. Didn’t even bother to tell her what was happening. He’d acted like nothing had happened. That it was no big deal he’d missed a game to take care of a family emergency. Hell, she’d thought she was family.

  Her hand moved on its own over her abdomen. The child growing inside her reminded her of what it meant to be a parent. It meant that sometimes you’d do whatever it took to protect that child. Even if that meant shutting out the rest of the world during a crisis.

  She just wished that Bryce had trusted her enough to include her in his crisis. Oh, he was leaning on her now, but she couldn’t be sure if he needed her, or if Hailey needed her.

  She knocked on the broadcast booth door, and pushed it open,
entering with her most show-worthy smile.

  “Kip, Kurt, there’s someone I’d like you to meet.” Rachel ushered Hailey into the room. “This is Hailey Baxter, Bryce’s daughter.”

  “Well, hello there, Miss Hailey.” Kip stood and offered his hand. The former pitcher was almost as much of a charmer as Bryce. “It’s very nice to meet you.”

  “Nice to meet you too.” The girl’s hand was swallowed up by Kip’s two-handed handshake.

  “Welcome to San Francisco.” Kurt exuded a more subtle charm. He was the laid-back, rational half of the dynamic duo. His low-key persona balanced Kip’s over-the-top enthusiasm. “I hope you’ll enjoy your stay here.”

  “Thank you.” Hailey blushed and tucked a dark strand of hair behind her ear.

  “So Hailey is an artist,” Rachel said with pride. “And a writer. I was wondering if you guys knew where we could find some paper and maybe some pens or pencils.”

  Kurt jumped up with a smile. “I’m sure we could borrow some paper from the printer.”

  He walked over to the back wall where the office machines stood. He opened up the copier/printer/fax machine and pulled out a handful of white copy paper.

  “I think we can round up some pens from over here.” Kip opened a drawer and grabbed a handful of writing implements.

  “Thanks guys.” Rachel didn’t know what she’d do without her partners. “Do you think she could come back up here and work on her drawings if she gets tired later?”

  “Absolutely.” Kip grinned.

  “We’d love to have her,” Kurt agreed.

  “Thanks, guys.” Rachel breathed a sigh of relief. She knew that Hailey would be in good hands if the game dragged on, and she was needed to report on happenings around the ballpark.

  “Have you ever been inside a real broadcaster’s booth?” Kip invited Hailey to step up to the microphone where he would be giving his insight into the game once it started.

  “No. I went to a game with my dad in Pittsburgh, but I stayed mostly in the locker room.”

  Kip proceeded to show Hailey the view from the announcers’ booth. He pointed out how they could see the whole field from up here, and the view of the city, and he told her about the seagulls who would show up just before the game ended even though there wasn’t a set time in baseball.

  Rachel leaned against the wall, and Kurt must have picked up on her worry.

  “Everything okay with the home team?” he asked in a low voice.

  “Yeah. Hailey will be staying with us for about a month.” She tried to sound cheerful.

  “That’s great.” Kurt was ever the optimist.

  “Yeah. It is. I just hope she doesn’t get too bored coming to the ballpark every night.”

  “How can you get bored at the ballpark?” Kurt teased.

  “Maybe not necessarily bored, but I worry that some of the nights will be kind of late for a girl her age.”

  “How old is she?”

  “Nine.”

  “A great age.” Kurt smiled. “I remember when my girls were that age. Now my youngest is in college. Time flies.”

  “Yeah.” Rachel couldn’t even think that far ahead. She was still anxiously awaiting the birth of her child. She didn’t want to even think about college.

  “She’s home for the summer, though. Maybe for the last time.” Kurt gave a proud, yet resigned sigh. “You know, Kaitlyn might be able to help you out here.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “She’s studying to be a teacher. Loves kids.” Kurt’s face lit up like it did during a late inning rally. “She might be available to fill in as a part-time nanny.”

  “You know, that might be a really good idea.” Rachel had been wondering how she’d find someone on short notice. “Do you really think she’d be interested in giving up her evenings?”

  “Yeah. She’s got a boyfriend, but he’s back in Indiana for the summer. She’s bored, but she doesn’t want to go out and feel like she’s betraying him. Besides, she doesn’t turn twenty-one until late August.”

  “It wouldn’t hurt to see if she’s interested.” Rachel was surprised by how the weight had lifted from her shoulders. “It would actually be a huge help.”

  “I’ll text her and let you know.”

  “That would be great, thanks.”

  “And if Hailey gets bored out there, or tired, you’re welcome to bring her back to the booth, here,” Kip added. “My granddaughter is about her age. She’s taken a few naps up here when my son has taken her mother out for a nice dinner and the old man’s idea of babysitting is to bring her to the park.”

  “I appreciate it.” Rachel breathed a sigh of relief. They really were a family here. It wasn’t just a marketing ploy.

  “So, what did you think of my mentors? You think you could hang out with them for a bit while I go around the ballpark doing interviews?” She crouched down just enough to look the little girl in the eye.

  “What’s a mentor?” Hailey asked. “I know what dementors are. They’re those creepy floaty things in Harry Potter.”

  “Sorry, I haven’t seen Harry Potter.” Rachel wondered what other kid’s pop culture she would need to take a crash course in. “But a mentor is someone who teaches and leads by example. Like Obi Wan Kenobi.”

  “Who?”

  “From Star Wars.”

  “Oh. Was he the green guy? Or the old guy in the robe?”

  “The old guy. The one who taught Luke the ways of the Force.”

  “I like the robots. And the princess with the weird hair. She’s cool.”

  “Yeah. Princess Leia is pretty cool.”

  “So how are those guys your mentors?” Hailey was a bright, curious child.

  “Well, they’ve been in the broadcasting business a long time. They taught me a lot about being a reporter and a lot about the game. They both were players, like your dad.”

  “Do you like being a reporter?”

  “I do. I meet a lot of interesting people, and it’s my job to watch baseball.”

  “Why do you like baseball?”

  It was a good question. Not necessarily an easy question, but a good one.

  “Well, for one thing, it’s an interesting game. Anything can happen, and often does. It isn’t always the game’s biggest stars who make the biggest impact.”

  “Is my daddy a star?”

  “Oh yeah.” Rachel’s heart thumped and bumped with pride in her husband and sadness that his daughter didn’t know how great he was. “He’s one of the best. He was named the Most Valuable Player in the World Series last season.”

  “Cool.” The little girl’s face shone with pride.

  “Yeah, it was very cool. I wish you could have come to the games.” Rachel wondered why she hadn’t been there. She couldn’t imagine the girl’s mother being so bitter as to keep her child from witnessing her father’s greatest professional accomplishment. But then again, it seemed that Bryce’s ex wasn’t exactly in a good place.

  The urge to pull Hailey into her arms and just hold tight came over Rachel. Instead, she offered a warm smile.

  “My mom doesn’t really like sports.” Hailey sounded so resigned to the fact. “And I don’t think she really likes my dad all that much.”

  This time Rachel couldn’t resist putting her arm around the little girl’s shoulder.

  “Divorce can be tough for some people.” Not that she had any experience in the matter. “Sometimes moms and dads try to make it work, but they just can’t. But that doesn’t mean they don’t both love you.”

  “I know.” Hailey shrugged, as if it was just something she dealt with, like being picked last for the team or dropping the ice cream off her ice cream cone.

  “So would you like to follow me around the ballpark and learn about the game?”

  “Okay.”

  “They’re about to start batting practice.” Rachel ushered Hailey down to the lower level, so they could get a close up view of the field. “Your dad lights it up during BP.” />
  At the puzzled look on Hailey’s face, Rachel felt the need to explain. “Baseball is full of colorful language. We use a lot of metaphors.”

  “We learned about figurative language in school. You know, similes and metaphors and idioms. We had to do an art project illustrating idioms. Some kids did ones like ants in your pants or open a can of worms.”

  “So what idiom did you illustrate?”

  “The one I turned in was about flying colors.” Her cheeks stained pink. “But I actually did a whole notebook of them.”

  “I’d like to see it sometime.” Rachel motioned for Hailey to sit in one of the seats down in front. The ones she knew wouldn’t fill with the season ticket holders until closer to game time. Frank and Gladys took the ferry to the games. They stopped for a drink at the bar where they’d met almost fifty years ago, and then arrived at the ballpark in time to sing along to the National Anthem.

  “Okay.” Hailey sat down and looked around the ballpark with wide eyes and wonder.

  The batting cage was rolled out, and the screen was set up to protect the pitcher from balls hit hard up the middle. The pitchers came out first, so they could have plenty of time to warm up after batting practice.

  “There’s Nathan Cooper and Diego Garcia. They’re relief pitchers.” Rachel explained. “They’ll come out of the bullpen late in the game. Cooper will face mostly lefties, and Garcia is the closer. That means he’ll come into the game in the ninth inning if there’s a lead of three or fewer runs and try to close out the game. It’s called a save if he keeps the other team from tying or going ahead.”

  Hailey nodded, taking in the information.

  “And that’s Mark Carson.” Rachel pointed to the big guy who looked a little like a lumberjack with the bat tossed casually over his shoulder. “He’s our Ace. That means he’s the best starting pitcher on the team. He’s not a bad hitter, either. He’s been known to knock one out of the park on occasion.”

  “That means he hits home runs?” Hailey inquired.

  “Yes. But see, most pitchers aren’t very good hitters. The starters only play every five games.” Rachel hoped she was explaining it without sounding like she was dumbing it down. “And the relievers almost never get an at bat. They usually only pitch an inning or less, so they don’t get a turn to hit. I think the last time Cooper stepped into the batter’s box was in 2013.”