Behind in the Count: A Portland Pioneers Novel

by Micah K. Chaplin

  “I got in Tuesday,” Zella said. “But I need to get back. There’s work to do in the Portland office. And I have fitness classes to teach this weekend.”

  “What do you teach?” Reid asked.

  “BodyPump,” Zella said. “Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons right now. But I’ll be going to just Sunday mornings once the season starts.”

  “What is BodyPump exactly?” Reid asked.

  Zella was used to this question, so the answer rolled off her tongue without much thought. Which was good with the way Derek was looking at her.

  “It’s weight training set to music,” Zella said. “Each track is a different muscle group. The whole class lasts about an hour, and it’s a total body workout.”

  “I might have to try that sometime,” Reid said.

  “I’ll be happy to give you a guest pass to my class,” Zella said.

  “I’ll hold you to that,” Reid said. “What time is your flight tomorrow?”

  “Ten, which reminds me I still need to call a cab,” Zella said.

  “Actually, I’m heading to the airport tomorrow morning to pick up my parents and brother,” Derek said. “I could give you a ride.”

  “Really?” Zella asked.

  “Yeah, why not?” he said, shrugging. “I’m going anyway, and it’ll save you some money.”

  “Thanks, that’d be great,” Zella said.

  They quickly exchanged phone numbers so she could tell him where she was staying and he could contact her when he was on his way. Zella had to fight the thrill she felt with the knowledge that she had Derek Beaman’s number in her phone. And he had hers.

  It means nothing, she reminded herself. He’s just doing me a favor. No big deal.

  “So you do know how to get a girl’s number.”

  Derek inwardly groaned at his teammate’s remark.

  “It’s not like that,” he replied instantly.

  The rapid fire of his response probably wasn’t helping the case for his objection. Reid knew him better than that. And Derek knew Reid wasn’t about to let this go.

  On one hand, Derek was relieved Reid had waited until they were in the car to comment. He’d noticed Reid giving him funny looks all through dinner. And he definitely saw the way Reid’s eyebrows shot up when he offered to give Zella a ride to the airport.

  On the other hand, he was annoyed Reid felt compelled to comment at all. Sure, he liked talking to Zella. But that’s just because she was kind and knew a lot about baseball. And offering her a ride to the airport was a no-brainer. He had to be there anyway. His family’s flight didn’t get in until nearly ten so he’d be waiting around a bit, but no one needed to know that detail.

  “Then tell me what it’s like,” Reid said, his face full of amusement.

  “What do you mean?” Derek asked. He wasn’t sure exactly what kind of response Reid was looking for.

  “Don’t play dumb, Derek,” Reid said. “I saw the way you were around her all night. You talked to her more than I’ve seen you talk to any girl before.”

  “She’s easy to talk to,” Derek said with a shrug.

  “But there were also times when you seemed nervous around her,” Reid said. “Like when you moved your chair away from her.”

  “I have long legs. I wanted to make sure I had room for them,” Derek said.

  Reid rolled his eyes. “By moving closer to me and my long legs? I’m not buying it.”

  “That’s too bad, because it’s the truth,” Derek said stubbornly.

  “So how do you explain the smile you gave her when you were coming off the mound today?” Reid asked.

  “What? I didn’t smile at her,” Derek said.

  “Bullshit, Beaman. I’m not blind,” Reid said. “You know, Carson mentioned you had a thing for Zella, but I didn’t believe it until now. So when are you going to ask her out?”

  “Never,” Derek said.

  “Why not? She’s cute, and you two obviously get along,” Reid said. “And she’s definitely into you.”

  “Because there’s probably a rule against it,” Derek said. “And I told you before, I’m not interested in dating.”

  Reid chuckled. “I like how you mentioned the rule thing first. I can check into that with Kate, by the way.”

  Derek sighed and shook his head. “No. Don’t say anything to her. Please. I’m not going to ask Zella out, so just drop it.”

  They had arrived at their temporary residence, so Derek got out of the car and slammed the door as an exclamation point to his words. Reid apparently wasn’t intimidated though because he jumped out moments later and caught up with Derek at the door.

  “I don’t understand why you’re so against dating,” Reid said. “Is this about your ex? Are you still hung up on her?”

  “No,” Derek said, shaking his head. “She’s married.”

  “So that means she’s over you, but are you over her?” Reid asked.

  “Yes, of course I am,” Derek said, unlocking the door so they could go inside.

  “So what’s the hold-up?” Reid asked.

  “I told you, I’m just busy with other things – baseball, Brynn, counseling,” Derek said. “I don’t have time for a girlfriend.”

  He was starting to feel like a broken record with his explanation.

  “You know, Derek, there was a time in my life when I didn’t think I should get serious with anyone either,” Reid said. “And because of that attitude, I lost a lot of time with possibly the best girl I could ever find. Don’t be a dumbass like me.”

  “I thought things were going well with the girl in Portland,” Derek said.

  “Don’t change the subject. This is about you and dating,” Reid said.

  “There is no me and dating,” Derek said.

  “That’s the problem,” Reid said. “I don’t understand why you don’t want to date.”

  “I’m not interested,” Derek said. “When will you leave me alone about this?”

  “When I believe you,” Reid said.

  Derek let out a huff of irritation. He didn’t know how to respond. He was frustrated with the circular conversation, annoyed with Reid, and at a complete loss for words. So he opted to disengage altogether. He retreated to his bedroom without another word and began his nightly routine. He was still fuming when he climbed into bed, and he tossed and turned for a long time. He finally dozed off, but it was after one according to when he last looked at the time.

  He woke to his phone ringing and answered it sleepily without looking at the display.

  “Hi Derek. Are you on your way?”

  “Who is this?”

  “It’s Zella. You said you’d give me a ride to the airport, but if you changed your mind …”

  He looked over at the clock. The numbers read 7:42.

  “Shit. I’m so sorry,” he said.

  “It’s OK, I can get a cab,” she said.

  “No. I’m getting out of bed now. I’ll be there a little after eight. We can still make it in time for your flight,” he said.

  He stumbled as he stood up, his equilibrium still a little off from the sudden wake-up.

  “Are you sure?” she asked.

  “Yes,” he said. “I’ll get there before a cab anyway.”

  “OK. See you soon then,” she said, but she didn’t sound so sure.

  Derek hung up and cussed again. He pulled a pair of athletic shorts over his boxer briefs and tossed on the first t-shirt he could find. Shoving a cap on his messy hair and flip-flops onto his feet, he headed out. He was still yawning and trying to wake up as he drove a few miles to the address Zella had provided.

  She was waiting outside the hotel when he pulled up. After putting the car in park, he quickly jumped out of the vehicle and hurried around to help her with her luggage. But she only had one bag, so he opened the passenger door for her instead.

  “I’m so sorry, Zella. Really,” he said.

  “It’s OK,” she replied, but he sensed some uneasiness in her voice.
<
br />   Once she was settled, he returned to the driver’s side and set out for the airport.

  They rode in silence for a while as he focused on navigating to the airport and tried to wake up a little more. He glanced over and two white cups sitting in the car’s console that weren’t there previously.

  “I brought you coffee from the shop inside the hotel,” she said, detecting his gaze. “I wanted to thank you for the ride. As I was ordering, I realized I wasn’t even sure if you like coffee.”

  “I do. Thanks,” he said. “But you really didn’t have to.”

  Her gesture humbled him a little.

  “You did get here faster than a cab, by the way,” she said.

  He looked at her.

  “I called and I wouldn’t have been able to get one for another half hour,” she explained.

  “When did you call?” he asked.

  “After I hung up with you,” she said.

  “You didn’t trust me?” he asked.

  “No. I mean … I trust you fine,” she said. “But I didn’t want to inconvenience you.”

  “I wouldn’t have offered to give you a ride if it was an inconvenience,” he said. “And, again, I’m really sorry I’m so late. I had a hard time sleeping last night, so I didn’t hear my alarm this morning. I swear I didn’t forget or try to blow you off.”

  “Derek, it’s OK,” she said.

  He felt a hand on his arm and looked over at her. He hadn’t noticed it earlier, but her face seemed to be completely devoid of makeup. Dark lashes framed eyes the color of sapphires, which popped against her fair skin. The only other hint of color was the pink of her mouth. At that moment, her tongue darted out, giving her lips a slight sheen. He wondered if they were as soft as they looked. He wondered what she’d do if he leaned over to find out. It wouldn’t be that difficult. She was just a few inches away, and the way she was looking at him seemed like an invitation to get closer. His body was starting to follow that pull.

  A loud horn burst through his thoughts. He sat up straight and turned his eyes from Zella. Looking straight ahead through the windshield, he saw the red light had turned to green while he was staring at her. Flustered, he proceeded through the intersection.

  What the hell was that?

  He’d almost kissed Zella.

  He hadn’t kissed anyone in a long time. Not since Keely. She was the only girl he’d ever kissed. He’d never even entertained the idea of kissing anyone else.

  Until now.

  Now he was thinking about kissing a girl who wasn’t Keely.

  A girl he barely knew.

  A girl he’d only spoken to a few times.

  A girl who worked for his boss.

  A girl who was not a good idea.

  None of this was a good idea.

  This was all Reid’s fault. His suggestion about dating Zella was still lingering in the back of his mind. That was the only explanation for why he would be thinking about kissing her right now.

  Stupid Reid and his ridiculous ideas.

  At least kissing was the only thing going through his head. Just imagine if he started picturing her naked. He’d seen her in stretchy workout clothes, so he had an idea about her figure – muscular legs and a slight hourglass shape to her torso. She was fit without being too skinny. He also remembered the v-neck blouse she’d been wearing the day they went to the Kiwanis Club lunch. He’d caught a hint of cleavage, though he would deny to anyone that he even looked. Putting all of those images together in his head, he began to form a picture of what she looked like without her clothes.

  Oh no.

  Now he’d gone there. Shifting in his seat, he suddenly regretted the athletic shorts he’d chosen to wear. They weren’t doing much to conceal his body’s reaction to his thoughts. He needed to backtrack now. He had to stop thinking about her this way.

  As he drove, Derek tried to shake those thoughts and make sense of what had just happened. What he’d been about to do. The naked thoughts kind of made sense. It had been a long time since he’d been with a woman. He was still a dude after all. It’d be stranger if he didn’t think about her naked at least once.

  The thoughts about kissing her were the confusing ones. Naked was nature, but kissing was romantic. It was more intimate. More intense. He couldn’t have any of that. He wasn’t in a place for any of that. As pretty as Zella was, and as soft as her lips looked, he couldn’t go there.

  Even as he tried to get Zella out of his mind, his eyes shifted in her direction a few times. She casually sipped her coffee and watched the passing scenery. She appeared completely unaffected by what had just transpired. How could she look so calm when his mind and body were such a mess?

  At the airport, he mumbled an offer to help her with her bags. Either she didn’t hear him or she was ignoring him because she grabbed her bag and thanked him for the ride. She seemed surprised when he got out of the vehicle.

  “I’m picking up my family, remember?” he asked.

  “Oh, right,” she said.

  There was something a little off in her tone. Maybe she wasn’t as unfazed by what had happened as he previously thought.

  He walked a few steps behind her as they made their way through the parking garage to the airport. Neither of them said a word to each other during the walk. When they reached the area lined with airline counters, she stopped at the entrance to one line and he turned slightly in her direction. He nervously and needlessly straightened his hat, trying to figure out what to say.

  “Thanks again for the ride,” she said softly.

  “No problem. Have a safe flight,” he responded.

  She nodded and took her place in line, while Derek continued on to a large area filled with chairs. There were a lot of people milling about, clearly waiting for travelers. He sat down and pulled out his phone. There was a missed text from Mike, informing him that they had boarded their flight in Oklahoma City and were taking off. So far it was all running on schedule, but the sentiment barely registered with Derek. He mindlessly scrolled through social media. The spring training updates from former teammates filled his feed, but he was barely seeing any of it. He was still thinking about Zella and their near-kiss.

  What would she have done if he’d closed that space between them? Would she have kissed him back? Would she have pushed him away? Would she tell Ms. Marks? Would he be in any kind of trouble?

  Why was he even thinking about any of this?

  Nothing happened. Something almost had, but it didn’t. Almost didn’t count in this case. He wouldn’t see Zella for a few more weeks. By then, surely she’d have forgotten about any of it. He certainly intended to push it from his mind.

  Starting now. He needed to stop thinking about her and the situation.

  He pulled up some stats on his phone, opting to spend the rest of his wait doing some homework on the Angels. He would be pitching to them during his next start. Since they were in the Pioneers’ division, he was fairly familiar with their lineup. Plus he’d pitched to them just a few weeks earlier. A little extra research certainly wouldn’t hurt though. And he needed to think about something besides the girl who need not be named.

  The distraction worked, and he was lost in baseball thoughts when a text lit up his screen, letting him know his parents and brother had landed. Derek stood and stretched, walking toward the baggage claim. He watched the doorway where arriving passengers were streaming through, looking for three familiar faces.

  He got more than he bargained for. There was a bonus familiar face – one he hadn’t been sure he would see for a very long time.

  Derek couldn’t tear his eyes away from them as he pushed through the other travelers, trying to get to his family. When he finally reached them, he immediately put his hands out to Brynn.

  She hesitated for a moment, but then Mike whispered something to her and she turned toward Derek, letting him hold her. He kissed her cheek and hugged her close for a few moments, unable to do or say anything that didn’t involve her.
<
br />   “You guys like surprising me with her,” he commented finally.

  “We didn’t intend to do that this time,” his mom said. “We just weren’t sure she’d be coming with us until last night.”

  “Really?” Derek asked.

  Ken nodded. “We asked Keely about it weeks ago, but she kept going back and forth. She finally agreed.”

  “What made her give in?” Derek wondered aloud.

  “We’re not sure,” Linda said. “But Brynn’s here. That’s all that matters.”

  Derek nodded. “Yeah, that’s all I really care about.”

  The luggage carousel started moving, indicating the bags would be dispensed shortly, and the Beamans moved closer so they could gather their things when they emerged. Mike and Ken hovered near the moving belt while Linda hung back, watching Derek with Brynn.

  “It makes me happy to see you together again,” Linda said.

  “It makes me happy too,” Derek said. “I’ve missed her so much.”

  “Anything new from your attorney?” Linda asked.

  “No,” Derek said. “Jennie says she feels good about our chances, but until I know for sure, I’m going to worry.”

  “I can understand that, but it’s good to know Jennie is optimistic,” Linda said. “I trust her.”

  “I do too,” Derek said. “I guess I just worry Keely will pull something.”

  “I still don’t understand why she’s being so difficult,” Linda said.

  “I hate to say it, but it seems like it’s changed since she got married,” Derek said. “Maybe it’s just a coincidence, but it seems like all of the problems have been since Brent was in the picture.”

  “You’re not wrong there,” Linda said. “I just hope Keely is wise enough not to let him come between you and your daughter.”

  “He won’t,” Derek said firmly. “I’ll make sure of that.”

  After gathering their bags and installing Brynn’s car seat in the rented SUV Derek shared with Reid, the group was on the road. Over lunch, Mike talked about work and, eventually, a little about Bruna. Ken and Linda chimed in on the subject of their son’s new girlfriend. Linda commented on Bruna’s long blonde hair, choice of profession (kindergarten teacher), and sweet demeanor.