Behind in the Count: A Portland Pioneers Novel

by Micah K. Chaplin

“Are you sure you don’t want Reid or Carson to go with you?”

  “I’m sure. Unless you can’t go.”

  “I’ll have to clear it with Kate. But if she says it’s OK, I’ll go.”

  “I already asked her. She said it was fine.”

  Zella wondered why her boss was so quick to approve Derek’s request. More than that, she wondered what Kate thought of Derek’s request.

  “OK. Then I guess it’s settled. See you Thursday.”

  Chapter Eight

  In his major league debut, young lefty Cord Finnegan took the mound in Derek’s place on Tuesday. Derek respected Cord and was excited for him, but it was still a tough day. As he watched the game, Derek could not stop thinking about how he should be out on there for his first start of the season. Instead, he sat on the bench in his hoodie, feeling useless. And a bit sorry for himself. His excitement for the season had waned once he was injured. After such a promising spring, he’d been looking forward to being in games that counted. It was hard to feel like part of the team while sitting on the bench. He wanted to be out there, baseball in hand, facing down batter after batter. He wanted to contribute, but at the moment, all he could do was high-five guys after big hits and chat with the other pitchers about the approach to each batter. He wanted to do more than just talk. He wanted to pitch.

  He ran a hand along his arm as if trying to slide the pain out. Not that there was much of it now. The ache was gone, but the coaching staff still didn’t want him throwing. He hadn’t tossed a single baseball since he was pulled from that spring training game. He missed it. Longed for it. His body didn’t really know what to do if he wasn’t throwing a baseball with regularity.

  The layoff also gave him way too much time to think.

  About Zella.

  Something had shifted that night they had dinner together after his doctor’s appointment. He could no longer say she didn’t know him, but now he was definitely thinking he didn’t know her. At least not as well as he wanted to. Spending time with her and her family had only intrigued him more. They were nice people, and he felt comfortable with them, although her dad seemed a bit guarded. He didn’t understand that, but it didn’t matter. He had enjoyed having lunch with them and giving them a tour of the ballpark. He liked them.

  And he liked Zella. A lot.

  The teasing from Carson and Reid was starting to come back to haunt him. He wasn’t about to let them know they were right, but they’d both caught him looking at Zella a few times in the last few days. Neither had said a word about it, but their silence was almost worse. It was if they were waiting and storing up the ammunition to hit him hard later. He wasn’t looking forward to the moment they decided to let loose.

  He also saw a hint of amusement on the face of Kate Marks when he asked her about Zella going to the doctor with him. She didn’t seem at all surprised, and there was something in her smile that made him suspicious. She agreed immediately, even saying Zella could have the morning off for the appointment. He wondered what was going through Ms. Marks’ head. Did she know something? Had Reid said something to her? He wouldn’t be surprised. Had Zella said something to her? That might be worse than Reid saying something.

  Ultimately though, he didn’t really care what Ms. Marks thought about the situation. Unless it was against some sort of rules. He didn’t want to get Zella fired. She loved her job, and he didn’t want to be responsible for ruining that for her.

  Then again, nothing was going on between them. Just because he liked her and thought about her a lot didn’t mean anything. He was still of the mind that he wasn’t interested in dating. He just wasn’t as firm in that stance as he had been a few weeks earlier.

  Asking Zella to stay for dinner had been a spontaneous and platonic gesture, but by the end of the night, it felt like a date. Spending time with her parents also had a couple-like feel to it.

  Surprisingly, none of it scared him. It should have – after his protests to Reid and Carson – but it didn’t. He had enjoyed all of his time with her. And he wanted more. That was the most unsettling part.

  Asking her to go to the appointment with him had been a little scary. It felt a little like asking her out. When there was a delay in her response, he was certain she was about to say “no.” His stomach was in knots as he waited for her words to come back through the screen on his phone. Her acceptance hadn’t been enthusiastic and there had been some hesitation. That made him a bit queasy. But he reminded himself it was just a doctor’s appointment. No big deal. So why had he hung on to her response? Why was he so looking forward to Thursday? Sure, it might have implications about when he could resume throwing, but he knew part of his anticipation was the chance to spend time with Zella. His appointment was at eight. He already planned to suggest breakfast after they left the clinic and before the team’s flight left for San Diego for their weekend series.

  “Earth to Beaman.”

  There was a hand waving in front of his face. He looked up and saw it belonged to Reid.

  “Where were you at just now?” Reid asked with a grin.

  “Right here. What are you talking about?” Derek asked.

  “You might be physically here, but your mind was somewhere else,” Reid said. “What’s up?”

  “Nothing,” Derek said. “Just thinking.”

  “About …?” Reid asked.

  “Nothing important,” Derek said, shrugging.

  “So I hear you’re taking a date to your appointment on Thursday,” Reid said with a smirk.

  Derek frowned and looked around, hoping no one else was listening.

  “Where did you hear that?” Derek asked.

  “I have sources, and that doesn’t sound like a denial,” Reid said. “So are you willing to admit you like her?”

  “No,” Derek said.

  “No, you don’t like her or no, you aren’t going to admit it?” Reid asked.

  Derek had to think a minute about Reid’s question. It was really the latter he was saying “no” to, but he couldn’t give Reid that. He honestly didn’t know how to respond.

  “There’s no good way for me to answer that,” Derek said.

  Reid laughed. “And you just did anyway. It’s OK if you like her, D. She’s cute.”

  Derek looked around again and tried to hush Reid.

  “What? You think the other guys don’t already know?” Reid asked. “People are talking.”

  Derek’s frown deepened. “What are they saying?”

  “Nothing bad,” Reid said. “Mostly that it’s about time you thought about tapping something other than the pitching rubber. Although, speaking of rubber …”

  “Who says I’m thinking about that?” Derek asked, not wanting to know how Reid would finish his thought.

  Reid gave him a look. “You’re a dude. That’s how we work. If you’re interested in her, it means you’ve pictured her naked. And you want to be naked with her.”

  “Come on …” Derek said.

  “It’s natural. Normal,” Reid said. “And I’m relieved. I was a little worried for a while.”

  “Worried about what?” Derek asked.

  “That the drugs had cut off your sex drive. Talk about a terrible side effect,” Reid said. “I was starting to worry about your dick. I don’t want to know what that says about me.”

  “Yeah, well don’t worry about it. It’s fine,” Derek said, laughing in spite of himself.

  “We’ll see about that,” Reid said.

  “What do you mean?” Derek asked.

  “It means you better actually do something in its favor,” Reid said. “Ask the girl out on a date. And doctor’s appointments don’t count.”

  Derek opened his mouth to object, but a roar from the crowd interrupted his thoughts. He looked up to see Carson Slater rounding the bases with a huge smile on his face. He’d just hit a grand slam to give the Pioneers a commanding 8-2 lead in the eighth inning. Cheers echoed off the dugout walls as the players clamored to stand and wait for Carson to
return so they could greet him with high fives.

  The commotion pulled Reid away from his conversation with Derek. He didn’t say another word about Zella for the rest of the game. At least out loud. In his head, Derek could still hear Reid’s words, and it was getting harder to resist his challenge.

  Zella was at the office early on Thursday. Even though Kate said she could have the morning off, she still wanted to get a few things done before she met Derek for his appointment. He was picking her up at the ballpark anyway, so it made sense to do a little work while she waited for him. Not that she was terribly productive in those ninety minutes before Derek texted to let her know he was pulling up, but at least it felt like she was trying. Points for effort, right?

  When she got into Derek’s car, he gestured to the middle console, where she saw two steaming to-go cups.

  “I got you coffee.”

  “Thanks. But that wasn’t necessary.”

  “You also didn’t have to agree to go with me today, but you did.”

  “Well, you asked nicely. And you asked my boss too, so I kind of had to say ‘yes.’”

  “And I’m glad you did.”

  She felt a blush rise to her cheeks at his words and the way he was smiling at her.

  “So, let’s go see if we can get you some good news,” she said.

  Derek nodded and put the car in drive, pulling away from the curb. Morning talk radio kept the car from being completely silent.

  “Sorry I’m not very talkative. I’m not much of a morning person,” Derek said after a few moments.

  “That’s OK,” Zella said. “I’m sure you have a lot on your mind.”

  “Yeah, I do,” Derek said.

  “How is your arm feeling?” she asked.

  “Better than it did a week ago,” he said.

  “That’s good. Progress,” she said.

  “Yeah, I’m not sure it’s enough yet though,” he said. “That’s what I’m nervous about.”

  She reached over and touched his forearm. “It’ll heal. It might take more time than you want it to, but you’ll be fine.”

  Derek glanced over and smiled at her. “This is why I wanted you with me today.”

  Zella smiled back and pulled her hand away. She sipped the coffee he’d bought, unsure of what to say. Things felt different between them now, and she didn’t know what it meant. Or how to deal with it.

  She noticed a gleam of amusement in the doctor’s eye as he entered the exam room and saw Derek and Zella waiting for him. He looked back and forth between them before saying anything.

  “What a nice friend you are, Zella,” Dr. Harrison said. “Back for his follow-up appointment. And an early one at that.”

  “He asked nicely,” Zella said, shrugging. “And it’s not that early.”

  “Still … very nice to see you here with him again,” he said.

  He then turned his attention to Derek and began talking about his arm. His questions started out general, just asking about his pain – the location, frequency, and intensity. Derek filled in the blanks as best he could and watched as Dr. Harrison ran his hand along his arm, pressing his fingers into the muscles at various but deliberate points.

  “I know you’re probably anxious to get back to pitching, but I’d like to give your arm a little more rest,” Dr. Harrison said. “Can you come back in another week?”

  Derek looked at his phone, scrolling through the calendar. “We leave today on a three-city road trip. We’ll be in Denver a week from today. But I suppose if I’m not pitching, I can come back.”

  “There’s no need for that,” Dr. Harrison said. “Set an appointment for the first morning you’re back.”

  “So can I throw at all in the meantime?” Derek asked.

  “I wouldn’t recommend it,” Dr. Harrison said. “Rest is the only thing that can help your arm right now. In addition to the heat and ice regimen you’re doing.”

  Derek nodded solemnly. “OK. Thanks.”

  After the doctor was gone, Zella stepped up next to Derek. She’d been standing back during the appointment, giving Dr. Harrison and Derek some space to work together.

  “I know that wasn’t the good news you hoped for, but it’s still good,” she said. “Another week or so won’t be that bad.”

  “Yeah, I guess,” he said, pushing the sleeve of his jacket back down. “I just hate this. I hate feeling useless to the team.”

  “I doubt they see you as useless,” she said. “There’s more to being a part of a team than what you do on the field.”

  He looked up at her curiously.

  “Last year, when Sutter was injured down the home stretch,” she said. “He was still on the bench for every game. You can’t tell me his presence wasn’t valuable to you. I remember seeing you talking to him whenever they’d show the dugout on TV.”

  “Well, yeah,” he said. “He’s been around a few more years than I have. I wanted to pick his brain.”

  “And you don’t think Finnegan is going to need you for that?” she asked. “And how about Cooper?”

  Derek didn’t respond, but he appeared to be taking in her words, mulling them over.

  “I know you’re not where you want to be, but you’ll get there,” she said. “And in the meantime, you’re still important to them. Don’t doubt that, Derek.”

  “Thank you,” he said finally. “I needed to hear that.”

  She smiled at him. “That’s why you brought me, right?”

  “Right,” he said. “Feel like grabbing breakfast?”

  “Sure,” she said. “Kate said she didn’t need me again until noon, so I have some time.”

  She intended to go back to the office before noon, but she wasn’t going to decline more time with Derek.

  Over the best omelets she’d had in a long time, they talked about the series sweep the Pioneers had just completed and the upcoming road trip. As he drove them back to the ballpark, it sank in for her that he would be gone for the next ten days. She would only see him on TV, which had been enough to thrill her six months earlier, but now it kind of depressed her. It was ridiculous, but she realized she was really going to miss keeping an eye out for him at the ballpark and the random chance meetings. She felt a little sad when he stopped at the curb to let her out.

  “So when I get back …”

  “Of course, I’ll go to your next appointment with you,” she said.

  “Well, that’s good, but … I also wanted to know if you’d like to go out with me,” he said.

  “You mean like a date?” she asked.

  He nodded. “Yeah. You know, I’d actually pick you up and take you somewhere other than a doctor’s office.”

  Even though she’d recognized a shift in their interactions, his invitation still surprised her. For a few moments, she could only stare at him.

  “If you’re worried about your job, I can ask Ms. Marks if it’s against the rules. Make sure it’s OK,” he said.

  “No, she already told me it would be OK,” she said.

  “She what?” he asked.

  Zella flushed a little. “A few weeks ago, she told me dating players wasn’t against the rules.”

  “Why did that come up?” Derek asked.

  “I don’t know,” Zella said quickly.

  She wasn’t about to admit to him that Kate had easily recognized her crush on him.

  “That was a weird comment for her to make,” he said.

  “True, but at least I know the rules,” she said.

  “Yeah, so …,” he said.

  “Yes,” she said.

  “You’ll go out with me?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she repeated.

  The smile that broke out on his face sent warmth through her.

  “OK,” he said. “I’ll call you sometime next week and we can figure out the details.”

  “Sure,” she said. “And let me know about your appointment too.”

  “Of course,” he said. “Thanks again for going today.”

/>   “No problem,” she said. “Do you want me to relay your update to Ms. Marks or are you going to?”

  “I’m going to call her, but thanks,” he said.

  “OK,” she said.

  She pulled the handle on the door to get out of the vehicle. But then she paused, looked back at him and leaned over the console, placing the lightest of kisses on his cheek.

  “Have a good road trip,” she said softly as she pulled away.

  Feeling a bit self-conscious about what she’d just done, Zella exited the car quickly and walked briskly toward the entrance. Unable to resist, she turned around and looked back to find him still watching her with that huge grin on his face. And she was quite certain her own smile mirrored his.

  Derek remained at the curb for a few moments after Zella was out of sight.

  He finally broke out of his trance and pulled away from the curb again. He still needed to pack before the road trip. As he drove, his mind kept replaying the scene that had unfolded just moments earlier.

  He thought he’d been happy when she agreed to go out with him. But then she’d kissed him. It was light and only on the cheek, but it still sent him through the roof. And the soft tone of her voice as she told him to have a good road trip. Yep. He was a goner. They hadn’t even gone on a real date yet and she already had him completely flustered.

  Suddenly, his phone rang and he saw Ms. Marks’ name on the display in his car. He hit the button to answer.

  “Good morning, Ms. Marks. I was just about to call you.”

  “I’m sure you were. I just couldn’t wait. Zella’s back, so I was anxious to hear about your appointment.”

  Derek relayed what Dr. Harrison had said. Remembering he still had at least ten more days of no pitching took way a little of his Zella-fueled high. But only a little. He was still too happy about that light kiss to feel much disappointment.

  “That’s good news, Derek,” Ms. Marks said. “As long as he’s just recommending more rest and not surgery, it’s good.”

  “I know. I’m just anxious to pitch again,” he said.

  “I’m sure you are, and I’m anxious to see you out there too,” she said. “But we want you at a hundred percent when you do. So take the time you need.”