by BK Harrell
“Someone’s been a very good girl. So, who’s the lucky guy or girl, but I’m betting on a guy.”
“Someone I used to know. Someone who broke my heart a long time ago, and unfortunately, I ran into him the other night when I delivered his best friend’s baby.”
“Well, girlfriend you go and flaunt what your momma gave you.”
Sarah couldn’t help but laugh at her assistant. She reached over and took the card that accompanied the flowers.
Sarah:
I am so glad that I got to see you again.
I don’t know what I’ve done to you, but I want
To make it right. Please call me 678-555-8786
Love,
Harrison
Sarah sat there motionless staring at the card in her hand. Tears threatened to fall, but she had shed too many tears over one Harrison Cooper. She would not let him control her emotions anymore. Frustrated by the whole situation, Sarah crumpled up the card and dropped it in her trash can. No matter what she still felt for Harrison, her son and her career had to come first.
As the days passed, the gifts continued to role in. She was impressed, even after ten years he still remembered all her favorites. While she continued to stew with anger and frustration, Sarah took a little delight in the fact that the staff enjoyed all the treats he sent and the flowers were sprucing up the rooms of the lonely hospital patients. Every day she went home, Sarah was reminded of Harrison when she looked at her son. He was the spitting image of Harrison and her heart continued to bleed a little more each day as she realized that she wasn’t being fair to him, but for her own sanity, she had to keep her guard up and her heart closed.
Harrison stood in the batting cages beneath the stadium taking out his frustrations with Sarah on the baseballs. His hands were raw from the number of swings he was taking, but with each swing he could feel a little of the frustration slip away. He felt at home here in the batting cage practicing his craft. He knew what he had planned, but the waiting was killing him. Harrison had tried to see Sarah at work, but had been politely turned away. His gifts had for all purposes been ignored. He had hoped that she would reach out to him first, but so far there had been nothing but radio silence. He continued to smash ball after ball, letting the crack of the bat continue to soothe him. Harrison was so consumed by his concentration that he failed to hear his best friend come in the batting cage.
“You know, if you keep doing this, you’re going to have to replace all of the balls the team owns.”
“Yeah, well, if I wasn’t dealing with all of this external shit then I wouldn’t need to hit this many balls. Nothing seems to be working.”
“Well, you have one other option. It is extreme but it could work or it could get you a restraining order. You could always wait for her to leave work and follow her home, but that’s risky.”
“Thanks, I’ll keep trying my way. I’ll back off and maybe it will give her some time, but I have a plan. I just have to try and be patient. At least spring training will be here before we know it, and I’ll be able to get some semblance of normalcy in my life.”
“Okay. Anyway, the reason I came by was that Alexa wanted you to come for dinner to see your Goddaughter.”
“Wait. What?”
“That’s right big guy. We want you to be her godfather. Not that we expect anything to happen to us, but there is no one more than you we want to take care of Emily for us if something did.”
Harrison had to fight back the tears that were forming in his eyes. Quickly wiping them away, he looked at Rhett and pulled him into a hug. “I’m truly honored and there is nothing I would like more than to take on this responsibility.”
Harrison showed up to dinner with pink balloons and a six-foot-tall teddy bear in tow. He figured he might as well spoil somebody else’s kids since he most likely wasn’t going to have any of his own. Dinner was wonderful. The best part was sitting in the rocker holding little Emily while she slept in his arms.
“You know, fatherhood looks good on you.” Alexa said.
“Well, this is probably as close as you’re going to get to seeing me like this.”
“So, Rhett told me all about Dr. Buckley and you. For what it’s worth, I’m really sorry”
“Thanks. I don’t think we’ll ever make it back together, but I wish she would talk to me and at least tell me what happened so that I could finally have some closure. I mean, do you know how many hot brunettes I turn down because of her.”
Alexa laughed. “Maybe you should stop being the player, and give up the game for a while or even permanently. If you still feel this way, how do you think she feels if every time she turns around your ugly mug is plastered on the front of the society section with a different girl? Maybe she doesn’t want to talk to you because she thinks that’s who you are, and it hurts too much to see the man she loves with other women. She may also think you can’t be tamed and doesn’t want to waste her time.”
“I never thought about it like that, but honestly I’m tired of the lifestyle. I’m not saying I’m looking for a wife, but a steady girlfriend would be nice.”
“Someone you could bring to dinner that doesn’t look like she just got off the pole would be a nice change.”
“Hey, I have put many a girl through nursing school.” Harrison said with a chuckle not wanting to wake Emily.
“Seriously though, don’t listen to the bone head in the next room. I have an idea that may work for you.”
“I’m all ears because I’m out of ideas.”
“So here it is, her boss is about to be your boss and you said they were committed to resigning you to a long-term deal. Well, as part of the negotiations you should insist that he provide a fifteen-minute sit down with the good doctor. What’s the worst he can say?”
Harrison laughed out loud. “It’s funny how great minds think alike. I already had that exact same thought. I realize it’s a high stakes game, but it may be my only shot at talking to her and hopefully happiness.”
Chapter Three
Several weeks later, Sarah sat at her desk pondering the sudden silence from Harrison. She was somewhat surprised by how easily Harrison had given up. This was not the same tenacious guy that she dated. Yes, she’d been a total bitch about the whole thing and could’ve called him, but she was still so hurt and angry even after ten years. Maybe she should call him, and after the New Year they could have a sit down and talk. If nothing else, it would finally give her the closure she had been desperately needing, and the ability to finally move on. Sarah heard a knock on her door and was surprised when she looked up to see Lincoln standing in the doorway.
“Hey, boss man, what’s up?”
“Just wanted to see how you were doing, and to give you a heads up that your ex would be stopping by this afternoon. Figured you might want to make a run for the hospital before he showed up at three o’clock.”
“Thanks for the heads up. I need to head over and do afternoon rounds with the residents anyway. So, why is he coming by here? And shouldn’t you still be at home with Nicole and baby Landon?”
“Contract negotiations, and honestly, I needed a short break. The owners approved the sell last week, so we wanted to try and lock down the current free agents on the team before they can test the free agent market.”
“Well, good luck. He won’t be cheap.” Sarah said as she got up from her desk. “Oh, and tell Nicole I said hello, and give Landon a kiss for me. He was so beautiful when he was born. He looks just like you. I never got to thank you for letting me deliver your son.”
“No sweat. I couldn’t have picked a better doctor to deliver him. Now, get out of here before you’re trapped.”
Sarah headed to the hospital thinking about what a chicken shit she was for not staying and facing this problem head on, but she felt like she needed to prepare Harry for the onslaught that was sure to ensue after they finally talked.
Harrison walked into the conference room where he was scheduled to meet with Drs. Mont
gomery and Ryan. He hoped this was simple, because he had long ago fired his agent in order to simplify his life and to take control. He was happy to see that the owners were serious and waiting for him along with the General Manager. Shaking their hands, Harrison took a seat in the middle of the table.
“Welcome Harrison. We’re so glad you could take the time to meet with us. Are you sure you didn’t want to bring your agent with you?”
“It’s my pleasure, and I don’t retain an agent, but make no mistake that doesn’t mean that you get to take advantage of me.”
“I can tell you that you don’t have to worry about that. We want you here in Atlanta for a long time. You’re the heart of this team, along with Rhett Akers. I simply want to do right by you. We prepared an offer that we think you’ll be very happy with.” Lincoln passed the proposal across the table to Harrison.
Harrison didn’t know what to expect but as he looked at the proposal, he knew this was not it. Never in his life could he have imagined the numbers sitting in front of him. Seven years, two-hundre-twenty-five million dollars with a player option for year eight and nine. Harrison almost swallowed his tongue as he looked at the numbers, and struggled not to show his hand. Finally, feeling strong enough to speak, he said, “This looks promising, and I can tell you that I will agree in principle to this deal with one small modification.”
Lincoln never blinked as he eyed Harrison. He never lost his cool because he was curious what else he wanted to add to the deal. “Mr. Cooper the ball’s in your court. What can we do to make this deal?”
“Don’t worry. It’s not about money or special privileges. I simply want a fifteen-minute sit down meeting with Dr. Sarah Buckley. That’s it. The time and place can be of her choosing. Hell, it can be right here in this conference room with you two chaperoning.” He pointed to Lincoln and Cole.
Lincoln studied Harrison intently. “Give me five minutes and I’ll give you an answer.” Lincoln stood up and walked out of the room to his office. Lincoln, shook his head. He had to give it to Harrison. He knew what he wanted and he was going to try and hold Lincoln by the balls to get it. Lincoln actually smiled at the audacity of the Harrison. He picked up phone and dialed Sarah.
“Dr. Buckley.”
“Hey, Sarah. It’s Lincoln. I’m in a small bind and I need your help.”
“You know I’ll do anything I can.”
“You may rethink that statement in a minute. Okay, so here goes. We’re working to sign Harrison to a long-term deal. He’s happy with the money, but he has a counter request that we would like to accommodate, that is dependent on you.”
“Me? What could I possibly have to do with this?”
“He wants a guaranteed fifteen-minute sit down with you. He even conceded to allow you to choose the time and place and you could even request Cole and I as chaperones.”
Sarah sucked in a breath. This wasn’t what she was expecting. She now knew why he was suddenly quiet about sending her things. He was trying to get a guarantee that he could see her. Sarah felt like she owed Lincoln and Cole everything. “Okay.” She whispered into the phone. “I’ll do it.”
“You don’t have to. We can try to work around it.”
“No. We need to do this. I just don’t know what I’ll do about Harry. I don’t know if I’ll tell him or not, but I won’t do it until after the New Year. I want one last holiday without drama.”
“Thanks. We appreciate it, and we’ll have yours and Harry’s back. Head on home as soon as your finished and we’ll talk more tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Lincoln. Good night.”
“Good night.”
Lincoln walked back into the conference room and sat down. “I would say I don’t understand this, but the reality is that I do. I think that both of you need to talk, and I’m not sure fifteen-minutes is going to cover it, but that’s what we’ll guarantee. Anything else is on the two of you.”
“Thanks. Thank you very much. We have a deal.” Harrison stood up and shook their hands.
“You’re welcome, and I hope that you find the answers you both seek. By the way, don’t forget that you and the boys are expected at Cole’s wedding in December. So, I need to make myself very clear right now. You will not fuck it up. You will see Sarah, and she will be a bridesmaid, as she and Marcie have become friends. So, if you see her you may, if she permits, engage her in polite conversation. Also, she said she would meet with you after the New Year. Sorry, but that was her stipulation.”
“Okay, boss. Whatever you say is how I’ll behave.”
Harrison shook hands and walked out of the room. He wasn’t overly joyed that he would have to wait for so long, but at least he was on the right path to seeing her. Every day, he tried to wrack his brain for what he could’ve done. The only thing that made any sense was that Tracey said something to her and she was already so emotional about graduation and what would happen to them, that it pushed her over the edge. As he rode the elevator down, he absentmindedly fingered the chain he wore around his neck. For ten years he had carried around the engagement ring he had bought to give Sarah after graduation, but now he wore it as a reminder. Ten years later, he still loved her. He would do anything to have her again, but only she could decide their future.
As Harrison drove back to the stadium, he felt a glimmer of hope. He could not afford to screw up whatever sliver of a chance he had with her. Pulling into the stadium he parked in his usual spot and headed into the clubhouse to workout. He must have been so lost in thought that he never heard his phone ping with a message. He looked at the message and was confused because it was from a blocked number. When he read the message, he smiled. It simply said January 4th three o’clock conference room B. Well, now he had a date. Now he just had to figure out how to handle the wedding and getting through the holidays.
As he walked through the door, he ran into his skipper who had a big smile on his face upon seeing Harrison.
“Hey, Skip. What are you smiling about?”
“I don’t know. You tell me. I know you just met with the new owners and talked about a new contract.”
“Yeah. I guess I’ll have to stare at your ugly mug for another seven or eight years.”
The skipper slapped him on the back. “Thank God. I’m so glad you’re staying. You’re the heart of the team. I assume they’ll make Rhett a similar offer. I think we’re going to be a much better team next year. Maybe even able to go all the way.”
“Don’t get your hopes up yet. We still need more pitching and a couple of outfielders.”
“For the first time in several years I’m going into an offseason not worried about who we will trade away, but looking forward to who will be joining us.”
“Me too, Skip. Me too.”
Harrison walked to his locker and changed into his workout clothes. Heading to the weight room, he passed Rhett who was heading to the batting cages. Looking at the smile on his face, he knew that he had similar luck with his contract. Harrison was excited that they would both be sticking around Atlanta for a long time. “So, we’re good?”
“We’re great.”
“Tell Alexa that I did what we talked about and it worked. Unfortunately, I won’t get to talk to her until after the New Year.”
“Well, at least it is a start.”
Harrison said goodbye and headed to do his workout. He felt less stressed today than he did last week. Maybe his mom was right, eventually everything would work out for the best. She’d always been his biggest fan and she would be ecstatic that he was staying here. He made a note to call her later and let her know the good news.
Sarah, drove home from the office thinking about her life. Even though she was a little down with the realization of what she committed to, she wouldn’t let anything affect her child. Pulling into the driveway, she saw Harry out front tossing the ball into his net working on his footwork. Sarah smiled as she watched the concentration on Harry’s face. He was the spitting image of his father. That realization made her he
art ache as she thought of all that she was keeping from him. As she got out of the car, Harry stopped what he was doing and ran to her, engulfing her in a hug.
“Hey, little man. How was your day?”
“Aw, mom. You don’t need to call me little man anymore. I’m almost as big as you are. My day was really good. School was fun. I made a hundred on my math and science test. Got all of my homework done before the bell rang, so now I get to play for a while.”
“Wow. I’m impressed. Good job on your tests,: Sarah told him. “What do you want for dinner? Nana said she would fix it or we could go out if you got home late. Since you’re early maybe she can make chicken and dumplings for dinner.”
“That sounds great. I’m going to head inside and talk to Nana for a few minutes so just keep practicing.” Sarah walked into the house that she still shared with her mom, Anne. “Momma. You in the kitchen?”
“Where else would I be baby doc.” She said as she came out of the kitchen and hugged Sarah. “You’re home early. I wasn’t expecting you for a few more hours.”
“Well, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I had to do something today because I owe Lincoln and Cole my professional life, and honestly, my happiness and well-being. In order to get a player to sign a new contract, I had to agree to give that person a fifteen-minute meeting. It was Harrison.”
Anne’s hand came up to her mouth and covered the audible gasped that escaped. “I’m sorry, honey. I know how much you dreaded this possibility.”
“It’s okay, mom, to be honest, it’s time. We need to hash things out for our own well-being. I just don’t know what to do about Harry. I don’t want to lose him, and I’m scared to death that Harrison will try to hurt me by getting custody of him.”
“I don’t think he’ll try to hurt you that way. I do think he’ll be angry with you because of all he has missed out on, but I never took him for that type of man.” Anne said as she poured Sarah a glass of sweet tea. “Let me ask you something. We never talked about this. Why didn’t you ever give him a chance to explain?”