Worth the Trade

by Kristina Mathews

  He now had a mission to find out. But she wouldn’t let him anywhere near her bed until he started hitting. She was the one who brought him here. He couldn’t disappoint her. He’d have to come through on the field. She wasn’t the kind of woman he could wine and dine or shower with expensive trinkets.

  Hunter Collins was the kind of woman he would have to seduce with action. A plan. And yes, diamonds. Both the dirt-covered kind and the ones set in platinum. She wanted a ring and he was going to be the man to give it to her.

  First, he had to help the team make it to the World Series. And in order to get them there, he had to start hitting. He had to be the man she thought he was when she traded for him. If she could fight for him before she’d even met him, surely he could fight through this slump for her.

  Marco’s teammates arrived shortly after Hunter left. He needed to work a little harder at getting to know the rest of the players. But it was hard to be too friendly when he was letting his teammates down. Already.

  A few of the guys had tried to reach out to him. Offering advice and encouragement. Suggesting everything from prayers to getting laid. He’d been advised on where to get slump busting takeout for any kind of food. Chinese, Mexican, Italian, or even vegan restaurants that had done the trick for one or more of his teammates. Or if he was looking to blow off some steam, he’d learned the best bars to meet the kind of women who were more than willing to give a certain kind of fan support.

  He didn’t need enchiladas or groupies or a chicken bone cross. He needed to get his head on straight. To find his focus. His control. There was only one man who could cure what ailed him.

  “Hey, Johnny.” Marco approached veteran pitcher Johnny “The Monk” Scottsdale. The man was known for his composure. He was a Zen master when it came to keeping his focus on the game. He’d also been known for keeping monk-like control off the field, but that was before he married his college sweetheart after a fourteen year separation.

  Marco waited until they were alone to ask for advice. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure. What do you need?”

  “Wisdom.” He also didn’t seem like the kind of guy you danced around. You got straight to the point.

  “Wisdom?” Johnny repeated. “I’ll do my best.”

  “I need to regain my focus.” Marco hated to admit weakness. Especially to another man. Even a future Hall of Famer and leader of this team. But Marco was desperate. There was too much riding on this.

  “It’s never easy coming to a new team. Particularly one with such high expectations.” Marco was glad he didn’t have to explain.

  “Every team starts the year hoping to win it all.” Still putting up walls. He’d never become a true teammate until he put himself out there. Acknowledged that sometimes he didn’t know what the hell he was doing. “I think this team has a real shot at the pennant. But you already knew that. You gave up a long term deal with Chicago to come here.”

  “We’re still in the race. That’s for sure.” They were three games back. With fifty left to play. Still very much in the race.

  “Yeah. But every single one of us has to make a contribution.” And Marco knew he hadn’t done that since coming to San Francisco.

  “True. But we don’t all have to do it at the same time.” Johnny made it sound so simple. It was for him. After so many years in the big leagues, he was having his best season yet. “We have twenty-five guys on this team. We pick each other up, encourage each other, and keep working for each other even when it feels like it’s not going to work out. We show up. Every. Single. Day.”

  “I want to be that guy,” Marco admitted. He wanted to be the guy who stuck around. Who made a contribution on the field and beyond. “I want to keep showing up. Every day. Every year. I want to be someone people can count on.”

  “So be that guy. Step up to the plate like you own it.” Johnny exuded confidence. Composure. Wisdom. “No one can beat you unless you let them.”

  If it was only that simple.

  “Look. I know what it’s like to be the new guy on the team. To heap that much more pressure on yourself. But you don’t carry this team. This team will carry you. If you’ll let us.”

  Johnny wasn’t pitching today. He laced up his cleats anyway. Gave Marco an encouraging nod and headed to the field to support his teammates.

  Marco tried to let Johnny’s advice soak in. The entire season did not rest on his shoulders alone. He had twenty-four other guys who wanted a shot at the postseason just as much as he did. He’d have eight men on the field with him at any given time. Every single one of them was capable of driving in the winning run. Even the pitchers. All of their starters had at least one RBI this season. He did not have to do this on his own.

  Marco stood for the national anthem. He glanced behind home plate. Only the old guy, in the bow tie and sweater vest, sat in the prime seats. Dempsey was his name. Hunter wasn’t there. She’d made good on her promise not to distract him.

  He needed to make good on his promise.

  * * * *

  Hunter sat in the luxury box above the field. They had all the amenities one could wish for, food, drinks, Wi-Fi, and big screen TVs. But she couldn’t smell the grass from up here. Couldn’t hear the crack of the bat as it made contact with the ball. She couldn’t feel the buzz of the crowd around her. She was isolated up here. Separated from the fans, the players, and her father. He’d never sat in a luxury suite. Always in the seats behind home plate. Always right where the action was.

  The suite included a balcony, with outdoor seating. She sat down, trying to at least catch a whiff of garlic fries. After standing for the national anthem, she settled into her seat with her scorebook and a notepad to jot down anything that stood out about her team or their opponent.

  Clayton Barry was busy entertaining his wife and five-year-old twin daughters. They seemed to be more interested in the catered meal and playing video games on the big TV than the actual game.

  The Goliaths got the first two outs easily. But then the pitcher walked the third batter, bringing their cleanup hitter to the plate. Sure enough, he got ahold of a ball that was up in the strike zone, launching it deep into left field. A collective gasp was followed by cheers as Marco leaped into the air, snagging the ball just inches above the outfield wall.

  Her heart continued to thump as he trotted back to the dugout. Maybe a spectacular play like that was just what he needed to build his confidence. Hunter hoped it would carry over into his next at bat.

  She wasn’t going to panic just yet. He’d only been in town three nights. Still living out of a suitcase. He hadn’t had a chance to acclimate to the city, the clubhouse, or the contours of the outfield. A week ago, he’d been looking forward to Marco Santiago bobblehead night at his old stadium. Now he was sporting a new uniform, a new number, and a new set of expectations.

  Besides, she’d acquired him for his defense as much as anything else. He was fearless in the outfield. Making impossible plays look routine. And routine plays spectacular. He’d just saved them two runs. That was worth plenty in her book. They would have needed to score three if he hadn’t made that catch.

  In his first at bat, Marco hit a soft line drive that squirted past the second baseman into the outfield. Baxter scored from third base and the Goliaths took a one to nothing lead. Hunter breathed a sigh of relief as Marco recorded his first official hit and his first RBI since the trade. She started to relax. He was settling in. Showing signs of the player she’d put her faith, and several million dollars, into.

  She watched him standing on first base. He glanced over at her usual seat behind home plate, and shook his head. He then lifted his gaze up to the suite level where she now sat. Even though he couldn’t possibly have picked her out of the crowd, she felt the connection. Those damn blue eyes that haunted her dreams. Made her feel naked when he looked at her. And made her want to be naked. With him.

  The next batter struck out and she watched Marco trot back to the dugout. He gr
abbed his glove and hustled to the outfield, ready to play. She watched him cover the large expanse of left field. He would shift his body at the crack of the bat. Somehow he knew which direction the ball would go before it left the bat. Instinct.

  She had that kind of instinct when it came to her players.

  Usually.

  She watched Marco make several routine and not-so-routine plays. Her gut feeling about his defense was spot on. She hoped her faith in his batting would play out eventually.

  But when he got to the plate in his next at-bat, he hit the ball hard, right into the glove of the diving center-fielder. On his next trip to the plate, his frustration showed. He hit a weak grounder to third. He shook his head as he walked back to the dugout. This time, he didn’t look up.

  “Your boy toy is turning out to be a bust already.” Clayton slunk into the seat next to her. He leaned back, stretching his legs as if he owned the place. Right. He had a thirty percent share of ownership. He was her business partner, but he saw her more as competition. He’d been threatened by the players’ loyalty to her father and now her.

  And he wanted her position as president and managing partner. Vice president wasn’t enough for him. She wasn’t sure if he wanted more power or if he wanted to be more powerful than her. Some men couldn’t handle a woman who knew more than they did. He’d expected her to be a spoiled little rich girl, only interested in her daddy’s money to keep herself in designer shoes and spa treatments. Instead, he’d been shown up by her business savvy and determination to improve the team.

  “And we gave up a hot pitching prospect to get him.” He didn’t like the fact that she couldn’t be pushed around. That she knew more about the game than he did, and a lot more about the players, both on her team and around the league. He only cared about numbers, statistics, and name recognition. She sometimes wondered if he chose players based more on jersey sales over actual production on the field.

  “Marco Santiago will come through for us.” She hoped. No, she truly believed in him. “I’m sure of it.”

  “Oh really?” Clayton leaned toward her, the Scotch on his breath making her a little nauseated. His wife, Annabelle, had left after the third inning to get the girls ready for bed. “You want to bet on it?”

  “What would you like to wager?” She hated that he could bait her so easily, but she couldn’t let him think she was intimidated by him. Or that she had any doubts about her choice. “A hundred bucks?”

  “No. Not cash. I’ve got plenty of that.” He gave her a patronizing laugh. “But I’d be more than willing to wager, say five percent.”

  “Five percent?” If she won, that would give her more of an advantage when it came to negotiations. Dempsey trusted her and usually went along with her decisions, but it would be nice to have the added leverage over Clayton. “And just how would we measure Santiago’s contribution?”

  Would he have to lead the league in RBIs? Batting average? He’d already been named an all-star. Just not for their team. But there was only one thing she wanted from Marco. From her team.

  “MVP?” Clayton suggested.

  She laughed. No one had ever won the most valuable player award after being traded. She wasn’t going to fall for a sucker bet.

  “Nice try. It would be quite an accomplishment, but not likely enough to give up a percentage of my team.” She narrowed her gaze. “I want something more. I want the division. I think Santiago will help us get there.”

  “L.A. has picked up several big names.” He was still pouting about losing out on one of the megastar free agents last winter. Even though he hadn’t quite justified his enormous salary. “It’s going to be tough to win the division outright.”

  “But it can be done.” She folded her arms across her chest. She couldn’t back down. For one thing, her partner didn’t know shit about what it took to put together a winning team. But more importantly, she had absolute faith in her new left fielder. He would contribute to the team’s ultimate success. “Marco Santiago is the key. I would bet five percent, no make it ten, that the Goliaths will make it to the postseason.”

  “The division title. Not a wild card berth?” He gave her a shit-eating grin. “That sounds like a definitive measurement.”

  “Looks like we have a deal.” She leaned across the armrest and shook on it. She got a shiver down her spine at the contact. But it wasn’t the good kind of shiver. Not at all like the kind of tingling she felt when she touched Marco.

  That kind of tingling must have short-circuited her brain. She’d just bet ten percent of her team—her legacy—on a player who didn’t want to be there in the first place. A man who was more interested in hitting on her than hitting a baseball.

  What could possibly go wrong?

  Maybe she wasn’t ready to run the team. No. She was ready. She’d been doing it long enough. Marco Santiago was a good acquisition. He was a good player and once he had a chance to settle in with the team, he could be a great player. One she could count on. What she hadn’t counted on was the crazy attraction between them. It had thrown her off her game, but she’d shake it off. She had to.

  Chapter 3

  After his last at bat, Marco glanced over at the empty seat behind home plate. Even without her sitting there, he still felt the overpowering presence of Hunter Collins. He wanted her. Wanted her more than was good for him. Or the team.

  The Goliaths had a six game road trip coming up. He was already packed, ready to head straight for the airport after the game. He hoped getting away for a few days would give him the space he needed to get his head on right. To work out the flaw in his swing. Yeah, sure, the flaw was in his swing. In the swing of his head toward Hunter’s seat. Then up toward the booth, where he imagined the owner’s box was located.

  A road trip was just what he needed to clear his head. To get back in the game. And every other cliché guys like him used to excuse their poor performance.

  Hunter believed in him. Or she had until he got one look at her, and he’d somehow forgotten everything he’d ever known about hitting a baseball. It couldn’t come at a worse time, either. Not when his contract was up at the end of the year.

  This was supposed to be his chance to sign the big deal. He hoped it would be here, in San Francisco. In the short time he’d been in the Goliaths clubhouse, he’d noticed the guys had something special. A camaraderie that he hadn’t found anywhere else. Instead of a collection of players, all doing their own thing, they were a TEAM. They backed each other up. And not just when the spotlight was on them. It was like they were more than teammates. More than friends, even. It was like they were a family.

  But he was still the outsider. The new guy who wasn’t quite cutting it. Wasn’t pulling his weight. And that was one more reason he needed to stay as far away as possible from Hunter. He didn’t need to sleep his way onto the roster. That wouldn’t do either of them any good.

  He needed to forget about her. Starting now. He’d board the plane for Atlanta, and when he returned, he wouldn’t be bothered by her presence behind home plate. Wouldn’t even think about unbuttoning her stuffy shirts or unpinning her uptight hairdo. He wouldn’t wonder if she was as soft underneath as she pretended to be hard on the outside.

  And he damn sure wouldn’t worry about her partner, married or not, sliding up next to her in the luxury suite, laughing at what a mistake she’d made in bringing Marco Santiago to San Francisco.

  No. He couldn’t let that happen. Couldn’t let him put her down. Couldn’t give him the satisfaction of saying I told you so.

  Marco would just have to work harder. Smarter. And better than anyone else on the team.

  * * * *

  Six days later, Marco was the last one to board the plane back to San Francisco. He’d improved his batting average, gotten his first extra-base hit, and two more RBIs. But he still wasn’t in his groove. Most of those hits were just plain lucky. Weak ground balls that squirted through the infield. Bloopers that fell just short of the outfielders. He w
asn’t making real good contact, and he had far too many strikeouts.

  His concentration was still shot.

  It helped a little that Hunter wasn’t sitting behind home plate. But she was sitting there in his head. Tormenting him. Tempting him. Torturing him.

  He’d never let a woman come between him and his game. Not in high school, college, or the minor leagues. Especially not when he’d made it to the majors. He’d always kept his personal life separate. Any time a woman even got close to coming between him and baseball, it was always easier to let her go than try to juggle her needs with the needs of his team.

  Ever since he stepped into that limo with Hunter, he couldn’t get her out of his system. Must be pheromones or something. How else could he explain an intense sexual attraction to a woman who was not only his boss, but was sending seriously non-sexual signals?

  The way she dressed, for example. He couldn’t think of one thing he liked about her wardrobe. She dressed like she was going for a job interview at a funeral home in a black-and-white movie. He’d only seen her in black and gray. Conservative. Boring. Like she was trying to hide something. Her femininity. Her passion. But he saw right through her. Or rather, he felt something, an underlying sensuality that she couldn’t quite keep hidden. Not from him.

  And he wanted to uncover that sensuality in the worst way.

  But despite their mutual attraction, she’d made it very clear she wasn’t interested in him.

  Time to let it go. To take the advice of the master of control. The man. The myth. The Monk.

  “Hey Johnny, I’ll bet you’re looking forward to getting home.” Marco sat down with an empty seat between him and his teammate.