“Do you have any idea why?”
“No.” Ryan shook his head. “All I know is my mom rarely talks about him.”
“Has he had any contact with you?” Kari asked.
“I’ve never met him.”
“That’s sad, but it’s his loss.”
Ryan’s eyes met hers. “That’s exactly what my mom always says.”
“Sounds like she’s a smart woman.”
“She is,” he said. “She’s worked as a nurse’s aide for twenty-five years, but I swear she knows more than most of the nurses she helps.”
“Why didn’t she ever go back to school and get a nursing license?”
“That’s another one of those questions I’ve never understood the answer to.” He reached out and took her hand, guiding her back toward the car. Her skin was warm and smooth beneath his own calloused hand. “Enough about me. Tell me about your family.”
“We’re pretty boring. I lived in the same house in Cincinnati from the time I was born until I left for college. Same with Ben and my older sister.”
“I’m surprised you aren’t thinking about moving back to Ohio to finish college.”
“I thought about it, but the truth is that I really don’t want to live there anymore,” Kari said. “Don’t get me wrong. I loved growing up in the Midwest, but I’m ready to be out on my own.”
He reached into his pocket and retrieved his car keys, then glanced over at her. “You do realize you’re living with your brother, right?”
She chuckled. “Yes, that’s true, but it’s only for a few months until I decide where I’m going to school. Even if I stay in the area, I’ll find a place of my own.”
“With the house they’re buying, you could probably live with them, and they wouldn’t even notice.”
“It was big, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah. Too bad the tennis court wasn’t in the backyard of the house across the street. That second master bedroom was pretty much its own apartment.”
“True.” She waited for him to open the car door for her. “But staying with them would be too easy. I don’t want to live off someone else. I want to take care of myself.”
Ryan found the sentiment endearing. “That’s a good way to live your life.”
“I’m glad you think so.”
* * *
Family, food, music, hobbies. Kari felt like she and Ryan had talked about everything under the sun by the time he pulled into a parking space in front of her brother’s apartment building. The one thing they hadn’t talked about was baseball. Or the three women who had continued to text him throughout dinner, even though he hadn’t answered any of them.
“Thanks so much for everything tonight,” Kari said. “I had a really good time.”
“Me too.” Ryan turned off the car and circled to open the door for her. He offered his hand, and she accepted automatically.
Not unlike the first time he had taken her hand tonight, she felt a jolt of attraction that she hadn’t experienced when she had first met him. Or perhaps she had felt a connection but hadn’t wanted to admit it. After all, at the time, he wasn’t interested in her except as an escape from an awkward situation. She found herself wondering if tonight would lead to more time together.
As soon as she stood beside him, Ryan closed the door and locked the car. “I assume you have a key to the building.”
“Yeah. Maya loaned me hers.” She pulled her key free and unlocked the outer door.
Ryan pulled it open wide. “I’ll walk you up.”
Nerves fluttered in her stomach when he took her hand once more and they started toward the elevator.
“You know how you and Ben were talking about practical jokes you played when you were kids?”
“Yeah. What about it?”
“I was hoping you could help me come up with something to get one of the guys on the team.”
“Oh, I’m sure we can think of something.” They stepped into the elevator, and she pushed the button for Ben’s floor. “Is Ben going to be in on it too?”
“Probably. Pulling anything on this guy is the ultimate challenge. He’s quite the prankster.”
“I’ll see what we can come up with,” Kari said with a grin.
The doors slid open, and Ryan led her into the hallway. She was surprised when they saw her brother standing outside his door, a screwdriver in his hand.
“Ben? What are you doing?” Kari asked as she and Ryan drew closer.
“Fixing the doorbell.”
“What’s wrong with it?” Ryan asked.
“One of the wires came loose.”
“And you’re fixing it at eleven o’clock at night because . . . ?” Kari asked, feeling very much like a sixteen-year-old returning from a date to find her dad waiting for her on the front porch.
“Because I leave for L.A. tomorrow morning, and Maya wanted it fixed before I go.”
“Does it really matter if it works or not? People can knock instead of ringing the bell.”
“They can, but I don’t think you would be any happier than Maya if I let the bell ring all night,” Ben countered. “It got stuck when the delivery guy came with the dessert I ordered. That was twenty minutes ago.”
“Okay, I’ll admit I wouldn’t want to sleep through a constant doorbell.” A little annoyed at the lack of privacy, she turned back to Ryan. “Thanks again for dinner.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Good night.” Kari opened the door and glanced over her shoulder at Ryan before slipping inside. Once she closed the door behind her, she wondered if she really would talk to him again soon. After all, he had ignored the texts of a half dozen women since she’d met him. Would she be any different?
Deciding to remember only the positives about their evening, she dropped her purse on the kitchen table and headed for her room. Even though she normally talked to Maya about everything, tonight she found she wanted some time to let the memories linger without sharing them with anyone else.
Chapter 10
“Have you talked to Kari lately?” Ryan asked Ben when he stepped beside him on the field to stretch. In the distance, the setting sun cast shadows over Dodger Stadium, the overhead lights already on.
“Yeah, last night. Why?”
“I was just wondering,” Ryan said, hoping he sounded casual. The truth was he hadn’t talked to her since their date four nights ago, and the silence was driving him crazy. She had his number. Why hadn’t she called him?
“Did she tell you Maya set the closing date on our house?” Ben asked, oblivious to Ryan’s dilemma.
“No. When is it?”
“In three weeks.” Ben stretched his arms above his head.
“That fast?” Ryan asked, mimicking Ben’s movement.
“Yeah. The owner wasn’t living there, so all we’re waiting on is the financing.”
“That’s great. Has Maya maxed out your credit cards yet buying furniture?”
“No, thankfully.” Ben stretched his arm across his chest and held it for a count of ten. “Maya is actually more of a treasure hunter, especially when Kari is around.”
“What do you mean?”
“They like to go to thrift shops and used-furniture stores.”
“Are you okay with that?”
“Absolutely. They sent me a bunch of pictures from this one store in Phoenix called Furniture Affair. It sells furniture that used to be in model homes. It’s actually cheaper to buy some of their stuff and have it shipped than to buy new in DC.”
“Don’t they want to see the furniture before they buy it?”
“Yeah. They’re going to meet us in Phoenix on Tuesday so they can check everything out, and they’ll stay for our series against the Diamondbacks.”
“Is Maya up to traveling?” Ryan asked.
“She says she’s feeling great,” Ben said, but Ryan sensed his concern. “If it was her by herself, I would worry, but since Kari is with her, I’m sure she’ll be fine.”
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“It will be good to see them.”
Ben looked over at him. “Is there something I should know about you and Kari?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, you went out with her before we left, but she obviously didn’t tell you she’s meeting the team in Phoenix,” Ben said. “I thought your date went well.”
“It did.” Ryan lifted his leg, holding his ankle to stretch out his quad.
“And?”
“She hasn’t called me since.”
“Have you called her?” Ben asked.
“No.”
“Any particular reason?”
“I just figured if she wanted to talk to me, she would call.”
Ben laughed. “Hate to break it to you, Ryan, but Kari isn’t the type to chase a guy. I doubt she’ll call first. She’s old-fashioned enough to expect you to call her.”
Ryan let Ben’s observation sink in. “Then you think I should call her?”
“That’s up to you, but if you want to talk to her, that’s the only way it’s going to happen,” Ben said. “Unless you wait a couple more days until we see them in Phoenix.”
“I guess I’ll call her after the game.”
“Ryan, what time is our game tonight?”
“Seven. Why?”
“And what time is it in DC right now?”
Ryan did the math. “Ten.”
“It’s going to be after midnight in DC by the time this game is over. You might want to wait another day to call her.”
Ryan held in a sigh. “Maybe I’ll wait until tomorrow.”
“Good idea.”
* * *
“Why don’t you call him?” Maya asked as they sat on her living room couch and watched the Nationals take the field.
“Because every other girl he’s dated calls and texts him constantly. I don’t want to be like that.” Kari didn’t want to admit that she was thinking about Ryan more than she was comfortable with, especially since they had been out on only one date.
“Kari, you aren’t at all like the other girls he’s dated.”
“How can you tell?” Kari asked. “I’ve only gone out with Ryan once.”
“Yeah, and he asked you out.”
“So?” Kari looked at her friend and saw a combination of amusement and exasperation on her face.
“So he doesn’t ask women out.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, the women he dates are usually people he meets after games or at parties. They ask him out, not the other way around.”
“And he’s okay with that?”
“You do realize that women ask men out all the time, right?”
“Yeah, but asking a guy out is one thing. Chasing one isn’t my style,” Kari said, not sure how to describe her hesitation. “It just feels weird to me.”
“Only because you aren’t the type to chase a guy,” Maya said. “Which brings us back to my point. You aren’t like the other women he’s dated.”
“That may be, but I’m not going to change that and start calling him,” Kari insisted. “If he wants to talk to me, he can pick up the phone and call.”
“If you say so, but you could at least send him a text and wish him luck in his game tonight.”
On the television screen, a ground ball headed right for Ryan. He made the play, throwing to second for the first part of a double play. “I think it’s a little late for that.”
“Then you can wish him luck tomorrow.”
“We’ll see.” Kari shifted back in her seat and put her feet on the coffee table. “For now, I’m going to see how many innings I can get through before I fall asleep on your couch.”
“You know as well as I do that you won’t be able to sleep until the game is over.”
Kari looked over at her, acknowledging the truth to her statement. “Okay, you’re right, but it’s because I know you’ll stay up anyway, and I don’t want you to get lonely.”
Maya put her feet up beside Kari’s. “Whose turn is it to make the popcorn?”
“Mine,” Kari said. One of the Dodgers hit a double, and she straightened as the action unfolded on the TV. “I’ll make it during the commercial.”
“That’s what you always say.”
Kari looked over at her. “Can you blame me?”
“Not at all.”
* * *
The ringing of her phone woke Kari from a deep sleep. The thought that it could be Ryan calling sent a thrill through her and caused her to fumble for the phone.
The number wasn’t one she recognized, and she cleared her throat before hitting the talk button. “Hello?”
“Hey, Kari. It’s Austin.”
Her teeth clenched together. “This isn’t your number you’re calling from,” Kari said, irritated on principle.
“You weren’t taking my calls.”
“That’s right. I’m not taking your calls.” She had hoped since Austin hadn’t called or texted for a full week that he had finally given up on her. The hurt he had caused didn’t slice through her as sharply as it once had, but the embarrassment that had resulted from his deception hadn’t faded.
“I need to talk to you,” Austin insisted.
“Ironically, I don’t need to talk to you. Good-bye, Austin.” Kari shifted the phone away from her ear and hit the end button.
Immediately, the phone rang again.
Kari hit ignore, set her cell back on her bedside table, and rolled over in bed.
The phone rang again. Again, Kari silenced it. She considered turning it off, but the seed of hope that Ryan would call prevented her from following through.
What was wrong with her? The man she wasn’t interested in wouldn’t leave her alone, and the one she wanted to talk to wouldn’t call. Somehow she needed to find a way to reverse the situation.
She stared at the ceiling for a few minutes through three more calls from Austin. Deciding sleep wasn’t going to happen, she headed for the bathroom, leaving her phone behind.
Might as well get the day started. Maybe by the time Kari was showered and dressed, Austin would have given up on his quest to talk to her.
* * *
Ryan woke to the sound of a text message. He rolled over and reached for his phone, a ripple of anticipation flowing through him. He didn’t have any reason to think the text was from Kari, but that didn’t keep him from hoping.
He picked up the phone and rolled onto his back as he looked at the screen. Robin. I heard you’re in town. Let’s get together.
The memory of a date last month during a series against the Angels came to mind. Ryan texted back. Sorry, but I have a girlfriend, and I made plans with her. His finger hovered above the send button.
Kari would hardly consider herself his girlfriend, but there had been enough on social media to make it look that way. Besides, it wasn’t fair to Robin to lead her on since he had no intention of seeing her again.
Mustering his courage, he pressed send. He then scrolled down to his next unread message. Stacey from Colorado offering to meet him in Phoenix.
Ryan sent a similar response. Sorry, I started dating someone a while ago. She’s meeting me in Arizona for the series. This time he didn’t hesitate before he pressed the send button.
He checked the time and did the math. Nine o’clock in LA meant it was already noon in DC. He scrolled through his contacts and dialed Kari’s number.
“Hello?” she answered as though she wasn’t sure who was calling.
“Hey, Kari. It’s Ryan.”
“Ryan, how are you doing?” Her voice shifted now to her usual friendly tone. “Have you figured out which time zone you’re in yet?”
“Barely,” he admitted. “In fact, your brother saved you from getting a middle-of-the-night phone call last night. I was going to call you after the game until he reminded me that we have a three-hour time difference right now.”
“Well, we’ll be in the same time zone soon enough,” Kari said. “Did Ben tell you we’re go
ing to meet up with you guys in Phoenix?”
“Yeah, he said something about that,” Ryan said. He mustered his courage. “I thought maybe you would let me take you out after one of the games.”
“I’d like that if you’re up for it.” He heard the enthusiasm in Kari’s voice, followed by concern. “You must be exhausted.”
“The first day or two of a road trip are always rough, but you get used to it.” He swung his legs over the side of the bed, looking across the room to the window. It took him a moment to remember what city he was in.
They chatted for a few minutes, Ryan sharing some of the antics that had occurred among his teammates since they had last talked. One thing led to another, and before he knew it, thirty minutes had passed, and his room phone interrupted them.
“Hold on a sec,” Ryan said, lifting the receiver. “Hello?”
“Good morning, Mr. Strobel. This is the wakeup call you requested.”
“Thank you,” Ryan said and promptly hung up the phone. “Sorry about that. It was my wake-up call.”
“I think you’re already awake.”
“For a change,” Ryan admitted. “I guess I’d better get going. I’ll call you later.”
“Sounds good. Have fun tonight.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“That’s all anyone can ask for.”
Ryan hung up the phone, Kari’s last words echoing through his mind. He found it odd that she hadn’t wished him luck today but instead had focused on his enjoyment of the game. He stood up and crossed to the window, pleased to see the sun shining through a scattering of clouds. His mood lighter than it had been in days, he headed for the shower. Today was going to be a good day.
Chapter 11
Tuesday felt like it couldn’t arrive fast enough. Kari had spoken to Ryan every day since he had called her before Saturday’s game, and each conversation had been a little longer than the one before.
She worried that she now looked forward to his calls, expected them even. In the back of her mind, she wondered how many other women were waiting on Ryan to call them.
“I’m not sure which of us is more excited to see the guys, you or me,” Maya said as a taxi took them from their hotel to the stadium.
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