Stealing Second

by Alison Packard

  “I assume you haven’t spoken to Martha.”

  “No. She’s due to return to the office Wednesday.” She paused as Tom’s eyebrows knitted in a frown. “Did something happen I need to know about?”

  “Not that I’m aware of. Trey’s been acting strangely, but when I questioned him about it he didn’t say much.”

  “Considering the circumstances, I can’t blame him. He’s starting tomorrow. Are you worried?”

  “He assured me he’s ready. I have to take him at his word.”

  “I just ran into Sheila. She’s waiting for you in the lobby.” Katherine grimaced. “She made it clear she doesn’t like me much.”

  Tom shrugged, seemingly not surprised. “She’s protective. It’s the big sister thing.”

  “Obviously she doesn’t know the whole story.”

  “Yes. She does.” His eyes narrowed and a muscle ticked in his jaw. “I hope you’re not planning to rewrite history at this late date.”

  Katherine bristled. “Sounds like you already rewrote it.”

  His dark brows slashed lower and his gaze turned hard. “One day soon we’re gonna hash this out. I’m tired of this dance. We’ve been doing it ever since I joined the Blaze and it’s getting old.” He looked at her with such resolute directness she fought the urge to turn and bolt. “It’s time to settle our past. Once and for all.”

  Apprehension swept through Katherine in sickening waves. She didn’t want to talk about the past. Dredging up that fateful summer, especially the night when she had planned to meet him at his celebration party with his mother and sister, wouldn’t change anything and was something she’d been trying to block from her memory for seventeen years.

  “We have more pressing things to worry about than our past,” she said, gripping the handle of her tote so tightly her knuckles began to ache. “You know? Like a sexual harassment scandal that could derail the entire team for the rest of the season.”

  Tom’s eyes flashed with annoyance. “Fine. You’ve got your reprieve. For now.”

  * * *

  After polishing off a gigantic slice of chocolate cake, Tom pushed his plate aside and looked up to find Sheila watching him with silent amusement.

  “What?” he asked.

  “As I recall, you never cared much for dessert.”

  “I developed a taste for chocolate after I quit drinking.” Tom grinned and leaned back against the leather booth. “I gave up one addiction for another. But I figure the worst that can happen from eating chocolate is I’ll get fat.” He patted his stomach. “And after tonight’s meal, I’m on my way.”

  “You were shoveling it in like a truck driver.” Sheila gave him a wry smile and selected a packet of artificial sweetener from a small container in the middle of the table. “Not that I’m judging.”

  “You? Judge? Never.”

  Sheila grinned at him, then ripped open the packet and poured the powder into her coffee.

  “Did you enjoy the game?” he asked.

  “Yes. I was sitting a few rows behind the visitors’ dugout. Didn’t you hear my curse-filled rant at the umpire after he made that ridiculous call at home plate in the second inning?”

  Tom widened his eyes. Now he knew why that voice had sounded so familiar. “That was you?”

  She stirred her coffee and nodded demurely, or as demurely as Sheila Morgan could pull off. “I may have gotten a little carried away.”

  “I’d say calling the ump a worthless piece of horseshit is more than getting a little carried away.”

  “Like you haven’t said worse. And Donovan was safe by a country mile.” She set her spoon on the saucer, then picked up her cup. “Why didn’t you challenge it?”

  “It was early in the game and I like to use my challenges carefully.” He shook his head and put his hand over his cup as their waiter appeared at their table and asked if he wanted a refill.

  “I would have challenged it,” Sheila grumbled. “He was safe.”

  “Well, we won the game without using the challenge, so I think it worked out just fine.” Tom glanced out the window. The restaurant was tucked into the lobby of the hotel next door to where the team was staying, and from their vantage point they had a dead-on view of the hotel’s swimming pool. “Great choice of restaurants, by the way.”

  Sheila smiled. “I know you like your beef, and it doesn’t get any beefier than this place.” She sipped her coffee. “Besides, it’s been a while since we’ve had supper together, and I figured there’d be fewer interruptions here.”

  She was right on that score. Whenever he ate in the same hotel the team was staying at, he was invariably joined by one or more of the coaches, and sometimes a few of the players. Not that he minded, but tonight he preferred a quiet meal with his sister so they could catch up with each other.

  “Are you dating anyone?” she asked, peering at him over her cup. The inquisitive gleam in her eyes reminded him of their mother, whom—with her sandy-blond hair and blue eyes—Sheila closely resembled.

  “Are you?” he shot back.

  “As a matter of fact, I am.”

  That sparked his curiosity. “How long? And if it’s longer than six months, why haven’t I heard anything about him, or met him yet?”

  “It’s only been five months. He’s on my softball team.”

  “I thought you swore off jocks in high school.”

  “He’s not just a jock. He works in the financial district. His name is Kevin, and he’s a nice guy.” A slight frown creased her brow. “And don’t go changing the subject. I repeat. Are you dating anyone?”

  “Why do you care?”

  “Because you haven’t been serious about a woman since Katie.”

  “She prefers Katherine now.”

  Sheila rolled her eyes. “Whatever. As much as I love having you in San Francisco during the season, I think your proximity to her isn’t healthy.”

  “When did you become a shrink?”

  “It doesn’t take a shrink to know you’ve never moved on.”

  Annoyed by how close she was to the truth, he shifted in the booth and scowled at her. “I’ve moved on plenty.”

  “Screwing random women during college and when you played for the Rangers doesn’t count.” She set her cup on the saucer. It made a clinking sound as she leaned forward with a concerned glint in her eyes. “You always wanted a family. You’re thirty-five. The clock is ticking.”

  “I don’t have a clock. And I’ve got plenty of time. Men can father children until they drop dead.”

  Sheila’s lips twitched. “True, but do you want your son or daughter to have to explain to their friends why dear old dad looks like great-grandpa?”

  Tom couldn’t help but laugh, and as quickly as it had arisen, his irritation faded. “You’re older than I am. What about your clock?”

  “I don’t want kids, remember?” Her eyes narrowed. “And please don’t tell me I’d make a great mother. I hate when people say that.”

  “Do they really do that?” he asked, recalling how adamant Sheila had always been about not having children. Her unwavering stance had ended several relationships.

  “You bet they do. Some of them look at me like I’m crazy and then assure me I’ll change my mind. It’s so annoying.”

  “I’ve always wondered—since you don’t like kids—why did you babysit so often when you were in high school?”

  “For the money. And believe it or not, I do like kids. I just don’t want any.” She pointed at him. “You can have them and I’ll be the cool aunt who spoils them rotten.”

  Tom let out a short laugh. “So does Kevin know you don’t want to have children?”

  “Yes. And he’s fine with it.”

  Tom cocked his head, worried his sister might be headed for another heartbreak. “Are you sure? You’ve heard that before.”

  “I’m sure. He’s the oldest of seven and spent a lot of time taking care of his brothers and sisters. He knew at a young age he didn’t want to have chil
dren.”

  “Sounds like you’ve met your soul mate.” He grinned.

  Sheila shrugged. “We’ll see. Speaking of soul mates, I hope you’re not still pining after Katie. That’s not a good look for a man your age.”

  His age? It wasn’t like he was sitting in a rocking chair at the old folks’ home, for Christ’s sake. “I’m not pining. But I’ve come to the decision that we need to have the talk we never had.”

  “What’s there to talk about? She decided to go with you to UT but then dumped you and went with her original plan. I don’t think that needs explaining.”

  “Maybe not. But it’s been eating at me for a long time. You know that better than anyone.”

  “Yes. I do.” Sheila’s unyielding expression softened as she went into big sister protective mode. “But whatever she says isn’t going to change anything. She’s still the same girl who walked away from you and never looked back.”

  * * *

  After a delicious dinner, which included wild Atlantic salmon, Katherine sat back against the yellow-and-green-striped leather booth and put her hand on her stomach. “I can’t believe how hungry I was.”

  Across from her, Dorie’s dark eyes glittered with amusement. “That’s what happens when you don’t eat breakfast or lunch.”

  Katherine nodded. With her long days she wasn’t one to skip meals, but with so much going on, eating hadn’t been high on her priority list. She’d nearly forgotten how much Kelly handled, media-wise, during a road trip, and adding in the Trey-Ava drama, it was a wonder she wasn’t a frazzled mess.

  “When this road trip is over, I’m going to need a vacation.” She smiled at the woman she was starting to feel more and more comfortable with as the road trip wore on. Dorie Lovett was one of those people who seemed to have a light about her. An inner glow. It was amazing considering everything she’d been through with her ex-husband and Lily’s illness.

  “You should join me at Bliss on one of your days off.”

  “Bliss? Whatever that is, it sounds heavenly,” Katherine said with a smile.

  Dorie’s eyes crinkled at the corners as she chuckled. “It’s the day spa at the W. As an employee I get a discount. We could make a day of it. I’ve tried to get Kelly to go with me, but she’s not into that kind of thing. I’m surprised she even takes the time to get her hair highlighted.” She set her fork on her plate. “Think about it and let me know. I’m always up for a relaxing day at the spa.”

  “That sounds fun. I’ll definitely take you up on it,” Katherine said, genuinely touched by Dorie’s offer. She’d had two close girlfriends in high school with whom she still kept in touch, and a college roommate, who now lived in San Jose, whom she saw once a month for dinner, but spending time with Dorie in Denver, and now in Phoenix, highlighted how much she missed having a close girlfriend to talk to and hang out with. If her suspicions were correct, and Dorie and Tom were dating, Katherine could understand why. Dorie was a lovely, giving person.

  “Lily’s having the time of her life,” Dorie said, after taking a sip of her iced tea. “After the game we went on a shopping excursion and she wore herself out. She was so tired she didn’t put up a fight when I told her I wanted her to get some rest and, instead of joining us for dinner, order something from room service.”

  “How’s she doing health-wise?”

  “Very well. She’s conscientious about taking her medications and following her doctor’s orders. She’ll never be completely cured, but her disease can be managed.”

  “Will she ever have to have heart surgery again?”

  “It’s possible, but at her last checkup there was no evidence that her heart muscle is thickening again. And she hasn’t had any emergency trips to the hospital since her surgery.”

  To hear Dorie speak so matter-of-factly about something that had to be so devastating for a parent only made Katherine admire Dorie’s courage even more. “I can’t imagine how hard it’s been for you.”

  “Lily got me through it.” Dorie’s eyes turned misty. “Can you believe that? She’s never felt sorry for herself, and she has never lost the optimistic spirit she was born with. Throughout it all she taught me to be grateful for each day and to enjoy each moment for the gift it is.”

  Katherine’s heart clenched at the maternal pride infused in Dorie’s heartfelt words. It was much like the tone in her own mother’s voice when Katherine had won a spelling bee in the seventh grade. And much like Katherine imagined she would have if she had a son or daughter herself. Her throat tightened and she tried to ignore the ache in her chest. Now wasn’t the time to think of what might have been.

  “Kelly told me Lily’s father isn’t in the picture,” she said past the lump in her throat.

  Dorie’s expression turned thunderous. “Grayson hasn’t seen her since she was a baby. You know, I can understand him not wanting to have anything to do with me, but Lily is his daughter. His flesh and blood. He abandoned her, and I’ll never understand why.” She brushed at the corners of each eye and gave Katherine a tremulous smile. “I didn’t have a clue anything was wrong with our marriage. One morning he came into the kitchen and calmly told me he didn’t love me anymore and that he was moving out.”

  “That was it? There was no other explanation?” Katherine asked incredulously.

  “No. Nothing. I saw him one time after that. At a settlement meeting with our lawyers. His family is obscenely wealthy—old money—he didn’t quibble over giving me the house outright or paying child support for Lily.” Dorie’s mouth tightened. “He even offered to pay alimony, but I told him to stick it where the sun doesn’t shine. I’ve always had a job, and while I believed he should help support Lily, I didn’t want another damn thing from him. Especially when I found out he’d been cheating on me.” She shook her head in disgust. “I can’t believe I ever thought he was the love of my life.”

  “I guess we all have someone like that,” Katherine mused, and thought of that horrible night in the hospital, waiting for Tom to arrive, only to be devastated when he never showed up. “Someone we loved, who abandoned us when we needed them the most.” Tamping down the painful remembrance, she met Dorie’s compassionate eyes and offered her a wan smile. “Sorry, I was taking a trip down memory lane.”

  “Does it still hurt?” Dorie asked in a soft voice.

  “It was a long time ago. I try not to think about it too much,” she said, and this time she wasn’t talking about just Tom.

  Chapter Eleven

  Early Tuesday evening, Katherine sat between Dorie and Lily at Chase Field very much aware of the heady mixture of tension and anticipation infusing the air. The palpable excitement heightened her pulse, but it also made her feel like she might vomit.

  Up until the fifth inning, she and most of the fans in the ballpark hadn’t given much thought to the fact that not one Diamondbacks player had gotten a hit off of Trey Gentry, nor had any D-Backs player reached first base via a walk or because they’d been hit by a pitch.

  Now, as the Blaze took the field in the bottom of the ninth, only three consecutive outs stood between Trey and the Holy Grail of pitching—the perfect game.

  If Trey was nervous, it wasn’t evident by his confident stride to the mound. And as the rest of the players fanned out to take their positions on the field, Katherine could only imagine what each of them was thinking. Just one bobble of the ball or one poor throw could blow Trey’s shot at perfection all to hell. That was a lot of pressure, even for the veteran players.

  Beside her, Lily slapped her hands over her eyes. “I can’t watch.”

  Katherine shared a smile with Dorie over Lily’s head. Although Lily was maturing into a lovely young woman, there was still a girlishness about her that was endearing. Throughout the game, Lily had peppered her with dozens of questions about Dallas, and Texas in general. Had she ever been to Southfork Ranch? Did she have a horse when she was a kid? Did her father own an oil company? Had she ever climbed to the top of a water tower? Did all the guys
wear cowboy hats and boots? Did all the women have big hair?

  Lily’s questions had petered out about the time she and everyone else in the ballpark realized that Trey was inching closer and closer to a place in baseball history. For the past two innings Lily had frequently covered her eyes, claiming she was too nervous to watch the game. Katherine empathized. Lily wasn’t the only one on pins and needles. Just last inning, Katherine’s stomach had churned with dread when third baseman Zack Jamison almost dropped a ball hit directly to him. To Zack’s credit, he’d maintained his composure, secured the ball and then fired it off to Nico Donovan on first base to get the out.

  That was the moment Katherine pulled a package of antacids out of her tote bag and downed a few. Not that the tablets helped. Her insides were still roiling in a queasy mishmash of exhilaration and anxiety.

  Due to the intense August heat, the ballpark’s retractable roof had been closed a few hours prior to the first pitch. And thanks to the massive HVAC system, the nearly sold-out ballpark was at least thirty degrees cooler than the temperature outside. But despite the air-conditioned comfort, moisture beaded between Katherine’s breasts and at the small of her back. Yet another attractive side effect of her amped-up nervous system.

  The Diamondbacks were down by four runs, but none of their fans were heading for the exits. The D-Backs fans harbored no love for the Blaze, but perfect games were rare. To witness one, even if it was the other team’s pitcher grabbing the glory, was something a true baseball fan could appreciate and brag about forever.

  Katherine popped another antacid as Arizona’s first batter, their center fielder with an impressive.316 batting average, strode purposefully toward home plate. From her seat in the second level behind the visitors’ dugout she couldn’t see Tom, but she’d observed him in the dugout and on the field enough times in the past couple of years to know that what was transpiring on the field wasn’t ruffling him one iota. His demeanor, even as his pitcher was on the brink of a perfect game, wouldn’t be any different than it was during any other game. Tom had long ago mastered the art of the poker face, and other than when the Blaze had won the World Series he’d always maintained a calm, cool and collected presence in the dugout. How he managed that feat was impossible to comprehend. With her sweaty palms and pounding heart, she was about as far away from calm as she was from San Francisco.