The Perfect Catch

by Meghan Quinn

  I peek up at him. “Uh, I didn’t think that was a job requirement.”

  “Listen, he’s headed to the World Series and I’ve seen a change in him. I know whatever is going on is affecting him mentally. I had a conversation with him last night and he couldn’t focus. His mind was elsewhere.”

  “I actually wanted to talk to you about Walker,” I say, nerves spiking through my veins.

  “What about him?”

  “I was wondering if I could make a big ask and not handle him. I can work with everyone else, but I can’t with him. It’s too raw.”

  Roark’s brows angle together. “What the hell happened, Kate?”

  Sighing, I say, “I went to go tell him about the job and he was coming home from a date.”

  “Bullshit,” Roark says. “Walker doesn’t date.”

  “I heard him say it. He was just getting home from one. I really don’t think there’s a chance there. He’s moved on.”

  “He hasn’t moved on, Kate. There’s no goddamn way.”

  I take a deep breath and say, “Please, Roark. I’ll do anything for you . . . anything, please, just don’t make me handle Walker.”

  He rocks back in his chair and wipes his hand over his face. Finally, he says, “Sorry, Kate, but you took the job and you’re going to have to figure out how to work with him.”

  Chapter Sixty-Six

  WALKER

  The locker room is buzzing.

  The feel of playing ball in late October is in the air.

  The team is pumped and ready to destroy Phoenix.

  And even though my life feels as if it’s in shambles, I’ve left that in the parking lot, crossed the threshold of the stadium, and I’m gearing up for the first game in a series of seven. Well, hopefully we won’t have to play seven.

  The Bobbies are the favorite to win this year, and I can’t possibly see how Phoenix could win, not with our stacked lineup.

  “I woke up with a boner this morning,” Ryot says, sitting next to me. “Fucking willy was ready and excited to play ball.”

  “Can you not talk about your boner? Jesus Christ, man.” I put on one of my socks, pull it all the way up to my knee, and then situate my pants accordingly.

  “You’re telling me you didn’t wake up with a World Series boner?”

  “No, I didn’t.”

  Gathering the attention of the locker room, Ryot shouts, “Did anyone wake up with a World Series boner?” He raises his hand, but to his dismay, no one else does.

  I chuckle. “You’re such a fucking idiot.”

  Ryot drops down on his chair and huffs out, “They’re all liars.” He then smacks Dempsey in the arm as he takes a seat. “You had a World Series boner, right?”

  “I had one last night because my wife wore my jersey and nothing else and then proceeded to give me such a good fucking night that there was no way in hell I could wake up with a boner.”

  “Damn it,” Ryot mutters. “I need to find a girl. Also, we work with Amy now—can you not say shit like that?”

  “Oh hell, I forgot.” He winces. “For the love of God, don’t tell her I said that.”

  I just finished slipping on my other sock when two pair of turf shoes come to a stop in front of me. I look up to see Penn, arms crossed.

  I sit up and ask, “Yes?”

  “I need to talk to you.”

  “About?”

  He glances at Ryot and Dempsey. “Something private.”

  “Can it wait? We take the field in an hour.”

  He shakes his head. “It can’t.” He nods toward one of the empty offices off to the side that’s used for players to talk to their families without the ruckus of the locker room in the background.

  Agitated, I follow him into one of the rooms, and when he takes a seat, I shut the door and lean against it.

  “Take a seat for fuck’s sake, Walker.”

  “Is it really going to take that long?”

  “Not sure. If you’re receptive, then no, but if you’re going to be a dick, then we could be here all goddamn night.”

  Knowing how relentless Penn is, I take a seat and lean back in my chair, arms crossed.

  “What do you want?”

  “For you to listen.” I don’t say anything so he sits up and folds his hands on the table. “I’m sorry.”

  Okay, wasn’t expecting an apology.

  “Sorry for what?” I ask, feeling skeptical.

  “For what happened to Dawn that night.” The hairs on the back of my neck spike up and nausea rolls around in my stomach. My flight instinct kicks in and I go to stand, but Penn says, “I’ll pin you the fuck down if you try to leave. Don’t test me.”

  “I don’t want to talk about this,” I shoot back at him.

  “Too bad. I’m currently in AA and need to apologize to people. You’re the first person on my list.” He pauses and then says, “The most important person.”

  He’s in AA? Hell, when did that happen?

  Probably when I decided to bury my head in the ground and focus on nothing but myself.

  But what’s really confusing me is why he thinks I’m the most important person to apologize to.

  When I don’t say anything, he continues, “I don’t know if you knew this, but Dawn and I were pretty close. When you used to work with Coach, she’d work with me. Toss me ball after ball to pitch. She was the sister I never had, but we always kept that a secret because of the whole rivalry between you and me.”

  “What?” I ask, confused. “No, you weren’t friends.”

  From his pocket, he takes out a folded photo, opens it up, and pushes it over to me. My heart swells at the sight of Dawn, her beautiful smile lighting up the picture. She’s at the ball field, sitting on a bucket. And next to her is Penn, baseball glove in hand, his arm around her.

  I glance up at him and catch the pain reflected in his eyes.

  “She never told me.”

  “It was our secret. She always told me that someday you’d come around and realize that you and I were never actually foes, but meant to be friends. And to give you time to come around. That night, she was trying to get us to hang out more, she begged me to be nice and try to include you.” He shakes his head and takes in a deep breath. “I should’ve listened to her. I should’ve asked her to stay, to help me grow closer to you. Instead, I thought it would be better to attempt to be a lousy wingman and send your little sister away so you could score with some chick.” He takes a second. “It’s all my fault, and to this fucking day I regret it. I regret it every goddamn day of my life. Because not only did I lose Dawn, one of the only people who truly cared about me, I lost the chance at becoming your friend. My actions—my decision—created hostility between us.”

  I don’t know what to think. What to say. This was not what I was expecting.

  “And that regret, the nightmares, they’ve fueled me to take a bottle in my hand every night to forget. But I realized I can’t do that anymore, that I need to get healthy. After the series, I’m checking into rehab.”

  “Seriously?” I ask, completely shocked.

  He nods. “I have one person who cares about me right now and I can’t let her down. But I need you to know that I’m sorry. For not only losing Dawn, but for all the stress I’ve put you through over the years, for being a horrible teammate, and for intentionally provoking you so you’d be seen negatively, as a way to take the spotlight off my drunk ass. And you don’t have to forgive me. I don’t want an empty, ‘it’s okay.’ I want you to think about the apology and let it settle in you on your own time.”

  I nod, still unsure of what’s going on.

  “I, uh, I appreciate you apologizing.” I shift in my seat. “I take the blame for Dawn, as well. I never should’ve listened to you, I should’ve kept her by my side. I’ve gone over that night so many goddamn times in my head and what I would do differently. But most recently, I’ve realized, no matter how it played out, we couldn’t have known a drunk driver would hit her car. And tha
t’s a fact.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “Yeah,” I say, growing quiet. I glance up at him. “It’s going to take time, man.”

  “I’m well aware. I’m not looking for you to forgive and forget, but I’m hoping for a cracked door, a small opening back into your life.”

  “Why?” I ask, genuinely curious.

  “Because my best friend is in love with you and that’s not going to change.”

  I blink a few times, wondering if I heard him right. “She, uh . . . she’s what?”

  “She’s in love with you, man.” He shakes his head. “She tried to tell you the other night, but she swears you were on a date.”

  “Fuck,” I groan. “She heard that?”

  “You were actually on a date?” Penn’s voice rises in volume. “What the actual fuck, man?”

  “No, it’s not what you think.” I let out a harsh breath. “Jason Orson wanted me to go out with his friend. Come to find out we’re both in love with other people. I went just to be nice to Jason, but the first thing I said was I’d fallen for someone else.”

  “Jesus Christ.” Penn grips the back of his neck. “She thought you’d moved on.”

  “Is that why she left? Did she move? Is she still here?”

  Penn smiles. “She works for Roark now.”

  “My agent?”

  Penn nods. “The bastard offered her a job and straight up told her he didn’t care if she fraternized with the players, highly encouraged it with you. She was going to your place to tell you the other night.”

  I lean back in disbelief. “Holy fuck.”

  “Exactly.” That smarmy smile I’m so used to seeing from Penn makes an appearance. “Don’t you feel like a dickhead?”

  “Fuck, I do. So, we could be together?”

  “Yeah, everyone involved is actually just waiting for it to happen now. Besides Kate. She’s a mess. She thinks there’s no shot at getting you back. But from the look in your eyes, I’m going to guess that’s not the case.”

  “No, it’s not.”

  “Are you going to win her back?”

  I nod, my mind whirling with thoughts of going to see her.

  “Well, you better make it good. She deserves a happily ever after.”

  Chapter Sixty-Seven

  KATE

  “And when can you start?” I ask Freddy, a prime candidate for the assistant job.

  “Anytime. This would be a huge opportunity for me. I’d make it work.”

  A little desperate, but his qualifications are amazing and he has a degree in sports management, so he’s right, this would be a huge opportunity for him. Everyone else I’ve spoken to has executive assistant experience, but that’s not necessary in the sports field, and I really want someone who’s passionate about sports.

  “That’s good to know.” I hold back my smile, knowing I’m going to change this guy’s life with a phone call tomorrow. I’ll make him sweat it out for now. “If you don’t have any other questions for me, then I think our time is up here.”

  “Sure, it was a pleasure speaking with you, Miss Chapman.”

  We both stand and I extend my hand to him. We shake hands, and then I lead him out of my office and into the small lobby where the elevator is located.

  “I didn’t get to say it before, but I really love the office space. It’s dope, especially the jersey wall.”

  Dope—I couldn’t ever imagine saying that in a job interview, but I can also see the stars in his eyes.

  “Thank you. I would like to take credit for the furniture and memorabilia, but that was all Roark. The jersey wall, though, that was my idea.”

  “It’s pretty freaking phenomenal and impressive.”

  “Roark has procured the best of the best in the sports industry; it’s why we’re looking for the best of the best to help us here in the new Chicago office.”

  The elevator dings and I hold the door open for him.

  “I hope I gave you something to think about with my qualifications and goals, and I just want you to know, Miss Chapman, I’ll work my ass off for you. Excuse my swearing, but I would work so hard.”

  “I believe it.” I release the elevators. “I’ll be in touch, Freddy.”

  The doors close and I finally let out my smile. I liked him a lot. Very knowledgeable, respectful, and ready to work. Plus, I loved hearing his story about being the first kid in his family to go to college, a huge accomplishment in itself.

  I walk past the empty assistant desk and into my office, where I pick up my phone and text Vivian.

  Kate: I think I found my assistant.

  Vivian: Really? A man or a woman? Frothing at the mouth with the need to impress?

  Kate: LOL. A man, and so much frothing.

  Vivian: That’s how we like them. Willing to do anything.

  Kate: He even complimented my shoes when he first walked in.

  Vivian: Oh, his parents taught him well.

  Kate: Single mom, actually. Grew up in West Garfield Park. First in his family to go to college. Worked three jobs to pay for it.

  Vivian: Damn. He wants success bad. And that’s what you want in a candidate.

  Kate: Exactly. I’m going to call him tomorrow and offer him the job.

  Vivian: Make him sweat it out?

  Kate: You know me too well.

  Vivian: We might have only worked a short time together, but I still get you. Which, by the way, game tonight?

  Kate: I don’t know . . .

  Vivian: Stop. You have to watch. It’s game two. Today will set the tone. If the Bobbies win, they’ll be sitting pretty going into Phoenix. Please.

  Kate: Fine. My place.

  The elevator doors ding and I set my phone down as I glance around my office. Did Freddy forget something? I don’t see anything, so I step out into the lobby and stop cold.

  Walker.

  Walker standing in the lobby of my new office, holding flowers.

  Looking devastatingly handsome.

  What—what’s he doing here?

  “Hey,” he says, his voice rolling over me like a warm blanket.

  “Hey,” I say, feeling my breath seize in my lungs as my heart beats more rapidly from the sight of him. How is it possible that I forgot how handsome he is, how domineering he is in person? “Uh, can I help you?”

  “I heard there was a new woman working for Roark who would be stationed here in Chicago. Thought I’d welcome her.” He closes the space between us and hands me the flowers. “These are for you.”

  I take them into my shaky hands and say, “Thank you.”

  Hands in his pockets, he looks around the office space and says, “It looks great in here. Congratulations. This is a great opportunity.”

  “Yeah,” I say awkwardly. “I still wonder sometimes what Roark was thinking.”

  “He was thinking intelligently. You’re the right person for the job, to handle all of us idiots.”

  I chuckle. “I mean, I did break you down.”

  “That you did.” He glances down at the ground and then says, “Listen, I want you to know something.” When I keep my eyes trained on him, he continues, “What you heard the other day, when you came to visit me, it wasn’t what you thought it was. Jason—”

  “You don’t owe me an explanation.”

  “Yes, I do,” he says firmly. “Jason wanted me to go out with his friend. I agreed because he was badgering me, but right off the bat I told her I was into someone else. As luck would have it, so was she. We spent the night trying to help each other out with our problems.”

  “Oh.”

  “It wasn’t a date.” He shakes his head. “I couldn’t even think about dating someone else, not when I’m so deeply in love with you, Kate, that I can barely think about anything else when I’m not at the field.”

  He takes my hand in his. He brings my palm to his mouth, where he presses a kiss. A zip of need pulses through me from that little touch, and I find myself moving closer to him.

  “
These last few months have been torture,” he says. “I tried to forget about you. I tried to push you out of my mind. I tried to convince myself that I didn’t need you, but seeing you in the cafeteria that one day broke down every wall I put up. I realized no matter how hard I try, you’re engrained in my marrow. I need you like I need air, Kate. Not having you in my life isn’t an option, and if that meant I needed to be traded in order to be with you, then that was what I was willing to do. That was the plan for after the series, and then to beg you to go with me. I didn’t care where—as long as you were with me, that’s all I needed. But now”—he links our fingers together—“now I can ask you a question I’ve been wanting to ask you for a very long time.” He kisses my knuckles.

  “What’s that?” I ask, my voice wobbly and emotional.

  “I wanted to know, when the series is over, if you’d go out on a date with me.”

  I let out a watery laugh. “An actual date?”

  He nods. “Yeah, a date where you dress up, I pick you up, I tell you how goddamn beautiful you are, you tell me how sexy I am—”

  I chuckle.

  “And then I take your hand in mine and I walk with pride, showing the world who my girl is, who’s claimed my heart. You entertain me with your nonsense over dinner, we share a dessert, tempting each other while we lick it off the fork, and then we go back to my place, where I slowly peel off your clothes and show you just how much I love you, how much of a lucky man I am to have you in my life.” He reaches out and cups my cheek, letting his thumb pass over my soft skin. “Would you let me do that? Would you let me take you out?”

  A tear slips down my cheek as I nod. “I would.”

  He smirks and pulls me in close, then pinches my chin with his thumb and forefinger, angling me up toward his demanding mouth. He presses a soft kiss across my lips. He groans and deepens the kiss, but only for a few seconds before pulling away. With a sigh, he presses his forehead to mine and whispers, “I love you, Kate.”

  I set the flowers down on a side table and move my hands up his chest to his cheeks. I hold him tightly and say, “I love you, Walker. More than anything. I love you, and I’ll never stop loving you.” I kiss him. “You were meant for me.”