Ball Buster

by Kara Sheridan

  Ty fist-bumped Carson. “I’ve got your back, bro.”

  Carson nodded and stood. “I’m stopping by the house before I go to Sullivan’s.”

  “OK, I’ll see you there.”

  Carson watched his best friend walk out of the locker room. They’d been through some shit together. And if Carson had anything to say about where his team was headed, he and Ty would still be standing in the Warriors’ locker room this time next year.

  He grabbed his duffel bag from his locker and started for the parking lot. Not the way he’d hoped to start the weekend, but at least Coach Rangall had given him fair warning of what to expect on Monday. And no matter what it took, Carson would make it work, because nothing or no one was going to take him away from this team or this town.

  Chapter Two

  Sadie Reynolds looked at her best friends, Barbi and Erika, then back at the itinerary in her hand. She’d reluctantly agreed to attend a three-day life skill building workshop at the Red Horse Inn in Landrum, South Carolina, because she’d been told she had trust and control issues. Her friends also believed she’d never gotten over her first love—Carson Savage—and, as a result, continued to self-sabotage her dating life.

  Surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains and rolling hills, Sadie could think of better things to do, like hiking or horseback riding. She’d even settle for a taste tour at the local winery. Not to mention enjoying the sheer luxury of their accommodations, which included a spa and a five-star restaurant.

  “Zip lining.” Barbi said. “We’re in the first group.”

  “And just how is that supposed to build trust?” Erika asked.

  “Didn’t you read the itinerary?” Sadie asked. “We’re partnered with a life buddy for this exercise. We’ll be suspended three hundred feet above the river on wire no thicker than a clothesline. By crossing the canyon together, we’ll successfully demonstrate complete trust and, in my case, how to let go of that control thing.”

  “I don’t like your ominous tone, Sadie.” Barbi snatched the paper out of her hand. “This isn’t just about trust and control, you know. We’re also supposed to leave behind any negative feelings.”

  “About what? Men?” Erika giggled like a little girl.

  “Since I don’t have negative feelings about anything, I’m pretty sure that excludes me from this event.” Sadie turned to go.

  “Wait a second.” Erika grabbed her arm. “I forgot you’re afraid of heights.”

  “No.”

  “Yes,” Barbi confirmed. “That’s why you never climbed the cherry trees when we were kids. You always stood below with the basket.”

  “I fly all over the country,” Sadie countered.

  “After you pop a Valium.” Barbi crossed her arms over her chest. “I know this isn’t your thing, sweetie, but let’s be honest. If you don’t face your demons now, you’re never going to get over the past. So why not try to have some fun while dealing with your issues?”

  “What issues?” Sadie asked, knowing perfectly well what they were. Carson Savage. Blond hair, bright blue eyes. And judging by the latest photos all over the media, hotter than ever.

  “General trust issues and the fact that you refuse to date someone for longer than a month,” Erika said.

  “The latest one asked me for my address,” Sadie countered, trying to sound reasonable.

  “That’s normal, Sadie. Especially if he wants to send you flowers.”

  Sadie gazed at Barbi for support.

  “Chad was a nice guy,” she said.

  “His head was too big for his body!”

  “Whatever.” Barbi rolled her eyes. “He had a buzz cut. That always makes a guy’s head look too big. You’re just picky.”

  “I liked his blond hair and blue eyes. It’s your favorite combo, Sadie,” Erika said.

  “Erika!” Barbi gave her a little push. “We’re not supposed to mention anything that reminds Sadie of…”

  “What?”

  “Him.”

  “Who?” Erika looked confused.

  “Carson,” Barbi blurted, then covered her mouth.

  “You really don’t know what you’re talking about. None of my issues have anything to do with Carson.” Sadie scanned the footpath ahead. Every man who expressed interest in her fell short of Carson’s superior physique and Southern boy charm. Unfortunately, no one lived up to her high school sweetheart.

  But right now, she needed to focus on the freaking zip line, which would probably cause that aneurysm that was definitely in her brain to finally burst. “What if I get a blood clot in my lung from being so high up?”

  Barbi gave her a what-the-hell-are-you-talking-about look. “Stop making shit up.”

  “I’m not!”

  “You just had a physical last month,” Barbi reminded her.

  “I have high blood pressure.”

  “Nope; one-oh-five over seventy is excellent,” Erika said.

  They were supposed to meet their crew leader at the trailhead in thirty minutes and then hike a mile up the hillside to the staging point for the zip line exercise. “The last time I rode a Ferris wheel I threw up, remember?” This was kind of pushing her boundaries.

  “Everything makes you throw up, Sadie,” Barbi teased. “Heights, men, spicy food…”

  “That’s not true!”

  “Didn’t I get a call at one in the morning after you blew Chad off?” Erika asked. “I believe your exact words were ‘I think I need to throw up.’”

  Sadie laughed. “He was giving me those I-want-to-fuck-you eyes.”

  “That’s normal,” Barbi offered. “Your reaction wasn’t.”

  “I didn’t want to sleep with Chad.”

  “Who do you want to sleep with?” Barbi asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Here…” Erika looked around. “What about him?” She pointed to a random guy—tall with dark hair, athletic, and twenty-something.

  “Nice legs,” Sadie admitted. “But his hair is too long.”

  “Wait a second.” Barbi smiled. “The blond. Look at that. He screams Carson, doesn’t he, Erika?”

  Erika watched the man walk by. “Shorter, but definitely similar. So…” She turned to Sadie. “Your type. Period. Let’s get his number.”

  Sadie hadn’t talked to Carson Savage in seven years…since she broke up with him at their high school graduation party. And just because she dated men who looked similar to her first love—okay, near genetic copies—didn’t mean anything. She had a checklist of attributes the perfect guy would have. It just so happened that all the men she’d dated since moving to South Carolina four years ago lacked something in the personality department. On top of that, she was married to her job, so anything too complicated didn’t work for her.

  Erika started to lead Sadie in the guy’s direction, but Sadie gripped her arm. “Wait! I’m not here to pick up men.”

  “No?” Barbi asked. “All right. Then you’re here to challenge yourself. So, we’re going zip lining, then?”

  “How about a manicure and afternoon tea?” Sadie asked.

  “No, Sadie. And the only way this workshop is going to make a difference to us is to work as a team,” Erika said. “Remember that trust exercise we did our senior year in psychology class?”

  “Oh, God,” Barbi said.

  “The one where you folded your arms across your chest, turned around, and trusted your team would catch you?” Sadie rolled her eyes. “Bad example. Don’t you remember how that worked out, Erika?”

  “You sneezed!” Erika said.

  “I didn’t plan it!” Sadie said.

  “I fell,” Erika wheezed out. “On the floor!”

  Barbi laughed. “You had to go to the nurse.”

  “I had a lump on the back of my head the size of an egg.”

  All three of them laughed so hard it hurt.

  Once they pulled themselves together, Barbi inched closer to Sadie. “Give me a hug, girlfriend.”

  Whenever Barbi
asked for a hug like that, she was up to something. However, it had been too long since she’d seen her best friends. If she were being honest, Sadie missed Barbi’s antics and Erika’s matter-of-fact attitude. She stepped into Barbi’s embrace.

  “I have a wager to make,” Barbi said, giving Sadie a good squeeze.

  “Here we go.” Sadie stepped back and stared at her.

  “Complete the zip line challenge and Erika and I will stop harassing you about men for the rest of the weekend.”

  Sadie liked the sound of that. “And if I fail?”

  “We get to pick the guy you have dinner with.”

  Barbi had a way of making things seem easier than they really were. Sadie gazed up the hillside, wondering if she’d be able to complete the hike without hyperventilating. Heights scared the crap out of her more than anything. “I’m raising the stakes.”

  Barbi arched a sculpted brow.

  “If I do this, I don’t want to hear anything from the two of you about finding Mr. Perfect for six months—unless I bring it up first.”

  Barbi looked at Erika, who nodded in agreement.

  “Okay. We accept your terms, girlfriend. And if you lose, you have to invite Chad to dinner at your condo.”

  “What?”

  “You upped the ante,” Barbi reminded her.

  “Fine. Pinkie promise.” All three locked fingers. “Let’s get this over with.” Sadie started up the path.

  They arrived to find a long line at the trailhead, but the scenery alone made it well worth the hassle of dealing with the big crowd.

  “Ready?” Barbi squeezed her hand.

  “Why not?”

  The expansive grounds of the inn were postcard perfect—with the equestrian club and endless pasture land and a botanical garden filled with colorful exotic flowers and plants. Pair that with a cloudless sky and warm sunshine…and she couldn’t believe the beauty was real.

  “Sadie Reynolds, Barbi Smith, and Erika Zane?” a twenty-something-year-old guy with a clipboard called.

  “Right here.” Sadie raised her hand.

  “Great.” He joined them at the back of the line. “I’m Matthew, your crew leader for the weekend. Did you eat breakfast?”

  “Sure did,” Barbi said in a flirtatious manner.

  Matthew smiled at her. “Let me guess, you’re Barbi?”

  “How’d you know?” she asked.

  “I read your personality profiles in the paperwork you filled out to get accepted to the workshop. You’re listed as the gregarious one.”

  “Personality profiles?” Sadie didn’t know anything about that and she definitely hadn’t filled anything out. She threw Barbi an accusing look. “Do you have a copy of my profile, Matthew? I’m Sadie.”

  “Sure do.” He flipped through a couple of pages on his clipboard, then offered her a piece of paper. “We have a few minutes to spare, take your time.”

  Sadie scanned the page, recognizing Barbi’s handwriting. The first question asked what the participant hoped to gain from the workshop. Barbi wrote: inspiration, skills on how to be a team player, general trust, confidence, and how to let go of the past.

  Well, apparently her best friend knew Sadie too well.

  The second question asked what bad habits or addictions she had. Barbi put one thing: control freak. Ha! Barbi and Erika still lived in Sadie’s small hometown and didn’t understand how the corporate world worked. Barbi owned a flower shop and Erika was a mother of two and married to a plumber. They had simpler lives. Sadie, on the other hand, had left Alabama to pursue an Ivy League education in New England, then moved to South Carolina, where she accepted a job at Charles Longley Publicity. It was the perfect place for her to work. She taught people how to micromanage their own lives—which fit with Sadie’s controlling personality.

  There wasn’t much more to tell. Her profile kind of depressed her. She did everything precisely and for a reason. She blamed that on her past. Growing up with economically challenged parents gave her the initiative to become her high school salutatorian. The resulting scholarship to college gave her an excuse to leave Fairhope, Alabama.

  Breaking up with Carson gave her a reason to never go back.

  “Ready, Sadie?” Matthew asked.

  They hiked the last part of the trail together and arrived at a platform manned by two employees wearing Red Horse Inn jerseys.

  “Take a look over the edge,” Matthew suggested.

  Sadie stepped to the railing and looked down. A waterfall and raging river cut through the limestone below. Beautiful and wild, it was the kind of view Sadie usually admired…at a safe distance in travel magazines or on TV.

  “All right, ladies, let’s gather round and discuss the basics of the zip line.” Matthew waited for them to join him. “Our zip lines are accredited by the Professional Ropes Course Association and inspected regularly. We utilize a simple pulley and harness system, which ensures a safe and comfortable experience. You’ll also wear a helmet and thick gloves.” He showed them a yellow hard hat and leather gloves. “Zip lines operate on gravity and inertia, so there’s no smoke and mirrors here. You can see the angle of the wires, how this side is the highest point. Once you reach the other side, Jamie is waiting for us and will drive us back to the inn. Do you have any questions or concerns?”

  Sadie raised her hand. “Do you have a last will and testament worksheet?”

  Matthew chuckled. “We’ve had zero safety violations and no injuries since we opened three years ago. I know it can be intimidating looking over the edge of the ravine, but this is easy. And fun. It also teaches you to let go a little, to give up some control and trust your inner voice that craves adventure.”

  “Or premature death,” Sadie murmured just loud enough for Barbi to hear.

  Her best friend snickered.

  “Do I have a volunteer to go first?” Matthew asked.

  No one moved.

  “In order to pass the workshop, you have to do the zip line. Still no takers?” Matthew looked disappointed.

  Barbi gave Sadie a little shove in his direction. “She’ll do it.”

  “What?” Sadie preferred to go last, after she was assured Barbi and Erika were still alive after crossing.

  Matthew smiled. “Let’s get you fitted, then.”

  Sadie closed her eyes while the two employees buckled the harness around her legs and hips. Once she was strapped in, Matthew put the helmet on her head, handed her a pair of gloves, and then offered her safety glasses.

  He then led her to a mini zip line rigged between two trees. “Since this is your first time, we need to go over the safety procedures and how your body should be positioned during the ride. Then we’ll try out the test line. Okay?”

  Why hadn’t he told them about the test line earlier?

  After spending ten minutes learning how to grip and clip herself to the line, Matthew showed her how to hold on to the pulley, sit down, lean back in the harness, and then raise her legs so she achieved an optimal ride. Once he was confident she understood, she took a test ride.

  “Well?” Matthew asked. “Did you like it?”

  “If this was the only thing I had to do, hell yeah.” She turned to the platform. “That’s the problem.”

  He waved her off. “You’re a natural, Sadie. Trust your instincts. You can do this.”

  Sadie returned to the platform and prepared for the monster ride. Pretty sure her heart was in tachycardia, she sucked in a breath, whispered Psalm 23, and when one of the workers yelled for her to get ready, she pushed herself off the platform and headed straight for the other side of the ravine. Holy shit! Now she knew what it felt like to be in a horror movie two seconds before the psycho killer slashed his latest victim with a machete.

  She yelped as she picked up speed, and she had reached the halfway point when her cell phone vibrated over and over again in her pocket. Common sense told her to ignore it, but whoever was calling wouldn’t give up. She let go of the pulley with one hand, unzipped her
jacket pocket, and retrieved her phone. It was her manager and friend, Leonard.

  Why would he call? He knew she was on vacation for a long weekend. The phone went quiet and then started vibrating again.

  She quickly accepted the call. “Leonard? Everything okay?”

  Before he could answer, she shifted awkwardly and started to spin. Sadie screamed and her phone slipped through her fingers as she reached for the pulley again, holding on for dear life.

  She landed on the other side, where the other instructor was waiting. As he unclipped her from the line she shoved her way forward, bent over, and hurled.

  Hours later in her suite, showered and still feeling queasy from her near-death experience, Sadie accepted a cup of herbal tea from Barbi. “Thanks.”

  “I can’t believe you,” she said. “How do you fail a self-improvement workshop in the first hour?”

  “I’m sorry, Barbi. Leonard never calls me on the weekend.”

  “You violated every safety rule Matthew taught you. I’m glad your smartphone is gone.”

  “Is Matthew mad at me?”

  “He practically shit his pants when you screamed. But he’s not upset.”

  “Oh yeah? How do you know?”

  “We’re having dinner later.”

  “Isn’t he a little young for you?” Sadie winked.

  “We were born in the same decade.”

  “He’s not too young?”

  Barbi merely shrugged and gave her typical confident smile. “Men peak younger than women. What’s three years?”

  “In what? Their income? IQs?”

  Barbi rolled her blue eyes. “Sexually.”

  Sadie didn’t want to think about or talk about sex. How long had it been since she’d orgasmed from something other than her hand or a battery-powered toy? Being unable to remember an exact date meant it had been too long. But she was glad something positive had come out of her the zip line nightmare. She gave her best friend a hug. “I’m happy one of us is making gains this weekend. Can I borrow your cell phone?”

  “Let me guess…work. Not a chance.”

  Sadie took a sip of tea, then set the cup on the nightstand. “I need to call Leonard back.”