Dropped Third Strike (Portland Pioneers #1) (19 page)

Reid couldn’t resist agreeing with Carson’s optimism.

“It sure seems to be,” he said. “Let’s get to work so we can see what else we can make happen in the Year of Carson.”

It didn’t seem possible for Carson’s smile to be any bigger, but Reid’s comment seemed to cause just that. The two men headed down to the batting cage. Together, they did some arm stretches and then Reid set up the machine to let Carson take some swings. While he was hitting, Reid carefully studied his form. There was nothing wrong with it. In fact, Reid was impressed with the young man’s swing considering he’d been away from the game for an extended period of time. It gave Reid hope that maybe a little time away from playing wouldn’t hurt him either. Maybe it would even be good for him. While he was helping other players, maybe he would end up helping himself.

After a little while, Carson put the bat down to take a break.

“You know, I was reading about you online a few days ago, Coach B,” Carson said. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you used to be a really good player. Everyone thought you were going to be an All-Star. What happened to you?”

“That’s a good question,” Reid said. “I’ve thought about it a lot, but I still don’t really know what went wrong. I just stopped being able to hit. And once that got in my head, the rest of my game went downhill too.”

“Do you want to play again?”             

“Of course. A true ballplayer never stops wanting to be in the game. You should know that better than anyone.”

Carson nodded. “So then why are you here? Why aren’t you trying to play?”

“No one wanted me to play this year.”             

“So you’re giving up?”

“No. Not at all.”

“So then what are you doing to try and get back in it?”

“I keep up with workouts so I’m still in shape. But right now, I’m really focused on you and your teammates. I want you guys to do well.”

“Right, but hopefully you find time to work on your game too. Why don’t you take a few swings right now? You can use my bat.”

Reid hesitated, but Carson was insistent, so he stood and took the bat. As he climbed into the cage, Carson went to the other end to set up the pitching machine. Reid took a few practice swings with the bat, getting a feel for the weight and nodding to Carson when he was ready. He missed badly on the first five balls and was about ready to tell Carson to turn it off. But as he stood up straight, he looked at Carson and three other players who had gathered to watch their coach. He realized he wouldn’t let them quit after just five swings, so he couldn’t allow himself to either. He got into his stance again and focused.

Swing. Miss.

Swing. Foul.

Swing. Dribbler.

Swing. Crack.

The ball zoomed to the back of the cage.

Reid was surprised by the sound the ball made when it came off his bat. He hadn’t heard that sound with such proximity in a long time. He was still staring down at the bat when the next pitch breezed by him. He got into stance again, and out of the next ten pitches, he hit seven of them solidly. As Carson turned the machine off, Reid straightened. He heard clapping and turned to see the other players applauding him.

“OK, OK, enough of this,” Reid said, feeling more than a little flustered by all of the attention. “That was really fun, but this is your work time. Who’s next?”

He stepped out of the cage and resumed his post near the machine so a few of the other hitters could take some swings. As he watched them, he kept thinking about those few moments when he’d had a bat in his hands. It felt amazing. He knew he missed playing, but those feelings were now amplified after that cage session. But he meant what he said to Carson – he was committed to helping the Pioneers for now, and he was going to make good on his promise.

The morning after her date with Neal, Kate was still thinking about him and how much she had enjoyed his company. She was pretty sure she broke every code in the dating world when she texted him to suggest lunch. It would be at least another month before she had a chance to get to the Twin Cities again, and she wanted to make sure she saw Neal at least once more during this stay. He responded quickly and suggested a cafe for their meeting. Apparently he was equally as eager to see her, so Kate didn’t really care about breaking dating rules. Maybe it was time to make her own rules. Following everyone else’s guidelines hadn’t created much success for her in the past, so why not try something different? She didn’t figure she had much to lose with Neal anyway. If she blew it, she’d be gone in 24 hours anyway and she’d never have to see him again. If it worked, well, then they’d both find a way to see each other. Either way, her heart wouldn’t get broken. It couldn’t get broken. Neal was safe. And, for now, that’s exactly what she needed.

The cafe he had recommended was charming and unique. It was also really busy, which she took as a positive sign. Their 40-minute wait seemed to fly by as they chatted, and when they were finally seated, she saw why the place was so popular. The menu was overwhelming. It wasn’t that there was a large selection, but the dishes were so unique she wanted to try everything. As a compromise, she and Neal each chose a different dish and shared their selections. Both entrees were delicious, and while she rarely indulged in dessert, she agreed when he suggested ordering the piece of chocolate cake with salted caramel icing Kate had noticed when they walked in.

The food and atmosphere were great, but it was the conversation Kate enjoyed the most. Neal was funny, thoughtful, and smart. He told some fascinating stories about his job and even a few about Jill’s husband. Kate looked forward to the next time she saw Nick so she could ask him about them. Kate was so caught up in Neal’s stories that she lost track of time. By the time he asked for the check, she glanced at her watch and saw that it was after two.

“Oh no! I’m going to be late for the game,” she said.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have kept you,” Neal said. “I had no idea.”

“It’s fine. I should have been paying more attention to the time.”

“Are you going to get in trouble?”

“I’m the boss, so there’s really no one to get in trouble with.”

“Oh, well then what’s the rush?”

“It’s still my job, so I really need to get there. I’ve never been late before.”

“Never? I’ll take that as a compliment then.”

“You should,” she said, smiling at him.

As they walked out to the street, he volunteered to drive her to Target Field.

“It’s the least I can do for keeping you,” he said.

She wanted to insist he didn’t owe her anything, but instead she just accepted the ride. It gave them more time to talk anyway. Conversation just came so easily for them, and Kate wished it didn’t have to end.

“If you want, you could come to the game,” she said as they arrived at the ballpark.

“I wish I could, but I have hockey practice in a few hours,” he said.

“Oh, okay,” she said, surprised at the disappointment she felt.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “If I’d known I would like you this much, I would have made sure my weekend was free. Next time I will.”

“Really?” she asked.

“Really,” he said, nodding.

He leaned over and put a hand on her neck, sliding it up behind her ear. Kate knew what was coming and she leaned over to meet him halfway. It started off as tentative and awkward as any first kiss, but once their mouths lined up, all of that changed. Neal’s lips were soft and inviting, and Kate’s responded eagerly. It had been months since her last kiss so she wasn’t sure if it was the drought or if Neal was really that good. It was probably a bit of both that made it difficult for her to pull away. When she finally did, he was still touching her face gently. The way he looked at her seemed to say he wanted more. She did too, but she knew she couldn’t. She smiled and pulled away slowly.

“I have to go to work.”

“Right. So I guess I’ll see you ...”

“I’ll be back here just after the All-Star Break.”

“And when is that?”

“The last week in July.”

“That’s two months away.”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t know if I can wait that long.”

“Maybe you could come see me.”

“Yeah, maybe,” he said.

His tone was not very convincing, and Kate’s joy ebbed a bit. This wouldn’t be the first time her career created obstacles for her dating life. She should be used to it by now, but it never ceased to disappoint her. Even when she lacked investment in a guy and wasn’t interested in a relationship, it was still a tough pill to swallow.

“We can talk about it another time,” she said. “I really have to go.”

“Okay, yeah. I’ll call you,” he said.

His tone was a little more reassuring this time and it helped restore her hopes a little. She gave his cheek a quick kiss and got out of the car.

The third inning was just starting when Kate found her seat. She looked at the scoreboard and saw the Pioneers were up 2-0.

At least something’s going right
, she thought.

Her gaze drifted to the players and then to the dugout. She wasn’t looking for Reid – or at least she told herself she wasn’t – but she found him anyway. He was perched on the top step, watching Ben Ramirez, their starting catcher who was currently in the batter’s box.

Reid looked really good in his Pioneers uniform. Sure, he filled out jeans and suits just fine, but it couldn’t compare to how he looked in baseball pants, a jersey, and a cap. They seemed to be made for his body. She studied Reid for far longer than she should have, and she probably should have been studying Ben. His average had taken a bit of a dip this season, and she wondered if he was hurt or just needed some extra work with the hitting coach. Reid was probably wondering the same thing, but Kate couldn’t fully read his expression. He was focused on the batter, and he didn’t even flinch when Ben struck out two pitches later and punted his batting helmet into the dugout. Kate watched as Reid wrote a few things down in a little handheld notebook and then walked over to Ben, who was still fuming as he worked to put on his catching gear. He looked up as Reid spoke. He nodded a few times and actually smiled as Reid patted his shoulder and then went to high five Collin Elwood, who had just hit a two-run home run to give the Pioneers a 4-0 lead. The Pioneers’ dugout was celebrating, but Kate was still fixated on Reid and his conversation with the catcher. Ramirez was often described as being temperamental, which she had long ago decided was just man-speak for moody. When he was upset, he festered for a long time. She wondered what Reid had said to get Ben’s mood to shift so quickly.

Her curiosity about the conversation lingered for the rest of the 7-1 victory. There was another home run and plenty of good pitching, but she was distracted by Reid and Ben’s interaction. Distracted enough that after the game, she headed down to the clubhouse to find Reid. It was the first time since March that she was actually seeking him out.

Reid was surprised when one of the other coaches tapped him on the shoulder and said Kate was looking for him. He was in the middle of a talk with Ian Davis about his follow-through, but he quickly finished up with the infielder and went out into the hallway where Kate was waiting for him.

“You might be good at this coaching thing,” she said as he approached.

“Oh yeah? What makes you say that?”

For a moment, he thought maybe she’d somehow gotten wind of the incident with Derek Beaman. He didn’t know how though. There’s no way Derek would have told her. Maybe someone on the hotel staff mentioned it. Maybe another one of the players overheard them and the word had made its way to her. As his brain was cycling through all the possibilities, she put his thoughts to rest.

“I saw you talking to Ramirez after that ugly strikeout. He was on the verge of a full-on tantrum. Trust me, I’ve seen a few of them, so I know the signs,” she said. “But then you talked to him. He was smiling, and in his next at bat, he took a walk. What did you say to him?”

“Nothing much, really. I just told him to relax a little.”

“That’s it? Are you sure?”

“I may have said something else, but it’s not appropriate for you.”

“Why not?”

“Because you’re a woman.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“I try to be respectful about what I say in front of women. Trust me, you don’t want to hear what I said. As I said, it’s not appropriate.”

“Oh. Well, whatever it was, it obviously worked. So, good job, Reid.”

Reid smiled. She’d actually complimented him, with no hint of condescension and no room left to end to backhand him with an insult. It was pure praise, the first she’d offered him since he started this job. He wanted to gloat and ask if she’d finally come around on him. He wanted to grin with arrogance. He wanted to hug her. He even kind of wanted to kiss her.

But he did none of that. He knew there was only one way to preserve civility.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. See you in Chicago.”

Chapter Eight

“Nice save last night,” Reid said to Derek as they sat down at Lou Malnati’s a few days later.

They had debated the other Chicago pizza places – primarily Geno’s and Uno’s – but Derek said he heard Malnati’s was the best. Reid wasn’t about to argue with that selection. The pizza and the atmosphere, in his opinion, were superior to the other options.

“Thanks,” Derek said, grinning. “That was pretty wild. I never thought I’d get a major league save.”

“It was kind of an unusual situation,” Reid said.

During their Monday night game with the White Sox, the Pioneers’ starting pitcher struggled out of the gate. He gave up five runs in the first inning, and Manager Don Carroll had to bring in a reliever by the third inning. The bullpen was already taxed from the series in Minnesota, so even though Portland was working on a slow rally, they were running out of serviceable arms.

During the rally, the coach asked Derek if he could get three outs. He nodded and jogged out to the bullpen in the middle of the eighth inning. Reid had been nervous for the kid. Derek had just started the game on Saturday – the same day he found out about Keely’s engagement – and it hadn’t been a good outing. He was done after just four innings. On top of that, he hadn’t come out of the bullpen in years, and he’d never been in a save situation. Still, Derek showed no signs of doubt as he took the mound in the bottom of the ninth to protect a 9-7 lead.

He started out kind of shaky, walking the first batter on five pitches. Reid watched Derek kick the dirt and circle the mound as the runner trotted to first. Derek looked around at the infielders. Ian Davis nodded at him as if to say, “you got this.” Derek sucked in a breath and settled back on the rubber, looking at Carson Slater, his catcher, who punched his mitt a few times and signaled for the pitch he wanted. Derek exhaled as he got set to deliver what Carson asked for. It was a called strike on the outside corner. It was perhaps a generous call, but Derek and the Pioneers would take the break. Four pitches later, the White Sox first baseman struck out, and Derek relaxed a little. It was just one out, but one out was better than none, especially with Chicago’s toughest offensive weapon stepping up to the plate. With one swing, he could tie the game.

Derek the mound again, taking a deep breath as he picked up the rosin bag and tossed it in his hand a few times. He dropped the bag, brushed off his hand, and stepped onto the rubber again. Carson gave him a signal and Derek acknowledged it with a slight nod. He set up, went into his wind-up, and delivered. The batter connected on the first pitch and the ball zoomed past Derek. But he barely had time to turn around before Justin Tanner and Ian Davis turned one of their signature double plays.

Game over.

The Pioneers won. And Derek had just recorded his first ever major league save.

“Yeah, it was crazy,” Derek said as he looked across the table at Reid. “I’ve been a starter almost my entire baseball career. I never imagined I’d have a chance at a save. I never even thought about wanting one.”

“Well, now you have one permanently on your record,” Reid said.

“It’s definitely one of the nicer things on my record,” Derek said, raising an eyebrow.

Reid eyed him curiously.

“The drug charges. The assault,” Derek said.

“Oh, yeah ... but so?” Reid said.

“So ... I’m not sure I’ll ever live those down. Or forget them,” Derek said.

“Maybe you’re not supposed to forget them,” Reid said.

Derek looked at him.             

“How can you learn if you forget?” Reid asked.

“You don’t think I’ve learned yet?” Derek asked.

“I didn’t say that,” Reid said. “But in my experience, substance abuse doesn’t go away in one try. It’s a constant battle. You’ve already faced some challenges in your battle. Recently, even. But you have to remember what it can cost you if you fail.”

Derek nodded. “That’s true.”

He was somber for a moment, staring at the table.

“For what it’s worth, I don’t think you’re going to fail,” Reid said.

Derek looked up at him. “What makes you so sure?”

Reid shrugged. “I just have a good feeling about you.”

Derek smiled. “Thanks, Coach B.”

“You know, you can call me Reid, if you want.”

“Yeah, but I like Coach B better.”

Reid laughed. “It makes me feel old when you call me that.”

“You’re not though. I heard you were hitting in the cages the other day. Still have some pop in your bat, huh?”

“Surprisingly, yeah.”

“Why do you say ‘surprisingly’?”

“After the way I played last season in New York, I’m pretty sure no one thinks I can still hit.”

“But you can. It was one bad season. It shouldn’t define you.”

“In this sport, that’s all it takes sometimes.”

“True. So are you really done playing?”

“I don’t know. I mean, I want to play again, but it’s hard to say for sure if that’ll happen.”

“Well, if you want to play, I hope you get another chance.”

“Thanks. I hope so too.”

Derek took a sip of his water and then changed the subject.

“So you really didn’t tell Miss Marks about the other night?”

“Nope. I told you I wouldn’t.”

“I know, but then I heard Carson say you two are friends, so I thought ...”

Reid sighed and shook his head. He knew Carson had a tendency to talk. He wondered what all Carson had said about him and Kate.

“First of all, I keep my word. If I said I wouldn’t tell her, I’m not going to tell her,” Reid said. “Second of all, Kate and I are old friends, but we’re not friends friends.”

“Oh. Carson made it sound like you were close. Said he even found an old prom photo.”

Reid smiled. “Yeah, we went to senior prom together. But that doesn’t mean we’re close.”

“But you obviously were at one time.”

“I guess you could say that,” Reid said.

“Did you date her?”

Reid thought for a minute about Derek’s question. He couldn’t honestly say he had ever dated Kate. They’d studied together, gone to prom together, and slept together. But he had never really asked her on a real date and picked her up to take her out. He felt a flicker of guilt at that realization.

“Not really,” he answered finally.

“Did you sleep with her?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“I’ll take that as a ‘no’ then.”             

“Why would you assume that’s a ‘no’?”

“Because if you did, you’d be bragging about it. I mean, look at her.”

Reid smirked. “Yeah, she is pretty.”

“She’s more than pretty. She’s hot. I mean, for an older lady.”

“She’s my age, so she’s not that old.”

“That’s true. She just seems older than you.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment, I think. But she probably seems older because of her job. It’s a lot more serious than mine, so I guess that’s made her older.”

“Was she hot in high school too?”

Reid smirked. “She was really pretty. And she didn’t seem to know it.”

“That’s the best kind of pretty,” Derek said.

“It really is, and Katie had it. She was really smart too,” Reid said. “I guess she’s still all those things, so I shouldn’t be speaking in past tense.”

“Katie?”

“That’s what she went by back then. Sometimes I forget and call her that now. She doesn’t like that very much.”

“She doesn’t really look like a ‘Katie’ anyway.”

“She does to me. But I’d like to keep my job, so I’ll stick to calling her ‘Kate.’”

“Good call,” Derek said, laughing. “I’d like you to keep your job too.”

Their pizza arrived and the conversation turned away from Kate. Instead, the men went back to talking about the previous night’s game. Reid smiled as he listened to Derek recount each pitch he threw during that memorable ninth inning. The young pitcher’s voice sounded so much different than it had just a few nights earlier. There was more optimism, pride, and hope. It was as if the other night’s disappointment and near-relapse had never happened. Reid hoped that trend would continue for Derek.

As silence followed her date with Neal, Kate tried very hard not to be
that girl
. She really did. There was no reason she should be checking her phone every few minutes. But she couldn’t resist that little device. Every time it rang or chimed to indicate a text, she checked the display hoping it was Neal. But it wasn’t. It had only been two days since their lunch date, so it was probably too soon to read into his actions – or inactions in this case – but she couldn’t help it. She was on her way to convincing herself he was no longer interested in her – and not because he didn’t like her, but because he couldn’t see her enough. That would not be anything new. Even though she understood and knew it wasn’t personal, it was still disappointing and discouraging.

True to her nature, Kate turned her attention to work. With the season in full swing, she had plenty on her plate. The midseason trading deadline was fast approaching, and she needed to evaluate the team and the division to see where she should and could make changes to help the Pioneers down the stretch. They were currently sitting in the middle of the pack in the American League West, six games behind the Texas Rangers and ten games behind the division-leading Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. But they were ahead of Seattle, Oakland, and Houston, so that was encouraging. There was still time to make up ground. But only if the Pioneers could keep playing strong.

Kate was trying to figure out if they needed some front office help as she sat on the balcony of her Chicago hotel room with her laptop and a large coffee, looking over the roster and latest stats. The team had been playing so well this season it was hard to say they needed any changes. But Kate knew there was always more to the story than just the record. She needed to look for weak spots and areas that could use a boost. Their offense was consistently putting up solid run totals, and too often their losses occurred because the pitching staff had a meltdown. She decided to start there, looking at each pitcher’s lines to see which ones gave her the most concern.

Their number two starter, Chris Wimberly, seemed to be struggling – only one great game on his record so far this season. The rest were forgettable, and there were a few she wished she could forget. They were disastrous. Wimberly had won the number two spot the previous season when he notched 17 wins and finished with an ERA under four. She didn’t know what had caused his decline, but he was very frustrating to watch. She wasn’t quite ready to bump him from the rotation, but she considered the idea that maybe he needed to be moved down a spot or two. Her eyes traveled a little further down the sheet and one name caught her attention. Derek Beaman. He had been outstanding lately with the exception of one disaster start on Saturday. She’d been especially pleased with the way he handled the stress of closing the previous night. Given his history, she hadn’t been sure he could step up in that unorthodox opportunity, but he nailed it. He looked calm and poised the entire time. Maybe Beaman could handle a bit more heat. She decided she might be comfortable swapping Wimberly and Beaman in the rotation. She would to consult with the pitching coach and the manager before making the change, but in her mind, it was already done.

Kate made a few notes about possible pick-ups and trades and then looked at her phone again. At least she’d killed an hour between phone checks. That was progress, but she was rewarded with a few work-related e-mails and nothing more. With just a few hours left before she needed to be at U.S. Cellular Field, she decided to give her brain a break and put her body to work. She changed into her workout clothes and headed down to the hotel fitness facilities. She’d been a little relaxed about her workouts lately. Then again, that usually happened with road trips. The rigors of travel were exhausting and they disrupted any routine she might try to establish. And she still hadn’t learned how to prioritize her time so she could get everything in – even when her schedule got hectic.

The new Maroon 5 album filled her ears and the city stretched out in front of her as she jogged on the treadmill. She stared straight ahead, focusing on her breathing. Running had always been a good way for her to zone out and find some peace of mind. Somehow, the cardio helped her relax and go to a different place in her head. She was on her way to finding it when she sensed someone on the treadmill beside hers. After a few minutes, she glanced over to see who her workout neighbor was. She did a double-take when she discovered it was Reid. Any beginnings of peace and relaxation were immediately undone.

“Hey Kate,” he said, grinning at her.

Even with her headphones on and her music blasting, she received his greeting. She nodded and removed one ear bud, but it was more out of politeness than a real desire to talk to him. Sure, they had managed a civil conversation a few days earlier, but she was pretty sure that was just a fluke. And it hadn’t changed much for her. She was still affected every time she saw him. This moment was no exception. She immediately felt the tension rise.