Fastball (26 page)

Maddie knew without a grain of doubt she
couldn’t cover for Robbie Benton because it was fundamentally
wrong, a violation of everything she’d ever been taught, both on
the job and in her personal life. Jake would eventually understand
or, at the very least, forgive her.

And if he didn’t?

That was something she vowed not to dwell
on.

The next day, Maddie made a point of arriving
at the stadium much earlier than normal. She’d spent most of the
night tossing and turning, running various scenarios through in her
head, but not one of them satisfied her. Every time she came up
with a solution she thought might possibly satisfy Jake, it failed
to address her own ethical considerations and responsibilities as a
reporter. But then every time she decided the best solution would
be to go straight to her editor and damn the torpedoes, she felt a
wash of guilt and anxiety—guilt over how it would hurt Jake, and
anxiety that by taking such drastic action she might destroy their
relationship forever.

By the time dawn finally broke, sending gray
streaks of light filtering into her bedroom, she’d arrived at what
seemed a half-assed solution at best. She’d confront Robbie and
encourage him to confess his sins to team management. If he came
through on that, she’d keep the story to herself and her editor
until management had a chance to formulate a response. If Robbie
refused to cooperate, then Maddie would take the story directly to
her paper and begin a full scale investigation, with no
restrictions. She’d keep Jake out of it, though she knew that
wouldn’t satisfy him. But at least she was giving Robbie a chance
to come clean, to take those first steps on his own. That had to
count for something with Jake. At least she hoped it would.

She parked the car, flashed her press ID at
the security guard at the staff entrance to the concourse, and
headed toward the field itself. Waiting for Robbie outside the
Patriots’ clubhouse was not a good choice, since there would be a
lot of comings and goings. It would be easier if she called out to
him as he was about to step out on the field for warm-ups. That was
a common practice between reporters and players, and made it
unlikely that anyone would take particular notice. Although the
little jerk didn’t deserve it—not after putting Jake in such a bad
situation—Maddie wanted to give Robbie as much privacy as she could
for what would be a very difficult conversation.

By the time she reached field level and
stationed herself near the home team dugout, her heart was
hammering and her hands were slick with perspiration. She blew out
a nervous breath and rubbed her palms down the sides of her cotton
skirt.

You can do this. You have to do this.

She dumped her bag on a seat, took some deep
breaths, and mentally ran over the script she’d developed. She
could only hope it wouldn’t fly out of her head once she saw
Robbie.

Players started trotting out onto the field,
including Jake, who was one of the first. He cut a glance her way,
slowed for a few seconds, and then headed to the outfield to join
some of the other guys loosening up. That one brief look was enough
to let her know he was still angry. She couldn’t blame him, but it
sent her stomach plummeting to her heels.

Switching her attention back where it
belonged, she held her breath as the last of the players straggled
onto the field, still with no sign of Robbie Benton. Crap. She
really
hoped she wouldn’t have to put this off for another
day. But a few seconds later, his head poked out from the
dugout—the last player to emerge. He looked as distracted and
unhappy as he been yesterday. She inhaled a deep breath and pitched
her voice over the cheers of the few hundred spectators who had
come early to see practice.

“Hey, Robbie!” she called. With a jerk,
Benton turned on his heel and looked back in the direction of her
voice. When he spotted her, his mouth turned down in a quick
grimace.

“Can we talk for just a minute?” she asked.
“Please?”

He stared at her for a good ten seconds,
obviously suspicious, then nodded his head and slowly walked over.
He didn’t bother with a greeting. “I need to warm up, Maddie.
What’s up?”

He must already know what she wanted to talk
about. She leaned forward over the barrier between them, lowering
her voice. “I know we can’t talk right now, Robbie. But we do have
to get together, and it has to be tonight. After the game, in the
parking lot, okay?”

He’d try to duck her if she didn’t nail him
at the stadium. She let the determination in her voice convey the
message she wouldn’t let that happen.

Robbie jerked back. “What the hell? Jesus,
you can’t just waltz up and tell me I’ve gotta jump when you snap
your fingers. Players aren’t supposed to meet secretly with
reporters anyway. As you damn well know.” He flashed an ugly smile
and turned to walk away.

Her anger spiked. Obviously Jake had told
Robbie about her, and the little jerk wasn’t beyond throwing it in
her face. Still, she managed to keep her voice low and even.
“Robbie, if you don’t talk to me today, I’m taking the story about
your problems with Nazarian to my paper. I’m giving you the chance
to tell me your side, and to come up with some kind of
solution—before your name hits the headlines.”

He spun around, the naked rage on his
features actually making her flinch. “So, your asshole boyfriend
couldn’t keep his mouth shut for even one day, huh? Were you two
talking about me in the sack?” He spat onto the ground before
glaring at her again. “Jesus, I thought I knew Jake better than
that.”

She glared right back at him. “Don’t you dare
blame Jake! I didn’t find out from him. In fact, you should be glad
you’ve got such a loyal friend.”

Her anger obviously took him aback because he
stayed quiet, obviously puzzled, and looking like he was trying to
figure out what to say next.

“I think you’re lying,” he finally said. “How
else would you find out?”

“Robbie,” she said impatiently, “that’s not
the point. Are you going to meet me or not? I’ve got a lot I need
to ask you, and a lot more I’d like to say to you. I know you don’t
want to do it, but this is the one chance you have to try and get a
handle on the situation.”

Robbie stared at the ground, obviously
considering his options. When he glanced up at her, his features
were tight and expressionless. His eyes, though, burned with
resentment. “Okay. In the parking lot, right after I come out of
the clubhouse.”

She nodded and turned away, heading up the
stairs toward the concourse. Her knees were shaking and she had to
resist the urge to sit down and put her head between her knees. But
she’d done it. There was no going back now. She’d see what she
could pry out of Robbie tonight, and then she could make a decision
on her next step. Jake wouldn’t be happy either way, but she just
had to hope he’d come around, hopefully sooner rather than
later.

* * *

Jake had closely watched the conversation
between Maddie and Robbie from short right field where he’d been
doing his stretches. After that initial burning glance between
them, she’d never once looked over in his direction. He, on the
other hand, had tracked her every move, hoping against hope that
she’d wave
him
over to talk, leaving Robbie alone. But when
Robbie sullenly trudged over to speak with Maddie, Jake’s
frustration spun sky-high. He couldn’t believe she was willing to
stir up so much trouble, and without even giving him a chance to
fix the problem first. It had taken all his willpower not to charge
over and pull Robbie away from what had quickly and obviously
turned into an argument.

When Robbie finally strode away from Maddie
and out onto the field, Jake didn’t hesitate for even a second. He
sprinted across the diamond to call out to Maddie before she had a
chance to disappear into the concourse. She froze, her back to him,
her shoulders hunching up around her ears.

“Maddie, come back down and talk to me.
Please,” he added in a quieter voice.

For a moment, it looked like she might
refuse. But then she turned, locked her eyes on him, and descended
the steps. He remained still, trying to enforce a calm he was far
from feeling. But the last thing he wanted to do was trigger
another fight. The one they’d had last night had practically ripped
him apart.

“I’m assuming you told Robbie just now what
you’re going to do,” Jake said. He towered over her slender form,
but she didn’t appear the slightest bit intimidated. “I’d
appreciate it if you shared that with me.”

Her face was drawn and pale, and she had huge
circles under her eyes. It didn’t look like she’d gotten any more
sleep last night then he had. And he could tell from the way she
blinked her eyes, as if holding back tears, that confronting Robbie
had been tough on her. Though he was boiling mad, he had to fight
the overwhelming urge take her in his arms and tell her everything
would be all right.

Unfortunately, that would be a colossal
lie.

“I asked him to meet me after the game,” she
said in a tight voice. “He wouldn’t talk to me at first, so I told
him I’d found out about his problem with Nazarian.”

“Christ, Maddie,” Jake groaned. “He’ll think
I ratted him out.”

“No, I protected you. I said you didn’t tell
me. I told him the truth—that I found out on my own.” Maddie shook
her head. “I don’t think he believed me, though.”

Yeah, no kidding
. “Why would he? The
timing would look a bit obvious, don’t you think?” he asked
dryly.

Maddie hesitated, then briefly nodded.

He blew out a frustrated breath. “Well,
that’s going to make it a whole lot harder to get him to trust me.
I’d say you might have just blown up any chance I had to talk some
sense into him and get him into treatment.”

She involuntarily winced, looking guilty, so
he held back the even harsher words that balanced on the tip of his
tongue.

“So, what happened?” he asked. “Is he going
to talk to you?”

She nodded. “In the parking lot, right after
the game. I really didn’t want to let him leave tonight without
talking to me. I thought I might lose…” She stopped abruptly.

“Your nerve?” Jake said. He couldn’t keep the
sarcasm out of his voice. “I sure as hell wouldn’t blame you.
You’re stepping into the middle of a Grade A cluster-fuck,
Maddie.”

She stopped looking guilty and started
looking pissed off. “Yes, my nerve, if that’s what you want to
hear,” she snapped. “I wasn’t looking for this mess, Jake. It’s not
like I
want
to do it, and you know it.”

Her voice caught on the last word. With a
defiant sniff, she reached into her bag and pulled out a tissue. As
she dabbed at her eyes, trying to hold back tears, Jake felt the
bottom go out from under him. Christ, he hated seeing her so upset,
but he didn’t know how to fix it.

“Look, Maddie, we can’t stand here talking
all night.” Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a few players
giving them quizzical looks, as were some fans seated up above
them. “We’re already attracting attention. Can you just cancel with
him for tonight? Come over to my place after the game and we’ll
talk this through. We’ll figure something out together.”

He glanced around, looking for his idiot
friend, and saw him stomping into the clubhouse, his features
pulled tight with rage. Jake frowned. Where the hell was Robbie
going now?

“I don’t like the idea of you meeting him
alone out there tonight,” he added. In fact, he hated the idea of
Maddie confronting Robbie without him there to run
interference.

Maddie rolled her eyes. “Come on, Jake, I’m a
big girl. I can take care of myself. And we’ll just be in the
players’ parking lot. You know—the one with the monster lights?”
She managed a placating smile. “I do want to meet you, I really do.
But I have to talk to Robbie first. I’m going to give him the
chance to come clean. Once he owns up to what he’s done and tells
team management, I think you could help him pay off his debts to
Nazarian without getting in trouble yourself.”

Jake forced himself not to respond to the
pleading in the big, dark eyes that seemed to swallow him up.
Maddie could normally make him agree to anything with that
particular look, but not this time. “Sweetheart, you’re kidding
yourself. I know Robbie better than anybody. There’s no way he’s
going to own up to what he’s done. And you’re putting yourself in
danger if you keep pushing this. God only knows what a thug like
Nazarian might do.”

“Oh, for God’s sake. Nazarian is hardly going
to be lurking around the parking lot, waiting to off me. Please
just let me do this, Jake. Then you and I can meet and talk. Both
about Robbie and…about us. That is, if there is still an
us
,” she finished softly.

Her words and the possibility that this could
deep-six their relationship for good sliced through him.

“I don’t think it’ll take very long,” she
added. “Give me an hour or so after the game ends, and then I’ll
come to your place. Just trust me, Jake.”

She bit her lip and stared at him, so tense
she looked on the point of spinning apart. She was obviously torn
up, but why the hell did she have to be so stubborn?

Finally he spoke. “I don’t get why you’re so
convinced you have to do this. You won’t even give me a chance to
solve it my way, to see if I can get Robbie out of this without
anybody getting hurt. And as far as trust goes, what about trusting
me?”

She paled, and her mouth actually quivered.
Then her lips settled into a stern, stubborn line as she held her
silence.

Shaking his head, Jake turned and strode away
from her, anger and a sense of helplessness riding him hard.