In My Father's Shadow (32 page)

“That’s a good sign,” Jamie said nervously, chewing
his fingernails. “She’s got the speed down.”

Cole nodded, his eyes never leaving Ally.

She dug back in and swung at the next pitch, sending
it to centerfield. After that, she found her rhythm and sent pitch
after pitch sailing to the outfield. Jamie jumped up excitedly and
hi-fived Cole and RJ when Ally crushed one over the fence.

“Wow,” Stephanie exclaimed, impressed. “She’s got
power.”

The girls finished batting and listened to the
coaches’ instructions as a crew removed the pitching machine and
gathered up the baseballs from the outfield.

“What position does she play?” Stephanie asked as the
girls grabbed their gloves and headed to the field.

“Short stop,” Cole told her as Ally jogged out
between second and third, swiping at the dirt with her cleats. She
adjusted her ball cap and positioned herself, knees bent, glove at
the ready.

A coach stood at the plate and started hitting balls
to various positions, warming them up. Once he deemed them ready,
he started belting balls all over, watching as the girls fielded
them and threw to whatever base he called out. Ally was on top of
her game and never missed a single ball. She made a few great
plays, including one spectacular throw from her knees, and Cole
knew there was no way in hell she wouldn’t be signed.

Finally, the coaches called them in and they huddled
together, listening to their next instructions. Cole and Jamie
exchanged nervous glances as RJ stood, shading his eyes to get a
better look. All the girls dispersed except for Ally. A heavy set,
gray haired man took her by the arm and led her to another
gentleman in khakis, dress shirt and tie.

“Dude,” Jamie said. “I think that’s the General
Manager.”

Cole nodded and watched intently as Ally shook his
hand with a smile. They talked for about fifteen minutes, driving
the boys a little crazy.

“What is taking so long?” RJ whined. “I mean, either
they want her or they don’t!”

“I don’t think they’re signing anyone today,” Jamie
said. “Ally thought it was a workout session for the girls who’ve
had injuries. Maybe they’re discussing that.”

Cole just shrugged and shook his leg nervously, eyes
trained on Ally. Finally, she shook the man’s hand again and headed
to the locker room. “Come on,” Cole said getting to his feet.
“Let’s go wait for her by the doors.”

They leaned against the brick building as the other
girls started filtering out, chatting about their chances. Ally was
one of the last to leave the locker room, hair damp and duffel bag
over her shoulder. She smiled at them. “Hey, guys. Ready to get out
of here?”

“No,” RJ said, rolling to his toes. “We want to know
what happened!”

“What do you mean?” she asked, her blue eyes
sparkling.

“You stood there talking to the guy in the tie
forever,” Jamie reminded her.

“Oh, you mean Mr. Menedez.” Ally looked over her
shoulder. All the other girls were gone and Ally turned back to
smile. “We were just making arrangements for my parents to come to
Chicago so they can sign me.”

It took only a few seconds for the words to register
before Cole picked her up, causing her to drop her bag, and swung
her around in a circle. He kissed her before putting her back down.
“I knew you’d do it, princess.” She beamed in his arms and he
wouldn’t let her go.

“Hel-lo,” Jamie called. He grabbed her arm and pulled
her into a huge hug. “Congrats, cuz! I knew you’d make it!”

RJ congratulated her next with yet another embrace
and a sloppy kiss on the cheek. “We’ve have to celebrate tonight!
We’ll take you out for a big, fancy dinner then back to the
suites.”

“Okay,” she said as excitement shimmied throughout
her body. “Let’s go.”

Congratulations, Ally,” Stephanie said tentatively.
“I’m really impressed.”

“Thanks,” Ally said, pulling the other girl into a
hug. “And I really mean it.”

***

After a fancy dinner downtown, they returned to Ally
and Cole’s suite. RJ and Jamie had mysteriously obtained a bottle
of champagne and made a grand production of opening it and pouring
five glasses.

“To our little princess,” Cole began. Ally rolled her
eyes at him. “May she kick ass and take names this summer!”

They all touched glasses and sipped their
champagne.

“Oh, hang on,” Jamie said. “I got one!”

Ally groaned and fixed him with a warning glare. “So
help me, James…”

He smiled and patted her cheek. “To my favorite
cousin,” he began, raising his glass. “May she always put us in our
places.”

Everyone touched glasses and drank - everyone but
Ally who gave Jamie a puzzled look.

“What?” Jamie asked. “I didn’t say anything wrong,
did I?”

“What was that? I thought we were toasting softball,”
she asked.

He shrugged. “It just seemed fitting.”

She rolled her eyes and sipped at her glass.

“My turn,” RJ declared, lifting his glass once Cole
went around and refilled everyone. “For Ally,” he smiled sweetly at
her. “Heaven help the coach, umpire, or opposing player who crosses
her the wrong way!”

They all drank again, except for Ally.

“Hey,” she protested. “That’s not fair.” They all
looked at her and Stephanie fingered her lip. Ally sighed
sheepishly. “Okay, okay, so it’s a little fair.”

“My turn,” Stephanie said. “I don’t know you too well
Ally, but I have to say after watching you play today and after
being on the receiving end of your right hook, I think whoever made
up the saying “girls rock,” had you in mind.”

“Here, here,” Ally smiled, clinking her glass with
Stephanie’s.

Cole groaned as he flung an arm around Ally’s
shoulder and kissed her temple. “Don’t feed her ego.”

“My ego?” Ally protested as she set her glass on the
table. She jabbed a finger in his chest. “Yours is so big, I’m
surprised it fits in this room!”

A coy smirk graced his lips as he yanked her closer
and kissed her. “You love it and you know it, princess.”

She edged back and fixed him with an evil look.
“Don’t call me that!”

His smirk widened. “You are a little princess and you
know it.”

RJ and Jamie looked at each other. “There goes that
sexual tension again.”

Ally overheard him and turned her murderous eyes on
RJ and Jamie. “Don’t start that again. There is no sexual tension
between Cole and me.”

“Whatever you say, cuz,” Jamie said, placating her.
“I believe you.”

“Aw, Ally,” RJ said as he bounced around the table
and jerked her out of Cole’s arms. He picked her up and placed a
loud kiss on her cheek. “If we didn’t have all that tension between
you and Cole, our lives would be tedious and boring.”

“You four are anything but boring,” Stephanie
stated.

RJ set Ally down on her feet and hugged her once more
before releasing her to Cole. He located the nearly empty
bottle.

“All right,” RJ said, refilling everyone’s glasses.
“Back to the toasts. Who’s next and what are we toasting?”

Ally peeked out from Cole’s arm and he gave her a
kiss. She wrapped her arms around his waist and looked at all her
friends, gathered together.

“I have a toast,” Ally whispered. She picked up her
glass. “To old friends,” she said, nodding at Cole, RJ, and Jamie.
“And new friends,” she nodded at Stephanie. “No matter what’s
happened in the past and no matter what happens in the future;
whether we stick together or have to go our own way, may we always
love, protect, defend, and be there for each other.”

After they clinked her glass, she watched them drink
and she knew in her heart, no matter what it would take, they would
always stick together somehow. Always.

Epilogue

Ally sat beside Jamie, fidgeting in her chair. She
glanced at her watch as she released a long, drawn out breath.

“Chill, Ally,” Jamie said as he draped an arm around
her shoulders.

“They’re ready and warmed up but Rhys Redden is
nowhere to be found. What if he changed his mind?”

“He didn’t. Something probably came up and he’s
trying to take care of it quickly,” Jamie said but he couldn’t hide
the worry in his eyes.

Ally stood up and peeked her head out of the open
door. “Where are the parents, anyway?”

“Talking to Sasha,” Jamie said. “I guess she probably
knows where Rhys is.”

“She is his wife,” Ally muttered as she strolled back
to her chair and plopped down.

The room was small with one wall made of glass that
allowed visitors to view the occupants in the room next door. In
that other room Cole, RJ, Ren, and Parker were toying with their
instruments, waiting nervously to play for Rhys Redden.

The ink had barely dried on RJ’s and Cole’s diploma
and they were packing their bags and instruments to head to L.A.
Nate, Richie, and Parker’s father, naturally, planned to accompany
them and Ally was slightly surprised when her dad announced that he
and Mark were going along, too.

Ally still had two weeks until she had to report to
training camp for the State Team and while she was excited, she was
glad that Cole’s meeting with Rhys Redden occurred before she had
to leave. She wanted to be there for him no matter what.

Ally groaned and tossed her head back, annoyed and
nervous. “I wish they’d play already. I know they’ll knock Rhys’s
socks off and I can hardly stand the waiting.”

“I have to say, cuz, that patience is not one of your
strongest attributes,” Jamie teased.

She rolled her eyes and crossed her leg, wiggling her
foot while she watched Cole talk quietly to the others. She smiled
as she replayed the past few months in her head. Things had been
going well with them – not perfect but well. They’d taken things at
a slower pace – going out on dates and spending plenty of time
talking. It was working for them and she was satisfied with the
pace. She’d stopped worrying about them taking things too far,
knowing they had plenty of time for that and when the moment was
right, it would happen and they’d be able to deal with it. Cole had
confided in her that he’d been worried about that, too, but had
decided that it was best if they held off on the physical side of
their relationship until she was out of high school.

“Hey, princess,” Jay greeted as he breezed into the
room with Nate, Richie, and Mark. Rhys Redden trailed behind them,
huge grin on his face.

“Hi, Ally,” he said as he gave her a quick hug before
turning to shake Jamie’s hand. Ally’s cheeks heated a bit as she
remembered the painful crush she’d had on Rhys years and years ago.
It had faded, of course, but she still thought he was quite
handsome with his dark brown hair that curled at the ends and the
sexy hoops he wore in each ear. He wasn’t as tall as her father but
he had an athletic build that he’d maintained even though he was
well into his forties. Ally always blushed like an idiot when he
talked to her.

“Let’s get this show on the road,” Rhys said, rubbing
his hands together and approaching the intercom. He pushed a button
and asked the guys to go ahead whenever they were ready.

Ally shivered in anticipation and glanced at Nate.
She blinked several times in surprise at how stiff he was – his
face pale. She got out of her chair to stand beside him and wrap an
arm around his waist.

“Are you nervous, Nate?” she asked.

He put an arm around her shoulders and gave her a
squeeze. He winked at her, a grin curling the corners of his mouth.
“Maybe a little. I remember what it’s like to be on the other side
of the glass and I guess I’m a little nervous for them.”

“They’re awesome. Rhys is going to love them,” she
said.

Nate squeezed her shoulders again and dropped a kiss
to the top of her head. “I know.”

As soon as RJ struck a chord and the others jumped
in, Ally watched Rhys carefully. Unfortunately, he had a wonderful
poker face and his expression didn’t reveal a single thing. She
frowned, wishing she could read his mind to see what he was
thinking.

They finished their first song and Rhys bobbed his
head, a small smile cracking his lips. He bent over the intercom
and spoke to the guys again.

“That was outstanding, fellas. Let’s hear a couple
more, okay?”

RJ nodded, a grin toying with his mouth. They started
on another song and Ally began to relax. The guys were having fun,
doing what they did best and playing one of their more popular
songs from school. Ally shared a grin with Jamie and they both knew
that their friends had sealed their fate.

When they finished, Rhys turned to the adults and
beamed. “Richie, Nate – you two did an excellent job. I’m sure the
rest of you had a hand in it, too.”

“Thanks,” Richie said, a little green.

“I want them,” Rhys said, a huge grin bursting out on
his face. “I want to sign them now before someone else snaps them
up. Now, I know Ren’s still in school and we can work something out
about that.”

Jamie swept Ally in his arms and swung her around the
room as Richie and Nate stepped forward to shake Rhys’s hand. They
moved into the other room to let the guys know but Jamie and Ally
remained behind to watch through the glass – they’d have a chance
to celebrate with their friends soon enough.

As Ally watched them talk excitedly, her heart
twinged a bit. Sure, she was worried that maybe this new
development would put more stress on their still fragile
relationship but when Cole turned to the window and graced her with
a huge smile and a wink, she knew that somehow, some way; it would
all work out in the end.

“Come on, cuz,” Jamie said, taking her hand. “Let’s
go congratulate them.”

She followed him into the chaotic other room and
allowed the excitement to blow through her as she hugged and kissed
her friends. When Cole held her against his chest, pressed a sweet
kiss to her cheek, and whispered in her ear that he loved her, her
feelings of a few minutes ago were reinforced.