Better Than Perfect (5 page)

“Thanks for taking me.” Zach hadn’t even noticed his new clubs yet. “I like golf. It’s, like, my second favorite sport.”

“If it wasn’t for that one fellow… I was this close to converting you when his scandal broke out.” Mel shook his head.

Zach looked away, embarrassed. They all knew the famous golfer he refused to mention by name.

“Now almost as many people watch, hoping he’ll lose, as used to cheer him on. It’s a damn shame.”

“That’s why I’m glad we’ve got Johnny Scottsdale working for our camp. He’s a real hero.” Zach had built his image up so high, Alice hoped for both their sakes, Johnny wouldn’t let him down.

“Is that so?” Mel looked at her, surprised by the news. Alice hadn’t had a chance to touch base with the Harrisons about the change of players. She was planning on calling Frannie after Zach and Mel left.

“Johnny Scottsdale.” Mel turned his attention back to his grandson. “So did you meet him?”

“Yeah. Only for a few minutes, but he was totally cool.” Zach exaggerated their interaction. Johnny had barely glanced at him. He’d seemed surprised to see her. “He didn’t know my dad died, but then he seemed really sorry. So sorry he forgot to sign an autograph, but that’s okay. Getting to work with him is even better.”

“Zach’s going to be an assistant. What he doesn’t know is, that means he gets to be my slave for the duration of the camp.” Alice thought about how she was going to use him. “He’ll help me check in kids at registration. Run equipment from station to station. And of course, collect any personal belongings left behind to organize a lost and found.”

“But I’ll also help any of the pro players if they need someone to demonstrate pitching or anything,” Zach added hopefully.

“Of course.” She hoped Johnny would be willing to have him help. He had no idea how much Zach looked up to him. Of course, he wouldn’t. He’d forgotten all about her and Mel, so he certainly wouldn’t have thought about their child.

After Zach left with his grandfather, Alice busied herself with pre-camp activities. She sorted the t-shirts into groups, pinning a color-coded and laminated number to the back of each shirt. It would have been nice to be able to provide uniforms, but she had no way of knowing if each family had access to nightly laundry facilities, so it was easier to use the pin-on numbers.

Once all the shirts were numbered, she placed them in a reusable tote bag with the Goliath’s team logo, along with a packet of special edition trading cards and a Harrison Foundation Fun Camp water bottle.

She’d just packed the filled tote bags into large plastic bins, ready to be loaded into the back of her compact SUV, when her phone rang. She figured it was probably her mother-in-law, so she didn’t bother to check the Caller ID before answering it.

“Alice.” A voice from the past caught her off-guard. “It’s Johnny. Johnny Scottsdale.”

“Hello Johnny.” She hoped he didn’t catch her sharp intake of breath. “Did you get my email? I sent over everything I could think of to help you prepare for the camp.”

“Yes. It was thorough.” A shuffling sound told her he was switching the phone from one ear to the other. She’d bet he was walking around his apartment, or wherever he was calling from. He’d never been able to have a phone conversation while sitting in one spot. “I was kind of hoping we could meet sometime today. So you could…walk me through it.”

“Sure, I’ve got a few things to wrap up, but I can meet you this afternoon.”

“How about a late lunch?” Johnny suggested. “Is that one place still around? That diner Mel liked to go to?”

“It’s still around. Still owned by the same family.” She allowed her mind to drift back to happy times. When Mel had been excited to show his friends around the city he grew up in. He’d made an effort not to take them anywhere too fancy. He’d been almost as ashamed of his wealth as Johnny had been of his poverty.

Her mother hadn’t understood why she’d chosen to spend that Thanksgiving with her boyfriend’s roommate’s family rather than coming home. But her mother hadn’t offered Johnny an invitation, so where he’d gone, she’d followed.

At the time, she’d thought she would have followed Johnny anywhere. To South America, Japan or even Australia if that’s what it took for him to make a career in baseball.

She would have followed him so she wouldn’t have to worry about all the other women. He acted like he didn’t notice the number of female fans who seemed to increase with each win. But she’d noticed. She couldn’t help but notice how popular he’d become. Some even hit on him when she was standing right next to him.

She hadn’t wanted to drag him down with her jealousy. Her insecurity. And she’d never survive any kind of infidelity. So she let him go. Let him leave for the Minor League camp as a free man. To focus on baseball. To become the pitcher he was today.

They agreed on a time and Alice knew she didn’t have nearly enough work to keep her occupied until they’d meet. She wondered if it had been worth the sacrifice. If he’d been happy. If she’d be able to work with him without her heart breaking all over again.

3

Johnny went for a run down the Embarcadero, dodging seagulls and skaters and street performers. He was really dodging his feelings. His past. And the realization that he needed to start thinking about his future. He usually started his preseason workout sooner, but with the cross-country move he was behind schedule. He finished his run but failed to clear his head.

Long drives, cold showers and intense workouts had been his go-to distractions. Had he really believed he could brush away the memories like an umpire dusted off home plate? He’d spent the last fourteen years shutting down his emotions like he’d shut down his opponents’ lineups. Not quite—his career Earned Run Average was 3.28. His emotional response averaged more like zero.

Johnny headed over to the training room at the ballpark. When all else failed, he would do what he did best—focus on his game. His best friend was gone. He’d lost him fourteen years ago. But now it was final. First Mel had taken Johnny’s girl. Then he’d mailed that announcement, making sure he knew it. So Johnny had closed the book on their friendship. And Alice? He’d tried to forget her. But he had a better shot at the American League batting title. Even though they used a designated hitter and he only got to hit when playing interleague games at a National League park.

He sat down at the weight machine and tried to work out the stiffness in his shoulders. Stress had begun to settle into his muscles. Not good for someone who made a living with his body. Signing autographs wasn’t much of a workout, and while just thinking about Alice got his heart rate up, it wasn’t exactly cardio.

Bryce Baxter sauntered into the weight room about a half an hour after Johnny started lifting weights. He wore dark sunglasses and had the slow movements of someone who’d spent a late night out on the town.

“Mornin’.” Bryce eased himself onto the machine next to Johnny. “How’s it going?”

“Good. Trying to keep busy these last couple of weeks before spring training.” Johnny glanced at the clock. Morning was pretty much over; it was almost noon.

“I could have used you last night, man.” Bryce stretched his arms overhead and rolled his neck side to side. “That brunette had a friend.”

Johnny took a swig of his water. “You took on both of them?”

“Nah. I’m not that talented.” He laughed like they were old friends, sharing an old joke. “Maybe when I was a rookie five—okay, eight years ago. Of course, back then I was excited to have even one chick into me, you know what I mean? No. I guess you don’t know what I mean.”

“I’m not really a monk.” Johnny had spent half his career explaining himself. “I’ve been known to swear, have a beer. I’ve even had relationships with women before.”

“No, man. I didn’t mean anything.” Bryce rubbed his temples. “Except you seem to be smarter than the rest of us.”

“I doubt that.”

“You’d think I’d learn. She wasn’t interested in me. The real me. She was just looking for another jock to add to her collection.” He laughed again, mostly at himself. “I came out of the bathroom and she was typing into her phone. Couldn’t even wait for me to get dressed before updating her blog with her latest conquest.”

“How’d you find this out?”

“She sent me the link.” Bryce uncapped his water bottle and drained it. “I did get a ‘Homerun’ rating. So that’s good. I guess.”

“She’s got a rating system?”

“Sure. Single, Double, Triple, Homerun and Strikeout.” Bryce rested his forearms on his knees, not ready to work out anytime soon. “So I guess I should be proud of hitting one out.”

Johnny didn’t exactly know what to say about that.

“She’s coming to Arizona.” Bryce stretched. Rolled his neck from side to side. Then he exhaled loudly.

“You going to meet up with her again?”

“Hell, no.” Bryce laughed as if Johnny had told a dirty joke. “I’ve got a
one and done
rule. Besides, she’s got her sights set on you, big guy.”

“I’m not interested.”

“Exactly. That’s the challenge.”

“She’ll have to find someone else. I don’t play that game.”

“She was pretty hot, though…” Bryce leaned back on the weight bench. “But I guess you’re more into blondes.”

“I’m only interested in getting ready for the season.” Johnny pulled down on the machine he’d been working on, thinking the conversation was over.

“I don’t know about that.” Bryce started his reps. “There was that one woman, in the blue sweater. She was there with her kid.”

Johnny concentrated on lifting and lowering the weights. Maybe if he ignored Bryce, he would do the same.

“She was married to your roommate, huh?” Not working. Bryce was a chatty fellow. Oblivious to the fact Johnny didn’t want to talk about it. “I get it, now. It’s not a religious thing. Or a…gay thing. You’ve got a thing for your college buddy’s wife. That’s the secret behind The Monk.”

Johnny’s weights slipped, crashing down with a bang.

Bryce sat up.

“So, you are in love with her.”

“No. I’m not.” Damn.

“Hey, she’s not married anymore.” Bryce grinned.

If he’d had a ball in his hand, Johnny would have thrown it at him. Wiped that smug look off his face

“I got a vibe…she was just as into you.”

“She’s not interested in me. Not anymore.”

“Oh, so she knew you were hot for her?”

“We dated three years in college.” Why did Johnny share that?

“And she married your roommate? Harsh.”

“You have no idea.”

“Most guys in your situation would have gone the opposite route.” Bryce leaned in, fully engaged in the conversation now. “Banged anything that moved. Hell, most guys would do that anyway.”

Johnny had always known he wasn’t like most guys.

“When my wife left me…” Bryce let out a low chuckle. “I took advantage of every opportunity that came my way. She didn’t want me anymore. There were plenty of women who did.”

“Must be the uniform.” Johnny was only half joking.

“Yeah. Sometimes I feel like a baseball card with batteries.” Bryce started lifting again.

Johnny took that to mean the conversation was finished, so he got back to work. He couldn’t remember how many reps he’d done, so he started over.

They worked out in comfortable silence for the next hour, only the sound of the clanging machines and grunts as the two men pushed their bodies through the exercises.

“You work with kids much?” Johnny asked, feeling the need to talk to someone. Anyone. Even bad boy Bryce Baxter.

“A little. Why?” Bryce rolled his neck and shoulders.

“Javier asked me to fill in for this charity thing. A minicamp.”

“Yeah? You’ll be fine. Just teach ’em what you know.” Bryce stretched his arms overhead and leaned forward. “Clinics are easy. Hospital visits are tough. Visiting kids you know probably won’t be around next season, that sucks.”

“Yeah. I hate those, too. I feel so helpless.” And insignificant.

“So when is this camp? It’s gotta be soon, since we have less than two weeks before we head down to Arizona for spring training.”