Double Play (32 page)

Throat tight, she hit Print, then leaned the photo up against the plant. Her own little corner of home, she decided, and forced herself to go back to her Word program.

Two hours later she’d gotten a great start. She drove to the stadium where she paid for a general admission seat. At the sight of Pace in the dugout, her heart seemed to swell in her chest. He wore warm-up sweats, not his uniform. He didn’t have on a sling, but from beneath his T-shirt she could see an elastic bandage around his bicep and shoulder, a horrible, gut-wrenching reminder of what he’d been through. Using his right hand—it was working!—he shook someone’s hand and then turned to look in the stands as if he felt her eyes on him. He looked a little leaner than when she’d seen him last, and he had at least a day’s worth of stubble on that strong jaw. He looked so good her heart kicked hard. She waved, but the sun was in his eyes. He couldn’t possibly see her.

Or so she told herself when he didn’t wave back.

The game was a rough one. Henry took a fly ball to the chest and got the air knocked out of him. Wade got kicked in the face when a player slid home, causing a tussle that the ump had to break up. The game ended at a painful fifteen zip, the worst in Heat history.

Holly went home, grabbed a change of clothing for the poker night fund-raiser and headed to the hotel where it was being held, knowing Sam would need help setting up. Indeed she found the publicist looking a little harassed and most definitely overworked.

“Hey.” Holly’s heart pinched at the way her friend looked at her, as if Holly had run over Sam’s dog. Twice. And then backed over it.

“Holly. You didn’t need to—”

“I thought you could use help.”

“That’s . . . generous of you,” Sam said softly.

“Not generous. Greedy. I wanted to see you and the others.” Holly stepped close and reached for her hand. “How are you?”

“As you’d expect after a horrific nine-game losing streak and a wave of bad press that always seems one step ahead of me.”

“I’m sorry about the losses, more than you know.” It’d been devastating to watch from afar; she could only imagine how it felt from the inside. “I looked for you at the game today. I’d hoped we could talk.”

“Yeah. I was with Jeremy, actually. He’s in town for this thing tonight.” Sam’s face twisted in indecision. “Holly—”

“No. Listen,” Holly said quickly. “I get that you’re hurt and furious, and I understand how bad the press has been, how ruthless. I know, and I’m sorry. But I miss you, Sam.”

“I miss you, too,” Sam whispered, squeezing her hand. “So damn much.”

“I know you think I betrayed you, but all I did was expose a truth that would have come out eventually. I’m not your press leak. I’m not a spineless coward. I sign my name to my writing.”

Sam rubbed her eyes, looking so weary she could hardly stand. “I want to believe that.”

“Then believe it. You were my first real friend here in Santa Barbara, Sam. Please believe that, too.”

Sam looked away for a moment, then turned back, her eyes shiny. “It’d be great to have another set of hands right now, especially someone who created the floor plan and knows what she’s doing.”

“Done.”

Sam closed her eyes, then opened them and hugged Holly hard. “Thanks.” She pulled back. “I believe in you. I do, but you should also know that others aren’t so sure.”

Even though Holly had known this, it still hurt. “I understand.”

Sam squeezed her hand and walked off, and with a deep, fortifying breath, Holly turned to face the ballroom.

 

 

In
a way that guys were masters at, Pace and Red had avoided talking about anything too personal since their last conversation at the bullpen. But when Pace pulled up to the hotel for the poker night and got out of his car right next to Red, he knew they couldn’t keep it up. Not when he was about to see Holly for the first time in too long, not when it was sitting like a block of ice in his gut. “Got a minute, Red?”

Red looked over, clearly saw the determination on Pace’s face, and sighed as he tossed aside his cigarette. “Yeah.”

“You ever think about what’ll happen when you leave baseball?”

“Not until recently.” Red shrugged. “I have nothing but the game, son.”

Pace nodded. He knew that feeling all too well. It didn’t change a thing. “Did you do it? Did you give Ty the stimulants?”

Red closed his eyes. “Why shouldn’t I?”

“Because it’s wrong.”

The older man, the only man to have been there for Pace through thick and thin, shook his head, then slowly nodded. “I know.”

“You have to stop.”

“I know that, too.” Red paused, never one to use a lot of words. “Ty’s tests came back positive this morning. He’s not going to appeal.”

Which was as good as an admission of guilt, and meant he’d be suspended, leaving the Heat without a strong pitcher to cover Pace until his return at the tail end of a season that had been touted as The Season. “He’s young,” Pace said. “He’ll get through it. We’ll all get through it.”

“Yeah.” Red looked at the hotel. “About that woman.”

“Holly,” Pace said wearily. “Her name is Holly.”

“I know. Dammit, I know.” He started coughing, forcing him to pull out his inhaler. “She makes you happy. That pissed me off. I thought baseball was it for you, but it’s not. It’s her.” He looked pained. “I’m going to get used to that. I’m retiring, Pace.”

“Red—”

“Jesus, I’m doing it your way, and you’re still fucking arguing with me.” He clasped Pace on the shoulder, his eyes serious. “Thanks for not ratting me out. Thanks for letting me do this with my dignity intact.”

Pace stared at him, his throat tight. “I didn’t do that for you. Holly did.” And in return, Pace had been hard on her, too hard. She’d deserved better from him. Much better. He was going to do his damnedest to make it up to her.

 

 

Holly
had assigned jobs to the volunteers and was putting up the decorations when the guys started to arrive. Once the event began, they’d each be manning a table, available for fun and laughs and whatever else the people who’d paid a thousand bucks a head to be there wanted. For now, they were volunteers like the rest of them.

When Henry came in, Holly smiled, but he didn’t. Joe arrived, and she showed him to his table. He quietly thanked her, but without his usual smile. Mason came through without stopping to say hi.

Holly took a deep breath and kept working.

Red stood in a corner with Gage, talking. When she needed help moving a huge table, she turned to them. “Can either of you help?”

“Of course,” Gage said, nudging her out of the way. “It’s our team.”

Right. Message received. They were helping the Heat, not her. Her chest ached, and her eyes burned, but she kept her chin up. “Thank you.”

Wade walked by, looking his usual California-surfer-boy gorgeous. He was the first to stop. “Hey,” he said quietly.

“Wade.” She swallowed past the lump in her throat and looked at the bruise on his jaw from the earlier fight at home plate. “How are you?”

He let out a breath. “Keeping my head above water. You?”

“Same.” She paused. “How is he? How’s Pace?”

“On or off record?”

Her heart squeezed. “Off.”

“Missing you,” he said bluntly, his green eyes meeting hers. “A lot.”

Oh God, this was tough. Holding it together was tough. “Good.”

He smiled at that and tugged a loose strand of her hair. “Hang in there.”

“I’m trying.” When he left, she looked around the ballroom at the people she’d come to know and love, all working their butts off for a charity event, all giving back to the community, all united together. She’d never really had that; she’d always been on the outside looking in.

But there for a little while, she’d gotten a taste of being on the inside, and . . . and she’d loved it.

Loved them.

Throat even tighter now, she forced herself to keep busy. Because busy, she couldn’t think too much. Or so went the plan, and she was in the middle of adding a gold streamer to the silver ones already strewn between two huge chandeliers when she felt someone steady her not-quite-steady ladder. She glanced down, and her heart lodged in her throat.

Pace.

He stood there looking fit and relaxed and so good that she nearly lost it. He was in faded Levi’s and a Cal State sweatshirt, laid-back and casual.

But she couldn’t pull off laid-back and casual, not with his eyes drinking her in. “Hey,” she managed, gripping the top of the ladder.

“Hey.”

He wasn’t favoring his shoulder, and there was no sign of any pain as he held the ladder for her, eyes locked on hers.

She’d imagined what it would be like to see him again, what she would say, how she would try to make him want her again.

But she couldn’t do it.

Not after the past hour, seeing how the guys saw her, what they thought of her. She couldn’t, wouldn’t, beg him to want her. “You’re healing.”

“Getting there. Come down, Holly.”

Her throat burned so badly she could hardly breathe as she backed down. He kept his hands on the ladder so that she ended up climbing right into the crook of his arms. She slowly turned to face him. “No pain?”

“None. I’m day-to-day again.”

“Oh, Pace,” she breathed, knowing that meant he could play again as soon as he was ready. “I’m so glad.”

He shifted his hands from the ladder to her hips. “You look good,” he said very quietly. “You’ve gotten some sun.”

Her heart gave one hard kick against her ribs. One more kind word, and she really was going to lose it. “I’ve been playing ball.”

“With River and Chipper and the other guys?”

She nodded, and he arched a brow. “They didn’t tell you?” she asked.

“No.” But he didn’t look irritated. He looked . . . pleased.

“I’m getting good at hitting,” she informed him. “And I think pitching might be a calling.”

He smiled, and dammit, she nearly melted.

He noticed the streamer in her hand, the one she hadn’t been able to get up high enough. “Need some help?”

Her throat tightened even more, completely blocking off her air supply as her chest constricted hard. “Why are you being so nice?”

Clearly surprised at the question, he took a slow look around the room, his gaze touching on each of his teammates as if taking in the situation. There was understanding in his gaze when it landed on her again, which in itself nearly broke her. “Listen, they opened up and talked to you about the banned substances, and one of us pretty much admitted to fucking up. It’s easier to blame you than Ty. They’ll get over it.”

“Will they?”

“Yes.”

“You got over it?”

“You’ve done nothing wrong,” he said firmly. “Ty did. Tucker did. And Red. They all screwed up, and during my pity party, I blamed the wrong person.”

She met his soft, warm gaze. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” His hands tightened on her, one sliding up her back. “I’m sorry it took me so long to say this, but you were right. Red’s retiring.”

“Oh, Pace. I’m sorry.”

“Also not your fault. But he’s going to get to leave with his pride still intact, and that’s thanks to you. He knows that, too. It took guts to come here tonight, Holly.”

“Pace—”

“I’ve always had a thing for guts.” He ran a finger over her jaw.

She closed her eyes to absorb his touch, which she’d missed. “I’m not brave. Just stubborn.”

“I’ll give you that, too. Holly . . .” He waited until she opened her eyes. “You accused me of being all baseball. I—”

“Okay, guys,” Sam said through a microphone to the entire ballroom. “All the Heat players need to go change pronto. Fifteen minutes before you have to be in your places!”

Pace let out a frustrated breath.

“It’s okay, Pace.”

“No, it’s not.” He turned his back on the room and looked into her eyes. “I’m not all baseball, Holly. Or I’m trying not to be.” He shifted a little closer, bending to put his mouth to her ear. “I missed you.”

His voice was low and sexy as hell, which had her eyes drifting shut in pleasure. “Pace—”

He kissed her, soft and warm, and it felt real. So damn real. Then with Sam barking into the microphone again, he slowly pulled back.

“You have to go.”

“I know.” He kissed her one last time, then turned and headed toward his team, most of whom were watching.

She let out a breath, knowing he couldn’t have given her a better gift than the one he just had, the one of undeniable acceptance.

Baseball is life. The rest is just details.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The
Heat’s Third Annual Poker Night was a huge success, and the hotel ballroom was packed to the gills with the rich and famous. It was late by the time Pace got a five-minute break from his table, and he immediately went looking for Holly. Instead, he found Tia.