Mendoza's Return (9 page)

After a moment, Rafe nodded. “Do you think
that's why he has the no-parents-allowed rule at practices?”

“No question. He'd probably ban them from the games, too, if he could.” Luis took a sip of beer then set his glass down carefully. “It's probably difficult for you to see this, since you were going to succeed whether you decided to try for the big leagues or become a lawyer—but Beau only had one chance. The only thing he was good at was baseball. Mr. Bandero finally showed some pride in his son when the Astros signed Beau. Then he got injured, ending his career. And now you're rubbing your success in his face just by coming back here—not because you're doing anything in particular, but because that's who
he
is. He doesn't feel worthy. His father never inspired that in him. Just the opposite, in fact. Beau has to succeed now or else.”

Rafe considered the long-winded argument. His father didn't often speak so emotionally, so it obviously meant a lot to him that Rafe understand Beau's situation. “He was never an easy guy to be around, Dad, but I can see that he has to put out winners now in order to prove he isn't washed up at twenty-nine. But surely you know that I don't kick a man while he's down.”

His father patted his arm.

“How are you doing?” Rafe asked, changing the subject. “Except for dinner at Melina's last night, you've made yourself scarce.”

“I guess she was right when she said I needed to
tell you how I was feeling. I've been sleeping better in my own bed.” He dipped a taquito into the guac and examined it as he said casually, “I accepted Patsy's invitation last night because I was wondering if some thing was going on between you and Melina, even though you've said it's just business. You avoided looking at each other so much, I decided there
is
something going on.”

Rafe almost laughed. Apparently, they couldn't look at each other, and they couldn't
not
look at each other. Both led to suspicion.

“No response?” Luis asked in surprise.

“I don't know what to say.” Rafe glanced at Melina, who was laughing with her sister and the other woman. “We've both grown up and changed. We are making a point of getting along so that Elliot can have a shot at playing ball on a team. Melina and I probably would've avoided each other, if not for that. I'm glad we got forced to work together. Everything is okay.” And in less than an hour, they would be in bed together proving just how okay they were.

Rafe left his father at the restaurant ten minutes before eight. Melina had taken off a half hour earlier after stopping by Beau and June's table then Rafe and his father's to say goodbye.

Rafe knew he had to move his car from the restaurant parking lot or June might have another news item to leak, but he didn't want to leave it in the guest parking spaces for Melina's building, either. In the
end he parked on a side street and walked to her townhouse.

When she opened her door, she greeted him wearing a floor-length, lacy black negligee showing off her tempting cleavage. Red-painted toenails peeped out from below the frilly hem.

She didn't look shy or hesitant or restrained, and he found her confidence incredibly sexy.

But a couple of hours later as he walked back to his car, he found himself feeling dissatisfied, a feeling that carried over whenever they got together during the next week. During their brief time together each evening, they talked less and less, making love passionately, but in silence, and with little laughter.

When they were done, he would leave her bed, dress in the dark and let himself out into the cold, dreary night, finding less contentment each time, and yet, oddly, wanting her more, wishing she would talk to him the way she used to, wishing they could have breakfast together to start their days.

Since his return to town, he'd seen endless patience in her—with other people. With him, she never relaxed, never let him linger, never let him just hold her tucked close to him.

It didn't bode well for when baseball season ended.

“Y
ou've lost weight,” Angie commented when Melina arrived at work on a Tuesday afternoon over a week later.

“No, I haven't,” Melina said, picking up her message slips from the corner of Angie's desk.

Angie stared coolly at her sister.

“Okay, maybe a couple of pounds,” Melina conceded, although she knew it was closer to five, maybe more. “I've been busy. Between seeing patients and helping with Elliot's practice almost every evening, I'm always on the go.”

“And you forget to eat?”

“I eat. Sporadically. Anyway, I could stand to lose a few pounds.”

“You look great, Mellie, especially since you started swimming. This is about Rafe, isn't it?”

Melina pretended to read her messages but was really counting to ten. “Why would it be about Rafe?”

“Women lose weight either
for
a man or because of one. Or for her wedding,” she added, holding her arms out, showing off her wedding-perfect figure, fifteen pounds lighter than when she got engaged. With her honeymoon tan not having faded yet, she was a knockout, but Melina thought it was Angie's inner happiness showing through.

“I'm just busy,” Melina said firmly, then headed into her office, shutting her door, ending the discussion. Of course it was about Rafe. Keeping him close while also keeping him at a distance was taking its toll on her. She wanted to curl up in bed with him after they made love, to talk about things she didn't usually share with anyone, but he'd made it clear he was there only for the sex.

Every time he came over, the scenario was the same—they made love with wild abandon, their hands and bodies and mouths in constant motion, giving and taking as if it were the last time. They would shower after and arouse each other to the point of no return, then go to bed again and make love much more slowly and tenderly.

Then he would stretch out on his back with his eyes closed for a minute. After that he would roll
out of bed, get dressed, give her a short, soft kiss and leave.

He showed up every night at the same time, left at the same time. The two hours in between were exciting, and yet…

And yet she was restless. He seemed fine with the arrangement, didn't seem to want to take it beyond what it already was.

Melina sat at her desk and stared at a painting of an endless field of bluebonnets her mother had painted as an office-warming gift.

You're the one who set the parameters,
she reminded herself. But he was a hot-blooded man with a mind and will of his own, and if he wanted to change the rules, he could, or at least try.

In fact, she would welcome it, because she'd spent enough time with him both in bed and at the ballpark to have taken that dangerous, irresponsible step of falling in love with him again, especially after watching him with Elliot day after day.

Rafe had endless patience with the boy. There had been no need for Melina's presence, because Rafe knew how to divert Elliot when he got frustrated and settle him down to focus on practicing again. Elliot expected perfection of himself. Rafe let him know it would never be possible.

There were only nine more days until the first official game. Eight days until the final team practice, when Beau said he would decide if Elliot would go or stay. Melina didn't know who would be more upset
if Beau wouldn't keep him—Elliot or Rafe. Or what the end result would be.

Would Rafe have a legal avenue to pursue for Elliot? And what kind of life lesson would it be for Elliot if he'd tried his hardest and been denied the opportunity to play? He hadn't been told of the possibility of not playing with the team. Maybe he should be warned.

Melina shoved her hair back from her face and blew out a breath. She couldn't think about it right now. She'd worked with four patients today and needed to enter notes into their files. She opened Big John's first. He'd had a stroke three months ago and had a staff of therapists—physical, speech and occupational. She'd retaught him how to make scrambled eggs today and bowled with him using a Wii. He was only sixty-two and wanted to drive his truck again, to get back to work at his job as an electrician. He was working hard toward that goal but was ornery as all get-out.

Melina had also worked that day with Elliot and a girl named Cindi in their classrooms at school. And then there was sweet Deenie, who was eighty, had no family nearby and was trying to live alone after hip replacement. Her daily, uncomplaining perseverance usually brought Melina to tears. She'd rearranged furniture and cabinet contents so that Deenie could maneuver easily around her tiny house, but everything was a struggle for her, with only slight improvement day by day. Melina checked in on her
more often than she was scheduled for or paid to, because she worried about the frail woman.

A knock on Melina's office door startled her. Angie stuck her head inside. “I'm heading home. And Rafe's here to see you.” She waggled her eyebrows and grinned.

“See you tomorrow, Ang. Please tell him to come in.” She looked at her watch, surprised to see it was only twenty minutes until practice started. She backed up her data then shut off her computer as Rafe walked in, leaving the door open.

Melina didn't get up to greet him. She didn't know the etiquette in this situation. They were secret lovers. Did that mean they should hug hello as friends might? No, she decided, even though they were alone in the office.

“Hey,” she said as he stood just inside the doorway. “Have a seat.”

“I just need a minute. I wanted to let you know that I can't come over tonight. Wasn't sure if we would have a moment alone at practice to tell you.”

She waited for him to say why, but he didn't. “Okay. Thanks for letting me know.”

He hesitated a moment longer then turned away. “See you at practice.”

Melina didn't move until she heard the front door close. He could have sent her a text message telling her, but he'd chosen to come in person. Why? He also could've chosen to tell her why he wouldn't be coming, but he hadn't done that either. Why not?

This was Tuesday, an unusual day for a date, if that was what he was up to—and the reason he wasn't giving.

By the time she reached the ballpark, she was thoroughly annoyed. She was good enough to sleep with but not to confide in or be open with?

Are you open with him?
her conscience asked, chiding her.

Well, no. Not completely.

So, whose fault is that?

Okay, okay, okay.
She got it. By trying to keep herself from getting involved emotionally, she'd created an environment where her emotions were tested all the time. Oh, for the simple days of high school and pure, uncomplicated love.

When she got to the field, she waved at Elliot then sat in the dugout and watched the sky darken. The air smelled of impending rain, although it wasn't forecast until the overnight hours.

Melina spotted June Adams's sexy stride from across the field. The black tote she carried was too bulky to be a purse, so Melina guessed it was a camera bag and that June was here in an official capacity for the newspaper.

She popped into the dugout. “Hey, Melina. Mind if I leave my bag here while I take a few shots of the kids?”

One of Elliot's quirks was that he didn't like his picture taken, but Melina didn't want to explain that
to June, who might see Elliot as newsworthy. He wanted to fit in, not stand out.

“June,” Melina said, “I'm going to ask a favor of you—that you take pictures on any other diamond.” It wouldn't matter if the camera was aimed at the other kids on his team, Elliot would react to it, believing it was on him, although, contradicting all that, he really wanted a team photo, craved that. When it was his choice and he was prepared for the photograph, he was okay with it.

June frowned. “I want to shoot Beau's team. The article's about him.”

“He coaches another set of kids right after this one.”

“I can't hang around that long. I've got kids to get home to and feed.” She slipped her camera strap over her head. “What's the big deal? Beau said I could come today.”

Melina fired a look at Beau, who looked back—or maybe he was looking at June. Melina had prepared him for Elliot's behaviors, how sometimes he calmed his own anxiety by rocking his body rhythmically, that he often needed to line things up in a row—his baseball gear, for example—but the photo taking hadn't occurred to her.

She could ask Elliot, but it would interrupt practice to do so, and they weren't wearing uniforms yet because the season hadn't started, so she thought he might object, even if asked. So far he hadn't had any outbursts in front of his teammates, and Melina
hoped it would stay that way, for his sake. Acceptance was something he was looking forward to, part of being on a team. It was as much a goal for him as learning to play.

“Could you hold off for just a minute, please,” Melina said to June, then jogged over to where Rafe stood next to Elliot, who was taking grounders from one of the coaches. She explained the situation.

“I'll talk to June,” he said. “Stay with Elliot.”

“Where's he going?” Elliot asked right away, not even seeing the ball coming at him so that it scooted past.

“To talk to the lady in the dugout for a second. He'll be back. Just go ahead and play, Elliot. Everything's fine.”

“I need him. I don't know how to do this.”

She heard anxiety building in his voice, fear in his eyes. “I'll be right here, I promise.”

“I need Rafe Mendoza.”

Normally Melina would've taken him aside and talked to him, but she was trying not to make a big deal in front of his teammates. As a matter of course, he got enough teasing at school. He'd learned to deal with that, but his teammates were different. He wanted their acceptance. “He'll be right back. Coach Greg is waiting on you, Elliot. Keep practicing.”

Melina knew Elliot and Rafe had gotten close in the past couple of weeks, but the depth of Elliot's dependency startled her. She walked over to stand right next to him. “I'm here with you, and Rafe just
has to talk to the lady for a minute.” She didn't want to pull Elliot off the field, but she could see he was determined not to be apart from Rafe.

“How about if we walk over there together?” she said to him quietly. “Slowly, okay? Don't run. I bet he'll be on his way back before we get there.”

Melina felt people starting to stare, including Beau. The kids had a vague understanding that Elliot was new to playing baseball and needed more help, and since their goal was to win, they'd accepted Rafe being his personal coach. But to pull Elliot out of practice was another thing altogether.

She pleaded silently with Beau, who ordered the kids to give him their attention. Some did, some continued to watch Elliot, noting how he'd started running. Thunder rolled in the distance. He called Rafe's name.

Rafe came out to meet him, shifting his glance to Melina momentarily. “Hey, sport. What's going on?”

“I need you.”

“I'm here.” He turned to June. “Are we okay?” She nodded.

Just then the skies opened up and rain came down hard.

“Everyone in the dugout,” Beau shouted.

Because they were only a few feet away, Rafe, Elliot, Melina and June ducked inside the covered structure first. Melina watched the other kids eye Elliot, but he didn't look at them in return, so he didn't
see the curiosity and, from a few of the kids, the ridicule in their expressions. One mouthed “Baby” to another, who smirked.

She decided to talk to Elliot's parents. Explaining the situation to his teammates might help. Then again, she wouldn't blame his parents if they decided against it, since he would feel even more different. At this age, it was tough to make that kind of call.

Beau talked skills as the rain poured down noisily. Elliot sat on the bench and rocked. Eventually his actions slowed and he seemed to be paying attention again. Melina and his parents had been working with him on apologizing, on understanding the importance of doing so, but he hadn't grasped the concept routinely. But out of the blue he said, “I'm sorry for walking off.”

To Beau's credit, he didn't push Elliot to say why. “Thank you, Elliot. We accept your apology, don't we, boys?”

Everyone nodded or shifted or made some kind of sound. Melina tried to thank Beau with her eyes, but his hardened, as if to say, “This isn't the end of this.”

They all stayed in the dugout listening to Beau's lecture until practice time ended, then they raced to the parking lot to catch their rides home. Melina decided to call the Andersons later rather than try to talk to them in the rain. She wondered if Elliot would be quieter than usual, making them wonder what had happened.

Rafe and Melina hunched under an eave, waiting for traffic to thin before they went to their cars.

“You probably don't know it, but that was a big step for Elliot, apologizing like that, without anyone telling him to,” she said to Rafe.

A few beats passed. “I told him to. I whispered it in his ear. I shouldn't have?”

“Oh.” The wind went out of her sails for a moment. “No, it's okay. I was just excited because— Well, it's good that you reinforced that behavior. Thanks.”

“What was going on with him?”

“He panicked when you walked away. I'm a little worried about the level of attachment he has with you, Rafe. What happens if you can't make it for a practice or game sometime? Maybe I need to be more involved so that he would adapt to having me work with him, just in case.”

“I'll talk to Beau about it.”

“What'd you say to June, anyway?”

“I appealed to the mom in her. She won't take pictures or do any kind of story without talking to the Andersons.” He looked at the sky. “Looks like it's not going to let up. I should get going.”