My Lucky Catch (University Park #6) (30 page)

“I understand.” I placed a hand on his shoulder. “But it’s a choice you have to make.”

“I know. I’ll try to follow the meal plans you sent me.”

“So, how are things going with you and Trinity?” I lowered my arm. “I haven’t seen her in a while.” It had been several months since I had introduced her to Silver. It was the least I could do since she had helped me with the surprise proposal to Delaney on the baseball field.

“Great. We’ve really hit it off.” He rubbed his chin, trying to conceal a grin. “Thanks, again, for introducing us.”

“Yeah, no problem.”

He glanced at the floor and then at me. “Sorry things didn’t work out for you and Delaney. Trinity told me what happened.” I looked at him with wide eyes. “But don’t worry.” He looked around to make sure no one was listening to our conversation. “I haven’t said anything.”

“Thanks. It’s not a story I like to share with many people.” I sighed. “And it is unfortunate that things didn’t work out in our favor.”

“Dude, I completely understand. Ya know, I can hook you up with some good looking seniors, if you want.”

I laughed. “I’m sure you can.” Flashes of Delaney appeared in my mind, and it reminded me again that I wasn’t over her. She still owned a piece of my heart. And I knew if she called me, I wouldn’t think twice about taking her back. “Thanks for the offer, but I’m doing good for now.”

“Luke, you got a minute?” Coach Summers called from his office.

“Yeah, be right there.” I pulled a towel off my shoulder and tossed it to Silver. “Two more sets and then legs.”

“Oh, man,” he moaned. “You’re killing me.”

I turned around and said, “And let’s add a mile run when you’re done.”

His face hardened and his nostrils flared, but he didn’t complain anymore. Instead, he lay back on the bench, preparing to finish his presses. I knew these players’ limits, and it was my job to push them to the very edge, but not kill them in the process. Some I had to push harder, and others pushed themselves. Silver just happened to be one of those guys that needed pushing. He was a damn good pitcher with a bright future ahead of him. I was waiting for him to realize it.

I walked into the Coach’s office, and he shut the door behind me. “Have a seat.”

“Thanks. Is everything okay?” I sensed a serious talk coming, and my stomach tensed.

“Yes. I wanted to talk to you about something.”

My mind shuffled through our last talks, my recent interactions with team members, and the goals my boss, Julian, and I had set. No warnings went off, and I wasn’t sure if this was good or bad.

“How are you doing, Luke?” Coach eased into his chair and folded his hands.

“Good.” I nodded my head, trying to convince him that things weren’t as bad as they probably seemed. I had confided in him when I asked for a few days off to get my crap together.

“I know the last few months haven’t been easy for you. Is your mom doing okay?”

“Yeah. I talk to her weekly.”

“And what about your dad?”

I popped my knuckles, trying to keep calm. “He’s hanging in there. Misses my mom and is counting down the days.”

“I can only imagine.” He gave a heartfelt smile and then inhaled a quick breath. “I wanted to let you know that Julian resigned early this morning.”

My jaw fell open. “Wh-at? Why?”

“He took a job up north at a smaller school. Said he wanted to slow down as he neared retirement. He also wanted to be closer to his daughter and grandkids.”

“That’s understandable.” A slight sadness filled me. “I really enjoyed working with him. He’s taught me a lot, and we’ve made some great progress with the team.”

“I agree. The guys are in great shape. But you’ve also changed, too. Look at you.” Coach held up a hand. “You’ve really cleaned up your act. And that right there,” he pointed at me, “is why the guys respect you. They trust you, Luke. They love the workouts, the meal plans, and the supplements you recommend. Everything you do for them, and for yourself, is helping the team.” A pleased smile stretched across his weathered skin.

“Thank you, sir.” I rubbed my chin, trying to hold back the deep grin surfacing. “It’s not really work when you love what you do.”

“I love that you’re engaged with your job. That tells me you’re going to keep on striving to improve yourself and the team.”

“That’s my plan.”

“Great.” Leaning forward, he aligned my sight with his. “Luke, I’d like to offer you the Senior Athletic Trainer position.”

My heart leaped into my throat, and it took me a second to speak. “Th-at’s great!”

“Here’s what would we’d like to offer you.” Coach scribbled a number on a piece of paper and showed me.

My eyes almost popped out of their sockets. It was double what I was making. I didn’t even have to think twice about it. “I—I accept.” I rubbed the back of my neck, working out the tension that had formed while sitting there. “I was worried that you weren’t happy with my work.”

“No.” He shook his head. “Quite the opposite.”

“Julian will be here for two more weeks, so I’ve asked him to transition everything to you. We’ll make an announcement by tomorrow, so please don’t spread the news yet. You’re welcome to tell family, but please ask them not to disclose any information.”

“Yes, of course.”

“We’ll need to replace your position.” He turned to his computer. “How about we meet next Monday at 10 a.m. to discuss?”

“That should work.” I pulled out my phone and accessed my calendar.

“There are a few staff trainers we might consider, unless we want to bring someone in from the outside.”

I nodded. “I actually have someone in mind, but let me review a few things, and we can discuss next week.”

“Sounds good.” Coach stood and extended his hand. “I look forward to the success of our team.”

“Me, too.” I shook his hand. “Thanks again for giving me the opportunity.”

“Luke, you’ve always been a star. It just took a little redirection for you to shine.”

I nodded, agreeing with him. A huge smile covered my face as I exited his office. I looked around for Silver and spotted him on the treadmill. He was pushing himself, running at top speed. I shot him a thumbs up and walked outside.

Retrieving my phone from my pocket, I dialed my dad. The phone rang a few times and then went to voice mail. I left him a message to call me. Dying to share my news, I sent Lexi a quick text. I walked around the field, waiting for someone to respond, but after five minutes, I gave up on them. Scrolling down my messages, I pulled up my last text to Forbes.

He had been there for me when everything went to shit with Delaney. I felt bad because I was constantly hanging out with him and Jordan. It was odd being the third wheel, but he assured me that Jordan didn’t mind. It was good to have friends to talk to while I got my shit together.

My fingers tapped out a text message to him.

Me: Guess what? Julian resigned, and Coach offered me the head Athletic Trainer position!

I hit send and stared at the screen, hoping he would see it soon. He was probably at practice since the baseball season was about to get started. Forbes had done really well in Cincinnati, landing a contract with a minor league team. Half a minute later my phone buzzed.

Forbes: No shit! Congrats, man!!

A laugh belted from me. I could see and hear my buddy chanting for me.

Me: I can’t believe it! I’m still star struck.

Forbes: I totally believe it. You’re fucking awesome!

Me: Thanks. It’s great doing what you have a passion for.

Forbes: Hell yeah! You’re living your dream, man. I’ll give you a ring later. Still at practice.

Me: Hit some fly balls for me! And do me a favor, keep the news to yourself. PHU hasn’t announced it yet.

Forbes: You got it!

He might have been right about living my dream when it came to my career, but it sucked living it alone. My life was only partially complete, and I wasn’t sure anyone but Delaney could make it full again. I picked up a bat leaning against the fence and swung it around. I paced around home base, thinking about everything that had happened over the past few years and what brought me to this very spot. As much as I tried not to think about Delaney, she was at the forefront of mind.

“Hey, there.” A familiar voice called.

My arm stopped swinging the bat, and my feet halted. I hesitated to look up, positive my mind was playing tricks on me. Slowly, I lifted my head. Standing on the pitcher mound was Delaney. I blinked a few times, still trying to process what my eyes were seeing.

“Care to play?” She smiled, and my heart went into overdrive.

This has to be a dream. A damn, good dream.

“Uh . . . I guess.”

“Good. Because I’ve been dying to play with you.”

“Okay.” I withheld a huge grin, unsure if she was serious about playing. “I’ll go grab a bin of balls.”

“No need.” She reached into the pocket of her jacket and removed a ball. “I have one.”

“Oh, okay.” I wasn’t sure what she was up to, but I went with it.

Gripping the ball tightly, she said, “I don’t want you to hit it, I want you to catch it.”

“Alright.” I tossed the bat to the side and picked up a glove.

She stared at the ball for a moment and then released a visible breath. Her shoulders dropped, and a devious grin spread across her face. Carefully, she turned the ball and when she seemed satisfied with the position, she retracted her arm. The ball flew toward me, and I extended my hand, catching it singlehandedly.

“Good throw!” I complimented her on the toss.

She smiled but didn’t move from the pitcher’s mound. Her eyes stayed focused on me as though waiting for me to do something. I released the ball from my grip, and the glove opened. As I took the ball from the leather, I noticed some writing on it. My eyes narrowed as I frantically turned the ball so I could read the writing. It was same ball I’d given her when I proposed. The words I had written across it glared at me:

Will You Marry Me?

Inserted in between
You
and
Marry
was the word
Still.
I read it again.

Will You Still Marry Me?

Tears stung my eyes. I wouldn’t have to go to my dreams to see or hear her voice anymore. I took off running toward her. She did the same, and we crashed into each other’s arms. Our lips reunited with a fervor that had me ready to take her to the dugout and claim what was mine once again.

Slowly, I pulled away. “Damn, Delaney, you’re good, you know that?”

She laughed, tilting her head back. “No, you are. I just borrowed your idea and tweaked it a little.”

“I’m glad you tweaked it.”

“Yeah?”

“Oh, yeah.” I brushed her long strands away from her face, reveling in her presence. I’ve missed you so much.”

“Me, too. I’ve thought about you day and night. Sorry it took me so long to respond to your letter, but . . .” Her eyes shifted to the side, and she exhaled.

“I know.” I appraised her beautiful face, unable to get enough of her beauty. “It’s been hard.”

She nodded as tears streamed down her face. “I can’t guarantee that it will be easy, but I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make it work.”

I rested my forehead on hers and held her tight. “And I’ll do everything to make sure we’re happy, because I can’t be without you, Delaney. Ever.”

Her lips quivered as she withheld the cries begging to be released. “And I can’t be without you, either. These past months have been pure hell.” Using the pads of my thumbs, I wiped away her sadness.

We kissed again, unable to get enough of each other’s love. It had been way too long since we had tasted each other. One thing was certain, my body missed every ounce of her tantalizing taste.

Slowly, she pulled away. Her eyes bore into me, reaching in the center of my chest. They wrapped around my heart, bringing it back together once again. “So, you’ll still marry me?”

“Hell yeah, baby. You’re the best catch ever.”

Her lips turned upward in a smile as her saddened tears turned into tears of joy. Reaching for my hand, she took the ball from it. “And you’re definitely
My Lucky Catch
.”

The End

Epilogue

Eighteen months later

Delaney

“You’re so pretty, like your momma.” Lexi took our baby girl, Chloe, from my arms. “Yes, you are.”

“I wanna see. I wanna see.” Nevara jumped up and down, trying to look at the bundle in Lexi’s arms. Seeing my active two-year-old niece made me wonder if that’s how my daughter would be in two years. If so, I honestly couldn’t wait.

Lexi sat in the rocker and showed her daughter the baby. “Just look. Don’t touch. Okay?”