Pitch Perfect (6 page)

5

No Soup for You

A
LTHOUGH HE MANAGED TO HAVE A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP,
Cam felt a little apprehensive as he walked down the hallway leading to Ty McKenna’s office. He knew he hadn’t done anything to land him in hot water, but years of being called to the principal’s or coach’s office to face the music came flooding back to him. Even though he came off as cocksure, in truth Cam’s knees had always been knocking whenever he had gotten in trouble. He just never let it show. The potential for losing his position on this team scared Cam much more than he pretended, but then again he never let on about how he felt about a lot of things. It was so much easier to act like a badass who didn’t give a rip than to show any kind of true emotion, especially fear.

Because he was always such a valuable player, Cam had often got off with a mere slap on the wrist or even scot-free, but those days were over. He was doing his damnedest to keep on the straight and narrow, and hopefully his past hadn’t come back to rear its ugly head. Cam swallowed hard. The past had a mean way of doing that. He just hoped it wasn’t now. “Oh, well, here goes nothin’,” Cam whispered. After taking a deep breath, he put on a confident face before rapping on the door.

“Come on in.”

Cam opened the door. “Hey, Coach, you wanted to see me?”

“Yeah.” Ty rolled his head in a circle and then leaned back in his big leather chair. He appeared bone weary as he yawned. “Ah . . . sorry. Baby Ben has been keeping me up. He doesn’t seem to know night from day.”

“Sorry to hear it.”

“Yeah, Jessica has been taking the lion’s share of the work, but the little dude is messing with my beauty rest.” He chuckled while massaging his temples. “It’s amazing how just a few little pounds of person can turn your world upside down,” he grumbled, but it was no secret that Ty adored his wife and doted on his infant son. “He better be a hell of a ballplayer, is all I can say.”

“I’m betting he will be,” Cam commented, but he wanted to bypass the small talk and get straight to the point. “So what can I do for ya, Coach?”

“Well, I was talking to Noah about the roster, and I know first base is your position, being a southpaw, but since you’ve got some speed we were thinking of having you as backup center fielder. It will make you more versatile, playing some outfield, and let us give Nate Porter some relief from behind the plate during the dog days of summer by putting him over at first base once in a while. Whadaya say about our plan? Thoughts? Suggestions?”

“Hey . . .” Cam shrugged but almost shivered at the cool shot of relief that slid down his spine. “You’re the coach.”

“But I want your thoughts. Are you comfortable in the outfield?”

“Yeah.” Cam nodded slowly, actually liking the idea. “I played some center field in high school, and like you said, it will make me more valuable to get some experience in the outfield at this level. Plus, I want to do what’s best for the team,” he added, and he wasn’t just blowing smoke up Ty’s ass, even though it used to be his specialty. Cam had been an expert at telling coaches—and women—what they wanted to hear.

Ty leaned back in his chair and laced his hands behind his head. “And?”

“And I sure like winning.” True, he wanted to be back in the minor leagues playing for a shot at the big show, but in a short period of time he had come to like Ty McKenna, Noah Falcon, and some of his teammates. Playing baseball for the Cricket Creek Cougars wasn’t going to be as bad as he had once thought.

“Good to hear it. Look, I know it’s my call, but Noah and I really do have your best interests at heart.” Ty gave him a tired grin. “Not to mention, the more guys we send up to the minors, the easier it will be to recruit. Everybody wins.”

“You gotta like win-win situations.”

“It could be that for us all,” Ty said as he lowered his feet to the floor. “You know that Noah is from Cricket Creek, right? It’s important for this team’s continued success since it means revenue for the entire town. Local businesses, especially the shops, inns, and restaurants, will benefit from strong attendance at the ballpark.”

“Last season must have gone well. There seems to be growth along Main Street.”

“You’re right.” Ty nodded. “But the first year we were new and exciting. We need to keep filling the seats.”

“And you do that by winning.”

“Yeah, but sending you guys up is important too. It’s exciting for the fans to see the success of the players they come out to watch. We had Logan Lannigan last season, and as far as I can see you’re the most talented player we have this year. I want to see you get back where you should be, Cam.”

“Thanks. That’s my goal.”

“You have the drive and the talent. Just keep your nose clean.”

“I plan on it.”

“It’s pretty easy to do here. There’s really not much in the way of trouble. Sully’s Tavern can get rowdy at night, but big-ass Pete keeps things under control. So you’ve got that going for ya.”

“I’m so over bar fights.”

Ty chuckled. “That’s what I like to hear. Well, listen, batting practice is called off because of more damned work being done to the infield. We’ll just have a short team meeting instead.” He shook his head. “Owen Lawson, our groundskeeper, is a helluva guy but a perfectionist. He’s Noah’s soon-to-be father-in-law, so I just grin and bear it.”

“Noah Falcon is engaged?” Cam remembered that he was a notorious playboy back in his day. He just couldn’t picture it.

“Not officially, but it’s gonna happen.”

“Someone local?”

Ty nodded. “Olivia Lawson, the drama teacher at Cricket Creek High School. They met when they starred in a play together last year. Beautifully written by my stepdaughter, I might add.”

Cam frowned. “A local schoolteacher? Dude, Noah used to have supermodels on his arm. What’s up with that?”

“Love, my friend. It bites you when you least expect it. Not that Olivia isn’t pretty and a sweetheart. Noah is damned lucky to have her.”

“I didn’t mean anything . . . I’m just sayin’.”

“I know. You’ll understand someday.” He stood up and stretched. “You’re getting another shot, kiddo. Don’t blow it.”

“I won’t.” If anybody else but Ty McKenna had called him
kiddo
, it would have gotten under his skin, but Triple Threat Ty was one of his childhood heroes, and even at this level Cam felt honored to be on his team. “Count on it.”

“Like I said, you’ve got the skills. The rest is up to you. Okay, I’m gonna sneak home and take a well-deserved nap.” Ty yawned. “See you bright and early tomorrow. Don’t be late.”

“I won’t.” Cam said and meant it. He had learned early on that being late for practice was a major mistake. Cam followed Ty out of the stadium and into the parking lot. He gave his coach a wave as he headed over to the high-rise condo complex where he and most of the Cougar roster and staff lived. Cam thought that the place was pretty damned sweet. It was a big surprise when he arrived, since he had envisioned much less in the way of accommodations. They also gave the players a big break on the rent as long as they took units on one of the bottom floors that didn’t have a river view, and that was perfectly fine with him. For a guy who had grown up doing without, this was more than doable.

Cam opened the door and tossed his baseball cap onto the small dining-area table before heading to the fridge to grab a cold bottle of water. The condos were furnished with the basics for the baseball players, which was good since he wasn’t much of a shopper or decorator. All he needed was a sofa, a television, and a bed. The rest was just gravy. Most everyone had roommates to share costs, but because Cam came on late in the preseason, he didn’t have one. Cam really didn’t mind, though. After a couple of stellar years at the University of Florida, Cam had received a three-hundred-thousand-dollar signing bonus as an early draft choice by the Chicago Cubs. Because of his dirt-poor upbringing, he had saved and invested most of it and could afford to live on his own. Still, he had panicked when he was let go after only three years of minor-league play. Athletes who got into trouble weren’t being picked up for new contracts, and despite his ability, no one had been interested in him as a free agent because of the scuffles he had gotten into. Too much bad press had started a no-tolerance trend that cut Cam’s career short. But he had the talent and the drive and wasn’t about to squander a second chance at living his dream and proving his worth.

Since the weather had warmed up, Cam decided to shuck his jeans in favor of some cargo shorts, a T-shirt, and sandals. Next on the agenda was lunch. He really needed to take a trip to the grocery store for some supplies instead of constantly eating out, but the food at Wine and Diner was just too damned good, and reasonable compared to the city prices he was used to. With that in mind, he slid on his Oakleys, put on his Cougars cap, and headed out the door.

The bright sunshine felt good on Cam’s face, and the pungent scent of river water made him want to find time to go fishing. The fish he’d caught as a kid had ended up as dinner, and while he had no desire to clean fish, he did still love to catch and release. Being on the water had a soothing and calming effect that he missed. Cam looked toward the nearby marina and made a mental note to check out the cost of boat rentals later in the day.

Since Wine and Diner was just a few blocks away, he opted to hoof it, but then again walking was nothing new to Cam. As a kid he either had to walk to practice or ride his bike with his battered baseball glove slipped through the handlebars. Cam shook his head at the memory. He damned well knew that if he ever made it big, he was going to help underprivileged kids get the equipment they needed in order to play.

Cam tugged open the door of Wine and Diner and smiled at Bella, the cute little hostess. She was his type of girl . . . gorgeous and kick-ass feisty, but he knew she was in a relationship with Logan Lannigan, who was playing in the minors and from what Cam heard was doing very well. Not that Cam would hit on beautiful Bella anyway. Chicks spelled trouble, and he was going to steer clear of women while he got his shit together. “Hi, Bella, got a booth open?”

“Hey, Cam. I sure do. You missed the lunch rush, so we’re pretty wide open.”

“Nice.”

“Follow me,” she said and grabbed a menu.

He tried not to ogle her sweet little tush, which was poured into tight black pants. She was short but put together in an awesome curvy package. Watching her move with sensual grace reminded him just how long it had been since he had been with a woman.
Don’t think about it,
Cam warned his sorry-ass self and moved his gaze from her ass to . . . “No way!”

“This booth isn’t okay?” Bella asked with a slight frown.

“No . . . it’s fine,” Cam replied, and he slid onto the leather bench seat and took the menu she offered, but his gaze immediately returned to Mia Money, who was waiting on tables! Well, she was attempting to wait on tables. Strands of her pale blond hair escaped her ponytail and she had a decidedly frazzled look. “You hired her?” Cam looked at Bella with raised eyebrows.

Bella flicked a glance in Mia’s direction. “Yeah, she’s a little bit flighty but seemed nice enough. Myra wanted to give her shot. Mia’s car is in the shop and she doesn’t have the cash to have it fixed.”

Cam nodded slowly and watched Mia fumble through taking an order from a table of preppy-looking guys wearing designer polo shirts. From the looks of them, they were probably passing through Cricket Creek. “Has she even been trained?”

“Um . . .” Bella rolled her eyes. “Actually she’s a fast learner, just like she promised. She already knows the menu inside out and can recommend what wine to go with it.”

Cam raised his eyebrows. “At this time of day?”

“Apparently she thinks all meals need wine.”

“But?” Cam prompted when Bella rolled her eyes again.

“She gets totally flustered and spills things.” Bella leaned forward and said in a low tone, “I think she’s much more used to giving orders than taking them.”

“Then why’d you put her out on the floor?” Cam watched Mia struggle with a heavy tray of food. It tipped slightly to the side, causing everything to shift, but she quickly compensated and put it down with a clatter. He noticed that her hands shook, and he wanted to go over there and hug her . . .
Wait—hug her?
Cam was not a hugging kind of dude. He shook his head. “Yeah, she’s clearly out of her element.” But he thought of the beater car and her lack of funds and frowned. Nothing was making sense.

“One of the waitresses was sick, and Mia insisted that she could handle it.” Bella flicked another glance in Mia’s direction. “Myra decided to let her jump right in.”

“How’s she been holding up?” Cam asked and tried not to notice how cute she looked in the retro-style uniform. Damn, she was pretty in pink.

“Better than I expected.”

“Meaning pretty bad.”

“Yeah, I feel sorry for her. She’s trying so hard but screws everything up. There have been a couple of YouTube moments.”

“I can imagine.” Yeah . . . he had quite an imagination where she was concerned.

“She should be over to take your order in a minute if she can ever get that table waited on. Those guys seem to be giving her a tough time.”

“Why don’t you help her out?”