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“Did you apologize?”

Britt opened her eyes. “I tried. He wouldn’t listen, said I only tried to talk to him when it was convenient for me.”

“I’m all for passion in a relationship, especially early on,” Kristi said. “But you’ve been rather … wishy-washy. It makes me wonder if you even know what you want.”

Britt tossed the pillow aside. “That’s what he said.”

Kristi arched an eyebrow. “Did he now?”

“He said he hoped I found what I needed.”

“Do you even know what you need? A casual relationship? Potential husband? Someone who will be a great dad?”

Britt’s stomach flip-flopped at the mental picture of Caleb holding a newborn. Where did
that
come from?

“You’re blushing. Does that mean Caleb is in the running for those roles?” Kristi flashed a knowing smile.

“I don’t know. Yes. I-I guess. Maybe.” She buried her face in her hands, the truth sending a tingle of excitement through her.

“So what are you afraid of?”

Britt dropped her hands in her lap, tipping her head back. “I don’t know. Lots of things. How can I balance a demanding career and a relationship? I’m not sure being with a professional baseball player is a good idea, either.” She shivered at the unpleasant memory of Tyler Jeffries.

“Millions of people are happily married with demanding careers, Britt. Last time I checked, your man wasn’t playing professionally.”

“But he’s still a professional baseball player,” Britt insisted. “Maybe I should try dating a normal person.”

Kristi laughed. “So athletes aren’t normal. I can’t wait to tell Lucas that.”

“You know what I mean. Someone who has a regular, stable job. It’s not like it matters. Caleb pretty much told me to get lost.”

“I thought he said figure out what you needed? Based on what you’ve told me, I think he sounds like the perfect balance to your strong-willed, impulsive approach to life. What if he’s what you need?”

“It’s too late. He said he wouldn’t let me rip his heart out and stomp on it again.”

“I’m sure he was in self-protection mode. With some effort on your part, I bet he could be persuaded to hear what you have to say.”

“What am I supposed to do? Call him up and apologize to his voicemail?” She leaned forward and straightened the magazines stacked on the coffee table. “I told you, he wants nothing to do with me.”

“You could give it a couple of days, maybe try and visit him again. When do the Rockies play the Giants?”

Britt stared at Kristi. “You think I should show up at a Rockies game?”

“Why not?” Kristi winked. “Catch him off guard.”

She went back to aligning the magazine spines
.
No way.

“I hate to tell you, girlfriend, but you don’t have the luxury of waiting. Make amends while you can.”

Britt pressed her palms to her cheeks. “I know. You’re right … I’ll call him.”

Kristi grinned. “That’s what I hoped you’d say. C’mon, we’ll rehearse your conversation while you help me figure out what to wear to the game tonight.”

“Thank you, Kristi. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Britt stood and stretched out her arms, offering her sister-in-law a hug.

“Nonsense.” Kristi hopped off the couch and wrapped her arms around Britt. “You would’ve figured it out. Sometimes we all need a little tough love, right?”

Tough love, indeed. Now all she could do was hope that Caleb would accept her apology and be able to trust her again.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Caleb sat in the top row of the bleachers at St. Mary’s College, his Phillies cap pulled low and wraparound glasses shielding his identity. Eyes trained on the pitcher’s mound, Caleb held a pen and notepad in his lap. This Galgano kid was something else. He’d showcased his slider a number of times, sending most batters straight back to the dugout. High velocity and finesse—some untapped potential there, for sure. But the pitch count was climbing as fatigue set in. A college senior throwing more than a hundred pitches in a game wasn’t unusual these days, but he wondered when the coach might wise up and send in a closer.

The kid dragged the back of his hand across his forehead and then adjusted his hat. Grasping the ball in his mitt, his shoulders rotated back as he prepared for the wind up. Caleb scribbled a few notes about mechanics and delivery on his notepad, cutting a quick glance at home plate when the bat cracked against the ball. Only the third hit of the game in the top of the eighth. The ball sailed deep into center field and Caleb let out a low whistle. The outfielders raced to capture it while the batter rounded first and sprinted toward second. He slid into the base as the second baseman caught the ball.

“Safe,” Caleb whispered.

The umpire concurred and a smattering of applause broke out from the visitors’ spectators. On the metal bleacher next to him, Caleb’s phone vibrated.

He checked the screen. Wes Harper’s name appeared at the top.
Huh.
Wonder what he wanted?

Caleb’s finger hovered over the ‘decline’ button.

He could count on one hand the number of friends who’d stuck by him through the ups and downs of the last few years. Wes was one of those people. But Caleb shouldn’t take calls at a time like this.

The head coach for St. Mary’s climbed the dugout stairs and ambled toward the pitcher’s mound.

Caleb snatched the phone and answered the call before it went to voicemail. “Hello?”

“Caleb. Wes Harper. What’s up, man?”

“Not much.” Caleb kept his voice low. A few guys nearby shot curious looks his direction.

“How’ve you been? I haven’t heard much since I saw you in Japan.”

“I’m, uh, keeping a low profile. Just—started a new job.” He was supposed to remain incognito here. No need to mention his current employer.

“Yeah, I heard. The Rockies, right?”

The crowd stood and cheered as Galgano left the mound. Caleb pinched the phone between his ear and his shoulder and circled the final pitch count on his notepad. One seventeen on four day’s rest. Wow.

“Caleb? Are you at a game?” Wes asked.

Caleb chuckled. “Yep.”

“So you’re in Denver, then. Wait. Rockies are on the road. I checked the schedule before I called.”

Caleb opened his messenger bag and dropped the pen and notebook inside. He’d find a coffee shop or something and upload his notes to the shared drive on his new laptop. “I’m at a college game in California, actually.”

“Get outta here,” Wes bellowed. “Where in California?”

“St. Mary’s College.”

“Sweet. We’re playing the Giants tonight. Come by the field, we’ll catch up afterward. There’s this great rooftop bar about two blocks from the stadium. We—”

“Naw, man. I can’t.” That would be too weird. Even if Brock did have a ticket waiting for him. He wasn’t sure he could handle being a spectator twice in one day.

“Yes, you can. My girl’s in town and I want you to meet her,” Wes said. “You’ve got to. I think she’s the one, dude.”

Caleb chuckled. “Is that right? I think I’ve heard that before.”

“Not from me you haven’t.”

“I suppose I could pencil you in for later on,” Caleb said. “I fly out of Oakland in the morning, though.”

“I knew I could convince you. Catch you later, C.”

“Thanks, Wes. See you tonight.” Caleb ended the call and slid his phone into the side pocket of the bag, shaking his head. He’d met more than one woman that Wes had gone crazy about early on, only to have things fizzle out pretty quick.
You know what that’s like.
Caleb bit the inside of his cheek and tried to concentrate on the end of the game. She was a distraction and nothing more. With a little time, she’d just be a distant, albeit somewhat painful, memory.

He could handle it—confronting painful memories was all too familiar territory.

Britt and her family filled Dad’s luxury suite at the baseball stadium, enjoying one another’s company as well as the food and drink at their disposal.

The Giants’ next batter stood at the plate, poised and ready for the Senators’ closer to pitch the ball.

It was the bottom of the ninth inning. If the runner on second base scored, the Giants would open this three-game series with a win.

“I still can’t believe you’re here,” Britt said to her brother, Trent. He stood next to her, looking handsome in his leather jacket, mint green T-shirt and dark-washed jeans. Hard to fathom that he spent his days as a stunt double on movie sets. Tonight he looked like he should be the leading man.

“Me, either. I almost didn’t make it, had to run to catch my flight in Toronto.”

“I’m glad it worked out.” She slid her arm around his waist and gave him a squeeze. “It’s been a long time.”

“I can’t stay long,” Trent said. “But I wouldn’t miss a chance to see my baby sister. What are you doing here, anyway? I thought you were in Newark these days.”

“I’m regroup—”

The bat cracked against the ball and they jumped to their feet, cheering.

“Go, go, go,” Britt squealed. The ball cleared the right fielder’s outstretched mitt and sailed into the bleachers. While the crowd erupted and the Giants’ whole team lined up to congratulate their teammates as they crossed home plate, Britt high-fived her brothers, Allison and Kristi. Sadie Grace awoke and began to cry.

“Uh-oh.” Kristi cringed and rolled the stroller back and forth. “That might be our cue.”

“You can’t come out with us?” Trent asked.

Kristi laughed. “Have you ever seen a newborn in a club, Trent?”

He shrugged. “I guess not.”

“We need to get these kids home.” She tipped her head toward her boys. One had fallen asleep on Lucas’s lap and the other looked like he wasn’t far behind. He had popped his thumb in his mouth and nestled his blanket up next to his cheek.

“I’ll go with you,” Britt said. “Want to check out that place with the rooftop bar? I hear it’s amazing.”

“Will you ask Hughes if he’ll wait for us?” Trent asked. “My phone battery’s dead.”

“What about you guys?” Britt asked Kristi. “If Hughes stays with us—”

“Lucas can drive us home,” Kristi said. “You can keep Hughes. He’ll say yes, he always does.”

They exchanged goodbyes and Britt followed Trent out of the suite, texting Hughes while she walked. By the time they rode the elevator downstairs and headed for the exit, he’d responded.

“Hughes is outside. He’ll drive us over and doesn’t mind waiting.” Britt read the message to Trent.

“Sweet. Let’s do it.”

Britt linked arms with Trent and they strolled out into the warm night air. At least for a few hours, she could hang out with her brother and pretend she didn’t have a care in the world.

Taxis clogged the street in front of the club with the rooftop bar. Wes claimed this was the place to be tonight, but Caleb wasn’t sure. He’d much prefer a quiet post-game dinner to a crowded club with music pulsing so loud they couldn’t hear each other talk.

But he’d acquiesced because he didn’t get to see his friend very often, and from his initial impressions, it appeared that Wes and Renee, his new girlfriend,were

quite happy together.

Their driver screeched to a stop, then maneuvered the cab into an empty space. “This is as close as I can get,” the driver said. “You mind walkin’ a block?”

Caleb looked out his window. They’d stopped next to a vacant lot. Two sleek Town Cars with tinted windows idled nearby, their fog lights glowing.

“No problem, man.” Wes handed over the fare. “Thanks.”