Dropped Third Strike (Portland Pioneers #1) (22 page)

She only thought about the Pioneers a few times each day during her trip, and she found it was easier to leave her phone in her purse than she previously thought. She felt more relaxed than she had in a long time. She was delighted as they made plans for him to come visit her in Portland in a few weeks. She was eager to entertain him on her home turf.

Kate had been hesitant about him in the beginning, but as she rehashed the weekend with Jill the phone at the close of her trip, she realized she really liked Neal. He was exactly what she needed in her life – the perfect distraction from work and everything that came with it.

Reid was a little surprised when he didn’t see Kate in the stands on Friday. Her usual seat was empty, and at first he thought maybe she was just running late or dealing with business, but as he kept checking throughout the game, she never showed up. He was puzzled when he still didn’t see her on Saturday. He even looked for her in the clubhouse, but there was no sign of her anywhere on the grounds. By Sunday, when her seat was still empty, he was concerned. The Kate he knew rarely missed a game, let alone an entire series – especially now, in the midpoint of the season with the Pioneers still very much in the thick of a division race. He finally expressed his concern to Don Carroll, although he tried to make it sound casual.

“I noticed Kate hasn’t been around this weekend,” he said to the manager as the Pioneers took the field in the fifth inning.

“I noticed that too,” the manager said.

“Is this typical for her?” Reid asked.

“Not really,” Don said after a brief pause. “I don’t think she’s missed a series in my entire time working for her.”

“Weird. Have you heard anything about why she’s gone? Is she sick? Did something happen?”

“I don’t have any idea. The boss’ whereabouts are none of my business.”

“You aren't concerned?”

Don shrugged. “Not really.”

“What if something bad has happened?”

“I’m sure she’s fine. In fact, I know she is. I got an e-mail from her about some prospects yesterday.”

“So she’s still working, but that doesn’t explain why she’s gone. What if there’s been some kind of emergency?”

“Then she'll handle it. In case you haven't noticed, Kate can take care of herself and a lot of other people.”

Reid knew Don had a point. Kate was very self-sufficient, almost to a fault. Whatever was going on, he knew she could handle it, but Reid couldn’t stop wondering. He tried to imagine what could possibly make Kate miss three games in a row. His mind immediately went to her family and his worry escalated. Family was the only thing Kate cared about more than baseball. Someone had to be sick, or maybe someone had died. His heart began to ache for her and whatever situation had pulled her away from the team and her job. Especially if it involved her family. He cared about her parents and siblings as if they were his own.

He thought about calling her or sending a text, but he wasn’t sure that was a good idea. Their interactions had been civil lately and he didn’t want to ruin that. And with his luck, he’d say the wrong thing. He decided it was best if he didn’t contact her. But he still looked for her every day when he went to the ballpark.

Even though it was the All-Star Break, Reid still reported to the stadium each day. Only three of the Pioneers had been selected to play in the midsummer classic. While some of the other players took advantage of the break to spend time with family, there were several who wanted extra cage time and workouts. Reid had no problem with this. He admired their work ethic, and he was sure some were motivated by their place in the standings. The sports media seemed to have crowned the Angels as division champs already, but the Pioneers were not out of the running yet. They sat eight games out of first place and five games out of second place, and there was plenty of time to make up ground, especially with more than a dozen head-to-head games left with their division foes. As far as the Pioneers were concerned, the American League West was still very much a three-horse race. The team had gone into the break on a hot streak, and he was certain the players hoped regular workouts would keep it going once the season resumed.

Between sessions with the players, Reid found time for his own workouts. A half-season of coaching was under his belt, but he hadn’t lost his interest in playing. If anything, it was even stronger. His sense of longing grew with each pitch, each hit, and each inning he watched from behind a fence. Being in the dugout was fine for now, but he fully intended to be back on the field in the next season. He enjoyed coaching, but he knew he wouldn't be content until he was between the chalk lines again.

Some of his former teammates had been texting him in recent weeks, asking how he was doing. A few even lamented that he was not with them. The Mets were currently leading the National League East and showed no signs of giving up their lead either. Every time he saw the standings, it made him feel worse about his decline. It seemed as though the team had improved without him. Logically, he knew one player didn’t always make a difference, but it was hard not to let his mind go there. The mere idea that he had been holding the team back was a blow, but he decided to use it as motivation. He was a good player, and he would be a better ballplayer when he got back on the field. He was determined to make sure the next team he landed with would be glad they gave him a chance.

On the last day of the break, he was on his way in for an early workout when he spotted Kate’s car in the garage.
Finally
, he thought. Instead of heading for the weight room, he turned in the other direction and took the elevator up to the corporate offices. Kate’s assistant’s desk was vacant, so Reid stepped right up to the door of her office. He could hear music playing softly inside and as he pressed his ear closer, he could hear her singing along. He waited until the song was over, knowing she wouldn’t want to know anyone had heard her. Besides, he liked those few moments of just listening to her. She sounded upbeat and happy. It reassured him that whatever had pulled her away from work hadn’t been too terrible. But now it made him even more curious. When the last refrains of the song faded away, he waited a few moments into the new song before knocking.

“Come in,” Kate beckoned.

He opened the door and stepped inside. She seemed surprised to see him, and he couldn't tell if it was a bad surprise or a good one.

“Good morning. You’re here early,” Reid said.

“I could say the same for you.”

“Our players have kept me busy. You’ve got some hard workers on the squad.”

Kate’s approval showed in her smile. “I knew that, but it’s always good to hear.”

“I’ve barely been able to get my own workouts in.”

“Oh?”

“But I’m not going to complain. I like the work.”

“Good. So, did you just come up here to reassure me about my players’ work ethic?”

“No,” he said. “I noticed you missed the last series. That doesn’t seem like you, so I wanted to make sure everything was okay.”

“Oh, yes, everything’s fine.”

“So there was no emergency that took you away?”

“Nope.”

“So why were you gone?”

“That’s none of your business.”

Reid blinked. “Sorry, I was just curious. And worried. I thought something had happened in your family. I almost called you even.”

“No, it had nothing to do with my family. They're fine.”

“So where did you go? Was it something for work? Were you checking out a prospect or a new player for trade? You usually send scouts out for that, right?”

“Yes, I do. And, no, it wasn't for work.”

“You still haven't told me where you went.”

“Because I don’t owe you an explanation.”

“So you’re not going to tell me where you went, and I'm just supposed to accept that?”

“Yes, you are. Do you question all of your bosses like this?”

“Only the ones who do something completely out of character – like abandon work and take off for several days without telling anyone where she's going.”

Kate sighed and rolled her eyes. “I went to Minneapolis for the weekend. Alright?”

He frowned for a moment, trying to figure out why she would go to the Twin Cities. Then he remembered their last time there, and that smokin’ hot dress she’d been wearing.

“The guy?” he asked.

Kate nodded.

“He must be pretty special,” Reid said. “Nothing takes you away from baseball.”

She shrugged. “I make time for things that are important to me."

"And he is? Already? You've only just started dating."

"It's really none of your business. How many times do I have to say that?"

Reid shook his head in disbelief. "This isn't like you."

"I wish you'd quit pretending you know me so well.”

“And I wish you'd quit pretending we have no history at all.”

“Oh, I'm not pretending that at all,” Kate said. “But it's history. Ancient history, as far as I'm concerned. And I'd like to leave it there.”

“You keep saying that, but the fact that you can't put it aside so we can be friends tells me it's not as ancient as you wish it was,” Reid said.

He saw her stiffen and frown. But she didn't object to his comment. Instead, she did just as he should have expected – she shut down.

“I have work to do and so do you,” she said. “Close the door behind you.”

Reid stood there for a few moments just studying her. He didn't want to go back to work. He didn't want to leave her office like this. He wanted to talk to her more. He wanted to force her into a conversation about their past and whatever was keeping her at a distance from him. He wanted to know what he'd done so he could issue a proper apology instead of just a vague blanket one that didn't seem to be working.

“I wish you'd tell me why you’re so angry with me so I could make it right,” he said.

She kept her head down, focusing on her computer. Her face remained set in a frown, and he could see her chest rising and falling rapidly. Clearly, she was trying to contain her frustration or anger or whatever emotion it was that he seemed to evoke in her. And those weren't the feelings he wanted to evoke in her. Not even close.

He sighed and turned to go. When he reached the door, he paused and looked back at her again, but as far as he could tell, she had yet to look up from her desk.

“Kate, I know you probably don't believe it, but you're pretty important to me. For a lot of reasons. If you weren't, I wouldn't keep trying to be your friend again,” he said. “I'll get back to work now, like you asked, but this isn't over. I may not know you well anymore, but I guarantee you still know me, and you know how I am when I set my mind to something.”

She didn’t look up at him once as he spoke, but he could tell his words rang through her. He saw it in the expression on her face. Kate was stubborn, but so was he. Before the season ended, he was going to get close to her again.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Kate leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, breathing deeply. Reid had gotten under her skin again. He seemed to do that without much effort. Then again, he'd always had that power. It was foolish of her to think it'd ever go away, but that didn't stop her from hoping. And it didn't stop her from being blindsided every time it happened either.

Like today.

She'd been in a good mood when she arrived at her office, with her favorite coffee in hand and the latest Ben Rector album playing through her iPod speaker. She sat down at her desk, smiling as she reminisced about her time with Neal. As she clicked through e-mails and the transaction wire, she'd been humming and singing to herself. The time away had been good for her, she'd enjoyed her time with Neal, and now she was eager to get back to work. Peace and productivity were on her agenda for the day.

And then Reid walked in and destroyed her calm demeanor. At first, his visit was fairly innocuous. When he expressed concern about her absence, she'd been touched. Even though she wanted to keep him at a distance, she had to admit it was nice to know he cared. But when he kept asking questions about her whereabouts, his visit took an unwelcome turn. Reid sounded irritated when he asked about “the guy.” Kate grew irritated as well, annoyed with his questioning.

She hadn't intended to tell Reid – or anyone – about Neal. Not yet. There was nothing to share right now. They were still just getting to know each other. But she didn't clarify that when Reid asked if this new guy was important to her. She didn't know why that mattered to Reid, but admittedly she had enjoyed testing his reaction. It hadn't been a good one. If she didn't know better, she'd almost say he was jealous. His eyes narrowed, and she saw his fists clench. A reddish tone had been creeping up his neck, and she was certain it would have reached his face if the conversation had continued. But she'd cut it short, put out by his interrogation and even more by his constant presumption to know her and her behavior – even if he had nailed it.

He was absolutely right in his assessment of her spontaneous trip. It wasn't like her. And it bugged her that he knew her that well. With the way he'd pushed her aside so many years ago, he didn't deserve to have that insight. He had dismissed her from his life – over the phone, no less – and never looked back. He didn't get to do this. He didn't get to go away and then come back like he knew all her secrets and all her quirks. Except he did. Even with the years that had gone by since she last saw him, Reid was still the person in the world who knew the most about her. Their time together had been disjointed and brief, but in that time, she'd shared a lot with him – things she hadn't shared with anyone else before or since. She supposed that was another reason she still resented him. Not only had he rejected her; he'd also taken with him parts of her she could never get back.