Dropped Third Strike (Portland Pioneers #1) (9 page)

That wasn’t exactly what she’d been expecting him to say, but she went with it.

“Yeah, big calc test,” Katie said. “Do you want to come over to study tomorrow?”

If he came over, maybe they’d have a chance to talk. Or kiss again.

“No, I think I’ve got this one, but thanks. See you Monday.”

Her heart sank at the flat tone of his voice. He didn’t sound like same guy who had chatted with her so easily all evening. Despite her inexperience with guys, she had a feeling that wasn’t a good sign.

Katie got out of the car without another word. She heard his car pull away from the curb before she even reached the front steps. She locked the door behind her, awoke her sleeping parents to tell them she was home, and then climbed into her bed. She should have been exhausted, but she couldn’t sleep. That kiss had awakened her body, and Reid’s behavior after the kiss had sent her mind racing. She couldn’t figure out what had caused him to go from hot to cold in a matter of moments. She could only assume it had something to do with the kiss. Admittedly, she wasn’t very experienced in that realm. She had only kissed three guys before Reid. None of them had ever complained though, and she certainly had no complaints about the kiss with Reid. It didn’t make any sense.

The next few weeks provided nothing in the way of answers or clarity. Reid seemed to be ignoring her in the hallways. Their study sessions halted. When their prom photos arrived, she gave him his copies and his only response was “thanks.” It was as if they didn’t know each other at all.

Without solid answers from Reid, Katie drew her own conclusions. She could only assume Reid had been playing some kind of game with her. Maybe it had even been a bet among his circle of friends, which they were likely all laughing about now.

Embarrassed by what had happened, Katie didn’t tell anyone – not even Amy – about the events at Jake’s house. Somehow, despite Amy’s best efforts to pry, Katie was able to keep her kiss with Reid a complete secret. She covered questions about why he wasn’t talking to her with a story about how he got mad when she called his friends lame at the prom after-party. Thankfully, Amy bought it and let the subject go. Katie didn’t want to talk about what really happened with Reid. No one could ever know how foolish she’d been. She was completely crushed, but she made every effort not to show it.

Katie was more relieved to see graduation day than she’d previously expected. Part of her was sad she likely wouldn’t see Reid again. But by the same token, it meant the end of awkward hallway encounters and the subsequent sick feeling in her stomach. And a larger part of her took comfort in that. She was ready to put high school – and Reid Benjamin – behind her.

It had been a long time since that first kiss, but Kate’s vulnerability to Reid hadn’t ended with graduation. If it had, she wouldn’t have given him the chance to break her heart a second time. Nor would she be so affected as he stood in front of her now, more than a decade later. The only difference was that her wall against him and other men was much higher now. She just had to figure out how to keep it that way.

For starters, she needed to stop gawking over every outfit he wore. They were just clothes, even if they looked extraordinarily good on him.

“Well, I’m glad you’re rested. This is a big day,” she said.

She walked around her desk and handed him a sheet of paper. As he read it over, she gave him a verbal rundown of his itinerary for the day.

“First, we’ll have the press conference. Then I’m going to have you sit in on one of the Q and A sessions. Feel free to mill around and do whatever you want for the rest of the event. After Fan Fest is over, I’ve scheduled a cocktail event so some of the players and coaches to meet you and talk with you.”

Reid blinked a few times as he listened to the day she had planned out for him.

“Wow, you aren’t easing me in.”

“I wasn’t aware you needed easing in.”

He grinned. “Aw, you do still know me, Katie.”

“That’s another thing. My name is Kate now. Not Katie.”

“But I like Katie better.”

“Do you like it better than having a job?”

“Oh, lighten up, Kate,” Reid said, reaching out and pinching her cheek playfully. “I’ll try to remember to call you that, but I can’t help it if I fall back into old habits.”

She pulled away from his touch as though she’d been burned. But when she spoke, her voice was ice cold.

“Since you brought it up, calling me ‘Katie’ had better be the only old habit you struggle with here,” she said. “I know you’ve had trouble with alcohol recently, but I hope that’s changed. I won’t stand for any embarrassment of this organization.”             

Reid’s smile fell and he nodded solemnly. “Yeah, I saw that part of my contract.”

“I thought it was necessary.”

“I understand. And I’ll behave. You have my word.”

“Good. I hope it’s worth more than it used to be.”

Surprise and curiosity registered on his face at her remark. Kate could tell Reid was contemplating her words. She wondered how it was possible that he had forgotten the times he had let her down and hurt her. Yet the expression on his face told her he didn’t feel like he deserved her bitterness.

James Scott entered the room, interrupting their conversation. He didn’t knock, but his imposing presence didn’t require warning. The Pioneers’ owner stood just a shade over 6’5”, but his linebacker-esque shoulders made him look taller. His jet-black hair was always perfectly styled, and he dressed like he had stepped out of the pages of
Golf Digest
. The irony was that he wasn’t much of a golfer. He played in the occasional charity event and joined some of the players for a round or two during road trips, but baseball was his focus. Growing up in the Dallas suburbs, James Scott had spent many childhood summers accompanying his grandfather, father, and uncles to Arlington Stadium. He had been in the stands for the first Texas Rangers game ever and many milestones since, including Kenny Rogers’ perfect game, which he liked to bring up in conversation at least five times each season. The man was a true baseball fan, and he preferred to keep his mind on the sport in which his money and passion was invested. Most of his fortune had come from a trust fund, which he wisely invested in stocks and some real estate. Eventually, this afforded him the opportunity to be principal owner of a Major League Baseball franchise. He expected his venture to feed his fortune as well as his competitive nature.

Kate was not at all surprised to see the owner show up in her office that morning. Clearly, he was anxious to meet the newest member of his staff – a hire he’d been waiting for longer than he thought was appropriate.

“Mr. Benjamin,” James said, extending his hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you. I’ve been following your career for some time, and it’s great to have you in the Pioneers family. Don’t let Kate intimidate you. She’s a tough one, but she has a softer side too.”

“Trust me, I know,” Reid said, as he turned to shake the older man’s hand. “I’m excited at the chance to work with her. She knows her baseball.”

“That’s exactly why I hired her,” James said. “I’ve met men who know less about the game than she does.”

“Me too,” Reid said. “I’ve even played against some of them.”

The two men shared a laugh and started chatting about some of their shared acquaintances.

Kate left them to their conversation and went back to her desk so she could read more e-mails and scan the latest transactions before her presence was required downstairs at Fan Fest. Now that the hitting coach situation was resolved, she had time to look at their rosters and see where they might need some extra options, such as catcher. Their current backstop was hitting a respectable .250, picking off sixty percent of would be base stealers and handling their pitching staff with ease, but Ben Ramirez couldn’t catch 162 games. Their backup from the previous season had been shipped off to Tampa Bay as part of a trade for a new bullpen arm, and she wasn’t completely comfortable with the leading catcher in their minor league system. He had a ton of upside, but he’d only recently converted from first base to catching. Kate and her staff believed he needed a little more time behind the dish in the minors before breaking into the big leagues. Catchers always developed slower than other position players, so they needed to be patient with this one.

As the time for the press conference drew nearer, Kate made a few notes to check on the availability and cost of a few players before closing her notebook. She looked up and was suddenly aware that she was now alone in her office. Reid and James had wandered out of her office at some point while she was distracted by batting averages and on base percentages. She was impressed she’d been able to focus on her work even with Reid in the room, to the point of not even noticing whether or not he was there. It made her feel better about the prospect of working with him.

With her phone and folder of notes in hand, Kate headed down to the lower level of the ballpark. The aforementioned men were already mingling with some of the reporters who had begun filtering into the media room. The space was used almost daily during the regular season, but it had been fairly quiet over the winter. Kate approached James and Reid, subtly urging them to take their seats at the long table at the front of the room. She couldn’t help but notice how perfect Reid looked in his grey suit and deep red shirt with the team logo in a grid-like pattern behind him. He looked like he belonged, and judging by the smile on his face as James Scott introduced him, it appeared he felt like he belonged already as well.

Kate fought to pull her gaze from Reid and turned her attention to the reporters. With the official introduction complete, the assembled gallery began asking questions of James and Reid. Predictably, the first reporter questioned Reid’s ability to coach considering his own failures at the plate. Reid seemed to expect it, and he explained how he had worked with several young hitters at the University of North Carolina.

“Sometimes knowing what you need to do and being able to do it are two different things,” Reid said. “I may not have the ability to hit at a big league level, but I have plenty of knowledge about it. I’ve seen a lot of pitchers and a lot of hitters. I know I can help the Pioneers improve their already impressive offense.”

The next few questions surrounded Reid’s impressions of the Pioneers, as a team and an organization. Reid spoke diplomatically about the Mets, the organization that had launched his career, before expressing his excitement about being in Portland and starting a new chapter of his life in baseball.

“You were only released a few days ago. How can you be sure another team won’t want you in their outfield?” a reporter asked. “How would you react if that opportunity came up?”

Several recorders beeped as Reid took his time answering the question. His pause was a bit unsettling, and it caused Kate to turn and look at him.

“I don’t think that’s going to be an issue,” Reid said. “But even if it does, I’ve made a commitment to the Pioneers. James and Kate can trust that I will stand by my commitment. That’s who I am.”

Kate and James fielded a few questions about other organizational matters before the press conference ended. Reid followed the front office folks back out into the hallway and into a staff elevator. Inside, it seemed like they let out a collective breath.

“That went pretty well,” James said. “I’m going to check out a few of the autograph lines. Reid, I’ll see you at the cocktail hour later. I know a few of the other partners are anxious to meet you. Enjoy the day, and don’t let Kate wear you out.”

Reid laughed a little, and Kate blushed when she realized where Reid’s mind had taken that comment. The owner, of course, was unaware of their history and thought nothing of Reid’s chuckles. He simply waved before stepping off the elevator a few moments later, turning quickly to the left.

“If he only knew,” Reid said softly.

Kate heard Reid’s comment, but chose to ignore it as they exited the elevator and walked in the opposite direction. Silently, she led him down the wide corridor. She was pleased to see a line at the cash register in the team gift shop. They continued on into a small conference room, where a few dozen fans sat in rows of chairs, facing two of the Pioneers’ young outfielders. Kate introduced Reid to the players, and once the session had started, she quietly left to monitor some of the other Fan Fest activities.

For the most part, she was just relieved to be away from Reid. She’d spent more time with him in the past 24 hours than she ever thought she would again. The effects of his presence were going to be unsettling at best and disastrous at worst. She hoped she would get used to it over time so they could both do their jobs without their history interfering. She didn’t have time to dwell on the past; her job required her to look at the future.

After a lap through the Fan Fest stations, Kate returned to her office. The upper level offices were silent, except for the humming from the heat vents as she sat back down at her desk. She decided to keep the silence and left her iPod off as she opened the trade wire web site and her notes. She began to peruse the listings for catchers who might be available to split duties with Ramirez. There were a few free agents with potential, and with camp starting in a few weeks, they might be willing to take lower dollars just to have work. It was a workable option, but Kate would prefer to work out some sort of trade for a catcher. The Pioneers had some decent chips in the farm system that might be attractive enough to another club. She wrote down a few names as well as their key stats and began assigning numbers to prioritize the list. After looking over the list, she picked up the phone to call Ed Sampson, the GM in possession of her first choice. Even though it was Saturday, GMs were never really off-duty. He answered on the third ring, and while he didn’t laugh at her initial offer, he didn’t accept it either.