He nodded, and I watched, appreciating their ability to communicate without words. “Got it.”
Just then, there was a commotion at the door as Jonathan arrived.
“Yo, Sam. The owner guy is here.” One of the rookies, Nate Reaves, ran into the hallway, warning us to be on our best behavior. Reaves was nineteen years old, and while the plan had been to keep him in AAA for a year or two, he filled a hole we had in right field. His emotional immaturity aside, he played as if an experienced veteran. “Did you invite him?” Nate looked around nervously and then down at the beer in his hand.
“Who the fuck gave you a beer, man?” Sam swiped the beer from Nate’s hands. “And yes, he’s invited. He’s also dating my sister-in-law—” Sam gestured to me, “—also a corporate executive.”
“Oh, shit. Oh, fuck. I mean, I’m so sorry, ma’am.”
I burst out laughing. This kid was fucking adorable. “You’re good. But I don’t think Sam and Kelsey want to be responsible for violating Boston’s social host laws.”
“And no one in this town is going to believe that shitty fake ID you were showing off in the locker room.” Sam’s warning made the kid blush. “This town knows the players, and you’ve been touted as the youngest kid on the roster. Ifyou had wanted to get drunk, you should have gone to college instead.”
Tucker’s presence had put me on edge, but Nate’s innocence had been like a balm to my nerves. When I found Jonathan—already cornered by my father—his eyes met mine, and I melted.
“Who would have thought the ice queen would thaw?” Kelsey whispered, sharing an inside joke from when we were younger. We would dress up and pretend to be our favorite characters from books and movies. I had always chosen the ice queen and never wanted a happy-ever-after.
“The man is fire.”
“Shh, I’m not supposed to be looking, but damn girl, you did good. Now save him from Dad.”
I slid beside Jonathan, and his arm drew me close, palm resting on my hip just before he placed a chaste kiss on my cheek.
“I see you’ve met my father. Dad, this is Jonathan. I hope you didn’t already manipulate him into season tickets.”
“And a parking pass.” Jonathan winked at me, and Dad looked back at me, only mildly embarrassed.
“What did I always tell you girls?”
“Don’t be afraid to ask for what you really want…”I repeated the phrase Dad had drilled into me since I was five. A phrase that he’d taught us so that we didn’t shy away from trying things, or from competition. It’s why I applied to Dartmouth, even when I wasn’t sure I’d be accepted. It’s why I trained and ran marathons: I wanted to succeed there, and training every day was how I asked for it. But it was also why I preferred to rely only on myself. Double-edged sword, for sure.
My phone dinged in my pocket, and I excused myself so I could read it privately. While I normally didn’t hide my texts from Jonathan, the look that Kelsey was giving me from across the room spoke volumes.
Kelsey: You need to tell him the entire story about Tucker. He’s going to continue to be a problem.
Me: How? I am going to put him in a horrible position.
Kelsey: You aren’t putting anyone in a bad position. Tucker’s actions did. He’s the villain in this story.
Me: You’re right. But I don’t see how this ends without things blowing up for the team.
Kelsey: Have you seen the damage he’s already doing to the team? Sam fucking hates him, and Sam likes everyone. He doesn’t even know the entire story.
Me: Is he really fucking around with Ashley Monroe?
Kelsey: 85% positive it already happened. Ticking time bomb. Ready to fucking blow.
FORTY-SIX
hawk
After talkingto Kendra’s father for no less than 45 minutes, I was convinced he was using the time as an official interview to be our next manager.
Sidling up to Kendra as she poured herself a drink at the bar, I took a minute to wrap her in a hug. I had a hard time being in the room with her without touching her—hugging, holding hands—anything to maintain a form of physical contact.
“Did my dad lecture you not to hurt me?”
“No—he basically told me you can fend for yourself. Something I already knew. He also reminded me you wouldn’t keep me around if I tried to force you to harness your abilities.”
