“When do you have to report back by? Assuming you’re still in Arizona.” I ask hesitantly.
“February sixth.”
My fingertips trace the imaginary figure eight across his chest, “Is this what you want?”
“Of course it’s not Presley, but my savings is getting low, and I need to do this for us.”
I take a deep breath and push all hesitation aside, “Then we’ll figure it out, Robert.” I know this decision isn’t an easy one for him, he’s staying home to help coach baseball, not go off to parts unknown. Even if he were to come back down after Thanksgiving, he would still be a phone call away, the only difference is he wouldn’t be working.
I gather my things together and Robert helps me out to my car, saying our goodbyes to one another. I promise to call him as soon as I get into my dorm room and he kisses me on the cheek goodbye. As I pull out of the parking lot it hits me, I never envisioned him leaving me voluntarily. I didn’t think about what he would do once his season ended, but we were a few weeks away from just that. He was trying to figure out his next move, where money would come from while I was focused on school, class projects and multiple-choice tests.
I knew in my heart he didn’t want to leave, but like he said it really wouldn’t be a full two months, it would just be a couple of weeks.
* * *
I look around the apartment and make sure I have everything. Presley said she would probably come here to study the week before finals, but then neither one of us would be back until February.
Since I’m going to be staying up in Montana for a couple of months, Presley and I decided to drive home for Thanksgiving with Liv and Trey; that way I have my truck. She’ll fly back from Montana to Tucson.
As I’m securing my luggage in the back of the truck I get an uneasy feeling. Turning around I see Carter Hail standing behind me, just staring at me, not saying anything. I have a good mind to beat him within an inch of his life for what he did to Presley, but I’m closer than ever to getting offered a rookie position next year. I refuse to let this piece of scum ruin my future.
“What do you want Carter? Come to gloat? I heard your recruit got picked up for next year.”
“I just came to apologize, Robert.”
What’s the old saying, “Never trust a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” Well Carter Hail is the biggest wolf out there.
“I’ve got nothing to say to you Hail.” I look down at my watch; Presley’s bus will be here in fifteen minutes.
“I come bearing good news.”
“I’m not listening, Hail.”
“The Rangers want you, West.” I stop what I’m doing and look at him. “But they’re not the only ones. Talk is you’ll get offers from the Astros and Cardinals as well. Let me represent you, West. I just got a client three million more than originally offered and a sponsorship deal with Under Armor.”
“And why should I trust you?”
“Because who do you have looking out for your career, West? You don’t have an agent. You don’t have anyone to fight for you when the time comes. Let me be that person.”
I scoff at his offer. “For a fee of course.”
“Of course, it’s minimal, but think about it. You’re currently the fastest pitcher in major league baseball, and you’re not even in the majors.”
“I don’t know.”
“Tell ya what. I see you’re going away. Think about it and call me after the first of the year. I messed up when I threatened Presley, but I could tell how protective you were of her and Martinez had a friend at the agency I wanted to be a part of. Getting you pissed off enough was a sure-fire way to get me there.”
“So you manipulated me into getting what you wanted?”
“Hey, it’s what I do. I’m smart. I can read people. And I can get you what you want, too. Just don’t take too long to decide what it is you want. I bet a couple million right now is looking pretty good, huh?”
He hands me his card before walking away. I know I should throw it away. Martinez said he was my biggest enemy, but why would he be offering to help if he was? Three offers. My time in Arizona is almost up. I can feel it.
I toss Carter’s card into the glove box and make my way to the bus station just in time to see Presley get off the bus. I grab her luggage and we head to the truck. I know I should probably talk to her about Carter’s offer to me, but not today. I don’t know what I would do, and I know she’ll ask me.
The eighteen-hour drive is filled with talk and laughter, the girls singing at the top of their lungs to some boy band stuff and Liv falling asleep when Trey and I talk about sports.
Trey was finally meeting Liv’s parents over the holiday and was slightly freaking out. Liv took him shopping before they left Tucson for an outfit to wear on Thanksgiving. She’s always been closed off about her family.
As we pull through downtown, past our old high school, a sense of nostalgia settles over us. It doesn’t seem like it was that long ago when we all but ran out of those doors after graduation, but we were no longer those kids.
Now I would spend the next two months getting this year’s team ready to defend the state title I fought hard for and kept throughout my four years at Williams Point.
I drop Liv and Trey off at his parents’ house before Presley and I make our way out to the ranch. Mom said she would just meet me there. My eyes dart back and forth between the road and the glove compartment just as they have for the entire drive.
“I need to talk to you about something.”
Presley turns to me and runs her fingers up through the hair on the back of my neck, massaging as she goes. “Okay,” she says through a muffled yawn. “What about?”
“Carter.”
She drops her hand and places it back in her lap, staring out the front window.
“He showed up yesterday morning before I picked you up. He wants to be my agent. He said he’s heard rumors of three offers coming in soon: the Rangers, Astros and Cardinals.”
She lets out a frustrated snort and rolls her eyes, arms now crossed across her chest, “And you trust him?”
“Maybe. I don’t know, but if what he says is true, then I need to find an agent, Pres. Someone to look out for me.”
“What about me? What about your mom? Or Coach? You haven’t felt the need to get an agent before and now he just shows up out of the blue and wants to represent you. Did you forget about what he did to me? To us?”
“Never Presley. And I respect you, mom and coach, I do, but this is my career. If I’ve got someone in my corner looking out for me—”
“You mean someone who wants to control you, turn you into a puppet and pull the strings.”
I can almost see the angry vibrations pulsing around her body. She has every right to be upset, and I have a strong feeling that what she’s saying could be true. I could already see Carter trying to dress me up in a monkey suit, playing ring master, shackles around my wrist and ankles, keeping me tethered to him like a caged animal.
“If you feel like you can't move forward without an agent, then fine, shop around, talk to people, but don’t use him. If Martinez doesn’t trust him, then you shouldn’t either.”
She’s right. He’s not the only agent out there. I don’t care about sponsorships, just that I get my shot in the majors. “I’ll start looking around over the holidays.”
She relaxes her shoulders and threads her fingers through mine. “Thank you. I know this is your career, and I will continue to support you, but I don’t want you to lose sight of who you are. Just find someone that’s a good fit for you.”
We turn down the gravel drive and make our way up to Gramps and Gram’s ranch house. Mom’s car is already parked outside. I grab our luggage and we make our way into the house; I’ll stay here with Presley until she flies back to Tucson and then will go to mom’s. We’re greeted with warm hugs and kisses all around; it feels good to be home.
* * *
As the week progresses, memories of last Thanksgivi
ng play through my mind, somewhere between getting food ready for the shelter, hunting with Gramps and Pres, and Thanksgiving dinner, I realize Presley and I have been together for a year.
I watch as she moves around her room, packing her luggage before Liv and Trey show up to take her back to Tucson.
“I want to take you somewhere when you’re back for Christmas. Just the two of us.”
“Okay. Where?” She stops what she’s doing. Lightly grabbing her wrist I ease her over to me, and she straddles my lap. My hands settle high on her thighs and I become slightly agitated at the fact she’s already dressed and no longer in her sleep shirt.
“It’s a surprise. Hopefully it will make up for me missing our year anniversary.” I smirk to see if she gets what I’m hinting at. Her mouth opens and then closes, and she sits there for a moment, before her eyes grow big and her mouth drops open.
“I forgot our anniversary!”
I chuckle and pull her down so her chest is against mine. “It’s okay. I forgot it too.”
“But you had to remind me. I’ve got to be the worst girlfriend ever.”
I push her back up and lock my eyes with hers. “Presley you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. It’s just a day. You have given up so much for me and now it’s time I do something for you.”
She smiles and folds back into me, nestling into my neck and inhaling my scent. “I don’t want to leave you.”
“You’ll be back in three weeks. I cleaned the apartment before I left and there are plenty of green teas in the fridge, I even got the trail mix you like to eat when you study. Everything is set up for you if you go back for your dead week.”
She lets out a deep sigh. I can almost feel her eyes close as she nuzzles into my neck, “Thank you.”
The front door opens and Liv’s voice echoes down the hall.
“I guess it’s time for me to go. I love you Robert. And I’m sorry I acted the way I did when you told me about Carter, but I—”
“Presley you have every reason not to trust him. I’ll talk with Coach while I’m here and we’ll find someone together.”
She gives a sharp nod and climbs off of me. Zipping up her suitcase, she makes herself busy, so she doesn’t have to face the fact soon we’ll be apart again. She swallows hard and I watch her wipe a tear away as she bends down to tie her shoes.
I pull her in for a hug as she reaches for her luggage just as Liv swings open her door. I’m thankful Liv doesn’t say anything, she just gives me a knowing nod and heads back down the hallway. My arms wrap securely around her as I hold her for just a moment longer. Inhaling her intoxicating scent, “It’s gonna be ok,” I say into her hair before placing a kiss on her head.
She nods and wipes her eyes before pulling back from me and taking a deep breath. “I’m ready.”
I carry her suitcase out to Trey’s truck; his dad sits in the driver seat waiting to take them to the airport. Presley climbs in the back with Liv and I kiss her for a final time. My lips linger on hers until a small salty tear breaks our seal.
“I love you Presley. Never forget that.” She dips her head in acknowledgement. “Call me when you get in. Three weeks, princess. You’ve done it before.”
She lets out a whispered, “I know,” and I close the door. Trey’s dad slowly makes his way down the drive, Tina, Gramps and I stand watching as the red Chevy work truck disappears behind a cloud of dust.
“Well boy? Whatcha gonna do now?” Gramps elbows me in the side.
“Keep trying to be the best version of myself. What do you know about baseball, old man? I’ve watched you negotiate your fair share of deals over the years. Wanna take on a know nothing ballplayer?”
Gramps lets out a gut busting laugh and pats my shoulder. “You’re barkin’ up the wrong tree boy. You don’t need an agent to play ball. Show them what you’re worth and they’ll pay you just fine.”
He turns and heads back into the house. Maybe he’s right. Maybe I don’t need an agent. Maybe Carter was just trying to get under my skin, cause me to doubt. Martinez hasn’t said anything about needing an agent, and Coach never mentioned it either.
* * *
The rest of the year flew by. Coach had me running drills every day with the high school team and working on the fundamentals of the game. He has tryouts scheduled for the freshman right after winter break; I’m looking forward to helping him with it.
I talked to Coach about needing an agent and he said he would try to help me find one, however he recommended not getting one until I was officially signed by a major team.
I called Martinez about Carter’s offer and his exact words were, “That piece of shit could eat a hairy dick.”
He manipulated his way into his position and the Yankees were already dealing with a PR nightmare with his recruit. He was more than likely looking for a player that could redeem his name so he wouldn’t be blacklisted throughout the league. Presley was right all along, but it helped to hear it from a few more people I trusted.
I picked Presley up from the airport after her finals were over and took her back to the cabins where we went dogsledding. We spent the first weekend of her break there. I watched her worry over her grades until Saturday afternoon. Once she saw seven A’s on her transcript as well as a 4.0 GPA she was finally able to relax. Her dedication is unparallel to anything I have ever seen.
The night before Presley flies back to school for her spring semester we decide to stay in and hang out with her family. Mr. and Mrs. D are each sitting in their respective chairs while Presley and I lay on the couch together watching Blazing Saddles, a favorite of Mr. D’s I’m told. I gently play with her long blond hair, running my fingers through it absentmindedly, keeping my voice low so the movie can still be heard.
“When do classes start?”
“Two days.” I feel her roll her eyes and I chuckle, kissing the top of her head as she continues, “I’m ready to move past my basic classes and get started focusing on my degree.”
“Pres you’ve managed to get two years of schooling done in almost a year and you’ve kicked butt while doing it. You practically slept away our weekend together. Give yourself a break.”
“I just want to finish as quickly as I can. Who knows where you’ll end up once the season starts again and I don’t want to be in one state while you’re in another.”
She shifts her body and rolls on top of me, her chin resting on my chest as she looks at me. The reflection of Christmas lights in her green eyes give the illusion of a twinkle, a giddy playfulness underneath.
“I officially declared my major and minor.”
“Which one’s the major and which one is the minor?”
“Sports marketing is my major, with an underlying emphasis in psychology as my minor.”
“That sounds incredible P, but what happened to design and hospitality? I thought you wanted to plan corporate events and work in public relations.”
She shrugs her shoulders and pecks at my lips. “I changed my mind.”
“So what’s your plan now? What do you want to do?”
Her chest sends a vibration into mine as she lightly chuckles. “I have no clue. But you’ve taught me I don’t have to have everything planned out. Sometimes you just have to go with the flow, and because of you I am head over heels in love with baseball and I’d love to do something in that field.”
She lays her head back down on my chest as my fingers trail up and down her spine. If I wasn’t already feeling pressure to succeed I sure as hell am now. Though I would never tell her, the one thing that made taking this chance a possibility was knowing Presley knew what she wanted to do in life. That she knew what kind of career she wanted, and if things didn’t work out for me like we hoped, then at least we would have her income to hold us until I got my shit together. She was a safety net. Now that was no longer an option for us. There was no more what if, I had to make this work. I needed to work harder. Throw faster. I’d be the first one on the field and the last one
off. I’d out bench anyone in the weight room just to make sure my power was evident every time I stepped out on the field. I’d be exactly who the higher-ups wanted me to be, because she needed it.
I’m pulled from my worry when I hear Mr. D’s voice. Presley feels like dead weight on me and I can only assume she’s fallen asleep.
“You know when Tina told me you two had found each other, I was hesitant to allow you two to continue dating, given the fact I knew your father and all. But I’ve watched you with her since Thanksgiving; I’m impressed with you, young man. They say the apple doesn’t fall from the tree, but son you must have fallen from your momma’s tree. You ain’t nothin' like your sorry excuse of a father. Don’t you hurt her boy. I don’t think she would survive a heart break from you.”
I let his words sink in. “Never sir. She means too much to me.”
Mr. D focuses back on the movie, but his lips turn up slightly at the corners.
“Sir. I was wondering if I could ask you a question?”
“If it’s for my daughter’s hand, you’re not old enough. Try again later.”
I chuckle but also feel like I’ve been sucker punched. “No. It’s about my father.”
“What about him?”
“Where you there when it happened?” His gaze is focused intensely on the television. “I guess I was just wondering if everything happened the way it was reported.”
“And how was it reported?”
“The death certificate shows enemy fire.”
“Then that’s what happened.” His body tenses and his tone more growl than human. “Son, when I found out about what you and your momma went through, I was the one that had you moved here. I called that old man in the other room and told him to keep an eye on you. You may not remember much of me, but even back then, I knew one day you would take care of my pumpkin and I wanted to make sure you stayed alive long enough to find her again.”
I try to comprehend all that Mr. D’s told me. About my father. About Presley. About my life. What I had perceived as a series of coincidences turned out to be so much more. Fate had nothing to do with Presley and me. My life, Presley’s life, was never our own. It was always planned for us to end up here. I feel cheated in a way but cheated out of what exactly. I still chose Presley. Nobody foresaw my minor league career, and she chose to be a part of it.
Tag Forever Mine Page 13
