The Winning Season

by Alison Packard

  Kelly reached for the small rectangular container that held packets of sweeteners and sugar and began arranging them in a uniform manner. “Sort of.” She concentrated on making sure the sugar was on one side and the artificial sweetener was on the other.

  “Sort of?” She looked up to find her mother’s delicate brows arched. “Either you are or you aren’t.”

  Kelly shrugged and slid the container back to its place by the salt and pepper shakers. “It’s complicated.”

  “Why?”

  “Because when Rick Taylor comes back the Blaze will cut Matt loose.”

  “So that’s why you look so melancholy.”

  “I don’t look melancholy,” she protested. “Matt and I are...are just sleeping together, okay? It’s nothing more than that. I doubt I’ll ever see him again after he leaves San Francisco.”

  “I think it’s more than that, Kelly. I know you. You don’t indulge in casual affairs. Neither you nor Kayla are built like that.”

  “That’s because we have you and Dad as role models. Both of us want what you have.” She sighed. “And it looks like Kayla has found it.”

  “Maybe you have too.” Patricia paused to give the waitress dropping off their check a friendly smile and waited until the young woman left before continuing. “I saw the way Matt was looking at you at the party.”

  Kelly resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “How was he looking at me, Mom?”

  “Like a man in love.” Her mother smiled wistfully. “And you were looking at him the same way.”

  “I think you need to have your vision checked.” She picked up the check and then reached into her purse for her wallet. “There is no love involved. None at all.” Kelly opened her wallet. “Lunch is on me.”

  “Why are you so flustered?”

  “I’m not...flustered. I just have to get back to work,” she said as she laid two twenties on the table.

  “Maybe you should tell Matt how you feel.”

  Bracing her palms on the edge of the table, she met her mother’s concerned gaze head-on. “Mom, I can’t talk about this right now. I can’t tell Matt anything when I don’t even know what the hell it is I’m feeling.”

  Her mother treated her to the disapproving look Kelly knew only too well. She should, she’d seen it enough times in her life. “Don’t swear,” Patricia reprimanded her curtly.

  “Oh my God. Mom. All I said was hell.”

  “You know how I feel about swearing. It’s unladylike.”

  She sighed. Even at thirty, her mom could still make her feel like she was thirteen years old.

  Five minutes later, Kelly stood next to her mother outside the diner. “Do you want me to walk with you to the BART station?” she asked as she stepped to the side to avoid blocking the sidewalk.

  “No. It’s not far.” Patricia smiled. “I wore my comfy shoes.” Her smile morphed into a look of contrition. “Kelly, I didn’t mean to badger you in there. About Matt. It’s just that I want you to have what I’ve found with your father.”

  “How did you...” She hesitated and then forged ahead, “How did you know you were in love with Dad?”

  A wistful smile tugged at her mother’s lips. “I knew I was in love with him when I couldn’t imagine my life without him in it. It made me physically ill to even think about it.”

  “Maybe you just ate some bad sushi.”

  Patricia’s smile was wry. “Dear Lord, you are your father’s daughter.”

  “I love you, Mom,” Kelly said softly and leaned forward to kiss her cheek. “I’ll see you soon.”

  Instead of going directly back to Blaze Field, Kelly took a walk to the cove. Although the game was still several hours away, the cove was starting to fill up with the kayakers who hoped to catch one of the home-run balls that made it out of the ballpark. They were quite a colorful army as they paddled around, laughing and joking with each other. The laughter and jokes would cease the second a ball made it into the water. When that happened it was every man and woman for themselves as they fought over one of the coveted home-run balls.

  The incessant cawing of the ever-present seagulls filled the air. Like vultures, they circled the kayakers waiting for someone to toss them some food. Turning from the view of the cove and of the East Bay beyond, Kelly stared at the beautiful brick ballpark. The gem by the bay as it was sometimes called. Matt was inside there now, most likely taking batting practice or warming up with the team. He’d been in San Francisco only a little over two months, but now it seemed like he’d been here forever.

  Soon he would leave.

  Another knot formed in her stomach. Only it wasn’t bad sushi, or even bad fish tacos, which was what she’d had for lunch. It was the thought of never seeing Matt again, of never touching him, or feeling his lips upon hers. They’d shared things with each other—personal things they never spoke of to anyone. That meant something, or at least it did to her. It was more than just sex, it was—

  Kelly clutched her stomach as the knot inside tightened.

  Oh shit. She was in love with Matt Scanlon.

  * * *

  Matt let himself into his condo and locked the door behind him. After hitting the light switch, he moved to the kitchen where he dropped his keys and gym bag on the breakfast bar and opened the refrigerator. He grabbed a bottle of water, kicked the door closed with his foot and walked to the large picture window in the living room.

  Across the street, Blaze Field was still bathed in light and dozens of people were milling around the grounds outside—no doubt checking out the Blaze store and the statues of former Blaze players that surrounded the park. It wasn’t Dodger Stadium, but it had a unique charm all its own. He couldn’t imagine playing anywhere else. When the hell had that happened?

  The Blaze had shut down the Rockies tonight and Atlanta had trounced the Dodgers. It was, once again, all tied up at the top of the Western division, and it was looking more and more like it might come down to the final week of the season before the title was clinched.

  Never in a million years had he imagined this scenario. Going up against his beloved Dodgers as a member of the team he’d always hated. Just a few months ago the thought would have been inconceivable.

  He wanted to win badly, even at the expense of his former team. He wasn’t angry anymore, largely because he’d come to terms with the fact that he’d given them no other choice but to get rid of him. Winning wasn’t about payback, it was about finding something he’d lost after Joey died. His self-respect.

  Interestingly enough, his agent had informed him that should the Blaze let him go, there were a number of teams who would gladly pay him for his services. It was welcome news because he was nowhere near ready to retire, but on the other hand the thought of going to another team and starting all over again wasn’t at all appealing.

  Damn it all. He liked San Francisco, and with the exception of Rizzo, he liked his teammates. But most of all he didn’t want to leave Kelly.

  As he twisted off the cap and took a long swig of water, he found a certain irony in that fact. That this woman, the one he’d insulted and bickered with for weeks, had become so important to him that he couldn’t fathom leaving her behind.

  Matt finished off the water and returned to the kitchen to put the bottle in the recycle bin. He thought about turning on the big screen in the living room and catching the highlights, but it was getting late and tomorrow’s game started at one. He needed rest, especially since the next two weeks were the most crucial of the season. It was do-or-die time and everyone on the team was feeling the pressure.

  He’d just turned off the kitchen light when his cell phone rang. Moving toward the bedroom, he pulled it out of his back pocket and checked the caller ID before answering it.

  “What’s up?”

  “Are you watching ESPN?” Sean asked.

  “No.” He hit the switch on the wall; the bedroom flooded with light. “I just got home.”

  “Turn it on.” Sean’s voice was strained. />
  “What’s going on?” He moved to the cherrywood armoire in the corner of the room and opened it. “Did someone die?” he asked as he grabbed the remote and hit the power button.

  The channel was already tuned to ESPN and when the screen lit up Matt’s heart plummeted to his stomach the second he saw a picture of himself on the screen and next to it, a picture of Joey. “What the hell?” he muttered and read the caption underneath the photos.

  BREAKING NEWS: MLB All-Star’s Personal Tragedy

  Neither he nor Sean spoke as they listened to the sports announcer report that an unknown source had contacted a tabloid and informed them that Matt Scanlon had a secret son. A son he never knew he had until two years before the boy tragically died from chronic leukemia. That tabloid would be on sale tomorrow, but the sports channel had gotten a tip from someone who worked for the rag and was reporting the story first.

  “Son of a bitch,” Matt whispered, trying to hold back the wave of nausea that threatened to overtake him. This was it—his worst nightmare coming to life right before his eyes. “Do you think it was Leslie?”

  “No.” Sean was adamant. “She called me a few minutes ago, extremely upset. Evidently, the press are calling her and pressing her to speak with them. She’s refusing to talk.”

  Matt hit the mute button and turned away from the television. “Not one reporter asked me about this after the game. This must be the first broadcast of it.”

  “Who do you think did it?” Sean asked. “One of the nurses at the hospital?”

  “After all this time?” He shook his head. “No. Besides, Leslie and I were careful. We never told them I was Joey’s father. They all thought he was a Make-A-Wish kid and I’d taken a liking to him.”

  “Someone had to talk,” Sean insisted. “Have you told anyone else about Joey besides me?”

  Matt’s blood turned cold. “Yes,” he said through clenched teeth.

  “Who?”

  “Kelly.”

  “I don’t think she’d—”

  “It had to be her.” His fingers tightened on the phone as a wave of pulsing fury shot through him. “This is no coincidence.”

  “Don’t jump to conclusions,” Sean began calmly.

  “It was her, damn it!” He hurled the remote with all of his might. It hit the wall, broke into several pieces and clattered to the hardwood floor. He stared at it as the sting of Kelly’s betrayal twisted like a knife in his gut. “I’ll talk to you later,” he said grimly and didn’t bother waiting for Sean’s reply.

  In less than one minute he’d left the condo and was on his way to Kelly’s.

  * * *

  When Kelly heard the knock at the door, she assumed it was Stacia. Her roommate, on more than one occasion, had come home after a night of clubbing too wasted to even put her key in the lock. It wasn’t like Stacia to come home early on a Friday night though—not before eleven anyway.

  “Did you forget...” she began as she opened the door. Her heart skipped a beat when she found Matt there instead of Stacia. “Hi.” She smiled and then noticed the dark glitter of his eyes. Something was wrong—very wrong. His expression was as hard as stone and his fists were tightly clenched at his side.

  “Why’d you do it?” Matt asked harshly as he brushed past her and into the foyer.

  Not sure what was going on, she closed the door and turned to find him watching her with a hostile expression. “Why did I do what?” she asked carefully and wrapped her arms around her midriff. She’d never seen him like this, not even during the time when they couldn’t stand each other. He looked like the devil incarnate. It frightened her.

  Matt’s expression was hard and unyielding. “Oh, so you haven’t seen your handiwork on ESPN yet?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Don’t play dumb, Kelly.” He put his hands on his hips and glared at her. “It doesn’t suit you. Just admit it. You told them about Joey.”

  “What?” Kelly felt the blood drain from her face.

  “It’s all over the news.” He pointed at her. “Because of you.” Just then, her cell phone rang from the bedroom. “You might want to get that,” he said with a sneer. “I’m sure you’ll be fielding a lot of calls now that you’ve spilled my personal business to the whole fucking world.”

  “Matt.” She put up her hands. “I swear, I didn’t tell anyone about Joey. I’d never do that to you.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  “It’s the truth.”

  “I trusted you.” He advanced toward her but she held her ground. “God, I really was a sucker, wasn’t I?” He halted before her, the anger emanating off of him in waves. “I know Sean didn’t do it. And neither did Leslie.” His mouth twisted into an ugly grimace. “That leaves you.” He grabbed her by her arms, his fingers digging into her skin. “I’ll never forgive you for this.”

  Kelly opened her mouth to protest, but quickly changed her mind. At this moment he was so furious he wouldn’t believe anything she said.

  “I think we should talk about this tomorrow,” she said calmly even though her heart was racing a mile a minute. “I’ll do some investigating and find out who’s behind this.”

  “Don’t bother. I already know who’s behind it.” His fingers tightened on her arms causing her to wince.

  “You’re hurting me,” she whispered.

  Immediately he let her go, stepped back and ran a hand through his hair. His dark, furious eyes bore into hers. “Don’t worry. I won’t ever touch you again,” he said in an icy voice and then stepped around her and moved to the door. By the time she turned around, he’d slammed it behind him and was gone.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “No. He’s not giving interviews. Not to Good Morning America, not to the Today show, and most definitely not to your piece of trash rag,” Kelly said, not bothering to hide her disgust that the editor of the tabloid that had printed Matt’s story had the nerve to call her and ask if they could get a one-on-one interview with him. “By the way, who was your source?” she asked, but all she got was silence. The editor had hung up.

  “Damn it.” She slammed the receiver down so hard her desk shook. Putting her fingers to her temples, she rubbed hard. The headache she’d woken up with was showing no signs of easing.

  “That bad?”

  Kelly looked up to find her boss standing in the doorway. As usual, Katherine was dressed in a beautifully tailored suit that fit her slender figure like a glove. “Sorry.” She lowered her hands and rested her arms on the desk. “I’ve been fielding calls all morning.”

  Katherine moved forward and gave her a sympathetic smile. “If it’s any consolation, I’ve been getting them too. Everyone is clamoring to be the first to get Matt on the record about his son.”

  “I got a call from his agent as soon as I got into the office. He informed me that for the foreseeable future Matt won’t be taking questions in the media room after the game.” Kelly sighed. “I don’t blame him one bit.”

  Katherine glanced at her watch. “The game is due to start in about an hour. Before then I’d like you to write up a press release stating that the organization is deeply sorry for Matt’s loss and we’re supporting his decision not to speak to the media regarding the death of his son.”

  “I’ve already started it.” Kelly glanced at her computer screen. “I’ll have a draft ready for your review in about fifteen minutes.”

  “I’ll be in my office.” Katherine turned to leave, then stopped and looked back, her gaze curious. “Have you been able to find out who spoke to the tabloid?”

  “No,” she said with a grimace. “But I’m sure whoever it was received a huge check.”

  After Katherine had left, Kelly opened her drawer and retrieved the small bottle of aspirin she kept inside. She took two with a huge gulp of water and wished they would ease the pain in her heart as well as the ache in her head.

  How could he? How could Matt believe the worst of her? Without any hesitation whatsoever he�
��d tried and convicted her of betraying him without even letting her speak.

  And, to make matters worse, he wasn’t taking her calls. She’d left three messages but all she’d received in return was silence. Obviously he didn’t want to talk to her. A dry sob burned in her throat. How could this be happening? Matt hated her. And what was worse—despite everything—she was still in love with the jerk.

  * * *

  With quick efficient movements Matt buttoned his shirt. Although he faced his locker, he could feel the tension in the room. It was that palpable. This morning when he’d walked into the clubhouse every single one of his teammates had looked at him with varying degrees of pity. He sensed many of them wanted to say something—to offer their sympathies, but unsure of his reaction they’d kept quiet.

  As much as he didn’t want to address the situation, it had to be dealt with. And now was the perfect time. Today all media had been restricted from entering the clubhouse. It was just him and his teammates.

  Taking a deep breath, he turned from his locker. “I’d like to say something,” he said, raising his voice as he did a quick scan of the room. Next to him, Lopes and J.T. stopped talking and turned their attention toward him. The rest of the guys, including Rizzo, quieted down and watched him with somber expressions.

  “I’m sure you all saw the report on ESPN last night or this morning.” He paused to gather his thoughts. “Everything they said is true. I...lost my son a year ago in July. The reason I never went public was because I didn’t want the media hounding my son’s mother, or me. What we went through, and the circumstances surrounding it, were private, and I wanted to keep it that way.

  “Unfortunately, someone,” he took a breath as the pain of Kelly’s betrayal knifed through him, “found out about Joey and decided to make it public.” He let his gaze move around the room, resting briefly on each of his teammates. “So that means on top of all the media scrutiny we’re under because of the division race, the press will not only be hounding me, but you guys as well. And that’s the last thing we need right now.”

  Matt cleared his throat and continued, “I know a few of you have questioned my loyalty, but I’m telling you right now that you don’t have to. I’m not going to let this affect my focus and I don’t want it to affect yours. We’ve got two weeks left to win the division and, with all due respect to my former team, on the last day of the season, the Blaze will be the last team standing.”