Earning a Ring (More Than a Game Series Book 4)

by Kristina Mathews

  She was too much.

  And he’d have to figure out a way to get her to believe in him. He wasn’t going to be able to buy his way into her heart. He’d have to earn his way. He’d have to work for it every day. He’d have to prove to her that he could be the man she deserved.

  Chapter 11

  “Nice ride.” Carl was waiting with the camera crew in front of Hunter and Marco’s house.

  “Bryce surprised me with it. That’s why I’m late.” She should be ecstatic that her husband had given her such a gift. Too bad she hated surprises. She’d had her fill of them lately.

  “What’s the matter, afraid he’s trying too hard?” Carl asked, much closer to the truth than she’d like to admit.

  “No. It’s just, I’ve had my old Honda for so long. Since before I started working for the Goliaths. It’s going to be hard to part with an old friend.” Maybe part of that was true, but she didn’t want to reveal the real reason the pit of her stomach was knotted, and it had little to do with the new car smell that made her pull over and nearly lose her breakfast.

  Her ex, Carter, had often given her expensive gifts. A necklace, earrings, a diamond tennis bracelet. It was the last gift that came with the added bonus of a drunken confession of infidelity. The gifts were to soothe his conscience against hooking up with a waitress, a woman he’d met on a flight to New York, and the intern who was working on a big case with him.

  So yeah, the TV commercials made it seem romantic to be surprised with a brand new car as a testament of love, but Rachel couldn’t help but wonder if Bryce was only trying to make up for the times he’d been with other women. Like last night? No. She couldn’t bear to think about that. Because deep down, she wanted this marriage to work. She wanted the kind of family she hadn’t quite had growing up. She wanted her child to only know having a mommy and a daddy living in the same house, working together to create a home. She didn’t want her son or daughter to ever feel like a mistake.

  But she couldn’t think about all that right now. She had an interview to conduct with one of her fellow wives. A woman who had been the majority owner of the team. She’d given it all up for love. It was a concept Rachel couldn’t quite comprehend. She couldn’t imagine giving up her career for a man. Then again, she couldn’t imagine having the kind of money Hunter had. The amount she received from the sale of her team was more than all the players’ salaries combined.

  As if she wasn’t intimidated enough by the woman who’d grown up such a daddy’s girl that he’d bought her a baseball team. Rachel would have settled for a birthday card from her own father. Some acknowledgement that he even knew she existed.

  Didn’t matter. She was thirty years old. She’d survived this long without a father. She had Greg, and he’d been a decent stepfather. If she’d asked, he would have been more than happy to walk her down the aisle. He would have even offered a toast. But she was glad she hadn’t had to ask him to foot the bill. They were still paying off her sister Megan’s wedding. His daughter. The apple of his eye.

  “I got dust in my eye.” Rachel whipped out her compact mirror to see if she’d need to touch up her mascara before appearing on camera. Just a small smudge she could take care of with a swipe of her pinky.

  “Are you ready?” Carl shouldered the heavy camera as she nodded and rang the bell.

  “Sorry I’m late.” Rachel apologized as Hunter opened the door. “Bryce surprised me with a new car and it took a little longer than I expected to get the paperwork taken care of, and then I had to figure out how to adjust the mirrors and such.”

  “No problem.” Hunter opened the door and welcomed them into her home she now shared with Marco Santiago. “A new car, huh? Marco used to send me lingerie.”

  She laughed, as if they had been the best of friends. “He had it delivered to my office. I was mortified. Especially since the gal whipped out a tape measure to do a bra fitting right there on the spot.”

  “I guess that’s a little more embarrassing than a brand new Range Rover with a big red bow sitting in front of the building.”

  “Really? A big red bow?” Hunter laughed again as she led Rachel back to the kitchen where she had pot of tea sitting on the table. “I swear, they don’t know how to be subtle, do they?”

  “No. Subtlety is definitely not something that gets them to the big leagues.” Rachel relaxed a little at the common bond she shared with Hunter. They were both married to major league ballplayers. World Series champions. Men who had made it to the ultimate stage and thrived there. Except for Bryce’s bunt in game three of the World Series, neither of them had ever played small ball.

  “You gotta love them, though.” Hunter poured them each a cup of tea. “They have to show their love with actions instead of words. Even if their actions are over the top.”

  Hunter’s face glowed with happiness. She was truly in love with her husband, and it was almost as if she expected everyone around her to be just as happy.

  “I guess I need to think of it that way.” Rachel still felt bad for not being as excited about the car as Bryce had clearly expected her to be. “It’s just that I told him I wasn’t ready to give up my old car. God, I’m so lame. You gave up your team for Marco. And here I am freaking out about losing my identity over a used Honda.”

  Hunter laughed and patted her on the hand.

  “I can’t tell you how many people have commented on that same thing. ‘How could I give up my career for a man?’ But you know what? I don’t see it that way at all. I didn’t choose being the owner of the Goliaths. I would give anything to have my father still in that position.”

  A quick glance out the window, followed by a small sigh, and then Hunter continued. “I was given control of the team under the worst of circumstances.” She offered a brave smile. “I think I held it together okay. But it was never my lifelong goal to be the big boss. I wanted the team to do well. I wanted the Goliaths to succeed. I achieved that. I brought Marco here. And Bryce.”

  “Yes, you did. And both those acquisitions made a huge impact.” Rachel had been so put at ease by Hunter’s hospitality that she hadn’t even realized that the camera had been rolling for some time.

  “I got exactly what I wanted for the team.” Hunter took a sip of tea with a knowing smile over the rim of the cup. “I made sure that Marco would be locked up for the future, and I strongly encouraged the re-signing of Bryce Baxter.”

  “Thank you.” Rachel felt her cheeks warm. “It means a lot to him.”

  “And to you, I’m sure.” Hunter smiled warmly. “I think it would be hard on you to have to worry about him ending up in another city after this season. You’ve made a name for yourself here in San Francisco, and I can’t imagine what it would be like to have to choose between your career and following Bryce to another team.”

  “Yeah, that would be tough. But I guess that’s the price you pay when you marry a ballplayer.” Rachel tucked her hair behind her ear. “I’m sure there are plenty of players’ wives who’ve put their careers on hold, hoping that their men could make it in the big leagues long enough that they could plan a future together.”

  “It’s not exactly the most family-friendly lifestyle.” Hunter acknowledged. “For me, it’s easy to travel with the team. I have no job, no kids to demand my attention. I can follow Marco to city after city. It’s almost like an extended honeymoon. Except for when they lose.”

  Both women laughed at the shared bond of having to deal with their cranky, frustrated men who didn’t take failure too well, despite the years of experience with it.

  “So I have a couple of questions that the viewers want to know. How did you and Marco meet? Did you know him personally before he came over in the trade from St. Louis?”

  “I’d only seen him play a few times, but we’d never met until I picked him up from the airport.” Hunter’s face lit up in a love-struck glow. “If I’d known there would be something between us… No. I still would have traded for him. At the time, the team came firs
t. I might have sent someone else to the airport. But that would have just delayed the inevitable.”

  “What’s the most romantic thing Marco has ever done for you?”

  “Won the World Series.” Hunter may have been teasing. “He had help, of course, but he knew how important it was for me to make it happen last year.”

  “Because of your father?”

  Hunter nodded, a bittersweet smile on her face.

  “So what are some of the things he does that drives you crazy? Pet peeves.” Rachel got the feeling Hunter didn’t want to keep talking about the death of her father at the beginning of last season. This was supposed to be an upbeat piece.

  “He’s kind of a grump when he loses.” Hunter looked grateful at the change of direction. “We both know what that’s like. Our men feel that deep down they should be invincible. If they have a bad game, it’s because they didn’t work hard enough, or didn’t focus entirely. It has nothing to do with the other team working just as hard, focusing just as much. It’s funny that in a game where failure is the rule, rather than the exception, they take failure rather personally.”

  “Yes, indeed.” Rachel couldn’t agree more. “So how do you help him deal with the inevitable failures?”

  “Sometimes distraction works.” Hunter gave a knowing grin. “Other times when he’s got that ‘leave me alone, I’m mad at the world’ look, I leave him alone and sooner or later he’ll come up to me, maybe start by rubbing my shoulders. Then I know he’s ready to connect. And he could really use a backrub.”

  Rachel hoped she would be able to interpret Bryce’s moods so easily. Most of the time they’d spent together had been when he was riding the highs of victory. Even when they’d first met, before the season started, he’d been feeling pretty good, signing a decent free agent contract with a team he’d believed had a pretty good chance at winning it all. He’d been right about the team. They’d both been wrong about their relationship being casual.

  “Okay, so I hate to ask, but I need some dirt. Does Marco help around the house? Or does he expect you to pick up after him like the clubhouse attendants?”

  “Oh, he’s pretty good. He likes to cook when he’s home. Mostly breakfast since that’s the only meal we get to share every day. At first it kind of bugged me the way he tried to take over my kitchen.” Both women shared a commiserating laugh. “But then I realized I’d rather have him help than not have to spend an extra five minutes looking for the spatula because he put it in the wrong drawer.”

  “Sounds like the perfect guy.” She cringed, knowing that comment would set Bryce off.

  “He’s the perfect guy for me.” Hunter tucked a long strand of her deep brown hair behind her ear. “He does tend to leave his shoes lying around. And he’s got really big shoes.”

  Her cheeks pinked.

  “So besides leaving his shoes everywhere, what else drives you crazy?”

  “He takes my happiness personally.” Hunter’s voice held a strained note. “I mean, if I’m not ecstatic every second of every day, he thinks it’s his job to entertain me. Like he doesn’t understand I’m trying to figure out my role in life. I was Henry Collins’s daughter for so long, and then I was thrown into the role of the Goliaths’ owner. He doesn’t understand that I’m not quite sure what I want to be when I grow up. I mean, I went into baseball to please my father. I left baseball because I thought it would be easier on Marco and the team… But now I’m not sure.”

  Rachel had worried that this interview would be just another fluff piece. She hadn’t expected it to get serious. But maybe she could do a better job here by asking harder questions.

  “Do you regret letting the team go?”

  Hunter looked off in the distance, then she shook her head.

  “No. That’s the really weird part. I did what I truly believed was best for the Goliaths and for Marco. The team needs him. And he needs the Goliaths. I’m glad Marvin Dempsey took my advice and extended Bryce’s contract. And I really believe that Nathan Cooper learned his lesson and will be an even stronger player for us than he ever would have been if he hadn’t been suspended and traded.”

  “You’re not finished with baseball.” Rachel knew when someone was passionate about something, and Hunter was still passionate about the team. “You still have a lot to contribute.”

  “Maybe. But I never wanted to be in the spotlight.” Hunter leaned forward. “That’s for guys like Marco and Bryce. And at some point, we’re going to want to start a family.”

  Hunter wrapped both hands around her cup and stared down into her tea.

  “Best of luck with that,” Rachel offered. “And thank you for this interview.”

  “I didn’t realize the interview had started,” Hunter said. “I thought we were just chatting still.”

  “I think that’s what makes a great show. We’re just a couple of friends, sharing a cup of tea and conversation about the realities of being Goliaths’ wives. I hope the viewers enjoy it as much as I have.”

  Carl switched off the camera, signaling he’d gotten the footage he needed. There would be some editing, but for the most part, she felt pretty good about the segment. If only she could come up with a better name than “Diamond Divas.”

  She’d made up a list of things to talk about, but she hadn’t even had to check her notes, the conversation had just flowed naturally. It seemed like the kind of piece her producer was looking for. Lightweight, upbeat, yet just personal enough to bring the fans into the inner circle.

  “Would you like to stay for lunch?” Hunter asked after Carl headed for the truck.

  “Sure. That would be great.” Rachel was a little surprised by the invitation, but she was also kind of lonely with Bryce gone for the next week. “Let me put these files in my car.”

  When she opened the passenger door, the new car smell hit her hard. A fresh wave of nausea hit her and she dropped to the curb. Tucking her head between her knees, she breathed slowly, hoping it would pass.

  “Rachel, are you okay?” Hunter must have seen her fall to the ground. Well, she didn’t fall, but it probably looked like it from the doorway.

  “Yeah. Just give me a minute.” She fumbled in her purse for her stash of pita chips. With shaky hands, she opened the plastic bag and started munching on her go-to snack. Relief came after a few bites. “Maybe I should get going.”

  “Maybe you should come inside. Eat something.” Hunter extended a hand to help her up. She had a knowing grin on her face. “Are congratulations in order?”

  Rachel could only nod as she rose to her feet with the help of her new friend. “Thank you.” She finally felt like she could speak without those ridiculous tears that sprang up at the most unexpected moments. She understood why diaper commercials would make her cry, but she couldn’t figure out why she teared up at wireless family plan ads or the one with Jake from State Farm.

  “Morning sickness, huh?” Hunter sounded curious, but maybe a little unsure how much to ask.

  “Yeah. I thought it was getting better, but certain smells can set me off.” And stress. Anytime she started to freak out about how her life felt so out of control, her body decided to show her what it really meant to be out of control.

  “But it’ll be worth it, right? When you hold your baby for the first time, you’ll forget all about being sick and everything else that comes with the pregnancy.”

  “Yeah. I’m sure it will all be worth it.” It was what she was supposed to say. She couldn’t admit that she was terrified. Kids hadn’t been part of her plan. It wasn’t that she didn’t like kids, she did. But she’d never really been one of those girls who couldn’t wait to get married and have kids and a white picket fence.

  “Bryce must be excited.” Hunter kept the small talk going.

  “I guess you could say that.” Was he excited? Or was it just his way to put on a smile and act like whatever came his way was the best thing to ever happen to him? “It was kind of a surprise to both of us. But you know Bryce.”
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  “Yeah. Midas.” Hunter had been there during the postseason last year. She’d witnessed the way everything Bryce touched had been golden. Right alongside him was Marco, though. And Marco was still playing like it was that magical three weeks in October. “I have to say, Marco will be jealous.”

  “Marco, the guy hitting .378? Jealous of the man with a hundred point lower batting average?”

  “Marco wants to start a family,” Hunter informed her. “But we wanted to wait until the season began to start trying, so I wouldn’t be going into labor during the playoffs.”

  “I can see how that would be a problem.” Fortunately, Rachel’s due date was in early December. That was about the only thing about this pregnancy that didn’t stress her out.

  “But what if it doesn’t happen right away?” Hunter patted her lower abdomen. “What if I can’t give him the one thing he wants more than anything?”

  A year ago, both their husbands would have said they’d wanted a World Series ring more than anything. Bryce already had a daughter. Rachel really hoped she could give him a son. The one thing he didn’t have yet.

  “I’m sure things will work out for you.” But what if they didn’t? What if they went months, maybe even years without being able to conceive? It didn’t seem fair that couples who were truly ready to take on the commitment of becoming parents often had trouble getting pregnant. And then there were people like her and Bryce.

  * * * *

  “Help me understand women.” Bryce was waiting his turn for batting practice with Marco. “I mean, what do they want from us?”

  “I think they want to keep us guessing.” Marco chuckled. Easy for him. He had the perfect wife. She knew what she wanted and she’d gone after it. She’d gone after Marco and a lot of the guys were more than a little envious. Not that Marco had landed the former owner, but that he’d landed a woman who didn’t play games. She just played to win. And they all had shiny diamond rings because of her.

  “You’d think she’d be happy.” Bryce still couldn’t believe she wasn’t more excited about the car. “I mean you spend that kind of money on a woman, and… Shit. I’m an idiot.”