Stealing Second

by Alison Packard

  “Did you know I worked for the Blaze when you accepted the job?” It was the one question she’d never gotten an answer to. Scratch that. One of two.

  A scowl darkened his face. “It was the job I wanted, so I took it.”

  “You didn’t answer the question.” Katherine’s cheeks grew warm under his intense scrutiny. Lifting a hand, she fiddled with a tendril of hair that had escaped the confines of her sleek bun. “Did you know?”

  “Yes,” Tom said tersely, then went silent. And in that silence memories shimmered in the air between them. Memories even seventeen years and his betrayal couldn’t erase.

  She cleared her throat to break the tension that permeated the room. “What’s the status on Rizzo’s thumb?”

  “Same as yesterday. But I’m optimistic he’ll be off the DL next week. I may give him a start in the Colorado series.”

  “That’s good news. He’s been missed in the rotation. We need both him and Gentry if we’re going to have a shot at making it to the post-season.”

  “We’re gonna need a lot more than Rizzo and Gentry.” Tom sighed. “When we lost Lopes to free agency, we lost one of our best hitters. Scanlon isn’t a miracle worker.”

  Despite the tense relationship between her and Tom, Katherine felt a certain degree of sympathy for him. The Blaze had won their first World Series almost two years ago, then fell to St. Louis last season in the National League Championship series. There was a lot of pressure on him to ensure the Blaze returned to the post-season and secured another World Series win. But with a weaker team than last year, the odds didn’t seem to be in his favor.

  “One game at a time.” Katherine gave him a rueful smile. “Isn’t that what you always say to the guys?”

  “Yes.” He inclined his head and fixed her with a speculative gaze. “Are you saying I should listen to my own advice?”

  “You should. As advice goes, it’s excellent.”

  A grin split his handsome face. Katherine’s heart skipped a beat at the sight of it. Just like it had the first time she’d ever seen him—that long-ago day when Mrs. Raby had walked him into homeroom and introduced him to his new classmates.

  “I think that’s the most complimentary thing I’ve heard from you since I’ve been here,” he said with a wry grin.

  Despite herself, her lips quirked with amusement. “Don’t get used to it.” She glanced past him to the credenza behind his desk and among the several framed photos on top of it, noted one of him and his sister, taken at the ESPY awards the year the Blaze won the World Series. “How’s Sheila?”

  Tom’s eyes softened. They always did when the subject of his older sister came up. “I talked to her last night. She’ll be in Phoenix on business the same week the team will be there. Even though we live in the same city during the season, I don’t see as much of her as I’d like. It’ll be good to connect with her in Phoenix. Even if it’s only for dinner.”

  Katherine manufactured a smile, grateful she rarely accompanied the team on road trips. Being in such close proximity to Tom for days at a time would make their already-tense relationship even more strained. “Do you need me to arrange for some seats?”

  “If it’s no trouble.”

  “Not at all. I’ll see what I can come up with and get back to you.”

  “Thanks, Katie.”

  Katherine waved a dismissive hand. “Don’t thank me. I’d do the same for anyone on the team.”

  His eyes became flat and inscrutable. “Are we ever going to talk about it?”

  She didn’t have to ask what he was referring to. But talk about it? Now? Snow would fall in hell before that happened. “I don’t see the point.”

  “Right.” His tone was sarcastic. “No point at all.”

  Katherine stiffened and lifted her chin. Their past hung between them for a long, tense moment. “Don’t call me Katie,” she finally said, then turned and left his office.

  * * *

  Tom watched Katie walk out of his office, and not for the first time wondered why he’d accepted Doug Lowry’s offer to manage the Blaze instead of the competing offer he’d received from the Rangers. It wasn’t like he hadn’t known Katie worked for the team—over the years, via a few of their mutual friends from high school, he’d learned that she’d interned for the Blaze during college, and when she graduated from UC Berkeley they’d hired her full-time. Thirteen years later, she held the position of senior vice president of communications and was damn good at her job. Tom wasn’t surprised—in high school she was at the top of their graduating class and had been voted most likely to succeed.

  Although he’d known working alongside Katie would be a challenge, given their past, he’d convinced himself that the opportunity to manage a major league club with the Blaze’s potential was the chance of a lifetime. If he couldn’t play anymore, he could manage, and as it turned out, he was better suited to leading a team than to the day-to-day grind of playing.

  Not that managing wasn’t a challenge. Dealing with the players and their massive egos required equal measures of authority, patience and restraint. Luckily, he was blessed with an abundance of all three—except when it came to dealing with Katie. She was still the only person who’d ever been able to get under his skin. Funny how he’d conveniently forgotten that when he accepted the position. Lately though, working with her had become more difficult. Her icy exterior was taking its toll on him in more ways than one.

  Tom moved to the team’s schedule taped to the wall and tried to banish Katie from his mind. It was mid-August and the Blaze had fallen to third place in the division. The Dodgers were five games ahead of them in the standings and were currently on a six-game winning streak. Maybe their archrivals would suffer a meltdown, and the Blaze could come from behind and take the division. If not, the wild-card slot was up for grabs, and given the win-loss records of the other teams in contention, realistically it was within reach. Tom hadn’t given up on making it to the post-season—two years ago the Blaze’s season had looked just as bleak but they’d gone on to win the World Series. There was no reason they couldn’t do that again.

  A sharp rap on the door pulled him from his thoughts. He turned to see the main reason the team had won that World Series championship standing at the threshold.

  “Got a minute, Skipper?” Matt Scanlon asked, and respectfully waited to be invited in.

  Tom waved him inside. “What’s up?”

  “There’s a rumor going around the clubhouse that Taylor is coming back to the team,” Matt said as he ambled into the spacious office. “Any truth to that?”

  Tom scowled and returned to his desk. He wasn’t surprised the word was out, just at how quickly it had made its way to the clubhouse. “Sit down,” he said, as he sat in his own chair and closed his laptop.

  Matt settled in the chair across from him. If he was concerned Taylor was coming back for the starting catcher position, it wasn’t evident by his demeanor. But then again, Matt was still at the top of his game and had replaced Rick Taylor as the team’s leader after Taylor quit baseball. Every guy on the team respected Matt, even the ones leery of him when he’d first arrived.

  “When did the rumor start?”

  “A couple of days ago. But it’s picking up steam. Some of the guys are still in touch with Taylor. Maybe he’s said something to them.” Matt leaned forward to rest his forearms on his knees. “Look, this might be the thing we need to boost morale. From the reaction I’m seeing in the clubhouse, the guys are stoked that Rick’s trying to put his life back together. He’s still young, and if he’s half as good as he was when he decided to quit, then it wouldn’t take much time in the minors to get him up to speed. And as much as I hate to say it, with J.T. gone, we need a quality backup.”

  Tom agreed. Losing J.T. Sawyer at the end of his contract had been a blow to the team. But he understood J.T.’s decision. In San Francisco, he’d been the second-string catcher behind Matt, but in San Diego, with the second-place Padres, he was the starter and ha
ving an All Star–caliber season. Unfortunately, J.T.’s replacement wasn’t living up to expectations.

  “I don’t confirm or deny rumors, you know that. But as soon as I know something definite, the team will be advised as soon as possible.” After Katie, of course. Otherwise she’d have him skewered on a spit over a crackling fire before sundown.

  “That’s fair.” Matt nodded and pushed up from the chair. “I’ll say ‘no comment’ if I’m asked about it in the media room tonight after the game.”

  After Scanlon left his office, Tom swiveled his chair around to face the credenza and let his gaze rest on the smiling image of his sister. Sheila Morgan was one of the reasons he’d landed in San Francisco. Two years older than him, Sheila had left for college when he was a junior in high school. She attended USF and after graduating decided to stay in San Francisco. There weren’t many people he felt comfortable confiding in, but his big sister was one of them. As much as he loved his parents, there were some things he couldn’t talk to either of them about.

  The other reason he’d accepted the job with the Blaze rather than staying in Texas and managing the Rangers wasn’t a mystery. He was certifiably crazy. Why else would he subject himself to working so closely with the woman who’d walked away from him seventeen years ago without a backward glance?

  At first, the pain of losing Katie had been unbearable. Then he’d found a way to live with it. Only that solution had created a whole other set of problems, and by the time he’d figured it out, he was damn lucky he hadn’t completely ruined his career…or killed someone in the process.

  * * *

  Just past one o’clock, Katherine sipped her raspberry iced tea and looked into the bluest eyes she’d ever seen. Adam Logan’s penetrating gaze was mesmerizing, and rumor had it his movie-star good looks had left a trail of broken hearts from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Although Adam was co-founder of one of the top sports management agencies in California, and their lunch today at Kamu’s was strictly professional, feminine instinct told her that Adam wouldn’t be averse to a more personal relationship if she were so inclined. And lately, she’d been thinking she might be. She was tired of bringing a different date to the various social functions she attended. Maybe it was time to find someone a little more…permanent.

  “Thanks for meeting me on such short notice,” she said as she set her glass on the table. “I’ll cut to the chase. I believe Leah Porter is an excellent fit for the position we have open. Not only is she an excellent writer, she knows baseball and looks great on camera.”

  “I spoke to Leah about the position and she’s definitely interested, but she’s concerned that online reporting, even for the Blaze, will be limiting,” Adam said, then paused as their server returned to the table to fill his water glass. With an amiable nod, he thanked the young woman, who’d been extraordinarily attentive ever since they’d sat down, then looked back at Katherine. “Her goal is television.”

  Katherine nodded. “I understand and frankly, after meeting with her, I think she’s got what it takes to make it on the national level. If she accepts our offer, she’ll be the dedicated reporter for the Blaze. Not only will she be responsible for posting articles on the team’s website, she’ll be the face of the team for the majority of the video segments we run on the site, as well as the human-interest pieces we release to the local sports affiliates. It’s valuable exposure and an opportunity that doesn’t come along every day.”

  A charming smile curved his lips, revealing a dimple on his cheek that softened his handsomely chiseled features. “I can’t disagree. I’ll call her when I get back to the office. If she decides to accept your offer, I’ll contact you regarding compensation and we can go from there.”

  “Wonderful.” She smiled and picked up her fork. “I look forward to hearing from you.”

  They ate in companionable silence for almost a minute until Adam’s phone chimed. “Excuse me. I’ve been expecting an important text.” He picked up his phone and studied the screen.

  Katherine took the opportunity to survey the room. Kamu’s, located across from Blaze Field, was a popular spot for the Blaze players, coaches and front office staff. It was also a place where the fans could mingle with the players—as long as it was done respectfully. The owner, a longtime Blaze fan, had no qualms about tossing out any fans who harassed the players.

  As she took a bite of Kamu’s grilled salmon, she wasn’t surprised to see Kelly Maxwell enter the restaurant and head straight for the mahogany bar. Kelly and her boyfriend, Matt Scanlon, now lived together in a luxury condo nearby, and were regulars at Kamu’s. Since she was positive Kelly didn’t drink during working hours, Katherine assumed her number-one employee was waiting for takeout. Kelly turned, as if sensing she was being watched, and then smiled and waved when her gaze connected with Katherine’s. Kelly’s attention quickly shifted to Adam and her smile grew even wider. No doubt Kelly was thinking there was more to Katherine’s lunch than just lunch.

  “There’s something else we need to discuss.”

  Katherine returned her attention to Adam. “Regarding Leah?” she asked.

  “No. Rick Taylor.” He returned his phone to the table. “He’s signed with Logan-Johnson and wants to return to baseball. To the Blaze, to be precise.”

  “So it’s official,” she said, and despite her best efforts not to let it affect her, a wave of emotion threatened to engulf her. Rick Taylor had been through hell, and many, including her, believed there was no chance he’d ever play pro ball again. Never had she been so happy to be wrong. She glanced toward the bar, her stomach plunging at the sight of Kelly motioning to Tom, who was standing in the vestibule near the entrance. For a moment he hesitated, then strode toward Kelly and slid onto a stool next to her.

  As she watched Tom and Kelly’s easy familiarity, Katherine tamped down her jealousy. There was nothing romantic going on between Tom and Kelly. Kelly had eyes only for Matt, and as for Tom, well, she had no clue if he was seeing anyone and she didn’t want to know. After all this time, the thought of him with anyone shouldn’t bother her, but it did.

  Damn it all.

  Why hadn’t he stayed in Texas and left her in peace?

  Chapter Two

  The words coming out of Kelly Maxwell’s mouth could have been Latin, or even Chinese, for all Tom knew. It wasn’t until she said Rick Taylor’s name that he forced himself to look away from the mirror behind Kamu’s polished wood bar. “What have you heard about Rick?” he asked her.

  “Only what Matt has told me. Rumor has it that Rick is determined to reclaim his place on the team.” Kelly swiveled on her stool and rested her elbow on the bar. She was wearing black pants and a matching blazer with a white shirt underneath—pretty much her standard workday attire. Tom figured he could count on one hand the number of times he’d seen her in a dress. “Is it true?”

  “It’s only speculation at this point. And that’s exactly what I told your boss this morning.”

  He grinned as Kelly gave him a sheepish smile.

  “You can’t blame me for trying.”

  “You and Katherine should know better than to tag-team me.” He made sure to use Katie’s given name. It didn’t suit her, but ever since he’d been in San Francisco she’d insisted on it. It was yet another tactic to distance herself from her past. “Y’all act like I never share any information with you, and that’s just not true. The fact is, Doug is the only one we know of who’s spoken directly to Rick. All I was told is that Rick is mulling it over.”

  “I hope he comes back.” Kelly pushed her long ponytail over her shoulder and sighed. “After everything that’s happened to him, he deserves it.”

  “That’s big of you, considering he’d be competing with Matt for the starting catcher position.”

  “Matt can take care of himself. And he’s not worried.”

  “No reason for him to be.”

  Not yet anyway. Everything depended on Taylor’s physical conditioning and skills. He’d b
een well on his way to a Rookie of the Year season before his motorcycle accident. His rehab had progressed much better than expected, and he’d been due to return to the team a year ago last spring. But then, tragically, his wife and unborn child had been killed in a car accident and he’d decided to quit baseball for good.

  But now that his grief had eased, Taylor was having second thoughts. That was what Doug said, anyway. It remained to be seen if Rick would actually stage a comeback. That the team would take him back wasn’t in question. Rick was a part of the Blaze family and he’d get a chance to make the roster. What was in question was whether he still had what it took to play pro ball. Tom hoped he did. Rick Taylor was a fine young man and he was from Texas. A Texan would fight to the end, or die trying. The Alamo was proof of that.

  Kelly nudged his arm and gave him a sly grin. “Did you notice Katherine is here?”

  Damn straight, he’d noticed. That was who he’d been staring at in the mirror. Katie, and one of the country’s top sports agents, Adam Logan, were sitting in a booth in the back and looked a little too friendly for his liking. Tom pressed his lips together as the sound of Katie’s full-bodied laughter rose above the quiet chatter in the room. She hadn’t laughed like that in his presence since the summer after high school.

  “Is she?” he said with feigned innocence and turned to look in the same direction as Kelly. “Business meeting?” he asked, hoping to get the lowdown on Katie’s private life.

  “Probably. But a part of me hopes it’s more.”

  Tom fought off a scowl. “Why do you say that?”

  Kelly offered him a wistful smile. “Because all she does is work. She needs to get out and have some fun.” She turned toward the bar as the server set her take-out order in front of her. “Gotta run. I’m swamped. I’ll see you in the media room after the game.” She slid from her stool, grabbed her lunch, then strode toward the exit.

  Kelly was right about one thing. Katie was a helluva hard worker, but Tom found it difficult to believe she didn’t find time for fun, and he knew for a fact she wasn’t living like a cloistered nun. She’d brought a different man to just about every single Blaze social function Tom had attended since he’d signed on as manager. Obviously, she wasn’t lacking for dates.