Falling for Centerfield

by Sophia Summers

  Ryker called. “Dude, is this for real?”

  “Yes, are you on your way?”

  “Tying my bowtie in the car.”

  “Tell me you aren’t wearing your white tux.”

  “You know I am, with the aqua tie.”

  Cole laughed. “She’s gonna love you.”

  “You off to Seneca?”

  “Yeah, man. I messed up. Do you think the Bonfire will give me a chance?”

  “She’s one smart woman.”

  His shoulders dropped. “I know.” He had little hope.

  “So she’ll probably give you another chance.”

  “Alright!” he air pumped.

  “But don’t mess up.”

  He swallowed, thinking of all the times he’d blown it since he’d known her. “I’ll do my best.”

  Chapter 26

  Harlow stood to speak. And she poured her heart into her words. Everywhere, women nodded and smiled. Cheers broke out in the middle of her sentences. People loved it. She hoped the press was picking it up. “Imagine, just imagine if the story of the world was told from a woman’s perspective, how much more you would understand about yourselves.” They cheered. “Let’s start participating in the dialogue.”

  “I got a few things to say.”

  Everyone gasped at the man’s voice from the back of the room, but Harlow’s heart skipped a happy beat. And her face broke out into a smile.

  He came.

  The audience craned their necks. She searched the banquet hall, but he was nowhere to be seen.

  “Harlow can dish it out, but can she take it?”

  A few of the ladies gasped and looked to Harlow with concerned eyes.

  “Can hashtag HeckleHarlow be heckled? That’s what I want to know.”

  She couldn’t figure out where his voice was coming from. Then a few of the ladies’ expressions gave him away. They tried overly hard to look inconspicuous.

  Once she found him, somehow, she had more confidence. “Some of us work hard to change the world, to wake people from their false sleep.”

  The crowd cheered.

  She grinned as she said it. “And others play baseball.”

  The ladies gasped again and began searching all over, probably guessing who might have come.

  He stood, and the room cheered. He left his glasses at home, but as he walked toward her, she grinned at his bright yellow shoes. She held her stomach, watching him approach, steady, but slow enough to drive her crazy with anticipation. At last he stood at her front, warm eyes full of caring, hope, a touch of insecurity. He leaned over and spoke into the microphone. “And some of us do both.”

  The ladies all stood and clapped.

  He waved to the crowd and asked to hold the microphone. “Sorry I’m late.”

  They cheered again. And Harlow couldn’t fathom how a room full of progressive strong women would lose it over a hot baseball player. But then he started talking, and she began to understand.

  “You women inspire me. And I’m a little scared, I’ll admit it.”

  They laughed, delighted.

  “You do great things with your lives, many of you hold our families together. You work for change, and you’re smart.” He bumped Harlow’s shoulder with his own. “It took me four years to have a real conversation with Harlow, I was so petrified.”

  She couldn’t believe what was happening.

  “But I want you to know I support you. I see you. I believe you.”

  They stood again and cheered.

  “The way I see it, if a woman goes to all this effort to be heard, someone should listen.”

  They cheered again.

  “And so I hope by my coming here, a few more people have heard your voices, and the changes we need can start to take place.”

  He went on, his voice warm, caring, funny. He talked about privilege. He shared how he was born without it and had spent his entire life trying to be grateful for the privilege gifted to him. He talked about the boys at the center. And every eye filled with tears. “There was a time Harlow doubted me, and it hurt. But I came to realize that if we want to be trusted, we have to be transparent, we have to be honest, and we have to be trustworthy. Those little boys call me Daddy. And I’m not their daddy, but I’m hoping to find them a good one. ’Cause one day, a good one found me.” And then he choked up. “And I hope I can keep him around a whole lot longer.” He cleared his throat and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “But really, I came here to listen to Harlow. We all did.” He handed the microphone back to Harlow. Then he mumbled, “This is why I like my shades.”

  She grinned and pulled a pair out of her pocket. “Little Dawg’s got you covered.”

  He winked and put them on and then held out his hands, doing his signature dance. And the women humored him and cheered some more. Then he took his seat up at the front.

  Harlow finished her speech. She poured her heart into her remaining words, and by the time she was finished, no dry eyes looked back at her from the audience. She bowed to their great cheering. She finished out the event, thanked everyone for coming, and then wished they would all hurry and leave.

  But Cole stuck around. He talked to as many as approached him. He signed napkins. One woman even brought a baseball for her son. And Harlow loved him for it.

  At last, they’d cleaned up, closed up, thanked everyone, and found themselves in a dark parking lot, alone.

  “Cole.” Harlow didn’t even know what to say.

  “Bonfire. I’ve been an idiot. I hope this begins to make a start at proving myself a better man?”

  “You are the very best of men, if only I would see it all of the time.”

  “I gave you every reason to doubt me, toyed with your worst fears, and failed to see everything that truly mattered to you and to me.”

  She shook her head. “You’re the real deal, Cole Hunter. You do what everyone only talks about doing—if you’d just be you, the real you . . .” She coughed. That wasn’t totally fair. “I know I need to pay attention, if I’d just see it…”

  “No more confusion. I’m me. Big Dawg, Cole Hunter all the time from now on.”

  “Good, ’cause he’s the man I love, the crazy magic hands and the tender son. Foster child champion. The whole package.”

  “I know. I’ll be him. I’m so sorry he’s so hard to find sometimes.” He took off his glasses and pulled her close, wrapped his arms around her and stared into her eyes. “Was that an ‘I love you’ I heard?”

  She nodded. “You said it first.”

  He shook his head and then stopped. “I did?”

  “Yes, you did. It was right in the middle of a whole paragraph about why you love the ladies. It went something like this: ‘I do a little magic hands dance and bam! Ladies.’”

  He groaned.

  “But I’ll take it.”

  He wrapped her tighter, shaking his head. “Now I’m going to need to wipe that memory clean.”

  “Oh yeah, how are you gonna do that?”

  “You’ll have to help me think of something. But for starters, Harlow.” He kissed her nose. “I was at that red carpet event and I read your article ‘The Truth about Cole Hunter.’ And I learned real quick, right then, the real truth about my own self.”

  She lifted her chin, shivering in his arms. “And what is that?”

  “I like me.”

  She scoffed. “That’s not a surprise.”

  “No, it is. I like the real me. All of me. The way you wrote about me made me realize I’m cool.”

  She shook her head. “Oh boy, what have I done?”

  “And I realized another thing.”

  She waited.

  “As much as I like me, I love you. I love everything about you. And I love that you found Cole Hunter hidden inside of my act and loved him in spite of everything else.”

  He stared into her eyes, sincerity obvious, his desire clear. But he waited. And she yearned for his kiss. He studied her face, her mouth. She watched his
eyes travel, and she swallowed. This man loved her. He loved her. She passed her tongue quickly over her lips. And he was everything. Kind, fun, smart, and sexy. Wow. When at last his lips touched hers, thrilled shoots of energy warmed her to her toes. His soft mouth covered hers, and his gentle respect was obvious. With an almost reverence, he pressed again and again, softly, carefully. Then she felt his grin and sensed the play that was coming. He pulled on her bottom lip, toyed with the side of her mouth, ran his tongue along her lips and teased and toyed until she wanted to jump up in his arms to pull herself closer. He spoke over her mouth, feathered touches, tickling and nudging. “I’ll love you forever for that.”

  She forgot what he was talking about.

  He kissed her again. And pulled her close, his hands running up and down her back. And again, his mouth pulled at her, nudging and asking. Until her legs could no longer hold her. Then he lifted her. “I’ve got you.” He kissed her some more.

  And then a sort of pause, a sigh between them made her smile.

  She wrapped her arms around him as far as they would go. “Cole?” She mumbled under his mouth.

  “Mmh hmm?”

  “Can we go play slapjack?”

  He laughed, and then he pulled away. “I’ll do anything you want, Harlow Ember. As long as we’re together.”

  Chapter 27

  After the red carpet event when Cole had handed a whole bunch of attention to Ryker and the Blue Jays instead of the Sea Rays, and after a phone call from Cole’s lawyer, his agent, and his agent’s lawyer, Mr. Stacy had pretty much left Cole alone. Cole didn’t imagine he’d stay long on the Sea Rays, but did he want to? Not really. He loved his California home, but it was lonely. At least he was back in centerfield. The last three games he’d started and played just like he used to. Catching, throwing, running.

  He grabbed a couple bats. His home stadium fans cheered his name, calling out Big Dawg. His turn on deck. Sawyer was pitching to him today, another one of the Six Pack guys. He grinned just thinking about it, happy his friend would be around to see what he had planned for the seventh inning stretch. Harlow’s seat was saved with a huge sign, “#HarlowtheHeckler.” So he hoped she’d found it and was sitting there watching. A few of the other guys had flown in to help make it happen. Axe Man was back there. Ryker too. Grizz had a game, but he wanted video, live stream. Steal was gonna be in tonight to celebrate. Cole swallowed. He hoped there’d be a reason to celebrate. You never knew with Harlow.

  Cole warmed up, swung, loosening up his arms. Maybe he’d actually get a piece of Skeeter’s fastball. He touched his heart, wiggled his hips, did a mini shuffle of his dance, and rotated the bat, once, twice. He was ready.

  Tate was at the plate. After two swings, he bunted and filled the bases.

  The announcer went nuts. “Bases loaded! Our man Big Dawg up to bat. Pitching, another Belltown Six Pack guy, Sawyer Bennet.”

  Cole was up. He swung twice, rotated his shoulders, then stepped up to the plate. He went through his stance and let it calm him, center his mind. He touched his heart, wiggled his hips, did a mini shuffle of his dance, pointed the bat straight at centerfield, straight to where he knew Harlow was sitting. Then he rotated the bat once, twice. He was ready. When his eyes met Skeeter’s, he almost laughed. Man, he missed that guy. Then he took in a breath, let it out slowly, and waited.

  First ball whizzed by.

  Skeeter narrowed his eyes. Cole frowned back, wiggled his bat twice and waited.

  Second ball flew by, outside the box.

  Cole laughed at him.

  Skeeter smirked, then eyed second, eyed third. All guys on base were ready to tear the heck out of there. Skeeter wound up and let another go. It came straight out of his hand as if in slow motion.

  Wait.

  Wait.

  Cole watched it until it hung in front of him, begging to be hit. He swung and connected. The sound cracked through the air. And he took off running. The ball went high. He watched the small white dot soar as he rounded first, the others booking it toward home. And then cheers filled the stadium. Cole looked up at the scoreboard. “Home Run” flashed, and he saw the ball land right in Harlow’s section on replay video. He thought he caught a glimpse of Ryker up there on video, shaking out his hand. The grin on Cole’s face nearly broke his cheeks as he held up his hands, wiggled his hips and rounded third and then all the way home. What a perfect day. He tipped his hat to Skeeter on his way into the dugout. The guy tipped his hat back, and Cole knew he might never hit another fastball off his friend again.

  Skeeter struck out the next batter so fast everybody’s head swam.

  At last, Cole was back in the outfield. And just in time for the seventh inning stretch. He jogged out there while everyone was swaying back and forth and singing, “Take Me out to the Ball Game.”

  When the song ended, the camera zoomed in on him, and he held out his hands and shouted to the stands. “Hey, Bonfire!”

  She called back, “What’s the matter, forgot how to catch the ball?”

  Everyone roared.

  “I got something of yours.” She held up his ball.

  “Rabbit get that for you?”

  “No way. Well, maybe.” She kissed it.

  “Listen. I got something to say. Look under your seat.”

  Harlow sat, sandwiched between Axe Man and Rabbit, and Cole couldn’t be happier. He watched as she reached down under the seat and brought out a huge envelope. As soon as she opened the contents on her lap, on the big screen flashed the words, “Harlow Ember, will you marry me?” She held a hand up to her mouth.

  The cameras zoomed in on her. And she sat there. She waited.

  “Well? What’s it gonna be, Bonfire? You got two choices right there in that envelope.”

  She pulled out the papers, stared at one then the other. The people in the stands did a drum roll. All through the stadium, waiting. At last, she held one up. “Yes!”

  Everyone went wild.

  He held his hands out and wiggled his hips and shuffled his feet, and the big cam caught it all for the monitor. Then he ran for the back wall, just below her.

  Her beautiful hair fell down around her face as she leaned over to talk to him.

  “You’re really in?”

  “I really am.”

  “I love you, Bonfire.”

  “I love you too!”

  Chapter 28

  Ryker led Harlow through a maze of tunnels. “This is the best way to get to him.”

  “Thanks, you guys.”

  “Hey, Lumberjacks. All that needs to be said.”

  All of a sudden she loved being from Belltown. More than ever. They rounded another corner and went through a double set of doors to loud chaos. The press was crowding the players, the locker room doors were open, guys were walking around in towels.

  “Uh, should I be here?”

  “Absolutely, just close your eyes if it gets uncomfortable.” Axel smirked.

  Ryker laughed. “See, the press is all here. It’s just the way it’s done.”

  “Okay, if you say so.” She felt a nervous twitch in her stomach. What if Cole didn’t want her in his space?

  Cole pushed through the crowd, a rushed look on his face, gaze searching until Ryker held up a hand and Cole caught her eye. His whole face changed to look like Christmas morning.

  She laughed and waved, filled with relief. “Man, I love that guy.”

  The press noticed. And suddenly they were surrounded.

  “Are you Harlow the Heckler?”

  “Yes I am.” She was proud of that title.

  “Paid off for you, didn’t it? Talk about getting noticed. Did you ever think your heckling would get you a proposal of marriage?”

  Axel stepped forward, kind of in the guys’ face. “Seriously man, you’re gonna go there? Watch yourself. She’s with us.” Axe Man growled.

  She didn’t know how to respond, suddenly feeling very much like a groupie fan wannabe girlfriend.

  Col
e stepped in. “Did I just hear you right? Y’all obviously don’t know Bonfire. This, ladies and gentlemen, is class, pure and simple. She’s the smartest person I know, and she’s going places. We met at Belltown, and she finally decided to give me the time of day.”

  That should keep their research fingers busy for a minute.

  “Come on.” He led them a few steps the other direction, ready to send the press packing if they followed. But right then, the crowd changed direction and a roaring laugh interrupted. Everybody ran for the locker room, flashes going.

  “Skeet!” Axel, Cole, and Ryker waved to their brother, grins wider than their faces almost.

  He stepped through the double doors looking like he’d rather be anywhere else.

  Cole hooted. “Whatcha got there, Skeeter?”

  “Oh, you know.” The Belltown Lumberjack cheerleader uniform stretched tight over his muscular body. The skirt barely covered things it should cover. The tank top forced some of his chest hair up and out the top.

  Harlow put a hand over her mouth. “Is this?” She laughed. “He lost a bet?”

  Cole put an arm around Sawyer’s shoulders. “I hit your fastball, Skeeter.”

  “I’ll give you this one. You were trying to impress your girl. I can be romantic and make you look like a hero.”

  “Ohhh. I see. So you let me hit your fastball.”

  “I couldn’t shame you in front of Bonfire. That’s just rude. She’d never have said yes to a loser.”

  “I hit it fair and square, dude. Admit it.”

  “Yeah, all right, you did, Cole. Fair’s fair, now I’m taking this off so you can take it home, because next time we face each other, you’ll be wearing it.”

  “Wait, we have to get a picture.”

  “I’m sure they took care of that for you.” All the press was writing furiously and aiming lenses in their direction.