Elise laughed out loud, feeling as though she were right there with him. The game was tied and they had two outs left. Elise’s sorrows lifted at seeing Blake do well.
The next batter, Corbin Noland, headed for the batter’s box and the stands settled. Elise went back to work, logging pregame workout information into the computer system. A few minutes later, there was a commotion in the hallway. Doc Burningham rushed Coach Wolfe past the door and towards the medical room. She followed the group, not sure if she’d be needed and wondering what had happened.
Doc Burningham laid Wolfe out on a padded table. “Hold on a sec while I put on some gloves.”
Wolfe nodded, his arm across his eyes.
“I’ll call your wife,” Elise said. As she turned to leave, Mrs. Wolfe strode in, her face a mask of worry.
“No—she needs to focus on the game,” said Wolfe.
“Don’t be stupid,” said Mrs. Wolfe as she stepped up to the table. She brushed his hair off his forehead. He relaxed into her touch.
Elise bit her lip. They were so good together. She wanted that with Blake, wanted to have the right to walk into a room and just take his hand.
“Will you grab the tray over there?” Doc Burningham pointed to the counter, where a tray of gauze and saline waited. Elise nodded.
“Who’s coaching?” asked Wolfe.
Mrs. Wolfe laughed lightly. “Not me.”
“Harper,” he pleaded, “please tell me the score.”
“It’s still tied. That was quite the inning.”
“It was.” Wolfe grinned. “I found Blake’s motivation.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, Elise.”
Elise felt the tray slip from her fingers as she stared at Coach Wolfe. What did he mean, motivation? She looked to Mrs. Wolfe, who at that moment felt much more like a friend than her employer as she shared a conspiratorial look.
“How do you know?” asked Harper.
“I told him if he hit a double I’d lift the ban on dating employees.”
Elise exchanged looks with Doc Burningham and then Harper.
“You don’t approve?” asked Coach.
Harper’s hand went through his hair. “I do, but Elise may not.”
“No, it’s fine.” Elise picked up the items she dropped and refilled the tray.
“Sorry, I didn’t know you were there.” Coach motioned to his closed eyes.
“What’s that smell?” asked Doc.
Elise took a deep breath for the first time since she came into the room. She mentally groaned. “It’s menthol cream. He must have gotten it in his eyes.”
Doc Burningham tsked. “Thirty minutes of rinsing with distilled water should do the trick. Hold still, I’m going to put something like a contact in your eye. The liquid will run from the tube attached to the lens and into your eye and flush it out.”
“Thirty minutes!” Wolfe tried to sit up, but Harper pressed against him to hold him down. “The game could be over by then.”
Harper whispered something into Coach’s ear, and he relaxed with a soft smile. Elise helped Doc get everything set up, her mind racing. Blake hit a double—for her!
For some women, it might not seem like a big thing. What’s the big deal? A guy went out and hit a ball with a stick. But for Elise, it was everything. She couldn’t get the look on Blake’s face when he went out to the plate off her mind. So, so purposeful. And that whole time, his purpose had been her. Like any ballplayer, she’d heard the speech a hundred times. When you step out on the field, the world disappears and all that exists is baseball. Having a girlfriend in your head while in the game was inexcusable. Yet, Blake had thought of her and done his best. He’d gone to battle with that pitcher and come off conquering—for her.
He’d not only beaten the pitcher; he’d handled the whole Coach Wolfe situation, and she couldn’t wait to show him what she thought about that.
Chapter Twenty-One
Elise took one last look around the PT room before shutting off the lights. All evening she’d waited for Blake to come in so they could celebrate. She even sent Camden home early and cleaned the room by herself just in case.
But he didn’t show.
He didn’t call, either.
She checked her phone once more on her way out of the building. Nothing. Wrapping her arms around her middle, she headed to the parking lot. The dry June air attacked her skin and she took an extra deep breath.
Her car was easy to spot with the almost empty parking lot. Right next to it was a shiny sports car with even shinier tires. Blake leaned against his car door, a huge smile on his face. “It’s about time. I’ve been waiting forever!”
Laughing, she broke into a sprint and launched herself into his arms. He laughed, spinning them in circles.
He set her on her feet. “I’ve got something for you.” He held up a leather baseball with one scuff on the side.
She stared. “Is that the ball you hit the double with?”
“It’s yours. I hit that double for you.”
She took the ball in her hands. “That’s the most romantic thing anyone’s ever done for me.”
He made a face. “Wow—you need to date better guys.”
“There’s one guy I’m really interested in dating.” She slid her arms around his neck.
“Good, cuz he wants you too.”
Their lips met, and Elise swore she could hear the crack of a bat and the cheer of the crowd.
Blake put his forehead on hers. “Elise Patience Smith, will you go out to dinner with me?”
She laughed. “You Googled my middle name?”
Blake nuzzled her jaw. “Naw, I called Jane. She has all sorts of information on you.”
Heady and fuzzy, she asked, “Anything I should know about?”
“She says you love me.”
“Hmm, she might be right.”
He paused on the trail of kisses he was leaving along her neck and pulled back to look her in the eye. “I need you to know I’m in this, okay? I can’t wait until I retire to—”
Elise put her finger over his lips, shushing him. “How about we go on a date before we talk about all that?”
“Okay.” He kissed her quickly and opened his car door for her. “I know just the place.”
“Great. I’m starving.” She climbed in and he leaned down to kiss her once more. She held up a palm. “I don’t kiss on the first date.”
“Then what was this?” He circled his finger around.
“The predate show.”
“Oh. If that was your pregame, I can’t wait for your postgame.”
“Maybe there will be a delay of game,” she teased.
“We’ve already had one of those. Let’s not do that again.” He brushed his fingers down her cheek.
She found it awfully difficult to resist him when he touched her. “Deal.”
Epilogue
The last game of the season wasn’t anything special. The Redrocks weren’t close to winning their division, though they’d won more than they lost thanks to Coach Wolfe, a sweet trade, and some hard times that brought them closer as a team.
Elise’s family was in the stands, except for Jordan, who was at school in Texas watching with his roommate in the dorms. Having her family there to support him wasn’t anything out of the ordinary—they came to most home games since they had season tickets.
The Redrocks won the game, but then, they were expected to and so the victory wasn’t a surprise.
Nope, there was nothing special about this game—except the little black box burning a hole inside Blake’s mitt. As soon as the ump yelled, “Out!” on the last batter, Blake sprinted from the bullpen towards the dugout. Elise and her family were sitting right behind the home team dugout and he couldn’t get there fast enough.
Fans took their time leaving. Maybe they weren’t quite ready for the season to be over. Maybe it was the sense of nostalgia that crept over the bleachers that held them there. Whatever the reason, Blake was happy
to have a crowd. He wanted the whole world to know how he felt about this woman.
Scrambling up to stand on the concrete roof, he grabbed Elise’s hand and pulled her up next to him.
Laughing, she shoved his shoulder. “What are you doing?”
He kissed her like a sailor shipping out that afternoon.
“Hey!” called Mark.
“Woot! Woot!” called Jane.
Someone whistled.
Blake pulled back, a little breathless and extremely happy. Elise’s face was bright pink. He brushed his finger over her cheek before getting down on one knee. The whistles and the calls died down. The dugout emptied and his teammates crowded together to see the show. Linda’s hands went to her heart and Mark slipped his arm around his wife.
Blake got down on one knee and opened his mitt to reveal a large diamond ring. Taking Elise’s hand, he ran his thumb over her fingers. “Elise Patience Smith, I have loved you since the first time we touched. I can’t imagine my life without you. Will you marry me?”
Moisture flooded Elise’s eyes and her free hand went to her lips. She nodded.
He came to his feet, closing the mitt between them and lifting her up. She framed his face with her hands and kissed him until he tasted her happy tears. Cheers erupted, and Blake couldn’t remember hearing a crowd so loud.
Elise smiled against his lips. “Sounds like you hit a home run.”
“I have. With you, I’m home.”
She pulled him back down for a lingering kiss, her fingers kneading the back of his neck, telling him she wanted him, loved him, and couldn’t wait for their future to begin. Blake’s hands moved up and down her back, speaking of his hope for laughter in their home, friendship, and nights of passion. While they may not always have the words to express themselves, their bodies had always been able to communicate exactly what they were feeling. On that level, they’d always known they were meant to be together, and now, there’d be no more reasons for a delay of game in their love.
***
Thanks for reading Delay of Game, a companion book to The Athletic Groom and the first book in the Dating Mr. Baseball Series.
If you’d like to learn more about the Redrocks, Coach Wolfe and owner Harper Richmond, continue reading for an excerpt from The Athletic Groom or click here to pick up your copy today.
The Athletic Groom Excerpt
As soon as they were out of hearing range, Nora rounded on Harper. “What happened in Colorado?”
“Excuse me?”
“Come off it, darling. I had laser eye surgery ten years ago—I can see the change between you two. It’s like you’re circling around one another, orbiting.”
“We lost the first three games and won the fourth. Had a nice talk around midnight and broke up a party.” She lifted a shoulder. “Nothing happened.”
“But you want it to.”
“Mother!”
Nora tossed back her chin and laughed, the grief and mourning and years dripping away like a popsicle melting on the hot St. George sidewalk. Sometimes, Harper forgot that her mom was a child once upon a time, but when she laughed like that, an eight-year-old version wasn’t hard to imagine. She also forgot that, while she had lost her dad, her mom lost her spouse. After having a taste of the married life, Harper had a new respect for the pain she must have experienced. Hurling herself out of the chair, she threw her arms around her mom’s neck. “I love you, Mom.”
Startled, Nora jerked, but quickly melted into the hug. “I love you, too.” She pulled Harper tight and Harper felt the ribs in her mom’s back, another testament to the grief she soldiered through.
“Come back soon. I miss you.” She hadn’t, not really, because she’d been so caught up in her own life and problems. But having everyone under one roof, including Isaac and Logan, reminded her of growing up. Her grandparents would visit for weeks at a time and a sense of family prevailed. Strange, how growing up had made her comfortable with loneliness.
“I will.”
After a dinner of steak, potatoes, and kale wraps, Harper walked her mom to the town car and gave her one last hug. She was left at the curb, waving at the taillights.
Wrapping her arms around herself, she trudged back into the house. Logan’s and Isaac’s voices bounded up the stairs, cutting through the silence and softening the sense of abandonment her mother left behind. Following their chatter, she ended up in the kitchen, which wasn’t a big surprise considering their healthy appetites. A platter of cupcake wrappers and two half-full glasses of milk adorned the counter, while guilt painted their faces.
“Don’t worry, I’m here for the ice cream.”
“There’s ice cream?” Logan asked through a mouthful of white cake and chocolate frosting.
Harper held up the tiny frozen cup. “Almond milk ice cream.”
“Yuck.” Logan wiped his mouth with a napkin, brushed the crumbs into his hand, and threw everything away. “I’m going to my room.”
“Really?” Harper blinked. Logan usually liked to hang out and she was hoping he’d stick around.
“Ashley’s supposed to FaceTime me.” Logan blushed.
“Well, don’t leave her waiting.” She shooed him off, grinning.
The door swung shut behind him and Harper continued to stare. “He’s the sweetest kid I’ve ever met. And if Ashley breaks Logan’s heart …” Harper yanked out the silverware drawer. “She’d better watch out.”
Isaac slipped into the small space right next to Harper. He took out a spoon and gently shut the drawer. “Let’s not threaten innocent girls until the knife drawer is shut, okay?”
Harper giggled. “If you insist.”
“I do.” Isaac folded his arms and leaned against the edge of the counter. That was one of Harper’s favorite poses. With his fists tucked under his biceps they were positively huge, and his chest was bigger too. And he looked so rebel-without-a-cause hot.
Sucking down the spoonful of half-flavored ice cream, she turned so they were side by side. She swirled her spoon across the top of her dessert as her mind ran over the bounce from missing her mom to feeling content again. Just knowing Isaac and Logan would be around tonight and in the morning and the next night too loosened the tightness in her chest she’d developed over the years as she pulled into herself.
“Do you ever get lonely?” she asked Isaac. “I mean, after Logan’s mom left.” Her ears burned. She had no idea if that was an appropriate question to ask. “I mean, I hadn’t realized how alone I was in life.”
He considered her for a moment. “Was?”
Okay, mad confession time. “Until you two moved in, this place was quiet—like a morgue.”
He half grinned, pleasure twinkling in his tiger eyes.
Harper ducked behind her hair, digging into the cup with renewed interest.
Isaac bumped her with his shoulder. “I wasn’t lonely for people because I had Logan, and I was so worried about how her leaving would affect him that I didn’t focus on myself.”
“Of course.” Her appetite evaporating, Harper set the cup on the counter, the spoon sticking straight up.
“The nights were hard.” Isaac’s voice was low and intimate, like it had been in the hotel room when it was just the two of them, the darkness, and their conversation. “I missed pillow talk.”
“Pillow talk?”
He raised an eyebrow. “You’ve never heard of pillow talk?”
She shook her head.
“It’s the quiet conversation a couple has before they fall asleep.” He spread his arms, his left hand on the counter behind her. A thrill dashed over her skin.
She turned her body towards his. “We had pillow talk then.”
“Yes, we did.” He studied her, his eyes caressing her face.
Her cheeks grew warm. She knew what they shared had been a closeness, a new way of communicating that she hadn’t had with any other man, but she didn’t know there was a name for it. Nor did she know it meant something to Isaac until this moment.
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“I’ve been wondering …” He fingered a stand of her hair.
She tipped her chin up to meet his gaze. “Yes?”
“If I weren’t the manager …”
“Yes?” Harper placed her hand on his chest to steady herself.
“And you weren’t the owner …”
Harper had a feeling she knew where this was going, and she began to tremble because she wanted this to happen and she was afraid that if it did, everything would change. Isaac wanted to change the team and Harper needed it to stay the same—to honor her father.
“Game Time! Game Time!” shouted Isaac’s phone over and over again, interrupting the moment.
“My alarm.” He pulled it from his back pocket and silenced the noise. “We need to get to the stadium.”
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Delay of Game (Dating Mr. Baseball Book 1) Page 10
