Fastball

by V. K. Sykes

  She smiled up at him even as she blinked back tears. How stupid to cry when she was so happy. “Then I guess we’re in agreement,” she said. “We’ll find a way to make this work between us.”

  “Deal,” he whispered.

  Jake was lowering his head to kiss her when Maddie unleashed a huge yawn, suddenly overcome with exhaustion.

  He laughed. “What, I’m boring you already?”

  “Oh, hell,” she groaned. “I’m sorry, Jake. It’s just that—” She broke off as another yawn took her. Her spirit might be more than willing to make love to him all night, but her body was obviously giving up the ghost.

  “Time for bed, girl reporter,” he said. “No more talking tonight.”

  She gave him a sheepish, sleepy smile as he helped her undress and climb into bed.

  “Sorry,” she mumbled as she snuggled down under the sheets. “You know I want—”

  “Hush. I’ll be right here when you wake up.” He pressed a lingering kiss on her lips. “And I’m sure I’ll be ready, willing, and more than able.”

  Her eyes opened wide. “Oh, God, I just remembered. My car, my purse…”

  “Don’t worry,” Jake said, kissing her forehead. “I’ll take care of that right now.”

  “Thanks, and don’t forget we promised to be at police headquarters first thing in the morning.”

  He pulled the covers right up under her chin. “No worries. I have a feeling I’ll be awake early.”

  She managed one more laugh before her eyelids fluttered shut. “Oh, I’ll look forward to that,” she said, drifting off.

  And she would. She had an entire life to look forward to, with her very own baseball hero by her side.

  EPILOGUE

  The late November wind howled outside the windows of The Hearth restaurant, making the roaring blaze in the big stone fireplace seem that much cozier. Maddie had grown up in Massachusetts, but the bitter northwest winds of Minnesota made New England seem balmy in comparison.

  Smiling, she gazed down the enormous rectangular table that was lined with friends and family. Yes, it was a cliché, but if she’d been any happier she would have burst.

  Jake’s father stood and clinked his fork against his wine glass, calling the cheerfully noisy private dining room to attention. “Maddie,” he said, casting his eyes down the length of the table to her. “My beautiful daughter-in-law. I would like to make a toast to you and my son.” He raised his glass, and was followed by all the others around the table. “May tomorrow be the beginning of a long and happy life together, with many home runs and a few batting titles for Jake, a Pulitzer Prize for you, and, most important of all, many grandchildren for all of us to enjoy!”

  Everyone laughed, and Maddie bit back a smile. At least one of those wishes would come true, sooner rather than later.

  Maddie’s new family had gathered in Jake’s hometown for the rehearsal dinner. Joining his relatives at the party were Martha, Emma and Reed, and of course Jake’s best man, Nate, along with three other Patriots players. Tomorrow, she and Jake would be married in the little German Lutheran church of his childhood, a rite that represented the end of one long road and the beginning of another. Maddie hoped the coming years wouldn’t be quite as eventful as the last one, but she didn’t begrudge anything that had happened. After all, those events had finally brought her to this place where she and Jake would take their vows, committing to a life as one heart, one soul.

  Not that it was going to be her first wedding. Jake had proposed in July, at the All-Star game, of all places. When they had discussed plans for a wedding in Minnesota after the season ended, Maddie had stipulated only one condition. She insisted that while his hometown ceremony would be the “real” wedding they both wanted, they shouldn’t delay getting married. She had waited too long for Jake—for happiness—already. If there was anything she’d learned, it was that life could change in a heartbeat, and not always for the better. Maddie wanted to start her new life with Jake as soon as possible, regardless of any complications.

  So, on a sunny Saturday morning in August, they had wed in a civil ceremony in a Philadelphia hotel, attended only by Nate and Martha. Maddie had taken a leave of absence from her position at the Post the previous day, clearing the last obstacle to happiness from her path.

  After all her angst about having to give up her career, the decision to leave the Post had turned out to be relatively easy. When he proposed, Jake had taken all the pressure off by insisting he would retire from baseball at the end of the season. Overwhelmed but not surprised by his selfless gesture, she had suggested they wait until later in the season before making a decision as to what they would do about their careers. She knew how badly he wanted to keep playing, especially since he was having such a superb comeback year. That he had genuinely offered to sacrifice it all for her had touched her as nothing ever had.

  Shortly after, Maddie had broached the subject with her boss, Martin James. Wise old bird that he was, Martin had suggested that Maddie take a leave from the paper and then return as a general sports columnist when she was ready. Meanwhile, he recommended that she write occasional feature articles for magazines and newspapers, promising to be first in line to buy them. With her career problems no longer an issue, Jake had gone on to finish his All-Star season, leading the Patriots to the National League pennant before they lost a hard-fought battle with the White Sox in a seven-game World Series. Before the season was even over, Patriots management had offered him a three-year contract, giving him a chance to fulfill his Hall of Fame dream, and end his career in a Patriots uniform.

  To Maddie, it seemed like having the guts to take risks was finally paying off.

  Jake leaned into her, gently nudging her shoulder as he whispered, “You’re pretty quiet over there, Mrs. Miller. Feeling okay?”

  Maddie turned in her chair to smile up at her handsome husband. “Your dad’s just given us a perfect opportunity. Should we tell them now?”

  He grinned. “Well, this wedding is already turning into a three-ring circus. I say go for it.”

  She rolled her eyes. It wasn’t exactly a circus—not yet, anyway—but it seemed like the entire town had gone crazy with excitement over the wedding of their favorite son. Add in a fair number of paparazzi, devoted baseball fans, and some of the regular sports reporters who had decided to show up, and tomorrow did promise to be an exciting day. One photographer had already caught Jake in a pair of ratty old sweat pants putting out the trash in front of his dad’s house, and Maddie had been snapped in the local beauty salon with Martha, their faces white with goop from their facials. Their wedding wouldn’t be some sophisticated affair, that was for sure, but it would be full of friendship, family, and love, and that was all that mattered.

  Maddie stood up and the chatter around the table stopped. At the far end, Nate and Martha—thick as thieves—exchanged smug, knowing glances. They already knew the secret, but like true friends they had kept their mouths shut tight. Well, Jake had been forced to threaten Nate with death or dismemberment if he blabbed, but that was par for the course when it came to Nate.

  “Everybody, Jake and I have an announcement to make,” Maddie said, smiling at the expectant faces gathered around the table. “We are so happy and proud to tell you that there’ll be another member of the Miller and Leclair families joining all of us in…”

  Her final words were drowned out as Jake’s sisters shrieked, jumped up and ran around the table to swarm Maddie and their brother. Pandemonium reigned for a few moments as their family and friends shouted congratulations and hugged each other in a frenzy of happiness. And in true Midwest fashion, Jake’s male relatives and friends began making multiple toasts to his impending fatherhood. Clearly, there would be more than one aching head in the church pews tomorrow.

  After much backslapping and congratulations, Jake was finally able to make his way back to her side, slipping an arm around her shoulders. They stood quietly, a still point of joy in the midst of good-natured c
haos, simply enjoying the moment.

  “Three-ring circus really isn’t such a bad description, is it?” Maddie asked.

  “Just wait until tomorrow,” Jake replied. “We’ll probably need the National Guard just to get us inside the church.”

  Maddie turned in the circle of his arms, tugging on his tie to bring his head down for a kiss. “Just as long as you show up, big guy. That’s all I care about.”

  “You’ll never get rid of me, sweetheart,” he murmured against her lips. “Don’t even bother to try.”

  “Never. You’re mine, and don’t you forget it.”

  He swooped in, taking her mouth in a heart-stoppingly passionate kiss. As Maddie sank into her husband’s embrace, she realized something all over again.

  Sometimes you had to be willing to risk it all to win your heart’s desire. And in that respect, she and Jake had hit it out of the park.

  EXCERPT FROM HARDBALL,

  by V.K. SYKES

  Nate entered the room. Two steps inside, he stopped short, brushing up against a woman in a white lab coat. She must have been standing at the foot of the bed, fully hidden by the door.

  The woman took a small step backward, clearly startled by the brief physical contact. As their eyes met, Nate felt all the air sucked from his lungs in one whoosh.

  Sweet Mother of God.

  He had to pull in a deep breath. What a babe.

  The woman’s brow creased. “I’m Dr. Bell. Can I help you?”

  He couldn’t stop his gaze from quickly traveling the full length of her body, from her face to her ankles and all the way back again. Though not nearly as tall as he was, this doctor was one seriously long drink of a woman. Close to six feet, he reckoned. Her unbuttoned lab coat revealed a lean but curvy figure, and long, elegant legs. She had a naturally beautiful face, too, with big, hazel eyes, a full, sexy mouth, and a peaches and cream complexion. Still, he suspected she tended to hide her light under a bushel. She wore no makeup that he could see, and her auburn hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Glasses were perched on the end of her nose, secured by a fine gold chain around her neck. They added to her unadorned, resolutely professional look.

  The doctor extended a slender hand. Her fine eyebrows arched as she waited for him to find his voice.

  Her outstretched hand finally registered in his brain and jolted him into action. “I’m sorry,” he apologized, “I was a little surprised for a moment. You were hidden by the door.”

  He took her hand and held it a few seconds. It was long and fine-boned, but her firm grip told him it was strong, too. The kind of hand he’d like to have doing surgery on him. In fact, he mused, he wouldn’t mind that hand doing all sorts of things to his body.

  He introduced himself. “I’m Nate Carter. I come around whenever I can to visit with the kids.”

  She still looked puzzled. It dawned on him that she had absolutely no idea who he was. It didn’t bother him, though. Actually, it felt like a nice change of pace from the constant fan recognition.

  “I’m a pitcher with the Patriots,” he said. “You know, baseball.”

  Her mouth relaxed into a half-smile. “Oh, I see,” she replied. “You’re one of our celebrity visitors.” Her crisp tone told him she was far from awed by his presence. Looking down at the little girl, she said, “Mr. Carter, this is Morgan McDaniel.”

  Morgan shyly put her little hand in his big one.

  “Dr. Holly, I know who Nate Carter is,” she said in a whispery voice. “He’s the Patriots’ best pitcher. Everybody knows that.”

  Dr. Bell seemed to hold back a smile as Morgan skewered her. “I don’t think I’ve told you yet how new I am to the city, Morgan,” she said, her serious voice at odds with the amusement in her eyes. “If I’d been here for more than just a few weeks, I’m sure I would have recognized a man as famous as Mr. Carter.”

  Nate smothered a chuckle. What a perfect response. She validated what the little girl had said, and made him feel good at the same time.

  “That’s why I didn’t recognize you, either,” he said. “I’ve met most of the doctors here over the past few years, and I know I would have remembered if I’d ever seen you before.” He made no attempt to keep the appreciation out of his voice.

  “Well, then, I suppose we might run into each other again.” Her smile was hesitant but intriguing. “Since you’re a regular visitor here.”

  “You bet,” he said.

  As if he didn’t already have enough motivation to keep doing this. “Doctor Bell,” he continued, wanting to keep the conversation going, “do you mind my asking where you’re from? I detect a bit of a southern accent.”

  She sighed, her expression conveying rueful resignation. “You’re probably hearing the north Florida in my voice. I grew up in Jacksonville. But for the last nine years I’ve been studying and working at the University of Virginia.”

  “You’re from Jacksonville? No kidding? I’ve got a condo in Ponte Vedra Beach, and I’m in Jax all the time when I’m down there.” He looked over at Morgan, staring at the adults with big, round eyes, and winked. The little girl giggled.

  Nate glanced back at the doctor. “That’s got to be some kind of karma, right?”

  Dr. Bell registered his flirtation, and her eyes widened in surprise. A slight blush colored her smooth cheeks. He could feel his smile broaden as she somewhat defiantly returned his look, and it occurred to him that perhaps the good doctor was issuing a challenge.

  Well, he’d be more than happy to oblige her. He knew without a shadow of a doubt he was going to find out just what this lovely doctor was all about.

  * * *

  Holly’s pulse had jumped when she looked up at the imposing man who’d nearly barged into her. In fact, she’d had to stifle a gasp at the sight of him.

  She wasn’t used to seeing a man’s chin as high as her eye level. This guy had to be six-five, or maybe even more. And he wasn’t just tall, he was built. Not like the proverbial Mack truck. More like a sleek, expensive sports car. Maybe a Ferrari, she mused, thinking back to her father’s expensive auto collection.

  Despite his deep, hooded eyes and dark masculine stubble, she guessed Carter might be a couple of years younger than her. He radiated youthful vitality and off-the-chart testosterone. As soon as he had entered the room, she instantly sensed the power coiled in his long, whipcord body. Instinctively, she had taken a small step backward to preserve her personal space.

  It didn’t surprise her that he was an athlete. His hard, agile-looking body fit the part. What had surprised her was how the normally shy Morgan had immediately warmed to him, and how he interacted with her in such an easy, gentle way.

  Carter was obviously a natural charmer with kids, and she would have bet a month’s salary that his charm would be just as effective on women.

  Still, charming was one thing. Steaming hot was something else entirely. Nate Carter put the two together, and it made for a dazzling combination. When he sat down next to Morgan’s bed, Holly had opened her mouth to make her goodbyes. But the words had died in her throat and her feet had remained glued to the floor. She stood silently by for several minutes as the big man and the little girl happily chatted away like best friends.

  “Would you like me to sign a picture for you, Morgan?” he asked, pulling an eight by ten from a folder tucked under his arm.

  “Yes, please.” Morgan’s eyes shone. Though she was a very sick little girl, she glowed under Carter’s gentle, humorous attention.

  He carefully inscribed the photo as Holly looked over his shoulder.

  To beautiful Morgan—as brave and strong as she is sweet. Your pal, Nate Carter.

  “But I’d like something from you in return, honey,” he said, handing her the glossy print.

  “What?” Morgan giggled, plucking shyly at the bed covers.

  “Well, I’d really like it if the next time I visit I could bring my camera and get someone to take a picture of us together. Would you like that, too?”

>   “Yes! Yes!” she cried, more excited than Holly had ever seen her. “Dr. Holly can take our picture!” She looked over at Holly, who nodded her agreement with a smile.

  “Good, then, that’s settled. I’ll come back soon. Very soon. Maybe I could even drop by tomorrow morning.”

  Holly finally found her voice. “We’ll be here. You can page me when you arrive. If I’m not tied up at the time, I’d be glad to help.”

  He smiled, and the teasing warmth in his eyes set off a corresponding rush of heat in her face and neck. God, she must be blushing like a teenager.

  “Great! I’ll see both you lovely ladies tomorrow.” Carter affectionately stroked Morgan’s cheek with his big hand, then winked at Holly as he left the room.

  Holly gazed at his back until he was through the door and out of sight, more than a little flustered by the encounter. The man was a powerhouse of sex appeal, yet the empathy and kindness he had shown Morgan seemed totally genuine. It was crazy, but she couldn’t help wondering if he was single. Though she’d seen no ring or tan line on his finger, a guy who looked and acted like that sure wasn’t likely to be sleeping alone.

  Turning back to the still-beaming Morgan, Holly gave her head a quick shake. She had exchanged maybe a dozen sentences with Nate Carter, and yet she’d caught herself wondering about his marital status. Not that she could completely blame herself. With those dark eyes and sensual mouth, plus the combination of strength, size, and masculinity, Nate Carter was a package that would mesmerize any red-blooded woman.

  She tucked Morgan back into bed, determined to push Carter firmly from her thoughts. No doubt he was the kind of guy who automatically flirted with every woman who crossed his path. Yes, he had seemed interested in her, but her mind was surely playing tricks. The guy obviously had a charm factor pretty close to ten out of ten, so it would be all too easy for a woman to see what she wanted to see.