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“Really?” She smiled at one of the kids playing near their table—a little girl pushing her doll around on top of a toy train engine. “How’s that been?”
“Incredible.” It was the life he and his brothers had all imagined for themselves since the time they’d been kids—playing at the big-league level. “Everything’s better in the majors. The food. The transportation. The road accommodations. It’s going to be tough to leave behind when I get bounced back down.”
The disparity in the paychecks among players from one level to the other was jaw-dropping. On the one end, guys couldn’t afford to make ends meet without a supplementary job. On the other, the compensation was over the top. It was good work if you could get it, but some talented players simply couldn’t hang on long enough for their big break. Nate and his brothers were fortunate since their father had set up trusts for each of them with his own baseball income. But Nate had refused to take a cent from his since he knew damned well that his father had little respect for players who couldn’t cut it on the top tier of their sport. So he worked in the off-season, putting on roofs and learning enough about building houses to get his general contracting license. The money would have been respectable if he could have worked for a greater portion of the year, but as it was, he made do.
Collecting the big-league paycheck for the past ten weeks ensured he wouldn’t have to take a second job this off-season.
“Why do you say that?” Keely asked, unscrewing the cap of her water bottle before taking another swig. “I heard you were playing really well before you got hurt. There’s no reason to think you’ll be cut.”
He took the trash from her and stood to toss it in a nearby bin. Inside, the band switched gears to a slower tune, and the crowed whooped as the singer crooned a George Jones classic. A few couples outside stood to dance as well, heading toward a wooden platform among the picnic tables just for that purpose. Even the kids scrambled closer to their families, alert to the movement.
“Would you like to dance?” He offered her his hand, needing the diversion of touching her to chase away the stressful thoughts of his injury that had put his spot on the roster in jeopardy.
“Only if you don’t try to dodge my question.” Her hand hovered over his while she waited for his response.
Gritting his teeth, he nodded. At least he’d have the feel of her in his arms while they talked.
She slid her fingers into his palm and he sucked in a breath at the feel of her soft skin on his. She was tall and willowy, an inch shy of six feet even in flats. He’d forgotten how nice that was, her body fitting against his like they were made for each other.
For a moment, she seemed content to sway with him to the music. He breathed in the floral scent of her hair, resting his cheek on the silky strands. But then she eased back to meet his gaze.
“So why would you think you’ll get sent down once you’re healed?” she asked, returning to the question that haunted him. “I thought you were doing well.”
“I did okay as a substitute when a starter got hurt.” Once their everyday right fielder came back, he had no reason to think he’d keep the spot. “But it’s not like I was putting up big numbers.”
“Is he on track to return before you?” she asked, the white lights overhead reflecting against her silver earrings.
Nate nodded. “If he keeps progressing, he’ll start a rehab assignment in Triple A next week.”
Putting him well ahead of Nate in the recovery race.
Keely frowned, her feet slowing as they moved together. “So they’ll slot you in someone else’s spot. No team stays healthy all season long.”
He hoped she was right, but he’d struggled long enough in the minors to know that those spots on the roster were coveted and tough to come by. There weren’t many guys in his draft class still hanging on to the hope that they’d get their shot at the major league if they hadn’t already. Most of them who hadn’t made it by now had left baseball for good.
“Maybe. But if it doesn’t happen, I need a backup plan. That’s why the camp appeals to me. It would let me share what I’ve learned, even if I haven’t been able to put all the pieces together for a long-term career.” His palm settled against the base of her spine, just above the curve of her hips. He wanted to focus on dancing with her. On making this night last for many, many more hours. Beyond that, he didn’t want to think about the future. Certainly not about baseball.
And if he kissed her too soon, he was afraid he’d send her running on a day that had seen a lot of things go his way.
“Are you kidding me?” She shook her head, her tone incredulous as she gazed up at him. “You’re playing at the level other people only dream about. You know as well as I do how many people would give their right arm for that opportunity. Think of all the kids we knew growing up who envied you for having the chance to be where you are now.”
“On the injured list?” He flexed his repaired hand slightly inside the smaller bandages he’d been given at his follow-up appointment. The improvement was small, as he still had a splint on it.
“You know what I mean,” she chided, stepping away from him as soon as the music stopped.
She clapped for the band along with a few other people outdoors while the players inside took a short break to introduce themselves. Feedback from the mic sent a sharp electric screech into the air as the device was settled onto the stand.
He spotted a couple he knew stepping out of the dance hall for some fresh air and he took Keely’s hand to avoid having to talk to anyone else. He wanted her all to himself a little while longer. “Want to walk down by the creek?”
“Sure.” Nodding, she followed him out of the back of the parking lot toward the long slope that led to the water.
The path was dark away from the white lights so Nate took his time picking their way down the hill.
“And to be clear, I am grateful for the chances I’ve had to show what I can do this summer. I just resent getting hurt when it finally felt like I might be making an impression.” Stepping around a sharp-edged rock, he reached back to make sure Keely navigated it too. “But I didn’t ask you out to dinner so I could grouse about what’s going on with me.”
“You didn’t?” He could hear the smile in her voice even though he couldn’t see her expression anymore as the darkness expanded around them.
“Definitely not.” He tugged her toward a clearing between the tree branches where a patch of moonlight shone on the creek bank.
