Out in Left Field, page 1
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Acknowledgments
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
EPILOGUE
To My Readers
About Faith
Books by Faith O’Shea
MAGIC BEAN CAFÉ
Out in Left Field
Casey Calipari is back in the spectator stands, filling a seat in the groupie section she thought she’d vacated years ago. Her father, a Hall of Famer, has recently been handed the reins as manager to the Boston Greenliners baseball team, and he’s asked her to accompany him to spring training. There’s a very big drawback to the deal, one she’s not sure she’s ready for. Her childhood sweetheart is the new left fielder. That he broke her heart their senior year in high school is only the tip of the iceberg.
Sebastian Layden has finally gotten his shot at the big leagues but he wonders what it’s going to cost him in terms of emotional baggage. His manager is his ex-girlfriend’s father and the man hasn’t been civil with him since he left for college. Seb’s not sure what he’s facing as he heads to spring training, but he’s preparing for every possible outcome, from play to trade.
Or so he thinks.
What he didn’t count on was the old magic casting its spell. Casey is not the girl he left behind but so much more. When someone new arrives on the playing field, he knows he has to make all the right moves, unwilling to strike out when there’s such an important game on the line. Will he be able to prove he has what it takes to commit to a future or will he be left out in left field?
Out in Left Field
Greenliner Series
Book 4
Faith O’Shea
Copyright 2020 Sue Campbell/Faith O’Shea
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in all form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known of hereinafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in an information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the author, Sue Campbell writing as Faith O’Shea at faithworksnovels@gmail.com
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Cover Design by Jaycee DeLorenzo at Sweet ‘N Spicy Designs
Formatted by Woven Red Author Services, www.WovenRed.ca
Out in Left Field/Sue Campbell writing as Faith O’Shea-1st edition
ISBN eBook: 978-1-7335712-8-9
ISBN Print: 978-1-7335712-9-6
Acknowledgments
I’d like to thank my editor, Amy from Blue Otter Editing, for her expertise. She has become a valued partner in my writing life and I don’t know what I’d do without her.
Jaycee DeLorenzo form Sweet ̍N Spicy Designs has done it again. I want to thank her for her patience working with me on my covers.
I’d also like to thank Joan Frantschuk, from Woven Red, who not only formats my work for eBook and print but who has become a valued resource.
And of course, I’d like to say thanks to my family. Jeff, Kait, Juan, Justin, Kathryn, Jaiden, Jakob, Jon-Christopher, Dominic and Liam. They surround me with the kind of love necessary for creating novels that touch the heart.
And it might be time to say thank you to my Dad for introducing me to baseball. I’ve watched our home team for over fifty years. There’s been some ups and downs, some highs and lows, but it’s always been summertime entertainment.
And to all who read my books, I thank you for taking time out of your life, to journey with me.
CHAPTER ONE
Casey Calipari sat gazing at home plate from one of the offices at Citrus Field, watching her father lob some balls to a pint-sized batter. Even from here, she could see the intensity on Charlie’s face as she swung away, trying hard to make contact.
She groaned, snatching her finger from out of her mouth. She’d been nibbling on her nails, a habit she thought she’d left behind a few years ago, but the stress of the last few days had finally caught up and she’d reverted to her old soothing technique. In the background, she could hear Allie, talking on her cell. Her friend was putting the final touches on the upcoming travel days that would take the Greenliners to different cities in the area, as they geared up for the upcoming spring baseball season. Casey had invaded her space, agreeing to come to the field early, in order to avoid another confrontation with Charlie, who’d become intractable, and to satisfy her father’s incessant demands that he get some time with his granddaughter.
She wondered again, for maybe the hundredth time, what the hell was she doing here.
Her father, the new manager of the Greenliners, Boston’s National League professional baseball team, had requested her presence, but it was becoming apparent he didn’t need her for much more than social secretary. She’d thrown her life into a tailspin, accompanying him to Florida for spring training to be more gopher rather than right hand. Mac Calipari, Greenliner icon and legend, had been depending on his coaches and staff to re-organize the team he’d inherited when the former coach died of a heart attack just a few weeks ago, and it had left her very little to do.
She swore under her breath, knowing exactly why she’d done it. It was because he was the sun and she was one of the satellites. Her mother was his other. It had been that way all of her life and it seemed some things never changed.
When she’d dropped by his office this morning, to give him the details on the team barbecue he’d asked her to arrange, he’d suggested, “Why don’t you and your mom take Charlie somewhere fun. Orlando’s not far. You could spend the day there. Maybe she’ll stop being so angry with us.”
Irritation had curled in her gut. “Is that why I’m here? To occupy Charlie? I could have done that at home.”
Should have. At least until February vacation was over and Charlie was back in school.
He must have heard the tinge of sarcasm in her voice, because he gave her back some of his own. “She wanted to be here, Case. The problem is we’ve never denied her access to the field before. She thinks she’s being punished and my explanation that this is a whole different league isn’t computing.”
That wasn’t exactly the truth. He wanted her mother, Galen, here and that meant Charlie had to tag along. They’d both arrived in Sanford on Saturday, and Charlie hadn’t been allowed her usual freedoms. She’d had the pool at the house her parents had rented, and her skateboard and Switch, but hadn’t been allowed to attend the first several games of the Grapefruit season, and the resulting tantrum had been full out. Charlie didn’t understand why she’d been imprisoned at the house, and there was no plausible reason to give her. Not one she’d understand, at least. There’d always been an open-door policy with the team Mac coached. She’d spend time in the dugout during games and attend the parties held at her parents Pittsfield rental, even play catch with some of the more family-oriented guys. She knew every player and every stat, just like Casey’s best friend, Allie, had when they were kids. Today said friend was vice-president in charge of player development for the team and they were rooming together for the next six weeks.
For now, Charlie would just have to deal.
“Yeah, well, I can’t help that.”
Her father’s voice was tight when he’d said, “I don’t think it would hurt for her to be in the stands. Who’s going to know?”
She’d clutched her arms to her chest. “I can’t take the risk.”
“Casey, you’re going to have to rethink your strategy. Things have changed, radically. Don’t you think it’s time to set things right?”
She’d sighed dejectedly. “Nothing’s changed. I… I can’t do what you’re asking.”
Yet.
Her father’s impatience had reared its head and his terse “Why?” did nothing to settle her unease.
“It’s too late. I don’t want any more complications in my life, we can’t go back. Do you want any more reasons? I have them.”
Maybe the bottom line was she didn’t want to risk having to share her daughter. Or her heart.
Her father pointed out, yet again, “It’s going to be impossible to keep this quiet. We discussed all this before I took the job. You said you were okay with it. I hope you haven’t changed your mind because it’s too late now to renege.”
“I should never have come with you. That’s the problem.”
Mac asserted firmly, “The problem will exist as long as I’m mana
Her gut twisted at the implication, her anxiety straining for the top of the meter.
“No. That wouldn’t be fair. Not to you, not to Allie. She’s counting on the team she’s put together to get you to the World Series.”
It wouldn’t be fair to the man he was suggesting to be traded, either. He’d done nothing to warrant it, except maybe break her heart.
Her father gentled his voice. “Your happiness is more important to me than the team, and you know that.”
Mac had always claimed it was, that their family was his number one priority, but there were too many times that it took second rung because of his job, his status, his reputation.
“Yeah, well, Allie might feel differently. I don’t know whether you’ve heard but she’s gone to extreme lengths to bring this team together.”
Her friend had married a man to get a third baseman. That she fell head over heels in love with the Cuban was icing on her cake.
The headache had started throbbing and she wanted out. “I’ll let you get back to work but you and I are going to have a meeting to discuss my role here. Being your social secretary is not a compelling reason to stay.”
If she went back home, she could put off the upcoming conflict indefinitely. The younger Casey would have done just that. But her father was right, and although she didn’t want to admit it quite yet, she was inching her way towards resolution. She was here, and that had been her first step.
“You can’t keep procrastinating, Casey. I should have insisted you be honest from the start.”
Her jaw dropped open. “That really wasn’t your decision. It was mine.”
“I’ll let you keep believing that if it makes you feel any better. But it was a bad one from where I sit. They both have a right to know.”
She knew that at the very core of her being but every time the thought surfaced, she pummeled it back down, petrified to take the step. She didn’t know how the hell she was going to spring this kind of news.
She put her attention back on the field. Charlie and Mac had switched places. Charlie was taking fielding practice, Mac hitting the ball out to her. Her daughter was keeping the ball in front of her like she’d been taught, giving up her body if she had to. She wondered how many bruises she’d have before the practice session was over.
A smile crept onto her face without warning.
Charlie was good. It was too bad she was female. She might have used those genetic markers she’d inherited to play professional ball. The ones she’d inherited from both sides of her family tree.
They both have a right to know.
The thing was, she hadn’t wanted anyone to know and had kept it a secret for months. In shock mode the moment that damn stick read yes, she’d gone on an emotional roller coaster ride, the curves and hills creating as much nausea as the pregnancy itself. There was denial, panic, depression, grief, until she’d finally found acceptance. After she’d gone over all her options, she’d decided there’d been only one course of action. For her, anyway. Allie became her confidant, sat holding her hand while she cried her eyes out, and accompanied her to her first doctor’s appointment, where it was officially confirmed.
She’d known she couldn’t avoid telling her parents, but never in a million years did she think she’d have to have that conversation with them. Getting into any kind of trouble was out of character for her. She’d always followed their rules, her mother’s rules, tried to please at every turn, wanted to be the daughter they deserved. She’d always insisted on using protection, but there were a couple of times they’d slipped up. She was naïve enough to believe they wouldn’t get caught, and held an underlying belief that if they did it wouldn’t be any big deal. They’d just get married sooner than anticipated. She’d never been so wrong in her life.
She’d known she had no recourse but to sit them down and tell them, when she was only a few weeks away from starting college. She remembered the day, vividly. It was the second worst of her life. The first had been the break-up and all the repercussions that came with it, one she hadn’t even suspected, and it was a big one that had scared her shitless.
As if isolating herself from the shock and disappointment she knew would come, she’d sat on the love seat in the family room, opposite the couch where Mac and Galen were sitting side by side, a united front, waiting patiently for her to get to the point. Her tears had pre-empted the telling and when it finally came spilling out, they’d already figured out the worst.
Her mother had cried. Face-in-her-hands cried. It was one of the only times she’d seen her mother break down like that. She was usually so staid and calm in the face of crisis, and it had completely undone Casey. Her father had wanted to wring some necks. But she’d made them promise her they wouldn’t do anything rash, like call and tell him. She’d laid out her reasons for not wanting the father to know, like a detailed map, and they’d agreed. More out of anger than consensus.
The anger had withered over time as Charlotte became an intricate part of their lives and Mac had suggested more than once that the girl’s father had a right to know. The first time had been after Seb’s graduation from Tulane. He’d been drafted by the Greenliners and his first stop should have been Pittsfield where Mac was in talks to become the manager. She’d avoided the bullet when Seb was sent to Cranston rather than the triple A team her father eventually coached. She thought Mac would drop the subject after that, but it became a yearly reprimand, usually on Charlotte’s birthday.
The badgering picked up speed when Mac took the job as Greenliner manager, knowing Seb would be attending spring training. Actually, it became more of an ultimatum. He all but threatened to tell him without her consent. Her mother, of course, was on his side.
It will be impossible to keep this from coming out, Casey. We need to handle this before it becomes a real problem. Like your father said, it’s way past time.
The long-held secret was gasping for air and she was gearing herself up to let it breathe.
Unconsciously, she rubbed the rim of the coffee mug she held, her mind a whirling dervish of unwanted thoughts and unavoidable feelings. She was on a seesaw— to tell or not to tell. That was the question. If she told, she might be putting her heart on the line again, and it wasn’t as resilient as it used to be. It had been glued back together one shattered piece at a time and it was tight and withered from lack of use.
As she chewed on her nail, she castigated herself for not remaining back in Boston. She would have avoided the upheaval, the restless nights and secretive days. The only good thing that had come out of the move was her broken engagement. She should never have accepted the proposal, and still didn’t completely understand why she’d said yes. Greg was a good man beneath it all, but he didn’t… understand her. And there was no passion there. That had been stripped away from her arsenal of emotions a long time ago. The only thing she missed was the security blanket he’d wrapped her in.
She brushed her hair back, pushed her glasses up and looked out over the field before snapping out of her trance. Her dad had stopped hitting balls to Charlie, to look across the field at the man walking toward them.
He could still make her heart flutter, but she had no time to take in the rangy body, the confident stride, the muscles that she knew rippled beneath the shirt. This was her worst nightmare taking center stage in her reality. Was it coincidence or…? Couldn’t be. Not the way it was playing out. She’d been checking her watch every ten minutes, knowing exactly when the players would start arriving and she was determined to be long gone by the time it happened. Her father’s incessant demands had hidden an ulterior motive, and anger might have flared if terror hadn’t taken over.
She jumped out of her seat and raced down the stairs, and across the concourse until she came to the rim of the green carpet that lined the diamond. But when she got there, she halted in her tracks. Should she stay quiet, hidden, so she didn’t give anything away or show herself and let whatever happened happen?
Sebastian Layden was standing not three feet away from Charlie. She couldn’t read his expression because his back was facing her, but she heard the excited timbre of his voice when he said, “This is that kid who was at your baseball camp that day I volunteered. Did she win a trip down or something?”
