The Wild Card, page 33
We’re tied one and one so far in this three-game series against Milwaukee. We really need to win this one. It’ll get the Colts one step closer to making the playoffs.
I sit, and my knee bounces as he throws his practice pitches to Hayes.
“He looks good,” Leighton says.
“Really good,” Penelope says on my other side. She’s been sitting with us lately, and Hazel and Monroe have become fast friends.
I’m not wasting any energy worrying about what she had with Foster. It doesn’t matter. And I know it doesn’t compare.
“Go, Reaper!” Lincoln shouts, raising his gloved hand.
I bite my lower lip as Decker, Easton, and the rest of the infield head back to their positions. Hayes stands one more time, fixing his guards, before squatting behind home plate.
My nerves multiply as I realize it’s the top of the lineup for Milwaukee. “Jace Castillo. Of course. He’s probably gonna win the home run derby this year.”
Leighton giggles and presses her hand to my bouncing knee. “Nothing Foster hasn’t encountered before.”
Foster gets one strike on his slider. Another on his inside curve. Jace takes a crack at the third pitch, but it dribbles to third. Decker fields it cleanly and throws it to Hayes at home. One out.
“Just one more,” I say to myself.
Foster nods at Decker. Those two are really making great strides lately. Foster even went to dinner with his mom when she was in town last week. He was nervous beforehand and in his head about it when he got home, but he talked to me about how he was feeling. That’s all I can ask for.
I’m hoping he’ll make some kind of amends with her, if only for himself. But that’s up to Foster. Just the fact that he was willing to be around her is a big step forward for him.
Warren Kincaid steps up to the plate next. He and Foster have beef over what I don’t know, but at last night’s game, Foster might have purposely hit him in the ninth after their pitcher, Whittaker, hit Decker the inning before.
So it’s no surprise that Warren looks as though he wants to hit a line drive right at Foster’s head.
Warren takes a swing on the first pitch and misses.
I catch Foster almost smiling, but he steps off the mound after Hayes throws it back.
The next two pitches Blue calls as balls.
“That was a strike!” I stand and shout.
Leighton tugs me back down to my seat. “Let’s not make beef with Blue.”
But everyone around us is on board with the fact that it was a strike.
Foster leans forward and gets the call from Hayes. They’ve been such an in-sync duo this past month, and I’m so thankful that what happened between us didn’t sever those ties. Foster needs Hayes in his life as much as Hayes needs Foster.
The pitch comes in, and I have no idea why they would choose a fastball, but it comes in really fast.
“Holy shit, he hit one hundred and four.” Lincoln points at the Jumbotron.
“Lincoln,” Leighton scolds. “Language.”
I lean a little closer to her. “Man, is ten the new sixteen?”
“Apparently.” She gives Lincoln a look to say he’s in trouble later.
“Finish him off,” I call.
Leighton laughs. “My, how the tables have turned.”
She’s smug and deservingly so. I made fun of her many times for freaking out when Hayes was in the box.
Foster throws a curve. It’s the one pitch that hasn’t quite been doing what it used to for him, but this one tails right at the end. Warren swings, and I close my eyes until I hear the roar of the Chicago fans.
I spring my eyes open to see Foster walking toward the dugout.
Easton runs up behind him and pushes himself off Foster’s shoulders, shouting, “Let’s go!”
Hayes waits for him, and Foster fist bumps him, but right before he dips into the dugout, Foster’s eyes find mine, and he smiles. A big, toothy smile that he’s never once given me in public.
The camera catches it, and soon side-by-side pictures of us are on the Jumbotron with heart emojis and kisses sprinkled over the screen.
“You guys are the ‘it’ couple,” Penelope says. “I’m glad to see him so happy.”
“Me too.”
We share a look, and I pat her hand, hoping she figures out that I know about her past with Foster, and I’m okay with it.
The Colts win, and everyone decides to go to Peeper’s to celebrate.
We fill the backroom. Even Penelope and Hazel join us for the first time. We order pizza from down the street, and Ruby comes in with her tray of non-alcoholic drinks for me.
“You gonna pick one soon so I don’t have to keep bringing a whole tray in here. My back is killing me,” Ruby complains, but then without waiting for me to choose what I want she puts a glass of milk in front of me. “You should have this. It’s good for the baby.”
“Foster!” I shout across the room.
He’s competing in a game of darts with Hayes, Easton, and Decker.
He sees the glass of milk and winks at me. “Milk has vitamin D, protein, calcium.”
I shake my head, but I don’t care. I love that he worries about the baby and me.
“He made me do it. Threatened me by saying he would invite those Chipmunks if I didn’t give it to you.” Ruby walks away and out of the room.
Later that night, when my feet are hurting and I’m tired, I see Foster pull his phone out of his pocket and check it. His smile falters for the first time since the game ended.
My stomach drops because whatever it is, it’s about to rupture our happy little bubble.
He walks over to me, taking the chair next to me, and swings my legs over his lap. Then he hands me his phone and massages my calves.
Jagger Kale: Your guy just got arrested. Buckle up, this might get bumpy.
CHAPTER
SIXTY-THREE
Foster
Callie tells the group she’s tired and that we’re going to head up to the condo. They all believe it, but I hate that my bullshit is keeping her from having a good time with our friends.
As soon as we’re behind closed doors, she turns to me. “Okay, let’s call Jagger.”
I can see fatigue weighing on her as she sits on the couch and stretches out her legs.
Taking a seat beside her, I bring her legs over my lap again and massage her feet. “Go figure, right? Things were going way too well.”
I concentrate on her feet, but she pokes me in the stomach with one when I don’t look at her.
“Things are still great. You’re innocent, and sure at first people will… well, we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s just call Jagger and figure out a plan.”
I sigh, meeting her gaze. “We leave in the morning for the Seattle game.”
I don’t want to tell Callie that maybe she should stay home. I left a lot of shit in Seattle. I thought it was all cleared up, but now I’m walking into a shitstorm and bringing her along with me.
“Call him.” She pokes me with her foot again.
I pull my phone out and dial Jagger, putting him on speaker.
“Hey, sorry to ruin your night. I figured you were celebrating. You’ve been on fire on the mound lately. Keep it up and those endorsements will come. Well, depending how this all shakes out. How likely is it that your name will come up in this investigation?”
“Since I paid my dad’s debt, and we share the same last name, I’m guessing pretty likely. Do you think he keeps records like that?”
Jagger blows out a breath.
Callie slides in next to me, resting her head on my shoulder. I wrap my arm around her and pull her as close as I can get her.
“It depends how big of an operation he’s running, but since they nabbed him, and it is somewhat news, I’d say your name is somewhere. They’re certainly going to be able to track it when they dig into his banking records.”
I groan, and Callie takes the phone from me. “Hey, Jagger, this is Callie.”
“Callie, can’t wait to meet you.”
“Do you think he should just go public and make a statement?”
Jagger chuckles but sobers quickly. “Sorry, it’s just… of course you’d think that.”
“People are going to talk.”
“Foster hasn’t even been named yet. I don’t think we bring shit up that they haven’t figured out. If and when the cops want to talk to him, it may not leak to the public. They might interview him, be satisfied with what he says, and move on, no one the wiser. This could die down in a couple days. Or they might arrest him, and the case could get thrown out of court. Let’s not be rash. Let’s wait and see what happens over the next few days.”
Callie and I look at each other, weighing what Jagger said in our minds. Eventually we nod in agreement.
“Okay, Jagger. Sounds like a plan.” I kiss Callie on the temple.
“So, you’re in Seattle this weekend. I’ll be there too. We’re gonna put on our happy faces and pretend like nothing is out of sorts. If it comes out, we’ll address it at that time. Just keep your head down.”
“Okay. I will.”
“There’s one more thing…” I can hear the hesitation in Jagger’s voice, something I don’t hear often.
There’s a long pause as Callie looks at me quizzically.
“I’m hiring security.” Jagger’s statement lands like a bomb.
My chest tightens, and my hand flexes on Callie’s shoulder.
“What? Why?” Callie straightens a bit. As best she can with her belly.
“Foster?” he says.
“She knows everything,” I tell him.
“This bookie has people. People who are looking for who ratted him out. I don’t think you’re in danger or anything like that, but I don’t want them bothering you guys. I know you’re an ‘in the stands behind home plate’ girl, Callie, but this weekend, you’ll be in a suite.”
“But—”
I squeeze her shoulder and nod. I’d feel more at peace with her in a suite rather than out in public.
“Fine.” She sounds like a sullen child, and my lips quirk up.
“We’ll talk more this weekend. Since it’s, like, a couples thing, I’ll bring Quinn,” Jagger says.
“Good, I have a question for her.” Callie glances at the romance books in the corner on the table, one of which has Quinn’s name on it.
“I always love it when my clients want to talk to my romance author wife,” Jagger says dryly. “Sit tight, and if anything happens, I’ll be in contact. Otherwise, see you tomorrow night. Security will be waiting for you at the hotel.”
We say goodbye, and Callie tosses my phone on the other couch cushion, moving to straddle me. As I always do, I place my hands on her stomach. My number one priority is to keep them safe, and I can’t help but think Seattle is the worst place for them.
“Do you think I can convince you to stay home?”
She shakes her head. “The whole reason we picked Seattle as the away series I tagged along for was because I knew it would be hard for you to be there. I want to be with you to remind you that it’s us now, not just you.”
She kisses me, but when she goes to pull away, I weave my hand through the hair at the back of her head, keeping her there.
I knew she’d still want to go, and Leighton is going for Hayes. Who knows when Callie will be able to travel again once the baby comes?
So I’ll try to push aside my concern and lose myself in her, hoping like hell when we wake up, I’m not headline news.
CHAPTER
SIXTY-FOUR
Callie
Leighton and I have a fun girls’ day once we arrive in Seattle. We do a little shopping with the bodyguards tailing behind. I’m sure most people looking at us are wondering if they’ve seen us before.
Nothing about the bookie and Foster has come out, thank goodness.
By the time we reach the suite at the Seattle ballpark, some people are already there.
A tall man in a sharp custom suit with perfectly gelled hair comes right over to us. “Leighton and Callie.” He kisses Leighton’s cheek, then puts his hand in front of me. “Jagger Kale.”
“The man in charge of most of the guys on that field’s career.” I shake his hand.
His gaze shifts to my stomach briefly before they pop back up to meet my eyes. “That’s me. And your man is taking up too much of my time lately.” He chuckles and shifts his attention to Leighton. “Hayes’s turn was last year.” Then he waves us into the suite. “Come and meet my wife, Quinn.”
He leads us farther in, and I can’t stop eyeing all the food and drinks. The best thing about pregnancy is being able to eat what I want without feeling guilty about it.
Then I see that Angela Davis is here too, talking to who I suspect is Jagger’s wife.
“Angela.” I nod and give her a small smile.
She returns it and nods back.
I know she and Foster have a complicated relationship, but she is the grandmother of my baby, so I break the distance and hug her. “I didn’t know you were coming.”
“I try to always come to the Seattle games.” Her confession strikes me as odd because she’s from Philadelphia, from what I understand. “How is the pregnancy going?”
“It’s good.” We both look down at my stomach. Never have I ever taken so much time to stare at one part of my body as much as I have these past months. “She’s moving a lot more these days.”
Leighton says hello to Angela, then Jagger introduces us to his wife.
“This is Foster Davis’s girlfriend, Callie Carlisle, and Hayes Carlisle’s fiancée, Leighton.”
“Oh yes, I’ve heard about you both.” Quinn shakes our hands, giving us a big smile.
Jagger kisses her on the temple. “I’ll be back.”
“He’s always got someone to schmooze.” She stirs the straw in her drink. “How was the trip out here?”
We all make polite talk for a bit.
Yes, I’m six months.
Oh, it’s a girl.
Quinn can definitely lead a conversation.
“Just so you know, Foster is going to ask you why there aren’t more baseball hero stories in romance. Just a warning.” I roll my eyes good-naturedly.
She laughs. “They’re always so concerned about being a hero in a book. I guess it’s those egos. But thanks for the heads-up.”
We chat a little longer, then the game starts, so I take my seat between Angela and Leighton.
Everything is going great, we’re winning, and for a moment, I think Foster won’t even have to come in. But late in the ninth with only one out left to get, he’s called in.
“It’s weird to see it with no music and the lights on,” I say.
The minute he steps out of the bullpen, boos ring through the stadium. A strangled sound comes out of Angela, and her body tenses.
Leighton puts her hand on my knee. “He left. You know how it goes.”
True, but I still feel for Foster.
“You’re fucking kidding me,” Jagger whispers behind me, and I glance over my shoulder to see him walking out of the suite.
My eyes snag on the television screen in the suite, and all the breath whooshes out of my lungs. The headline flashing on the screen reads, Foster Davis bets against himself with big Seattle bookie. More names to come.
My head drops forward, and I excuse myself to go find Jagger. He’s walking in as I’m walking out.
He gives my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “I’m heading down to the locker room to meet Foster right after the game. Go back to the hotel and wait for us there.”
“No, I want to see him.”
Jagger blows out a breath. “Please don’t be difficult. This is bad, Callie. Like, career-ending bad.”
“Which is why I’m going to be by his side the entire time.” I grab my purse off the counter. “I’m going with you.”
“He did it, Cal. Struck them out, and we won! Take that, Seattle and your shitty fans.” Leighton sounds really tough right now, even though she’s the sweetest person I know.
I look over my shoulder and see her spot Jagger with me. Then Leighton and Angela look at the television and read the caption, their smiles fading.
We’re going to get through this, and I’m going to prove to Foster that he has an entire army at his side.
Jagger agrees to take me to see Foster, and Leighton and Angela decide to come too. I’m hoping that Angela doesn’t make it worse for Foster, but if anything, she can be there for Decker.
Jagger gets into the locker room because he’s Jagger, and the rest of us are put in some room for the visiting team’s guests.
“Did you know about this?” Leighton asks me once we’re alone.
I nod. “He didn’t do it.”
“I know that.” Leighton gives me a look as if she’s insulted I’d dare to think otherwise.
“He’s behind it, isn’t he?” Angela asks.
“Who?” Leighton looks between the two of us.
I nod to Angela, and she shakes her head, walks away, then comes back with her phone. “Listen, Callie…” She pauses but then seems to convince herself of something and continues. “Has Foster shown you a picture of his dad?”
I shake my head.
She holds her phone out to me. “This is him. I have no doubt he’s in this stadium somewhere. When we were in the suite, I felt okay, but now that this news has come out…and with you being pregnant… he’s going to show his face.”
I stare at the man who looks more like Decker than Foster. Dark hair and eyes, shorter than both of his sons.
“This is why I come to the Seattle games,” Angela says.
“Why?” Leighton moves in to look at the picture. “You couldn’t have known that this news would come out.”
“No, but I knew he reached out to Decker for money and things. And I knew with both boys here… and if he knew you were here too, Callie, he’d try to work some angle to get something from the boys.”
Emotion hits me when she says the boys because that’s how she’ll always see Decker and Foster. As her sons. She still wants to protect them both.
