Swing and a Kiss: Carolina Waves Series Book 4 Read online

  “So what happened?”

  After popping the last of her bread into her mouth, she shook her head as she swallowed.

  “I’m not really sure. I had no idea all that was planned obviously. All I knew is that we were meeting everyone for dinner. On our way there, he veered off, and took me to the ice cream place. We shared a banana split then he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. So by the time we got to the venue where he was supposed to pop the question, we were already engaged.”

  She picked up her fork and dug into her salad. I know there’s a reason for this dinner beyond her not wanting me to sit at the stadium for two hours, but I’m not sure what it is. But I’m enjoying my drink and her company so I just ate my salad, figuring she’d get to the point eventually.

  When the waitress delivered our entrees, we both decided to have another margarita. I also asked for a pitcher of water so she doesn’t have to keep refilling mine. The older I get, the more I focus on staying hydrated whenever I drink. There was a time I could drink all night and wake up the next day without so much as a headache. Now if I have one cocktail too many it takes me two days to recover.

  “I know you’re sitting there wondering what this dinner is about.”

  I placed a big piece of crab into my mouth and smiled over at her.

  “I figured you’d let me know eventually.”

  “Like I said earlier, before I got involved with Jack, I didn’t hang out with him or his friends, so I know how overwhelming it can be spending time with them at first. And trust me when I tell you that they’ve been on pretty good behavior around you. There’s normally a lot more teasing and smartass comments. Honestly, it’s like spending time with teenage boys sometimes. But they’re going to continue to invite you to things and include you and Jeremy in whatever is going on because they know Dale wants you there.”

  The waitress returned with our fresh margaritas and the pitcher of water. After checking that everything was prepared to our liking, she left us alone.

  “If you’d told me five years ago that I’d be married to Jack Reagan, I would have laughed in your face. Despite my ridiculous crush, I never even thought it was in the realm of possibility. I mean, he’s Jack Reagan. Why would he ever notice me?” She smiled. “But then he did.” She popped a shrimp into her mouth, chewed, and swallowed before speaking again. “Remember I told you why I set up that PR blitz for Jack two years ago?”

  “Because of the book, right?”

  “Yes, the book.” She rolled her eyes. “Jack lived his life a certain way and I definitely didn’t fit into that mold, nor did I want to. So I crushed on him from a distance. Then we were thrown together and this thing just grew between us until we couldn’t ignore it anymore. I understand my circumstances weren’t the same as yours. I don’t have your history and I wasn’t a single mother, but we do have some things in common. We’re pretty low-key women who caught the eye of some extraordinary men, and that can be scary as hell. But it can also be worth it. Remember that whenever you have doubts or when a gang of people are overwhelming you with invitations and smothering you with attention.”

  I smiled at that last sentence. They’ve always been friendly with Jeremy and me, but since Dale’s party, we’ve been welcomed at a whole different level. It’s both flattering and overwhelming, especially since I’m still not sure where this thing between Dale and me is going, or even where I want it to go.

  We finished our meals and the waitress refilled our water glasses before clearing our plates and the empty pitcher.

  “Would you like two more margaritas?” she asked.

  “No thank you. Water is good for me.”

  Hannah turned down a third drink as well.

  “Technically I’m on the clock, so another one wouldn’t be a good idea,” she said around a chuckle.

  I grabbed the check when the waitress brought it over.

  “I’ve got it,” I said.

  “No, I invited you, so hand it over.”

  “Dinner may have been your idea but I appreciate you asking me and sharing everything you did.”

  And that’s the truth. Chloe and Hope can offer advice but they don’t have first-hand experience like Hannah. I realize that I have my own issues and insecurities, but getting involved with Dale comes with its own real list of complications.

  I won the battle for the check and once it was paid, we left and headed back toward the stadium. Hannah led me through a side door and walked with me to the main concourse.

  “I have to run up to my office to make a few phone calls but I should be down by the time the game starts.” Before I walked away, she added, “I know you have a lot going on in your head with this, so if you ever want to talk, please give me a call.” She smiled. “He’s worth it. I promise.”

  Dale

  * * *

  I swear I play better when Karen’s here. I’m seeing the ball better when I bat and my reflexes are sharper in the field.

  Standing in the on-deck circle, I keep looking up at her in the stands as I go through my usual pre-bat ritual. I’ve been doing the same thing for so long it’s second-nature at this point, so staring at Karen isn’t taking away from my game.

  And thankfully I’m good at multi-tasking so I know exactly what’s going on with Kasprzyk at the plate. He’d taken two strikes followed by three balls then fouled one off. I shifted my eyes toward the field as the umpire settled behind the catcher and the pitcher went into his windup. The ball was low and outside for ball four. Kasprzyk jogged down to first base, handing his bat to the bat boy along the way.

  That gives us a big opportunity. We’re losing three to two and since it’s the bottom of the eighth, we’re running out of chances to catch up. There’s only one out, so I have to do something here to move Kasprzyk around the bases.

  I banged the handle of my bat against the dirt to dislodge the donut then walked toward the plate and stepped into the box to face the pitcher. A fastball came flying at my head and I ducked out of the way then got right back into the box. He released the ball and again, it came at me high and inside again.

  The pitching coach called time and jogged out to settle his pitcher down. He just took the mound this inning and he’s missed his spots on most of his pitches.

  Stepping out of the box, I leaned the bat against my hip and tightened my batting gloves. Looking up into the stands, I zeroed in on Karen who was having an animated conversation with Penny. They’re probably talking about how Jeremy did with her in the cages today. But regardless of the topic, I’m just happy to see them getting along. Penny and I are really close and I’m hoping Karen and I will be, too.

  Her head had been turned as she listened to whatever Penny was saying but she looked in my direction as if I’d willed her attention my way. I smiled and that roller coaster feeling flowed through me again when she smiled back. I don’t know what it is about her that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, but I really like it.

  The umpire stepped into position and I got into the box and took my stance. The pitcher looked over his shoulder at Kasprzyk then stepped his foot off the rubber.

  Seriously?

  With the way he’s been pitching, he needs to concentrate on putting the ball over the plate instead of dicking around with the guy he put on first base.

  I stepped back into the box and glared at the pitcher. He glared back but didn’t look very intimidating.

  Throwing from the stretch, he reached back then released the ball. Since he’s having trouble finding the zone, I wouldn’t normally swing at anything until he throws a strike, but as soon as the ball left his hand, I knew the pitch coming at me was my idea of perfect when I’m hitting from the left side of the plate. Thigh high and between the center of the plate and the inside corner.

  A satisfying crack sounded as the bat vibrated in my grip when it made contact with the ball. Once the line drive sailed over the first baseman’s head, no one else had a chance of catching it. Kasprzyk had had a big lead
and was already rounding second as the ball bounced just inside the foul line in right field. The first base coach rotated his arm in big circles waving me toward second. I glanced over my shoulder just before I rounded the bag and saw the ball bounce into the corner so I kept going. The third base coach held up his hands letting me know I could go in standing.

  Clapping my hands together, I looked over at the dugout watching my teammates celebrate the tying run before glancing up at Karen, who was on her feet cheering. I tipped my helmet in her direction then slapped it back on my head.

  The bat boy ran over and I removed my elbow and ankle guards and handed them to him. I watched the pitcher circle the mound. During the regular season, he would have been yanked by now, but I’m guessing they’re letting him in to see how he’ll do to get out of this mess. The guy has been a reliever for Boston for three years now and he’s either unhittable or all over the place. There’s no in between.

  Jimmy Chavez stepped up to the plate and I took a decent-sized lead. The first pitch was a fastball right down the middle for a called strike. Chavez hit a long fly ball to left field on the next pitch but it curved foul. Too bad the fielder didn’t catch up to it so I could tag up and put us ahead.

  But what happened next was just as good.

  After looking over to check on me, the pitcher threw a changeup into the dirt and it caught the edge of the plate and went sailing over the catcher’s head. I took off down the line as Chavez stepped out of the box and waved me home. The ball went flying over my head as I dove head first and slid, swiping my hand across the plate. Using my forward momentum, I jumped up and bumped Chavez’s waiting fist before jogging to the dugout.

  The pitcher was taken out after that, replaced with their closer, who got the next two outs with five pitches. After a quick ninth inning, with three up and three down for both teams, we ended up winning the game four to three.

  I took my time getting my stuff together in the dugout, knowing Lexi would come down onto the field once the crowd thinned out. I’m hoping Jeremy joins her. This is the last time I’ll see Karen for a few days so I’ll take any contact I can get. It’s kind of pathetic, really. But I have no shame when it comes to her.

  My patience paid off. Lexi ran over and hugged Dan and Jeremy followed behind her.

  “That was awesome,” he said. “The hit and the slide.”

  “Thanks, Bud.” I held up my hand for a high five and he didn’t leave me hanging. “Speaking of slides...how’s your pop-up slide coming along?”

  He’d mentioned last year that he’d gone to a camp and learned how to slide properly. But it’s definitely a learning process and he said he was working on it.

  “It’s getting better.” He scrunched his nose the same way Karen does. “Sometimes I still don’t make it all the way to standing and end up on my knees.”

  “You’ll get there. It just takes a lot of practice.”

  Jeremy scratched his head and looked back toward home plate then back at me.

  “When did you start switch hitting?”

  “Uh, I think I started fooling around with it when I was about your age. Not in games or anything, but in the yard with my grandfather and off the tee. You interested in hitting from the other side of the plate?”

  “Yeah, kinda.”

  The thing is, I know it’s not the kind of thing coaches work on. They’re more interested in having their players perfect hitting from their natural side instead of splitting their efforts. Switch hitting is more something that’s worked on with a parent, or in my case a grandparent.

  I’d love to work with Jeremy but I’m not sure how his mother would feel about that. Karen and I are still figuring things out and I don’t want to overstep my boundaries. But there is something I can do.

  “I have a tee and net you can have to practice on. That’s really the best way to get started working on your swing from the other side.”

  His eyes lit up. “That’d be cool. Thanks Monte.”

  “Any idea when you’ll be at another game?”

  “I’m not sure. I have a tournament this weekend and practice every day this week.”

  I already knew that of course, and besides helping Jeremy out it might be a way for me to see Karen during the week. A win-win as far as I’m concerned.

  Chapter 14

  Dale

  * * *

  Dan followed me onto the balcony as I turned on the grill. We had an afternoon game and didn’t feel like going out for dinner so we decided to grab a couple steaks and chill at my place. Jack and Hannah are doing a date night so it’s just us two tonight.

  We sat at the small table with our beers while the grill heated.

  “I hope we get all that shitty play out of our systems down here,” Dan said.

  We’d played Philadelphia and looked like The Bad News Bears. No one that played today could point a finger at anyone else because we all sucked one way or another. I’d gone one for four. Dan had misjudged and ended up missing two pretty routine fly balls. Jack hadn’t done any better than me at the plate. And the rest of the team had the same kind of issues. That combined with the fact that none of our pitchers could put the ball over the plate had us losing fifteen to three. Not our finest moment for sure. But like Dan said, hopefully we’ll get all our bad play out of the way before the regular season starts.

  I got up and tossed the steaks on the grill, then set the timer on my phone so I know when to flip them. Sitting back down, I drained the rest of my beer in one long chug then set the bottle down on the table with a little too much force. The noise it made had me checking to make sure the glass didn’t crack.

  “Everything okay?”

  I dragged my thumb along the remaining condensation on my empty bottle and nodded.

  “I haven’t seen Karen since last Friday at the game. We’ve talked on the phone a couple times, but that’s it.” I shrugged. “I miss her.”

  “You didn’t see her when you brought the tee over for Jeremy?”

  “No, she had a meeting with a client that ran over, so she couldn’t make it home. By the time she texted me, I was halfway to her house, so I just let myself into the yard and set it up so he’d have it.” I looked over at him. “How do you handle not seeing Sabrina all the time?”

  “Well, things are different for us now because we’re married. And they were different when we were in the stage you’re at because I was out with my leg injury and Sabrina was staying at the house with me for therapy. So we saw each other all the time. You’re in a totally different situation because you’re working around your schedule, hers, and Jeremy’s. Add the fact that Jeremy doesn’t know you’re dating and you have a tiny window to see each other in person and do the getting-to-know-you thing.”

  The timer dinged and I got up to flip the steaks. After closing the lid, I flopped back into my chair and set the timer again.

  “You know, this really sucks. All my other relationships were much easier.” Dan looked at me with raised brows. “What?”

  “Monte, you didn’t really have any other relationships. Yes, there were women you spent time with, but they weren’t real relationships and you know that.”

  He’s not wrong and I do know that but it’s still not an easy thing to hear.

  “Will you talk to her later?”

  “I told her to call me when she gets home from Jeremy’s game, or to at least text.”

  “The only thing I can recommend is to be honest with her. You know how things were with Sabrina and me when I basically bribed her then boss to get her to rehabilitate my knee. She hated me for what I did to her back in college. But I got her at the house and was determined to convince her to give me a second chance. She barely wanted to speak to me so it wasn’t easy. Anytime I had an opening I let her know what I was feeling and tried to show her that I changed. It wasn’t easy putting it all out there but I knew I had to do it because I wouldn’t get another chance. And I think that’s what you have to do, too. I know you’ve been t
rying but all I can say is you have to try harder. Literally spell things out for her if you’re that sure she’s the person for you.”

  The timer went off again and I stood to shut off the grill. Thankfully I’d had the good sense to set it or our steaks would have turned to shoe leather because I wasn’t paying attention. I placed one steak on each of the plates I’d brought out earlier and we went inside.

  Sitting at the kitchen table, Dan and I filled the rest of our plates with the salad he brought and dug in. I thought about what he said and realized he was right. Yes, Karen and I have only been on two official dates, but I know I want to move this thing along. I’ve been trying not to freak her out by coming on too strong but maybe I need to share more of what I’m thinking.

  “I can practically see your thoughts,” he said around a laugh. “You’re gonna have to be more subtle than what I see you contemplating. It’s definitely a balance. Let her know how you’re feeling and what you want without being a total caveman.”

  “You know something, this really sucks.”

  “I know, but trust me, it’s worth it.”

  Yeah, as long as I end up getting the girl like Dan, Jack, and Cal did.

  Karen

  * * *

  I glanced at the clock. Only a half hour to go. Of course, then I have to run home to change and pick up Jeremy to take him to his games. This weekend’s tournament is at a complex forty-five minutes away so there’s not much time to spare. Hopefully I don’t hit traffic along the way or we’ll be late.

  Settling onto a bar stool at the kitchen island, I looked over the sign-in sheet, happy with the results of this open house so far. It had a lot of traffic initially, with a few of the attendees interested in coming back next week to look at the house again.