Heart of the Game Read online

  “How so?”

  “He paid Joe’s private school tuition. He set up a college fund for each of them. He was smart and always couched his gifts as educational opportunities so I couldn’t find a way to say no.”

  She hung her head for a second, rolling it from side to side to ease some of the tension before meeting Duke’s blue eyes once more. “He bought the season tickets to the Cardinals games because he knew how much Joe would love them, and he said sports would teach him important life lessons.”

  Duke nodded. “That’s the first ounce of connection I’ve managed to feel for the man. Why doesn’t he go to the games with him?”

  “He died last fall. This is the first season he hasn’t been there.”

  Duke folded like a rag doll on the couch. “How do the hits keep coming in this story? Where’s your happy ending?”

  Molly ran her hand through Duke’s short shock of blond hair. The touch was natural, soothing, and Molly chose not to examine her need to comfort this woman or think deeply about Duke’s ability to feel pain over a loss that should’ve only been Molly’s or Joe’s alone.

  “Well, it’s not exactly a happy ending, but on Opening Day when I was overwhelmed and struggling to fill the void he left, wondering how I could possibly prevent Joe’s heart from breaking at every game without his grandfather, you showed up. You sat in Anthony’s seat and talked about baseball with my son, and you bought hot dogs in the third inning like he used to. You made Joe smile again.”

  “Yeah?” She lifted her head, her eyes hopeful. “What about you? Did I make you smile?”

  “Not at first. I tried to be mad at you,” she admitted. “I’d just finished being indebted to Anthony. I wanted so much to prove I could do everything on my own.”

  “You do more than any person I’ve ever met. I think you’re amazing and strong and capable.”

  “I think that’s why I’ve been comfortable sharing my son with you. You’ve made me feel safe and in control. That’s probably why I told you all this tonight.” She stopped, for the first time realizing how much information, how much of herself she’d shown Duke. “I’ve never told anyone the things I just told you.”

  “Ever?”

  Molly shook her head, worried she’d given Duke too much power. She’d certainly exposed herself to all sorts of rejection and opened old insecurities. Why now, when she was finally back on her feet, should she relive those traumas? And why choose Duke? She’d spent her whole night with Lauren grateful to avoid the topics she’d just spoken about so freely with Duke. She hadn’t even made a conscious decision to let her guard down. The walls she’d built and maintained for years simply evaporated to let Duke in. And now Duke had seen past the façade. What must she think of her?

  She searched Duke’s wide eyes for any hint of a change but found only compassion laced with a hint of wonder.

  “I don’t even know what to say. I’m honored. I promise I’ll never betray your trust.”

  The tension eased from her chest. For all the questions she couldn’t answer, she did know without a doubt she could trust Duke with anything.

  *

  Molly slathered another coat of sunscreen across Charlie’s nose while he tried to squirm away. A six o’clock start time lessened the length of exposure to the summer sun, but not enough to ease her worries completely.

  “Honey, you have to wear it. It’s keeps you safe.”

  Charlie waved his arms in a wide cross swath like an umpire and shouted, “Safe!”

  “Exactly. Like the baseball players.”

  “Like Duke.”

  “What?”

  “Duke is safe,” he said again, making the same hand motions. Molly’s heart beat a little faster.

  “Thanks, buddy. I didn’t even have to slide.”

  Molly didn’t turn around right away but continued to apply the sunscreen while she waited for the subtle buzz of anticipation to fade from her nerve endings. She hadn’t seen Duke in over a week, and given the way she’d opened up to her that night, she worried something might’ve changed between them.

  She listened while Duke greeted Joe, and they chatted a bit about the Cardinals’ road trip. Then even without looking up, she felt Duke’s attention shift to her. There was a certain energy she couldn’t put into words, but she recognized the sensation of being caught in her soft blue gaze.

  “Hi, Molly.”

  “Hi, Duke.”

  “I’m glad you guys are here today. I missed you all while we were on the road.”

  Molly didn’t want to admit she’d missed her as well, but Joe had no such problems.

  “We missed you, too, but we read your stories online every morning.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, Mom has me read them to her while we eat breakfast.”

  Duke grinned at Molly. “I never considered you among my readership.”

  “Well, you know, now that school’s out, I want to make sure he keeps reading.”

  “School’s out for the summer?” Duke turned back to Joe. “That’s fantastic. Now you can come to more games, right?”

  “Yes, and we can stay up later because the babysitter comes to our house in the morning, so we can sleep in.”

  “You’re a lucky guy, Joe.” Duke tapped the bill of his cap for emphasis. Then to Molly she added, “I bet those later bed times are a blast for you.”

  “Pure joy, let me tell you.”

  “Is that why you weren’t here last night?” Duke asked casually, but the way she turned to look at the field instead of meeting her eyes made Molly suspect there was some emotion under the question. Had Duke expected to see them? Was she disappointed when they weren’t there? The thought made Molly’s chest tighten.

  “We went out to dinner with a friend last night,” Molly explained.

  “It was Lauren,” Joe deadpanned, leaving her to wonder both why she’d withheld the information and why he always used that tone when talking about Lauren. He’d been polite and respectful at dinner, much better behaved than when they’d first met, but the extra time together hadn’t raised his enthusiasm level for her.

  “Really? You guys all went out to dinner with Lauren? Together. Well. Great.” Duke nudged Joe. “That’s great, Joe. It must make your mom pretty happy to have her kids and her friends all together.”

  Joe nodded. “Lauren’s coming to the game today.”

  Duke ran her hand through her hair and looked back out at the field. “That’s just great. And fast. Things must have gone well while I was out of town.”

  Even though Molly wanted to be careful and not rush the relationship, she had to admit things with Lauren were going well. It hadn’t even been two weeks since their first date, but she’d seen Lauren several times since then. They had coffee together almost every morning before starting work and occasionally again at three.

  Lauren had also come over for dinner at their apartment last weekend after Charlie went to bed, and Joe had spent the night with a friend. She’d been engaging and understanding, and while each date ended with a slightly longer kiss, she hadn’t pushed for anything more. When she’d invited the boys out to dinner with them last night, it seemed like the natural next step, and everything went as well as could be expected with Charlie in a restaurant. So maybe the kids hadn’t fallen instantly in love with her, and Lauren might have looked overwhelmed a time or two, but she hadn’t run away. That had to count for something.

  “Molly?” Duke asked gently.

  “Yes?”

  “I said, I take it things are going well?”

  “Yes, sorry. Things are wonderful.”

  “Good.” She looked back at Joe. “If you’re happy, that’s all that matters, right?”

  “Right,” Joe and Molly answered in unison.

  “Right,” Charlie echoed.

  “Seeing a game together should be fun,” Duke added cheerfully.

  “The game should be fun,” Joe said, then after a glance at Duke added, “I mean because we
should win this one easy. The Cubs are terrible.”

  “Don’t get too cocky there, little man,” Duke warned. “Remember what I said. Even the worst team in the league still wins games.”

  “Yeah, but the Cubs are in last place. Their team batting average is .250, and their on-base percentage is .300. Their pitchers give up more home runs than any other team in the league.”

  Duke shrugged, and Molly wondered if she realized Joe committed her articles to memory.

  “I don’t doubt we’re a better team on paper. If you’re a sabermetrician you’d call us a sure thing. I like statistics. They’re a big part of my job, but they aren’t everything. If they were, why would we even care about playing the games?”

  “I guess because playing the games is the fun part.”

  “Exactly. The games are the fun part, and they aren’t played on paper. I’ve seen perfect rosters crumble on the field, and I’ve seen terrible squads come to life at the right time. You can read all the signs, know all the stats, and set up the most favorable pairings weeks in advance, but no one can know anything for sure until you see the matchup unfold for real.”

  “Did I miss our private pre-game scouting report?” Lauren asked, coming to a stop in the aisle next to Duke. Seeing the two of them side by side provided such a contrast for Molly. Even dressed down, Lauren’s appearance screamed of elegance. While Duke’s short blond wisps were lightly gelled and tousled, Lauren had threaded her long brown hair through the back of a red ball cap. Her white jersey was a baby-doll cut that accentuated her hips and curves, while the only thing feminine about Duke’s red polo shirt was the hint of slender collarbone she’d revealed by leaving the second button open. Lauren’s jeans were designer and slim-fitting, leaving no doubt about her gender. While Duke’s cargo khakis did hang beautifully off her hips, their sides dropped straight to her loafers, hiding any physical features farther down.

  She scanned back up their bodies and found both women staring at her expectantly. Had she been caught comparing them? And why bother? They had nothing in common, certainly not in ways that had anything to do with her.

  “Hi, Lauren,” Duke finally said, taking care of the awkwardness by extending her hand and sparking the conversation. “It’s good to see you again.”

  “Likewise. Joe explained last night that you often stop by and talk about the important parts of the game.”

  “Joe gives me too much credit,” Duke said, her smile turning a little sad, and Molly’s chest tightened once again.

  “Not at all,” she cut in. “Duke’s taught us more about baseball in three months than we’ve learned in the rest of our lives combined. She was just talking to Joe about not taking an opponent for granted. Apparently it doesn’t matter how good a team looks on paper if they don’t execute on the field.”

  “Sounds like a good lesson for life in general.”

  Duke shrugged. “Life is just a metaphor for baseball.”

  “Don’t you mean that the other way around?”

  Duke grinned. “Not really.”

  “Duke buy hot dog,” Charlie cut in.

  “Sorry, buddy. I have to stay in the press booth today.”

  “Why?” Joe and Molly asked in unison.

  Duke shifted from one foot to the other and looked back across the field. “It’s my job.”

  “But you always—”

  Joe’s protest was interrupted by the chirp of Molly’s cell phone. She fumbled for it in the diaper bag, then glancing at the screen noticed a text message from the boys’ babysitter. It simply read, Last minute trip. Cancun. Can’t babysit Mon. Back Tues. She stared at the screen, blinked a few times, and reread the message. The familiar tension in her shoulders tightened another notch.

  “What is it, Mol?” Duke asked softly.

  She sighed. “The babysitter ran off to Cancun for a long weekend. She won’t be back to watch the boys on Monday.”

  “Are you kidding?” Lauren snapped. “How unprofessional. Are you going to fire her?”

  “No. She’s a college student. When she gets back we’ll have a talk about job skills and leaving other people in a lurch and I’m not sure what else, really. I’ll deal with the teachable moment stuff later. Right now I need to find another sitter or find a replacement for me at work on Monday.”

  “Can’t you call a service or something?” Lauren asked.

  “No, I don’t use sitters I don’t know. And my current girl works for cheap because she’s just a teenager herself.”

  “But she’s unreliable. Wouldn’t you rather pay more for a professional?”

  Her frustration bubbled up. Like she didn’t have enough on her plate already, now she had to defend her parenting decisions to someone who didn’t have kids? “Sure, in a perfect world I’d have an au pair who was fluent in three languages, held a degree in early childhood education, and doubled as a gourmet chef.”

  “If money is the problem,” Lauren said slowly, quietly, “I’d love to help.”

  Molly’s jaw tightened as she fought the rising tide of anger at Lauren’s insinuation that she needed saving, financially or otherwise. How was she even supposed to respond?

  “Hey,” Duke said, leaning into Molly’s line of sight and pulling her attention gently away from her frustration. “I was going to ask for a play date with the boys later in the week anyway. I haven’t gotten to see them much lately. Why don’t I watch them Monday?”

  “Yes,” Joe cheered. Charlie clapped.

  Molly eyed her suspiciously. The play date excuse sounded awfully convenient. She didn’t need two women trying to save her, but she had a harder time seeing Duke in that role.

  “Come on. I’m an awesome babysitter, and you know I’ll have more fun than the boys will.”

  She felt a smile trying to break through her jaded exterior as she realized Duke was probably telling the truth on both counts. “What about work? That’s a game night for you.”

  “The game isn’t until seven o’clock.” Duke rubbed her face as if trying to make the math work. “If you can get home by three, I can still get here two hours before the clubhouse closes. Please let me come over and play. I’d really appreciate it. I’d even owe you one.”

  Now she was being silly and transparent. Clearly Molly’d be the one indebted to Duke, but for some reason it didn’t feel that way, which made it virtually impossible to say no.

  “Fine.” Molly relented. “But I will owe you.”

  “Nah.” Duke waved her off. “It’ll be the highlight of my whole week. I’m so excited, you can even send me an absurdly long email with detailed instructions and I won’t mind. But now I do have to get to work.”

  “Right. Go.”

  “Okay. And, Molly, thank you.” Duke grinned, then jogged off.

  Molly watched her go until she faded into the crowd completely, then turned back to see Lauren watching her. “Sorry for the interruption there.”

  “It’s no problem. I’m glad it all worked out so we can enjoy some baseball together.”

  “Me too.” Molly pulled Charlie onto her lap and motioned for Lauren to sit, but Charlie squirmed away.

  “That’s Duke’s seat.”

  “No, honey. Lauren’s going to sit there today.”

  “No, my seat. Duke’s seat.”

  “I’m so sorry.” The burn of her earlier frustration segued to embarrassment. Nothing was going right for her today. She wouldn’t have blamed Lauren if she wanted to run away, but her polite smile never faltered. “Go ahead and sit. He’ll be fine in two minutes. He’s funny about his routines, and he’s used to Duke sitting there.”

  Lauren seemed to choose her words carefully. “There’s no need to apologize. Duke is…well, she must be a very special friend.”

  Molly wasn’t sure if there was something more underlying the sentiment, but for once she didn’t feel an ounce of defensiveness or even the need to explain. Settling back into her seat, she only said, “Yes, she is.”

  *

&nb
sp; “What on earth is that smell?” Molly asked as soon as she walked in the door. It was a strong smell, a unique smell, but not unpleasant. Certainly not the type of scent she expected to come home to after leaving the boys with Duke all day.

  “Hey, Mom.” Joe came tearing around the corner. “We made lasagna.”

  “Lasagna?”

  “Yeah, Duke called her mom, and she told us how. It’s already cooked and everything. You have to…” He paused, his little face scrunched in concentration. “Oh yeah, you just have to put it back in the oven at 375 until it heats through again.”

  “And Duke’s mom taught you that?”

  “She taught Duke, and Duke taught us, but me and Charlie helped put it all together in the pan.”

  “Impressive. Where’s Duke now?”

  “She’s getting Charlie out of the bathtub.”

  “Isn’t it a little early for a bath?”

  “Didn’t you hear what I said? Charlie helped put the lasagna together.”

  “Ah, now I get it. Tomato sauce everywhere? I’m surprised Duke doesn’t need a shower, too.”

  Joe grinned sheepishly, causing Molly to laugh. “Okay, let’s see what’s going on back here.”

  “We’re in Charlie’s room,” Duke called.

  Molly pushed open the door to see Duke on her knees on the floor holding up a set of dry clothes while Charlie ran circles around her in wet swim trunks.

  “Sorry.” Duke looked chagrined. Her gray shirt was soaked in the front and clung to her chest, revealing subtle curves Molly found more than a little surprising. “Bath time may have been a bridge too far for me today.”

  “It’s okay. You seem to have fared better than most.” Honestly, Duke had fared better than Molly did some days. Charlie was clean, the house was clean, dinner smelled delicious. “Can I ask, though, why the bathing suit?”

  “Well, I’m not his mom, and I didn’t know the rules about unrelated adults and naked kids. You see such awful stuff on the news. I wanted to respect his privacy.”

  Molly bit her lip to keep from laughing. Duke was so silly and yet so sincerely good. “I’m sure he appreciated that very much, along with the idea of treating the bath like his own personal swimming pool.”