Fastball (32 page)

He stroked her cheek, his eyes full of
emotion. “When I realized you’d been taken, I made a promise to
myself that if I got you back safe and sound, I’d never let you go.
I’ve always had to be in control of everything—my career, how I
lived my life, all of it. But being with you has made me realize
that I can’t control everything, and I don’t need to. As long as I
have you.”

She smiled up at him even as she blinked back
tears. How stupid to cry when she was so happy. “Then I guess we’re
in agreement,” she said. “We’ll find a way to make this work
between us.”

“Deal,” he whispered.

Jake was lowering his head to kiss her when
Maddie unleashed a huge yawn, suddenly overcome with
exhaustion.

He laughed. “What, I’m boring you
already?”

“Oh, hell,” she groaned. “I’m sorry, Jake.
It’s just that—” She broke off as another yawn took her. Her spirit
might be more than willing to make love to him all night, but her
body was obviously giving up the ghost.

“Time for bed, girl reporter,” he said. “No
more talking tonight.”

She gave him a sheepish, sleepy smile as he
helped her undress and climb into bed.

“Sorry,” she mumbled as she snuggled down
under the sheets. “You know I want—”

“Hush. I’ll be right here when you wake up.”
He pressed a lingering kiss on her lips. “And I’m sure I’ll be
ready, willing, and more than able.”

Her eyes opened wide. “Oh, God, I just
remembered. My car, my purse…”

“Don’t worry,” Jake said, kissing her
forehead. “I’ll take care of that right now.”

“Thanks, and don’t forget we promised to be
at police headquarters first thing in the morning.”

He pulled the covers right up under her chin.
“No worries. I have a feeling I’ll be awake early.”

She managed one more laugh before her eyelids
fluttered shut. “Oh, I’ll look forward to that,” she said, drifting
off.

And she would. She had an entire life to look
forward to, with her very own baseball hero by her side.

The late November wind howled outside the
windows of The Hearth restaurant, making the roaring blaze in the
big stone fireplace seem that much cozier. Maddie had grown up in
Massachusetts, but the bitter northwest winds of Minnesota made New
England seem balmy in comparison.

Smiling, she gazed down the enormous
rectangular table that was lined with friends and family. Yes, it
was a cliché, but if she’d been any happier she would have
burst.

Jake’s father stood and clinked his fork
against his wine glass, calling the cheerfully noisy private dining
room to attention. “Maddie,” he said, casting his eyes down the
length of the table to her. “My beautiful daughter-in-law. I would
like to make a toast to you and my son.” He raised his glass, and
was followed by all the others around the table. “May tomorrow be
the beginning of a long and happy life together, with many home
runs and a few batting titles for Jake, a Pulitzer Prize for you,
and, most important of all, many grandchildren for all of us to
enjoy!”

Everyone laughed, and Maddie bit back a
smile. At least one of those wishes would come true, sooner rather
than later.

Maddie’s new family had gathered in Jake’s
hometown for the rehearsal dinner. Joining his relatives at the
party were Martha, Emma and Reed, and of course Jake’s best man,
Nate, along with three other Patriots players. Tomorrow, she and
Jake would be married in the little German Lutheran church of his
childhood, a rite that represented the end of one long road and the
beginning of another. Maddie hoped the coming years wouldn’t be
quite as eventful as the last one, but she didn’t begrudge anything
that had happened. After all, those events had finally brought her
to this place where she and Jake would take their vows, committing
to a life as one heart, one soul.

Not that it was going to be her first
wedding. Jake had proposed in July, at the All-Star game, of all
places. When they had discussed plans for a wedding in Minnesota
after the season ended, Maddie had stipulated only one condition.
She insisted that while his hometown ceremony would be the “real”
wedding they both wanted, they shouldn’t delay getting married. She
had waited too long for Jake—for happiness—already. If there was
anything she’d learned, it was that life could change in a
heartbeat, and not always for the better. Maddie wanted to start
her new life with Jake as soon as possible, regardless of any
complications.

So, on a sunny Saturday morning in August,
they had wed in a civil ceremony in a Philadelphia hotel, attended
only by Nate and Martha. Maddie had taken a leave of absence from
her position at the
Post
the previous day, clearing the last
obstacle to happiness from her path.

After all her angst about having to give up
her career, the decision to leave the
Post
had turned out to
be relatively easy. When he proposed, Jake had taken all the
pressure off by insisting he would retire from baseball at the end
of the season. Overwhelmed but not surprised by his selfless
gesture, she had suggested they wait until later in the season
before making a decision as to what they would do about their
careers. She knew how badly he wanted to keep playing, especially
since he was having such a superb comeback year. That he had
genuinely offered to sacrifice it all for her had touched her as
nothing ever had.

Shortly after, Maddie had broached the
subject with her boss, Martin James. Wise old bird that he was,
Martin had suggested that Maddie take a leave from the paper and
then return as a general sports columnist when she was ready.
Meanwhile, he recommended that she write occasional feature
articles for magazines and newspapers, promising to be first in
line to buy them. With her career problems no longer an issue, Jake
had gone on to finish his All-Star season, leading the Patriots to
the National League pennant before they lost a hard-fought battle
with the White Sox in a seven-game World Series. Before the season
was even over, Patriots management had offered him a three-year
contract, giving him a chance to fulfill his Hall of Fame dream,
and end his career in a Patriots uniform.

To Maddie, it seemed like having the guts to
take risks was finally paying off.

Jake leaned into her, gently nudging her
shoulder as he whispered, “You’re pretty quiet over there, Mrs.
Miller. Feeling okay?”

Maddie turned in her chair to smile up at her
handsome husband. “Your dad’s just given us a perfect opportunity.
Should we tell them now?”

He grinned. “Well, this wedding is already
turning into a three-ring circus. I say go for it.”

She rolled her eyes. It wasn’t exactly a
circus—not yet, anyway—but it seemed like the entire town had gone
crazy with excitement over the wedding of their favorite son. Add
in a fair number of paparazzi, devoted baseball fans,
and
some of the regular sports reporters who had decided to show up,
and tomorrow did promise to be an exciting day. One photographer
had already caught Jake in a pair of ratty old sweat pants putting
out the trash in front of his dad’s house, and Maddie had been
snapped in the local beauty salon with Martha, their faces white
with goop from their facials. Their wedding wouldn’t be some
sophisticated affair, that was for sure, but it would be full of
friendship, family, and love, and that was all that mattered.

Maddie stood up and the chatter around the
table stopped. At the far end, Nate and Martha—thick as
thieves—exchanged smug, knowing glances. They already knew the
secret, but like true friends they had kept their mouths shut
tight. Well, Jake had been forced to threaten Nate with death or
dismemberment if he blabbed, but that was par for the course when
it came to Nate.

“Everybody, Jake and I have an announcement
to make,” Maddie said, smiling at the expectant faces gathered
around the table. “We are so happy and proud to tell you that
there’ll be another member of the Miller and Leclair families
joining all of us in…”

Her final words were drowned out as Jake’s
sisters shrieked, jumped up and ran around the table to swarm
Maddie and their brother. Pandemonium reigned for a few moments as
their family and friends shouted congratulations and hugged each
other in a frenzy of happiness. And in true Midwest fashion, Jake’s
male relatives and friends began making multiple toasts to his
impending fatherhood. Clearly, there would be more than one aching
head in the church pews tomorrow.

After much backslapping and congratulations,
Jake was finally able to make his way back to her side, slipping an
arm around her shoulders. They stood quietly, a still point of joy
in the midst of good-natured chaos, simply enjoying the moment.

“Three-ring circus really isn’t such a bad
description, is it?” Maddie asked.

“Just wait until tomorrow,” Jake replied.
“We’ll probably need the National Guard just to get us inside the
church.”

Maddie turned in the circle of his arms,
tugging on his tie to bring his head down for a kiss. “Just as long
as you show up, big guy. That’s all I care about.”

“You’ll never get rid of me, sweetheart,” he
murmured against her lips. “Don’t even bother to try.”

“Never. You’re mine, and don’t you forget
it.”

He swooped in, taking her mouth in a
heart-stoppingly passionate kiss. As Maddie sank into her husband’s
embrace, she realized something all over again.

Sometimes you had to be willing to risk it
all to win your heart’s desire. And in that respect, she and Jake
had hit it out of the park.

by V.K. SYKES

Nate entered the room. Two steps inside, he
stopped short, brushing up against a woman in a white lab coat. She
must have been standing at the foot of the bed, fully hidden by the
door.

The woman took a small step backward, clearly
startled by the brief physical contact. As their eyes met, Nate
felt all the air sucked from his lungs in one whoosh.

Sweet Mother of God.

He had to pull in a deep breath. What a
babe.

The woman’s brow creased. “I’m Dr. Bell. Can
I help you?”

He couldn’t stop his gaze from quickly
traveling the full length of her body, from her face to her ankles
and all the way back again. Though not nearly as tall as he was,
this doctor was one seriously long drink of a woman. Close to six
feet, he reckoned. Her unbuttoned lab coat revealed a lean but
curvy figure, and long, elegant legs. She had a naturally beautiful
face, too, with big, hazel eyes, a full, sexy mouth, and a peaches
and cream complexion. Still, he suspected she tended to hide her
light under a bushel. She wore no makeup that he could see, and her
auburn hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Glasses were perched
on the end of her nose, secured by a fine gold chain around her
neck. They added to her unadorned, resolutely professional
look.

The doctor extended a slender hand. Her fine
eyebrows arched as she waited for him to find his voice.

Her outstretched hand finally registered in
his brain and jolted him into action. “I’m sorry,” he apologized,
“I was a little surprised for a moment. You were hidden by the
door.”

He took her hand and held it a few seconds.
It was long and fine-boned, but her firm grip told him it was
strong, too. The kind of hand he’d like to have doing surgery on
him. In fact, he mused, he wouldn’t mind that hand doing all sorts
of things to his body.

He introduced himself. “I’m Nate Carter. I
come around whenever I can to visit with the kids.”

She still looked puzzled. It dawned on him
that she had absolutely no idea who he was. It didn’t bother him,
though. Actually, it felt like a nice change of pace from the
constant fan recognition.

“I’m a pitcher with the Patriots,” he said.
“You know, baseball.”

Her mouth relaxed into a half-smile. “Oh, I
see,” she replied. “You’re one of our celebrity visitors.” Her
crisp tone told him she was far from awed by his presence. Looking
down at the little girl, she said, “Mr. Carter, this is Morgan
McDaniel.”

Morgan shyly put her little hand in his big
one.

“Dr. Holly,
I
know who Nate Carter
is,” she said in a whispery voice. “He’s the Patriots’ best
pitcher.
Everybody
knows that.”

Dr. Bell seemed to hold back a smile as
Morgan skewered her. “I don’t think I’ve told you yet how new I am
to the city, Morgan,” she said, her serious voice at odds with the
amusement in her eyes. “If I’d been here for more than just a few
weeks, I’m sure I would have recognized a man as famous as Mr.
Carter.”

Nate smothered a chuckle. What a perfect
response. She validated what the little girl had said, and made him
feel good at the same time.

“That’s why I didn’t recognize you, either,”
he said. “I’ve met most of the doctors here over the past few
years, and I know I would have remembered if I’d ever seen you
before.” He made no attempt to keep the appreciation out of his
voice.

“Well, then, I suppose we might run into each
other again.” Her smile was hesitant but intriguing. “Since you’re
a regular visitor here.”

“You bet,” he said.

As if he didn’t already have enough
motivation to keep doing this
.
“Doctor Bell,” he continued,
wanting to keep the conversation going, “do you mind my asking
where you’re from? I detect a bit of a southern accent.”

She sighed, her expression conveying rueful
resignation. “You’re probably hearing the north Florida in my
voice. I grew up in Jacksonville. But for the last nine years I’ve
been studying and working at the University of Virginia.”

“You’re from Jacksonville? No kidding? I’ve
got a condo in Ponte Vedra Beach, and I’m in Jax all the time when
I’m down there.” He looked over at Morgan, staring at the adults
with big, round eyes, and winked. The little girl giggled.