Sliding Into Second (2 page)

“Can we talk after the interview?” He had no right to ask, but now that she was there, he had to seize the moment.

“Sage, go,” the annoyed camera guy said. “Now.”

“I have to do my job.” She walked toward Pax, but quickly turned around to add, “I know you get that.”

Her meaning was not lost on him.

Seven years earlier...

“What do you mean you don’t want me to go with you?” She paced his dorm room, fisting her hands at her sides. Nic knew her temper was about to explode any second. With each step she took, she grew more irate. “You’re not making any sense. Why would you say that?”

“Because it’s true.” He had trouble swallowing the lie, but he had made up his mind. This was the right choice for her. “You need to finish college.”

“I will.” She stopped in front of him. “I can do on-line courses. I researched it.”

“No, you’ve already given up Princeton for me.” How much more could he ask of her?

“I gave that up for both of us, so we could be together. It paid off. Look where you’re headed.”

“You can’t give up anything else. It’s only two years. Once you finish college, you can come to wherever I am. Maybe I’ll be on a major league team by then.” He smiled, but the hurt in her eyes nearly killed him. “I’ll be more established. Better prepared to take care of you.”

“You already take care of me. We take care of one another,” she pleaded. “We’re in this together, remember?”

He wanted to be selfish and take her with him. Screw the consequences, because he needed her by his side. That wasn’t an option. She had a future ahead of her too. Traveling around the country and staying in cheap motels while he took the field in scorching temperatures, vying for a shot in the majors, was no way for her to live. There was no guarantee he would achieve his goal.

“I can’t be separated from you for another two years.” She shook her head, standing her ground as he knew she would. “I won’t do it.”

“It’ll be different this time,” he assured her. “You’re not in high school anymore. You’ll be able to fly out and spend breaks with me. These years will go by so fast and then we can be together. Just like we planned. We’re almost there. Don’t lose sight of that, baby.”

“Why did you change your mind, Nicky? Why?”

He watched as she sucked in a breath. He knew she was doing her best to hold back the tears, but they fell despite her efforts. “You said you needed me with you. That we’d always be together. What changed?”

“I can’t be selfish.”

“You’re being selfish right now by telling me I can’t come with you.”

“Let me do the hard part first.” He took her hand in his. “I’ll get my career going while you stay here and finish school. That makes the most sense. There’s no reason for us both to chase a dream that might not come true.”

“Something changed.”

She was always too smart for her own good.

“I just thought really hard about it.” He couldn’t tell her his motivation behind his decision. It would crush her even further. “You’re not coming with me.”

“This is my life.” She straightened her posture. “You want me with you. Let me make my own choice.”

“Sage, I’ve made up my mind.”

“I gave up Princeton for you.” She pulled out of his grasp. “And now you want me to stay here alone? At a college that wasn’t even in my top five? I’m here because of you.”

“You knew there was a possibility I wouldn’t finish here in Florida.”

“That’s what we wanted, but we were going to do it together. Please, tell me what changed.”

“I... I’m sorry.” He wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her against his chest. “I love you. Don’t doubt that.” Pressing his lips to her forehead, he breathed in her fresh scented shampoo. “You’re my life, but you need to accept this. You’re not coming with me.”

“Screw you.” She freed herself of his hold. “You can’t have everything your way. Is this really what you want?”

He stared at her for a few moments, trying to find the courage to lie to her. He’d never been anything but honest with her.

“Is it?” she demanded.

“Yes.”

“I’m out. I’m not waiting for you anymore. I won’t come after you in two years. You do whatever you have to do, but you can do it without me.”

“Sage, wait.” He went after her but stopped when she turned and stared into his eyes. Would she figure out he was lying?

“I’m done, and you can bet I’ll stay out of your life.” She sobbed before opening the door and running down the hall. “Forever!”

He had always planned to go after her when the time was right. His career took off faster than he could have dreamed, and she left Florida soon after he had. He kept in touch with her younger sister, Rosalie, for a year or so, but as the years went by, so did life. Sage had meant what she said when she promised to stay out of his life. She wouldn’t return his calls or agree to see him. Even after she graduated, she wanted nothing to do with him. He blew it, but tonight could be the start of a second chance.

He watched as Sage interviewed Pax. Her knowledge of the game and professionalism blended well with her ease and lighthearted banter. Nic was the reason she knew the game. He’d taught her everything about his sport and she used what she had learned to make a name for herself. He couldn’t have been prouder.

“You getting out of here?” J.P. Sutton, the first base coach asked. “You boys have some celebrating to do.”

“I just want to wait until this interview is over.”

“Pax is gonna be tied up for at least another hour with post-game interviews.” J.P. looked in the pitcher’s direction. “That reporter is something, isn’t she? New to our little town. That should be interesting come spring training with all you dogs vying for her attention.”

“Spring training?”

“She’ll be joining us to do a special series next season. You know, following us and reporting live from the field.”

“What? When did that happen?” Sage was coming on the road with him after all these years? That was an aspiration they had shared when they were young. He couldn’t believe it was a possibility.

“It’s been in the works, but the network was waiting to see what you guys would do in this series before a decision was made. They approached the clubhouse a few weeks ago with the idea. Now that we’re champs, it will be great exposure.”

“Yeah.” Nic’s gaze traveled across the crowded space as Sage made her way out of the locker room without even looking at him. Her young cameraman followed close behind like some lost puppy. “It should be real interesting.”

Chapter 2

Sage hurried out to the news van, which was parked in the back of the stadium lot. She needed some air. Her heart pounded hard against her chest. Seeing Nic was more difficult than she’d realized it would be. It stirred too many memories, good and bad. They were always fantastic together. Even when he went off to college, they had managed a long-distance relationship. She never doubted his love for her in those years. When she met up with him in Florida, life was perfect. They were young, carefree, and in love. She was his number one cheerleader. She followed him as often as she could throughout the baseball season, making sure he had everything he needed. The dreams, the possibilities...

He destroyed everything they had ever wanted in a matter of minutes. All he had to do was tell her the truth. What had made him change his mind that day in his dorm room when he told her she wasn’t going with him? So many reasons went through her head. Had he found someone else? Did he not want to be saddled down with a girlfriend when he started his career? Was everything they had shared a lie?

Those were the questions she’d thought about for countless hours. They should have been answered by now. Somehow, the hours turned into days, the seasons changed, and the years kept coming. She had been stubborn and afraid to hear the truth. She refused to see him after that. The more time that passed, the angrier she became over how they left things. How they let their shot at happiness slip away and neither one of them did anything to fight for their future.

“Wait!” Nic’s deep, familiar voice called after her. Her stomach tightened and her nerves spiked. Wasn’t this what she had wanted? For him to chase her? Why wasn’t any of this as easy as she had imagined it would be when she accepted her new job?

“Do you know him?” Sal asked as Nic jogged toward them. “The second baseman?”

“Kind of.” She pushed her bag at Sal. “I’ll meet you in the van.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means go wait in the van.”

“Millan, you’re lucky you’re cute.” He walked around to the driver’s side. “Don’t take too long. I’m starving, and you have a flight to catch.”

“Sage.” Nic stopped in front of her.

“Hey, what’s up?” She tried to be casual, but inside she was freaking out. She hadn’t anticipated him coming after her. Not tonight of all nights. He’d just won the World Series. What was he doing in the parking lot?

“I think we need to catch up,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting you. I had no idea you were here.”

“Now’s not really a good time. I’m headed back to New York tonight. I have to meet with my producers in the morning.”

“About that job in the spring?”

“I wasn’t aware it had been made public yet. The higher-ups were waiting to see if the Crushers could do what they said they could. Congratulations, by the way.”

“Thank you.” He shot her that boyish grin she had fallen in love with all those years ago. “It hasn’t really sunk in yet. I can’t believe we won.”

“It will.” They had spent so many nights cuddled under the stars in the back of his old pickup truck, dreaming about his career. “You’ve waited a long time for this.”

“Seeing you hasn’t sunk in yet either.” He mesmerized her with his green eyes, locking her in his gaze and keeping her there. He had reduced her to that sixteen-year-old school girl, the one that was so afraid to go on a date with him, but took a chance anyway. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

“It’s not like we kept in touch or anything.”

“I tried to, but, as usual, you were stubborn.”

“It’s my fault then?” She shrugged because she wasn’t as prepared as she should have been to face him. “You made your position real clear that afternoon when you told me I wasn’t going with you.”

“Ah, Sage.” He slipped off his baseball cap and ran his fingers through his thick, black hair. “That was a long time ago. We were kids. I never meant that we weren’t going to be together. Just that we couldn’t be together at that time. You didn’t give us a chance to see what could happen.”

You didn’t care enough to take me with you.
She had promised herself she wouldn’t be bitter. She didn’t want to fight with him. This new job was the start of something big for her. There was no reason why, after all this time, they couldn’t be civil to one another.

“I didn’t come here to rekindle the past.” Of course, that would be impossible. The resentment, the hurt feelings, and everything they had ever shared couldn’t be easily buried. She’d been trying to get him out of her head for years. Nothing seemed to work. Not even her relationship with Jason, the reporter who showed her the ropes and helped her get to where she was today.

“Why did you come?” he asked. “If you weren’t prepared to rehash the past? Didn’t you think seeing me was inevitable?”

“I’ve been offered the best job of my career. I’ve worked really hard for this. Maybe it’s some bizarre accident that you happen to be on the team that I’ve been assigned to follow and document for an entire season, but there isn’t anything we can do about that now.”

“I don’t believe in accidents.” He reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear, taking her by surprise. “Everything happens for a reason.”

“You’re right.” She took a few steps back, bumping into the van as she tried to regain her composure and create some distance between them. “I was fortunate enough to have a first boyfriend who taught me everything I needed to know about this game.”

“That’s not what I meant.” When he smirked she remembered his smug confidence that always got him everything he wanted. “Congratulations on the job. Your interview with Pax was fantastic.”

“Thank you,” she said. “I’m just glad I got to do the interview when you guys won. The alternative wouldn’t have been as fun.”

“Sage?” Sal called out from his window. “I have to get you to the airport.”

“He’s right. I have to go.” She couldn’t get caught up in Nic. Not again.

“When will I see you again?”

“Spring training, if all goes according to plan.” The job was pretty much a lock now that the team had won, but she didn’t want to assume anything. She still needed to meet with the network and see how they wanted to proceed.

“That’s not good enough.”

“I don’t understand.” The more time she spent gazing into his eyes, the more dangerous the whole situation became. She’d promised herself she could handle this job. But after twenty minutes and one interview—not even with her ex—she was failing miserably. “That’s when I’ll be back. Maybe a few weeks before to do some promo spots, but I have to finish things up in New York. It’s up to the producers.”

“I’m going to have a few months off,” he said. “I could come and visit you. We could spend some time together before next season.”

“I don’t—”

“Sage!” Sal yelled. “If you miss that flight…”

“He’s getting on my nerves,” Nic said. “Why don’t I take you to the airport? We can talk on the way.”

“No.” She couldn’t think. This was all too much, too fast. “I mean, I need to talk to Sal before I go. You should be out celebrating with your team.”

“What about me coming to New York?” He wasn’t going to let this go. She recognized his determination.