Earning A Ring. Kristina Mathews

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СКАЧАТЬ watched the game, hoping tonight would be a reversal of the team’s bad luck. Because that’s all it was. Luck. Some balls were hit hard, but right at someone. Others were weakly hit but they dropped in between the defenders. Baseball was like that. Teams ran into stretches where they couldn’t buy a hit with a platinum card. Or the diamonds studding their World Series rings.

      That was part of the problem. Once they’d reached the mountaintop, the view from the foothills wasn’t enough anymore. It was like staying in a cheap motel after living the high life at a five-star resort. Or like being with another man after having been with… She really needed to get over Bryce Baxter. Maybe she should invest in a vibrator. As if that could help her keep her head in the game.

      It wasn’t even May and the fans, the talk show hosts, and bloggers were all ready to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge. Who did they blame the most? Bryce Baxter. World Series Most Valuable Player. He’d been the savior. The man who’d brought them to salvation. Six months ago, he’d practically walked on water. Now he was being ripped apart on the Internet and talk radio.

      And every single jab struck her straight in the heart. Bryce Baxter was a friend. A lover. The father of her child. But more than that, he was someone she’d grown to care about. Maybe even love if it wasn’t such a ridiculously bad idea.

      There was a reason she had a rule against getting involved with players. Besides being unprofessional, it was just asking for trouble.

      At least his game had improved tonight. He drew a walk his first at bat. Later, he moved the runner from second to third on a sacrifice fly. And his defense was back on track. He’d made a spectacular dive in the fourth inning, saving what would have been two runs had it gotten through the infield.

      She was able to breathe. And to continue to do her job. She interviewed fans around the ballpark. The eighty-seven-year-old fan who was celebrating her birthday as she’d done every year since the Goliaths had come to San Francisco. The bride-to-be who had converted her betrothed from a die-hard L.A. fan into seeing the light and pledging his eternal allegiance to the Goliaths for as long as they both shall live.

      And she’d met a half dozen babies attending their very first Goliaths game. They wouldn’t remember the day, but the certificate would be proudly displayed in the nursery or placed in their baby books. Her heart warmed at the pride that the parents of these sweet little babies held at sharing their passion with the next generation. But some of them were so tiny. She marveled at the itty-bitty Goliaths headbands, onesies, and miniature jerseys. It was all she could do not to burst into tears when she was handed a tiny infant wearing a pint-sized Bryce Baxter jersey.

      He came up to bat with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the seventh. The score was tied. She watched with a flutter in her stomach that had nothing to do with morning sickness. A hit or walk would score the possible winning run. She and forty thousand others silently willed Bryce to get a hit.

      The first two pitches caught the outside part of the plate. Bryce took the first for a ball, then swung and missed the second. With the count 1-1, the pitcher came inside. Bryce flinched as the ball hit him square on the arm. He dropped the bat and grimaced as he hustled down to first base.

      A run scored, giving the Goliaths the lead. The way things had been going lately, they’d take a run any way they could get it. The next batter, Marco Santiago, flied out to deep right and the inning was over. The score held up, and the losing streak ended.

      Rachel interviewed the closer, Diego Garcia, after the game. He was usually a good interview: confident, cocky, and always entertaining. He gave the sound bite, offered Rachel a fist bump, and retreated to the clubhouse.

      She was just about to wrap it up when Bryce approached her. He flashed his million-dollar grin and she hated the fact that her heart did a little flutter. Damn that man. He was too sexy for his own good. And entirely too sexy for her own good.

      “Way to take one for the team.” She tried to sound objective but she worried she was transparent when it came to her feelings for this man. “How’s the arm?”

      “Fine. Worth it to get the win.” Bryce continued to grin as if he had the whole world at his feet. “I’ve had a rough go of it these last few weeks. But one thing that’s gotten me through these painful losses and tough wins was knowing I’d see your pretty face after the game.”

      Rachel felt heat flash across her skin. Her stomach rolled. She was on camera, so she simply smiled, even though she had a horrible feeling he was going to do something outrageous.

      Bryce reached into his back pocket, where he usually kept his batting gloves, and pulled out a small velvet-covered box. He dropped to one dirt-covered knee.

      “Rachel Parker, will you marry me?”

      Her jaw dropped open. She felt the earth tilt on its axis. She happened to glance up at the scoreboard. They had broadcast Bryce’s proposal, right there on the big screen for everyone to see.

      “Please, Rachel. Say you’ll be my wife.” Bryce looked up at her with his big blue eyes. His irresistible smile. And that little something that rendered her completely powerless to deny the man anything, whether it was an invitation to his bed or a preposterous proposal. The only thing she could keep from him was her heart.

      “Yes.” She barely got the word out before the tears sprang forth and she dropped her microphone. The crowd cheered. Many of the forty thousand people in attendance were still on hand to witness the most exciting, the most humiliating moment of her life.

      Bryce slipped the ring on her finger and kissed her, bringing her to her knees and the crowd to a collective “Awww.”

      Her cameraman shut off the live feed. But there were still plenty of fans nearby. She had to continue the façade. They loved Bryce, and couldn’t imagine why she wouldn’t be thrilled to marry the sexiest shortstop in baseball.

      As soon as she caught her breath, Rachel tried to gather herself together. She unclipped her earpiece, the large diamond ring weighing heavy on her hand.

      Bryce stood there at the top of the dugout steps, grinning like a kid at Christmas. What could he possibly be thinking? She didn’t want to get married. And there was no way he actually wanted to get married.

      She checked with her producer, making sure she was finished for the day. Hopefully she wasn’t finished for her career.

      “Hey, I got this.” Carl assured her. “You two go celebrate. And congratulations.”

      “Thanks.” Rachel felt heat creep across her cheeks. She’d been trained to always go along with the story. Only this time she’d become the story.

      “We need to talk.” She followed Bryce into the clubhouse where they were greeted by applause, whistles, and catcalls.

      “I’m in trouble already.” Bryce grabbed her hand and if they didn’t have so many witnesses, she would have pulled it away. Instead, she had to put on her best glowing-bride-to-be smile.

      They found an empty training room and she pushed the door shut, keeping her hands on the frame while she took a calming breath. She turned to face him, and saw his cat that ate the canary grin.

      Calmness was overrated.

      “Of all the arrogant, irresponsible— Are you totally out of your mind?”

      “I СКАЧАТЬ