Getting Wound Up: A Sapphire Falls/ Love Between the Bases Novel-- PART THREE (3 page)

“She’s…uh…gone.”

“The press is going to eat you up like cotton candy.” Duke slapped a hand on his shoulder. “Keep up the good work. Wish I had ten like you.”

“Okay. Thanks, Duke.”

He sat down at the rookie end of the bench. Normally he would sit with the pitchers in the bullpen, but after pitching a complete game yesterday, there was no chance he’d get into the game today. He caught a couple curious looks from the other guys, but ignored them.

Was he really going to get called up to San Diego? This whole thing was like some kind of crazy fantasy, like pretending you’re pitching the ninth inning of the World Series when you’re actually pitching to a lawn chair in the backyard. If he got called up…for a moment, he let the incredible excitement of that thought flood through him. Friar Stadium. Downtown San Diego. Forty thousand fans. Gigantic Jumbotrons showing his photo. Clint Black singing the National Anthem. Holy crap.

Not only that, but…

He sat up straight. If he got called up, his life would change completely. When he went back to Sapphire Falls, he’d no longer be Eli Anderson, hardware store clerk. He’d be Eli Anderson, pitcher for the freaking San Diego Friars. The entire town would celebrate with him. He’d get free drinks at the Come Again for the rest of all time. They’d probably throw a parade, name a sundae after him at the Spot. He’d be treated like a conquering hero.

He wouldn’t have a free second to think about Caitlyn.

The more he thought about it, the more a call-up to San Diego sounded like the answer to all his problems. All he had to do was pitch his ass off during his next couple of starts.

Dwight Conner, the center fielder, jogged back to the dugout after striking out. He muttered very unflattering things to himself as he threw himself on the bench.

“You’ll get ’em next time,” Eli said.

“I hate slumps,” the center fielder said gloomily. “I hit better back in T-ball.”

Dwight was actually talking to him like an equal, as if he might have some kind of advice to offer. “It’ll work out. Slumps never last.”

“I think I got performance anxiety. I need some Viagra for my bat,” he joked darkly, making his bat rise into the air. “Luckily, the other one makes up for it.”

Eli laughed, because even though Dwight’s joke was lame, he felt for the guy. “Just don’t stress about it. No point in that.”

“Wise words, Nebraska. I’ll keep that in mind while I go six games without a hit.”

Eli was quiet for a moment as he watched the next batter, Sonny Barnes, hit a long fly ball to right field. “We’re all pretty lucky, if you think about it.”

Dwight was busy whispering encouragement to his bat and didn’t answer.

For the first time, it occurred to him that his time in the hardware store, when he’d given up on the idea of baseball for good, might have helped his game. Made him appreciate just how incredible it was to be sitting in this dugout, with the San Diego Friars considering him for their roster. It was everything he’d ever dreamed of as a baseball-crazy kid back in Sapphire Falls.

And yet…that hollow feeling still sat in his gut like a lump of raw cookie dough. It had taken him so long to see that Caitlyn was the perfect girl for him. But it had taken no time at all for her to disappear.

* * *

Of course she’d broken the candy thermometer at Scott’s Sweets. Because why should any part of her life work out?

Stop feeling sorry for yourself
, Caitlyn lectured as she rode her bike toward Anderson’s Hardware. Because of course the only store in town that carried her preferred brand of candy thermometer would be Eli’s.

Because that’s the way Eli was. He remembered stuff like that. Like what kind of thermometer she liked, and the fact that she loved having her nipples licked, and the way just lowering his voice to a deeper range could make the clothes practically drop off her body.

Eli had a very good memory. A very good…lots of things.

She rested her bike against the brick wall of the hardware store. That was one thing she loved about Sapphire Falls. Her bike would be safe here. No one would steal it, because everyone knew that only Caitlyn Murray had a little pink basket on a high-performance mountain bike. Bryan had laughed his ass off when he’d seen how she was using the bike he’d given her.

Pushing open the front door, she listened to the familiar chime of the bells. Before Eli had left, that sound had meant the next thing she’d see would be his handsome face behind the counter. He’d offer her that wide smile, his blue eyes gleaming against the backdrop of the display of double A batteries behind him. Anticipation would flutter through her as if the Fourth of July parade was about to start.

“Well, if it isn’t Caitlyn Murray,” Chip greeted her. “How’s that brother of yours doing?”

“He’s better. He got lucky that it’s a clean fracture. He’s going crazy lying around inside, but you know Bryan. How’s…” she hesitated. “How’s Eli doing?”

Did Chip know that things had shifted between her and Eli? She hadn’t said anything to anyone, but Eli might have mentioned something to his dad.

Chip’s face lit up at the mention of his son. “He’s knocking their socks off down there. He’s got an ERA of 3.09 over seven starts, with three home runs given up and twenty strikeouts. No one knows what to do with that knuckleball of his.” He rustled the papers clogging the counter and extracted a newspaper. The
Kilby Press-Herald
. “Know what they’re calling him down there? Eel Anderson. Get it, instead of Eli? That’s because he’s so good at slipping out of a tough spot. The Eel.” He chuckled. “Can’t wait to rag on him about that.”

Eli had slipped out of
her
grasp, that was for sure. “Did you subscribe to the Kilby newspaper?”

“Yup,” he said proudly. “Gotta keep track of my boy.”

She gave him her usual once-over. “I have to say, you look great, Mr. Anderson. I guess working the counter agrees with you.”

“You know what agrees with me? Having my son do what he was meant to do. Nothing against hardware, it’s been good to our family. But Eli’s put enough time in here. I didn’t even know it, but the guilt was getting to me. It’s like a monkey off my back. So, Miss Caitlyn Murray, what can I do for you this fine day?”

Wow. She seriously hadn’t seen Chip Anderson this chipper since before his stroke. “Well, I dropped a baking stone on my favorite candy thermometer. Eli usually keeps a couple in stock. Aisle Three. I’ll just go check, okay?”

“You do that. I’m sure you know right where they are.” He gave her a lopsided smile, since one side of his face no longer responded to nerve impulses. “I’ve got some box scores to check. Might take a peek at the real estate down there while I’m at it.”

She smiled back as best she could, even though she had a feeling that her smile was even stiffer than Mr. Anderson’s. Real estate in Kilby—that brought to mind the happy picture she’d nearly experienced. Her and Eli, cozy as two peas in an apartment of their own.

She shoved the thought aside as she scanned Aisle Three in search of her candy thermometers. When she finally spotted the familiar blue box, a flash of yellow paper caught her eye. A Post-it was stuck to the top of the box. She took it down and peered at the words written there in Eli’s jagged handwriting.

“Break another thermometer, Candy-girl? No worries, I got you covered. This one’s on the house. You can pay me back with something extra sweet.”

Tremors raced up and down her spine. Eli must have left this note before he left Sapphire Falls for Kilby. He’d been thinking about her during his whirlwind departure, when he was packing and saying goodbye and wrapping things up at the hardware store. Eli was so…amazing. Caring. Incredible.

And she’d left him in Kilby without so much as a real explanation.

She took the candy thermometer to the counter, where Chip waved her off. “Bring me some peanut butter fudge next time you come by. That should square us up for a while.”

“Thanks, that’s really nice of you. I’ll make a batch in the next couple of days.” Chip’s attention returned to the real estate section while she headed for her bike. Her phone rang as she was swinging her leg over the seat.

“Hey, it’s Peyton.”

Caitlyn grinned. Peyton Wells was younger than Caitlyn by a few years, but Peyton worked part time at the Sweet Shop and they’d gotten to know each other better over the past few months. Peyton also loved to go out. A lot. She was a ton of fun. If you wanted to get up bright and early in the morning and be super productive and not need ibuprofen and gallons of caffeine to get through your day, then Peyton was not the girl to hang out with. But if you wanted to have a good time, laugh and dance and generally forget your troubles for a few hours, then she was your girl.

“We haven’t had a chance to hang out since you got back from Texas. How about we go to the Come Again tonight?” Peyton asked.

“Works for me.” It
really
worked for her. Bryan wasn’t working tonight so she didn’t have to worry about big brother stuff either.

“How’s seven?”

“See you there.” Maybe this was just what she needed, she decided as she pedaled down Main Street. Something to distract her from thinking about Eli twenty-four seven. Not even refilling Bryan’s ice packs took her mind off him. It was her own fault. And Jägermeister’s. She should never have ordered those shots, never challenged Eli to leave them behind if he wanted to take her to bed. She should have known she’d fall completely, thoroughly in love with him.

Jägermeister had a lot to answer for.

The crowd at the Come Again greeted her and Peyton with their usual good spirits. Caitlyn had to fake her smile, but even a fake smile felt better than crying in her pillow the way she kind of wanted to. Peyton forged a path through the mob, Caitlyn following at her heels. She cupped her hands around her mouth to shout her order to Derek, the bartender. “Two vanilla vodkas on the rocks.”

“Is that Caitlyn with you? Tell her I have something for her,” he answered.

Peyton gave her a puzzled look, but Caitlyn just shrugged. She had no clue what Derek was talking about, but maybe she’d left something here the last time she came in. It had been a while, come to think of it. She hadn’t had a chance to drop in since she’d gotten back from Kilby.

Peyton pushed her toward the bar. “Didn’t I tell you he had a crush on you?” she whispered in Caitlyn’s ear. “Smile at him nicely and I’ll bet we’ll be drinking on the house.”

“I always smile nicely, with or without free drinks,” Caitlyn protested.

“I’m just saying. If you’re going to kick Eli to the curb, you might want to consider Mr. Best-Cosmo-Maker-in-Town. He’s hot, and I heard he knows his way around a Screaming Orgasm too.”

“You shush,” Caitlyn ordered her friend. “I thought we were here for girl-time.

“What’s more fun during girl-time than talking about boys?” Peyton flipped her hair over her shoulder.

“What’s to talk about? You ready to tell me how you feel about a certain Sapphire Falls cop?” Caitlyn wasn’t the only one who had seen sparks between Peyton and Scott Hansen. Make that
Officer
Scott Hansen.

“Oh, no. We’re talking about
your
boy department,” Peyton said, shaking her head emphatically.

But Caitlyn didn’t miss the pink in Peyton’s cheeks.

Peyton Wells never blushed.

“Well, my boy department is shut down. Lack of inventory,” Caitlyn muttered.

Peyton was still laughing about that when she greeted the attractive man on the other side of the counter. “Hi, Derek. How’s it going?”

“Hey ladies.” He gave Caitlyn a smile. “I’ve been wondering when you’d show up here.”

Tall, dark, with a killer dimple in his cheek, he should have at least made her stomach flip a little when he grinned at her.

But nothing happened.

“I’ve been looking forward to this moment for weeks,” Derek said.

“Well, I…uh…I’m not sure what you mean.” Was he flirting with her? Was Peyton right that he had a crush? It didn’t sound like it, exactly.

“What I mean is,
this
.” From behind his back, like a rabbit from a hat, Derek pulled out two full shot glasses and plopped them on the bar in front of her. She took a whiff of the dark brown liquid.
Jägermeister
.

Peyton looked revolted. “Is that Jäger? Why are you giving her that stuff?” Peyton wasn’t a girlie-drink girl by any means. She could down beer and tequila and just about anything else with the best of them. But she’d always detested Jägermeister. Apparently it went back to an unfortunate river party when she’d been about sixteen.

“Following orders. These two shots are courtesy of the newest pitching sensation hitting the sports news.”

Caitlyn still didn’t quite get it. “Eli sent these? Peyton, did you tell him we were coming here tonight?”

Peyton shook her head, looking just as confused as Caitlyn was.

“He stopped by before he left town,” Derek explained. “Bought these and told me to surprise you when you first showed up in here. He said you’d get the message.”

Caitlyn felt her face heat to bright telltale red. She’d never forget those two fateful shots of Jäger in Kansas City, or what had come afterwards.