Page 36 of Sacrifice Bunt

Instead, she grabbed her bag, deciding she’d head over to the Strikers stadium. She knew training was going on and could be there for the end and to check on a few of her clients.

When she arrived, she found the team out on the pitch, deep into training. Ruby, Celia’s sister and the PR director for the club, waved her over from her perch against the wall.

“I thought you were out of town.”

“I got back yesterday. Too much to do to stay away.” Partial truth. A light-haired, tan-skinned, sexy baseball player that drove her wild was the main one.

“How was Celia? I can’t wait to see her in a couple of weeks.” The Strikers were playing Phoenix, and Ruby was traveling with the club so she could spend time with her sister. One of the perks of working for Shane Bradley. He was good to his employees.

“She was great. I missed seeing Jasmine, though. Apparently, she’s loving camp.”

“Oh, I’ve heard. She’s emailed me daily about all the fun things she’s doing.”

“I’ve gotten them too. She’s going to come home exhausted. I get tired just reading the emails.”

A whistle was blown, indicating that training was over, and players started gathering things up and walking toward the locker room. Several of the guys she repped stopped to talk, and she made sure things were good and that they didn’t need anything. The last two waiting were Edwin and Dallas.

Dallas scooped up Ruby and gave her a sloppy, loud kiss while Edwin rolled his eyes. “Zara, I didn’t think I’d see you before this trip.”

“I got back early and thought I’d come by and see if anyone needed anything.” She was getting sick of explaining that to people. Why the hell did she tell them her schedule anyway?

“I think I’m good. And If not, Hannah is traveling with the club, so she’ll be on hand for anything I might need.”

That was news to her. “Hannah is going with you guys?”

He nodded. “She has a meeting with a potential new client from Boston. Duke Stoll? Do you know him?”

“Uh, yeah. Everyone knows Duke Stoll. Rumor has it that he’s looking for new representation.” Duke was a professional football player who played for the Boston Blues. He was still young but had already broken several league records and won a championship ring. “I can’t believe Hannah got a meeting with him. Good for her.” While she was a little envious, she was happy for her friend.

Plus, having Duke Stoll at Sports World would be a big deal.

“Zara,” Dallas finally acknowledged her as he had Ruby tucked into his side. “Did you get my email?”

“I did, and it’s taken care of.” He was looking for a gift for Ruby, and she’d helped him secure something that was just out of his reach. All part of a day's work.

“I’d ask,” Ruby said, “but I don't think I want to know.”

Dallas kissed her head. “Smart, babe.”

“Want to join us for dinner?” Ruby asked.

“Nah, I’m going to put on my comfy pajamas and relax on my couch. I always miss my couch when I’m away.”

“Me too,” Edwin said.

“You just miss that you’re not on it with Hannah,” Dallas said.

“Can you blame me?” Edwin grabbed a water bottle off the bench. “I’m out of here, guys.” He threw a hand above his head, waving as he walked away.

“I’ll go shower.” Dallas leaned down to kiss Ruby, giving Zara a wink as he left.

Zara watched Ruby as she watched Dallas walk away, smiling from ear to ear. “You look happy.”

Ruby turned to face her. “I am happy. Every day, I’m thankful that Dallas forced me to talk to him and didn’t just leave when I pushed him away. I love him so much, and he makes my life better.”

That last part was what Zara wondered about. “How does he make it better?”

Ruby studied her for a few seconds before answering. “He’s there. For support, for help, for anything I need, the same way I’m there for him. I’m not doing anything alone. And sure, that’s not technically true because I do a lot alone. But he's there if I need him just to bounce ideas off of or encourage me.”

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