Page 42 of Double Play

“It’s in the entryway. A Nina Stark Special.” Trevor disappearedagain.

Jim hurried to the living room to pick up the package, but didn’t open it until he was back in hisbedroom.

He slit open the cardboard box and realized it was a care package. He sorted through the contents, which were nestled into a bird’s nest of shredded paper. She’d included a book on the physics of baseball that had just come out. Homemade cookies in the shape of cowboy boots. Photos of the two of them goofing around. A scrapbook that already held articles from the San Diego newspaper about him. Several bags of his favorite variety of roasted peanuts that he’d only seen at Catfish Stadium. And a note. It read, “Number 2. Be their number one fan. Number 3. Accept the fact that they’re always busy. Number 7. Take them to eat often. (Or send cookies!) Your number one fan in the wholeworld,Nina.”

His heart rolled over in his chest. He put the note to his nostrils and breathed in a faint scent that brought her vividly to life. She was right there with him, with her big blue eyes and mischievoussmile.

Accept the fact that they’realwaysbusy.

But she shouldn’t have to accept that. He didn’twanther to. HelovedNina. Loved her so much it hurt. He wasn’t ever going to want someone else. And she was lonely there in Kilby. The wistful tone of her note ripped his heart out. His sweet girlneededhim.

He grabbed his phone to call her, but it was three in themorning.

He lay back, but sleep didn’t swallow him up, nor did his last at-bat consume him. His mind crystal-clear, he clicked through the phone conversation he’doverheard.

What did Trevor mean, Nina would get over it? What did “he’ll have to figure it out forhimself”mean?

There was something important in that conversation, something regarding Nina and him and…Crush’sairstrip?

And then it clicked. He knew exactly what Trevor was talking about. And he knew what he hadtodo.

* * *

“Ioughtto call security and get you dragged off this plane.” Trevor glared down at Jim, who was hiding in the restroom of the small charteredplane.

“We’re already in the air,” Jim pointed out. “Toolate.”

“Are you so sure about that?” Trevor wore his game face, the Viking iceman warrior look that sent terror through opposing pitchers. It worked on Jim too, but this was too important. He steeled his spine and stood hisground.

“It’s the only way I could figure out to attend the wedding and get back in time for thenextgame.”

“Oh, you think you’re getting a ride back?That’srich.”

“Do we have to discuss this in the restroom? Can we, you know, sit down and fasten our seat belts, like the pilotjustsaid?”

“No.” Trevor folded his arms across his chest andglared.

Jim winced, because that was his automatic reaction to the Glare.This is for Nina, he reminded himself. He mimicked Trevor’s movement and glared back. The stare down dragged on, even through a bumpy patch of air. Trevor braced his legs farther apart, as if to emphasize that little things like turbulence had no effectonhim.

They both rode the plane like a rollercoaster until the pilot came on the intercom again and insisted that everyonebuckleup.

Grudgingly, Trevor gave way so Jim could take a seat. They both staggered into the deluxe seating area, where leather seats were arranged around a conference table. Both buckled in, choosing seats as far away from each other aspossible.

“You oughta split the cost of this thingwithme.”

“No problem.” It would be a huge problem, since he wasn’t a big-money player like Trevor. But he wasn’t about to letitshow.

A short silence followed. Jim looked out the window, but there wasn’t much to see beyond clouds and endless blue sky. It was still early in the morning. The wedding was scheduled for two in the afternoon. The charter was supposed to arrive in Kilby by eleven, then take Trevor back to San Diego in time for the next day’s batting practice. TrevorandJim,hopefully.

“Why didn’t you just ask me instead of stowing away?” Curiosity replaced the hostility in Trevor’svoice.

“I figured you’dsayno.”

“Why would you think that?” Jim couldn’t read the expression on Trevor’s Vikingangelface.

“Because you keep telling me to stay away from Nina. If I told you I was doing this for Nina, because she really wants me to come to Crush’s wedding, and because I haven’t seen her in weeks and it feels like years, you’d tell me tofuckoff.”

Trevor listened impassively. “So your solution is to hitch a ride onmyjet?”

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