Page 51 of Double Play

“We just heard that she’s leaving for another job,that’sall.”

Another job. All of Dwight’s worst fears coalesced into a single realization. He’dlosther.

Through his own fear andboneheaded-ness.

* * *

After Mollyand her mother drove away, Dwight took a few deep breaths and took out his smartphone to do some research. He knew the Blythes lived in Cambridge, and with any luck, they were listed in thephonebook.

Theywere.

He paced around the sidewalk for a minute collecting his thoughts, then sat down on Maggie and Nina’s front stoop. Elbows propped on his knees, he dialed the Blythes’ number. He hoped her father answered as opposed to her mother, because she’d come off as the more hostile ofthetwo.

Of course her motheranswered.

“Mrs. Blythe, hello, this is Dwight Conner. I’m the oneyoumet—”

“I know who you are. Why are youcalling?”

Her sharp tone got under his skin right away. “I’m calling because I’m trying to find Maggie. I heard she took a new job and I’m assuming it’s the one you offered her. I just want to say that I think it’s a big mistake. Maggie loves baseball, and she doesn’t want to be shut up in some ivory tower academic institution. She can do anything, she’s thatbrilliant.”

“Exactly. She could do anything, so why waste her talents onbaseball?” She made the word sounddirty.

“All due respect, but why do you hate on baseball like that? Baseball is America. It’s life. It’s drama, it’s history, it’s emotion, it’s conflict, it’s redemption. And Maggie loves it. Shechoseit. How many things in her life did she actually choose? Just baseball. You and Mr. Blythe ought to let her do herthing.”

A throat cleared delicately behind him. He swungaround.

Sleepy-eyed and tousled, Maggie stood just outside the open front door of the apartment. A smile quivered on her full lips. She wore an oversized Red Sox jersey that stopped midway down her thighs. Herbarethighs. She must have been sleeping until he woke her up with hisphonecall.

“That’s not completely true,” she saidsoftly.

“What?” He blinked at her, completely forgetting the phone inhishand.

“Baseball isn’t the only thing I chose. I choseyou,too.”

The vulnerability in her deep green eyes slayed him. She’d chosen him, and he’d freaked out because of…what? His fear that he might not be good enough for her? Her desire to impress her parents? Or—deepest fear of all—that if something happened to her, it would be like getting his heart ripped fromhisbody?

He looked back at the phone. So much for making a good impression on her parents. Mrs. Blythe probably thought he was a nutcase by now. “Mrs. Blythe, any chance you could forget the last three minutes? Pretend I nevercalled?”

“Absolutely not. It was quite eloquent. Maybe I should take another look at this game youbothlove.”

“If you do, I’d be honored to give you a play-by-play.”

“We heard how you rescued Maggie during a game,” she said in the warmest voice she’d used with him yet. “Take care of her, Dwight Conner, or I’ll come out there and bounce a fly ball off your head.” And she endedthecall.

He gaped at the phone. Good God…had Maggie’s motherresearchedhim? Why not? She was a professorafterall.

Rising to his feet, he faced Maggie. Sleep creases were grooved into her right cheek and her hair spun in corkscrew curls around her head. She looked wonderful. Like a miracle dropped fromthesky.

“I thought you were gone,” he saiddumbly.

“So that’s why you called my parents toberatethem?”

“That wasn’t berating. If you want berating, you should get inside my head and see what I’m saying to myself. I’m so sorry, Maggie. I’ve messed everything up. I just want a chance toexplain.”

She tucked a curl behind her ear and folded her arms across her chest. “Did you intend to seduce me into recommending acall-up?”

“Fuck no.” That one was easy. He pulled in a deep breath. “But I did finagle that double date because I wanted to find out what was going on with some fool computer model that might affect my life. I cop to that. But that’s all, baby. Iswearit.”

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