Page 8 of Double Play

“No, please don’t.” He gave her a quick touch on the arm that made goose bumps rise on her skin. “If you leave, I’ll be drinking here alone and that doesn’tlookgood.”

She glanced around the wine bar. A group of women gathered around a table were shooting envious glances in her direction. How many of the women in this bar would love to be sitting on this uncomfortable stool, chitchatting with Dwight Conner? Most of them? All of them? “I doubt you’ll be alone for long,” she told him. “You’ll probably haveyourpick.”

“If that’s so, then I pick you.” His high-voltage grin nearly knocked the breath out of her. “I’ve been hoping to talk to youalone.”

She gave him a cautious glance. Was there a catch here? Some hiddenagenda? “Why?”

His lightning shift of expression was so quick, she nearly missed it. “I’m curious. How did you end up working for theCatfish?”

Something told her that wasn’t what he’d intended to ask. She decided to parry the question, put him to the test. “What about you? How didyouend up working for theCatfish?”

He laughed. “I only work for them temporarily. It should have been a lotmoretemporarily, if you know what I mean, but that’sbaseball.”

He meant that he should be a Friar by now; she didn’t want to touch that one. “How did you get into baseball tobeginwith?”

“I grew up in the suburbs of St. Louis. Nice middle-class neighborhood with Little League and soccer and tennis. I played all of those. I got pretty good grades in high school, but I still figured sports was my best chance at a scholarship. Baseball isn’t as hard on your body as soccer, so I chose baseball. It got me into college. In college, I put on some muscle and started to hit the ball better than ever. Then I got drafted by the Friars. I realized, hell, I could maybe make a career out of this. A short-term career, mind. I have other things I want to doafterthis.”

“Like what?” She toyed with an olive, completely fascinated by hisstory.

“I’m pretty good with people. I don’t mind news cameras. I thought about beingonTV.”

“Sports commentator, ESPN, that sort of thing?” For some reason, she found that disappointing. She’d watched endless hours of sports coverage during some of her hospital stays and found most of itoverhyped.

“Maybe. I’ve also thought about…” He hesitated, almost as if he was embarrassed to continue. For the first time since she’d met him, he seemed less thanconfident.

“Thoughtaboutwhat?”

He shifted again. “I don’t know. I like making kids laugh. Brightening up a day.” His half smile held a self-deprecatingedge.

She remembered the way the kids lit up around Dwight at the hospital. He definitely had a knack for lifting spirits. “I would have loved seeing someone like you come to my hospital. The Red Sox sent some players once, but I missed them. It’s probably a good thing, because I have to be alert forsyncope.”

“Syncope?”

“Fainting.”

He laughed, then wiped the smile from his face. “Wait—was that actuallyajoke?”

She twinkled at him. “Well, I do have a higher risk of syncope, but I doubt a ballplayer could cause it, so yes, it wasajoke.”

He leaned closer to her. She caught a whiff of his aftershave, something light and classic that made her think of the Rat Pack and waltzing across a ballroom floor. “How many ballplayers haveyoumet?”

Her throat tightened. His nearness made the little hairs on her arms rise up, almost like staticelectricity.

“You’re the fifth, countingCrush.”

“How many baseball games haveyouseen?”

She narrowed her eyes at him, unsure where he was going with this. “In person or on TV?” she askedcautiously.

“Both.Eitheror.”

“I’ve watched thousands on TV. But I’ve only watched two Catfish games.” She didn’t mention that she’d watched only a few innings of each because of the heat. When she licked her lips nervously, his gaze dropped to her mouth, thenskippedaway.

“Have you ever played yourself? Softball in the park? Tossed a ball around withyourdad?”

“No, no, and no. My father is not a ball-tosser. I don’t engage in sports. I don’tplaythe game. I watch the game. I analyzethegame.”

“You analyze it. With your computerprogram.”

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