text message:
RAFA: Hey! Joel was looking for you after the game. He told me to invite you over for dinner to thank you for everything. You free tonight?
I showed dad the text.
“It looks like the players already respect you,” he said.
“That’s just Rafa. And Joel.”
“And you’ve helped them both. Find a way to do that for the rest of the team and you’ll earn their respect.” He pointed at the phone. “And in the mean time, go get dinner with them.”
I glanced at the kitchen. “What about mom’s meatloaf?”
“She’ll understand. Baseball always comes first in this house.”
I drove straight to their place and parked in the curved driveway. When I rang the doorbell it was Joel who answered. He had a glass of purple liquid in his hand.
“Hey, Natalie! I’m glad you came. Come in.”
I tapped his head with a finger. “Backwards baseball cap, huh? You look like a catcher.”
“I was a catcher in high school,” he replied. “On days I didn’t pitch, at least. You’re just in time—I was about to order dinner. Come look at the menu.”
They were getting Chinese food for dinner. I picked the chicken fried rice meal, and then Joel called it in. I eyed him while he paced the kitchen on the phone. He looked sexy in jeans and a t-shirt with three-quarter-length sleeves. Not as good as he looked in his uniform, but close.
“Where is everyone?” I asked when he was done ordering.
“Darryl’s pouting in his room. He’s been spending a lot of time alone during the slump. Rafa’s Facetiming with his parents.”
“Both of them?” I asked. “I thought he didn’t get along with his dad.”
Joel shrugged. “Maybe it’s just his mom. I don’t know. Want a beer?”
I nodded at his weird purple drink. “What in God’s name is that?”
“It’s called a purple viking. Bourbon, gin, blue curacao, blueberry liqueur, and sour mix.” He took a sip and made a satisfied noise. “I don’t care if it looks silly. It’s delicious.”
“I’ll give it a try.”
He grinned like I had made his night, then went to the liquor cabinet to prepare the ingredients. “My high school mascot was the viking. We used to drink these at weekend parties for good luck.”
“Did it work?”
“Probably not. We made it to regionals twice but never advanced. Oh, I heard about Coach Schultz getting canned! That’s crazy, right?”
“It was a shock to me,” I said.
He chatted with his back to me while making my drink. “I wonder who they’ll pick to replace him. The pitching coach we had down at Nashville was kind of lame. Whatever. In the mean time, I guess it’s just you as the pitching coach. Right?”
“It sure is.”
He looked over his shoulder and winked at me. “I think you’ll do great. Seriously, I mean that. I was skeptical when you were first hired, and I’m man enough to admit that it was because you’re a woman. That’s my bad. But you’re legit. I don’t know how the other bullpen guys will react to the news. They all worshiped Coach Schultz. He’s a legend, you know. But if anyone doubts you, I’ll try to set them straight.”
I smiled politely, but his comments didn’t reassure me at all. I had not realized Coach Schultz was revered so much.
“You looked great out there today,” I said to change the subject.
Even though he had his back turned, I could see his smile in the way the skin on his neck and cheek tightened. “Yeah! It’s totally thanks to the new pitch selection, and reintroducing my cutter… I think that strategy is going to work great. You totally knew I was going to be sent out there to close today, didn’t you?”
“I did.”
“Man, I was so nervous. I can’t believe they chose to give me a shot. But I was totally amped. I’ve never felt that much adrenaline before, not even the first time I pitched in a major league game. Coming in to lock-down a win in the ninth is a billion times better than mop-up duty in the sixth or seventh inning. And it’s better than starting. Instead of thinking about what I’m going to throw to guys in their second and third at-bats, all I have to worry about is that one inning. Just three outs. I know I’m rambling, but I’m trying to say that I think I’ll make an awesome closer.”
He handed me the finished drink. I took a careful sip. To my surprise, it tasted great. Like the blue flavor of Mountain Dew