Triple Play - Cassie Cole Page 0,1

standing next to him. “Since you’re my assistant, go get me a coffee from the clubhouse. Plenty of sugar and cream.”

Before I could correct him on my title, he walked down the remaining concrete stairs to the field.

It took me twenty minutes to find my way into the home clubhouse. I had to walk down onto the field, over to the dugout, and then up inside another tunnel to reach it. Inside was the team locker room and staff offices. They were empty now, but the scent of deodorant and aftershave and musk was heavy in the air. Just like the locker room at the high school where I had coached for the past decade.

There was a fold-out table covered with food from the player’s lunch, and another table with drinks. I filled a to-go cup with steaming coffee, poured an unhealthy amount of cream and sugar inside, and carried it back out to the field.

As I wandered around looking for Coach Schultz, I realized this still felt like a dream. I was walking next to major league baseball players who were warming up! Joey Gallo and Elvis Andrus were ten feet away from me, tossing the ball back and forth. Next to them outfielder Willie Calhoun was stretching on the ground with a trainer. I couldn’t believe I was actually out here.

I found Coach Schultz over in the bullpen near the outfield bleachers. “Here’s your coffee,” I said more cheerfully than I felt.

He took a sip. “Not enough sugar.”

“I put six packets in it. If you want, I can take it back and add more…”

“It’s fine.”

“Want anything else?” I offered helpfully. “There was a spread of food in the clubhouse too.”

“I’m good. Thanks. Rafa! You ready yet?”

One of the players over in the corner came walking up. “Sorry coach. I’m just about ready.”

Now I was legitimately star-struck. This was Rafael Rivera, the team’s pitching ace. He had won the Rookie of the Year award last year while only pitching 140 innings. A lot of people were picking him to win the Cy Young award, which went to the best pitcher in each league.

He was also ridiculously sexy. He was half-Puerto Rican and half-Italian, which I only knew because there was controversy over which team he would play for in the World Baseball Classic (he ended up playing for the United States team since he was born in Brooklyn.) Rafael was tall and lean, and his olive skin glistened with sweat in the sun. He wore white baseball pants which hugged his muscular thighs and butt. He hadn’t put on his baseball jersey, and instead wore a grey tank top that accentuated his chiseled arms, shoulders, and chest. His eyes were dark pools that a girl could drown in.

“You all warmed up?” Coach Schultz asked him.

“Just finished my arm exercises.”

“Feeling good?”

“Sure am, coach.”

“I want you workin’ on your changeup today,” Coach Schultz told him. “Don’t use it to get ahead in the count. Save it as your out-pitch. Drop it down-and-in against righties, and away against lefties.”

“It’s definitely your best pitch,” I chimed in nervously. “Tons of horizontal movement. Such a waste when you show it early in the count.”

Once again Coach Schultz seemed to have forgotten I was standing next to him. But Rafael glanced at me with confusion too.

“Who’s this?” he asked Coach Schultz. “We did our press questions already.”

“I’m Natalie Betts. The new assistant pitching coach.”

He gave me a smile that would melt most girls’ hearts. But I could tell it was a smile like he thought I was joking with him. “You’re replacing Charlie?”

“If Charlie was the old assistant pitching coach, then yep.”

“He was, until he got canned,” Coach Schultz said gruffly.

I could see the question on Rafael’s lips. Asking why I, a woman, was the new pitching coach. I quickly prepared one of my rehearsed lines.

But instead, Rafael shook my hand and said, “Glad to have you on the team. Natalie. We’re going to try to bring home a championship this year.”

His hand was so huge it dwarfed mine, and his skin was warm and soft. I grinned and said, “That’s the plan!”

“You know, I changed my mind,” Coach Schultz told me. “I’m hungry after all. Go fix me a plate of something. Little bit of everything.”

“You got it.”

I went back to the clubhouse, still beaming from getting to shake Rafael Rivera’s hand.

2

Natalie

I didn’t get to do much on my first day. Coach Schultz monitored Rafael in the bullpen before the game started. Then we