Cody and Jake were excellent also. The catcher seemed to be on the exact same wavelength as the pitcher. He studied the opposing batter intently, calling the game with deadly accuracy. And when one of the players popped up, Jake, the shortstop, was right there, throwing to first base for an easy out.

They were the core of this team, the reason it worked. Gavin yearned to be out there with them, to feel that thrill of winning and camaraderie with the other players. When the last batter threw his helmet to the ground in disgust, he had to grin.

Chase was an elite player, and Gavin was surprised he and Jake hadn’t moved on to a better team. He’d heard rumors New York wanted them and that they had turned the Yankees down. That didn’t make a whole lot of sense to him, but he supposed they had their reasons.

He just couldn’t imagine what they were.

“You doing okay there?” Pete stuck his head into the dugout, popping his gum as he checked in.

“Sure,” Gavin replied.

“You’re seeing some real good baseball today. Got our ace on the mound. Now we just need some hitting.”

Gavin nodded, and indicated his leg. “I’m trying.”

“No rush. You take your time and do what that little girl tells you. You’ll be fine.”

When the manager disappeared outside again, Gavin rubbed his throbbing joint. His thoughts went back to the morning and his conversation with Jessica. What was it she’d said about Pete? That he was hovering around him like an expectant father? He couldn’t suppress a grin. The description was surprisingly accurate, and he realized Pete’s fretting wasn’t helpful to anyone. She’d been right to remove him from that scrutiny so that he could recover at his own pace. Pete couldn’t hide his anxiety, and wanted to get him on the roster as soon as possible, but it was a lot of pressure Gavin didn’t need.

His mind returned to the physical therapist. She surprised him on a lot of levels, including that she understood the psychology of healing, and of men in general. She was like one of the boys, but a female.

And she’d looked amazing in the cold morning air, even wearing an oversized sweatshirt and sneakers. That red-gold hair refused to stay in the hood, and tendrils framed her face with fire. As if that weren’t enough, those green eyes reminded him of an emerald pool. If he fell into those eyes, he had the feeling he’d never climb out…

What the hell was he thinking? On reflection, he felt slightly ridiculous. And he knew she’d laugh if he told her, and then slap his back and tell him to get on with it.

He just missed his girlfriend. Digging his cellphone out of his pocket, he stepped inside the locker room for a moment and tapped her number. But the call rolled into voicemail immediately, as if she was talking to someone else.

He frowned. She had call waiting; she could have picked up if she wanted to. She was probably preoccupied, maybe talking to her agent. But as he headed back to the bench, an uneasiness settled over him that wouldn’t leave him, even as he forced himself to focus once more on the game.

He was in time to see Jake nail a line drive right through center field. He couldn’t help but chuckle as his teammate got to second with a standup double, and shrug as if astonished at himself. Even the second baseman cracked up, as did Chase, sitting a few feet away in the dugout. It was a new experience to be with a group of guys who took a lighthearted approach to the sport, and in some ways it was refreshing.

He wasn’t at all surprised when the next guy tagged a ball into the right-field corner and Jake scored. Gavin joined in the high-fives as he returned to the dugout, congratulating the shortstop.

For all that they were a bunch of immature goofballs, whatever they had was working.

—

Jake came up to him after the game, drying the sweat from his face with a towel. “Hey, you up for a few beers? We’re thinking to hang out at the Kixx. It’s a nice little sports bar, not too far from here.”

“I have to work out. Your physical therapist is a slave driver.” He grinned along with Jake. “But maybe I can text you later, and catch up if you’re still there.”

“That works. And don’t let Jess push you around. All work and no play makes Gavin a dull boy.”

Just then Shaun Anderson, the outfielder, swung around on the bench. “It’s all about balance, man. You know, aligning your life to the energy around you. Giving attention to all of the chakras.”

Startled, Gavin looked at Shaun in surprise. “You from California?”

“Colorado,” the mystical outfielder smiled. “I’m on a Rocky Mountain high.”

“Ah.” Gavin knew no East Coast guy would ever dream of saying such a thing. He saw Cody smirk as he headed for the lockers, and then he got up to follow them inside, stopping on the way to get a drink from the water cooler. As he reached for a paper cup, he stared in shock at a fat orange goldfish swimming inside the five-gallon bottle. The little descendant of the carp family gazed back at him, its big eyes seeming to say, “What?” Like he was in the wrong place.

Laughter rung out around him, and Gavin shook his head.

Maybe the fish was right.

—

Kristin called back as he headed for the PT room.

“Hey, stranger.” Gavin answered his phone as he paused outside the door, gazing down at her picture as it lit up on his screen.

“Hi, Gavin. Sorry, I know you called earlier. I’ve been so busy lately with the catalog work and travel. I’m in New York next week, then we head to Cozumel.”

“New York!” he said in surprise. “I didn’t know you were coming east. Maybe you could come down for a couple of hours while you are in the city? Or I can come there. It’s a little more than an hour from Trenton.”

“I’m sorry.” She sighed. “But I can’t. Every minute is booked between contracts, the shoot, and I have an early flight out the following day. Maybe next time.”

Silence. Gavin internalized what he just heard. She would be a train ride away, and couldn’t make time for him? All of his instincts were on high alert. Putting down his bag, he clutched his cell as if he could crush the truth out of it.

“Okay, Kris. What the hell is going on?”

“I don’t know what you mean—”

“Cut the crap. I asked you a question.”

There was a long pause, and when she responded, she began speaking slowly and deliberately.

“Gavin, I’ve been thinking. The long-distance thing isn’t working for me. We both have a lot going on. You are getting used to a new place, new people. You have to focus on the therapy and everything else, while I need to focus on my career…”

“Are you breaking up with me?” It was beginning to dawn on him, and his heart pounded as he waited for her answer.

“I just think we can use this time apart to reevaluate, think about what we both want…”

He suddenly found it hard to breathe. This couldn’t be happening, not now, not to him. She’d said she’d loved him and would be there for him as he adjusted to all of these changes. How could she kick him while he was down?

But then something clicked in his brain.

“You are seeing someone else.”

It was as if he had taken off his sunglasses and he was staring unblinkingly into the light. One million supporting details fell into place: her recent distraction, the way she answered the phone as if expecting someone else, the evasive answers. Dimly he realized it had started before he left California, and now…

Her breath caught sharply. “It’s not like that. It hasn’t been working for me for a while now. I didn’t want to tell you with everything going on, and your injury—”

Gavin hung up on her mid-sentence, grateful for the anger that surged through him. He stared at her picture on the phone, now fading away along with everything else, and he erased it from his contacts. Stunned, he leaned against the wall, reality setting in. Somewhere in his gut, he had known it was over. And now he had to face the truth: he’d lost his job, his health, and his girlfriend.