Page 18 of Payoff Pitch
Silence. Awkward deafening silence.
Say something, Bailey. Anything.
He smirks before turning his attention to Harper, “Bug, let Bailey inside. I think we’re scaring her.”
While Harper steps back, I finally get my shit together enough to hold out my hand, which he shakes and then uses to gently pull me up. His hand is big and warm, and I’m suddenly thinking about what it would feel like on my body.
He maintains his hold on my hand and nods. “It’s nice to meet you, Bailey.”
“You too…Mr. Montgomery.”
His face twitches a bit. I don’t know why. We stareat each other, still holding hands, for a few long beats until Harper interrupts us. “Bailey, want to see my new batting cage? They’re almost done. Daddy said it will be ready to use today.”
Our hands release, and I turn toward her. I take a deep breath to calm myself and answer, “I’d love to.”
She takes my hand and quickly pulls me through the house. I look around and take in the incredible beauty of this home. It’s a huge, open floorplan with high ceilings and windows everywhere. The wood floors are dark and wide-planked. Most everything is in various shades of black, gray, or white, with small splashes of color scattered throughout. It’s masculine and modern. It’s tasteful yet homey. High-end yet comfortable. I’ve never seen anything like it.
We reach the back of the house and look out to a huge backyard with a pool and land as far as the eye can see. Sure enough, about five guys are seemingly putting the final touches on a brand-new batting cage. Abigbatting cage right next to a full-length basketball court. Wow, this place is like Disney World for athletes.
Tanner joins us. “They’re just setting up the machine now, bug.”
Harper jumps up and down with excitement. “Maybe Bailey and I can hit today.”
Tanner shakes his head and smiles. “She’s here to meet us. She’s not on the clock just yet.”
I shrug. “I don’t mind. I’d love to see your new batting cage, Harper. You’re lucky to have one at your house.”
He nods. “Wonderful. Thank you. Why don’t we sit and chat for a bit, and then we’ll see if they’re done and make sure everything is in working order before I let my most precious commodity in there.” He winks.
He’s so hot. And I can smell his aftershave. It’s making my head spin.
We walk over to a living room area with a huge, comfy-looking cream-colored couch, a matching loveseat, and three complementary chairs. Tanner and Harper sit together on thecouch. She immediately cuddles her little body into his big one and he wraps his arm around her. It’s obvious that they’re close.
I sit in a chair across from them while noticing Harper pop a few Skittles into her mouth.
Tanner breaks the silence. “Bailey, why don’t you tell us a little about yourself? Harper and I go to a lot of your games, so we know you play a fantastic second base and are a great hitter. I mean beyond that.”
I smile. “Of course. I grew up in a small town in Southern Florida. My parents still live down there in the same house we grew up in. I’m sure you know that Kamryn is my identical twin sister. She’s my only sibling. We went to UCLA together. That’s where we met Arizona and Ripley. Together we won two national championships. We’ve all been playing pro ball since, though not together. Kam and I were in Chicago until a month or so ago. At UCLA, I majored in early childhood education. I was leaning toward teaching when my sister talked me into playing ball for a few more years. I’ve always nannied in the off-season to make ends meet and because I love working with kids. I’ve worked with them as young as two and as old as twelve. I emailed you the references you asked for right after we spoke on the phone.”
He nods. “Yes. I’ve spoken with them all. You have a lot of Chicago families who wish you still lived there. Do you have your driver’s license? Driving will be involved.”
“I have my license, but we don’t have a car here. We saw no need for one while living in downtown Chicago, and the same goes for living in Philly. If this works out, I’m going to have to figure out public transportation to get myself between your house and my apartment. Taking Ubers will get expensive.”
Tanner waves his hand dismissively. “I have several cars. If this works out, you’ll just take one of mine.”
“I…don’t know if I can do that.”
“I need Harper driven around. Once the school year begins, I’ll need you to pick her up and, on the odd occasion of an earlymorning meeting, drive her to school. Frankly, I’d rather it be in one of my SUVs. It’s safer for her.”
I run my bottom lip through my teeth. “Okay. What about my schedule through the season? It’s demanding. I don’t want to leave you disappointed and without coverage when you need it.”
“Harper isn’t a baby. She can come to my office now and then, or I can arrange playdates. I imagine you know in advance when your practices and games take place so I can work around them. My ex-wife has her half the time, so it’s mostly during working hours on the days I have her until school starts back up again. My afternoons are a little more flexible. Barring a work commitment, I’m with Harper in the evenings when I have her. I don’t like to miss that time. Fallon, Harper’s mom, is a physical therapist. She loads her schedule on the days I have Harper, but it’s fluid, and we help each other out when we can. Neither of us miss Harper’s games or anything along those lines.”
So different from my family. Our mother didn’t work, and our father worked like a dog. He tried to make it to as many games as he could, but it was hard for him. Our mother rarely came to games even though she had nothing else to do. She would have preferred we did something moregirlythan sports.
He continues, “Her close girlfriends, Andie and Dylan, are usually around. You may have met Andie. Her father, Beckett Windsor, is one of the new owners of the Cougars and Anacondas.”
“Yes, I’ve seen them around. They come to just about every game. I suppose most of our games are in the afternoons. I can be here in the mornings unless we’re on the road. Harper can even come to the ballpark with me when you’re in a pinch. No one will mind. One of the girls on the team is a mom and her baby comes now and then when her husband is busy.”