She sighed. “I don’t know. No, I do know. I want to do things differently next time. I want to do something softer. Something that helps people.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I mean it. And I want to stay in Santa Barbara, and grow roots.”

“Roots? Are you not a brunette?”

“Roots like a tree, Tommy. A solid, happy, healthy tree. I want a home base, a place of my own to settle down into.”

“Crazy talk, but fine with me. I don’t care where you live.”

“I want that in writing.”

“The crazy-talk part?”

“Tommy.”

“Doll, you can have whatever you want. Just keep writing for me.”

Three days later, Pace took himself to the bullpen to throw, improving his confidence and renewing his hope that he didn’t totally suck. He wasn’t done playing ball. Hopefully he wasn’t done with a lot of things. Or people—like Holly. Turning, he found Red quietly watching him. He looked uncharacteristically solemn.

“Looking good,” Red said.

“Thanks.” They’d been avoiding a real conversation all week, but Pace was done with that. “You saw Holly’s article.”

“Whole world saw it, didn’t they?”

“Is it true?” Pace asked him. “And are you the one supplying Ty?”

A muscle jumped in Red’s jaw, but he said nothing. His damn pride. One of these days he was going to choke on it.

“Jesus, Red.”

“You gonna believe the word of a reporter over me?”

“You didn’t give me any words. I’d love to hear your words.”

“You’ve already judged me. I have no words for you.” And with that, he walked away.

Damn, if Pace wasn’t tired of that. He went home, showered, and called Holly. “Can we talk?”

“I’m in LA.”

“When are you coming back?”

She paused, and his heart dropped. “Are you not coming back?”

“Tomorrow night,” she said.

Ah, hell. “I leave with the team in the morning.” He let out a breath. “When I get back then?”

“Yes,” she whispered. “I’ll be here.”

A sentiment that meant far more than he could have imagined.

Chapter 24

Chapter 24

You can’t sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You’ve got to throw the ball over the goddamn plate and give the other man his chance. That’s why baseball is the greatest game of them all.

—Earl Weaver

The Heat went on both the road and a losing streak. Holly watched the games on TV, hoping for glimpses of Pace on the sideline, and for a change in their luck.

She got neither.