“Or maybe a place across town? North is nice.”
“I'm healing,” she reminded him. “I need alone time. This area is less traveled than most.”
There was little traffic because he owned a thousand acres and no one trespassed. No one until the tomboy.
He again wondered about her illness, and if he was being a total jerk in tossing her ass. In his thirty-two years, he'd never rehashed, contemplated, or questioned his decisions. He lived by his gut. Yet Dayne had him second-guessing himself.
He glanced at his watch. “I have places to go and people to see.”
“Job interviews?” She looked hopeful for him.
“I have a strong lead.” He hated lying to her.
“Good luck.” Her words sounded sincere.
“I'll be back around two.”
“I'll have everything packed and ready to go.”
Kason locked his jaw against offering her another night in his double-wide. He was glad Cimarron couldn't talk. The Dobie would be in Kason's face, campaigning for Dayne to stay. Her mantra followed him out the door. “Breathe in; breathe out; move on.”
***
The Rogues practice strained both his muscles and his restraint. Psycho was more of a dick today than he'd been yesterday. His digs and jabs crossed to left field, then centered on the batter's box. The man liked to needle.
Kason tuned out Psycho until it came time for the team's daily scrimmage. Closing in on noon, the manager instructed the ballplayers to form into two different teams from the previous day. Center fielder Risk Kincaid and shortstop Zen Driscoll crossed to the home team's dugout.
The Bat Pack hung as one.
“Deserters,” Psycho shouted from the visitors' side.
“You've got us.” First baseman Rhaden Dunn, along with the back-up catcher, begrudgingly crossed the field.
Psycho grunted. “Two batters hitting .280 can't replace grand slammers.”
Kason took his first at-bat against pitcher Sloan McCaffrey. The man had never liked Kason. His wife, Eve, was an artist. The previous July, Dog Days of Summer, a charity silent auction, had brought out advocates for animal rescue. Sloan and Eve had been on the outs. Kason had pushed Sloan back into Eve's life by bidding on her oil painting of James River Stadium. Kason had driven up the price, forcing Sloan to compete for his woman.
Wildly jealous, Sloan had bid extravagantly. At the end of the night, he'd won both Eve and her painting.
Delighted by the outcome, Eve had gifted Kason with Cimarron, one of the rescued pups. A nice gesture on her part, yet one that suggested Kason might still be a rival for Eve's affection. Sloan continued to keep a sharp eye on Kason, even after the couple wed. Eve still dogsat Cim whenever the Rogues played out of town.
On the mound now, McCaffrey wound up, hoping to draw Kason outside his strike zone.
Kason was selective.
He was known to often go to full count before he took his swing. Three balls and two strikes, and he nailed a fastball between first and second. The hit drew Psycho in from right to scoop and throw. Kason slid cleats high into second for a double. Risk Kincaid's single got Kason to third.
Zen Driscoll's solid hit to center dropped behind the fielder. Kason sprinted home. His team led by one. The three-inning scrimmage ended when Kason laid down a bunt, and Zen scored from third. The home team took their 2-0 win to the locker room.
“Game was rigged,” Psycho bellyached. “Damn, I hate to lose.”
“The best team won,” Kason tossed over his shoulder as he shucked off his pants and sliding shorts, down to his jock.
Psycho flipped him off. “I can spit farther than you can bunt.”
“Try spitting a home run.” Kason then stripped to his skin and headed for the shower.
“Dickhead,” Psycho grumbled.
When Kason returned, he found a note taped to his locker, a summons from Revelle Sullivan from player promotions. Her reputation preceded her. Her newly established department had created major locker room buzz.
Game's On connected players with high-profile promotions. The woman played hardball in the game of corporate endorsements and served the Rogues well.
Due to her efforts, Oat Berry Clusters featured Risk Kincaid on its organic cereal box.
Romeo Bellisaro had become the new hood ornament for Autobahn Elite, a German-based automaker. The low-slung sports car hit high speeds and hugged corners. The campaign had gone worldwide. Romeo was an international spokesman.
Psycho McMillan scored big with Dinkies Dog Biscuits. He howled as loudly as his Newfoundlands and miniature dachshund in the nationwide commercials. Dogs across the country barked for the treats. Even Cimarron found them tasty.
The Rogues had lined up to be showcased.
Everyone but Kason. He didn't seek the spotlight. He had no desire to be a household name. His statistics in the batter's box and skills in left field were syndicated in the sports section of every newspaper. Yet he'd never done an interview. He felt questions pertaining to his favorite music and movie, best color, and astrological sign were intrusive.
Some called him dark and mysterious. Others a dick for not sharing his innermost thoughts. His life outside the park was his own. He had no plans to be linked to a multimedia blitz. No matter how lucrative.
Revelle Sullivan, however, had leverage. She was Guy Powers's niece. What went down in her office traveled to her uncle. The team's owner liked his Rogues front and center in the community and recognizable to all. National promotions pleased him greatly.
Kason had ignored Revelle's phone calls and avoided her at the stadium. Today she'd twist his left nut.
“I need to see Revelle too.” Rhaden Dunn produced a similar note. “I'll go with you, if you don't mind.”
The two men rode the elevator to the sixth floor, then crossed the skywalk to the corporate offices located in the penthouse suites of Powers Tower. The team owner had invested heavily in real estate. Fanning out from James River Stadium, he now owned every building and parking lot in a five-block radius.
The teammates sauntered down the hallway to player promotions. Revelle's office was situated between public relations and business affairs.
Kason heard a door creak and sensed stares. He glanced over his shoulder and found two women standing in the hallway, checking him and Rhaden out. A third peered around the jamb.
Rhaden smiled, and Kason shook his head. Both men kept right on walking. They were used to the once-overs.