Chapter Twenty-two #2
Harper nodded back, then walked to the group of pitchers at the far end of the bullpen.
Summer tracked her movements and slumped when she realized Harper’s destination.
Razor watched the silent interaction, desperate to figure out what was going on with them and fix it.
But she couldn’t do that. She’d already overstepped with Summer before.
She couldn’t do it now. She’d continue to support, to offer a shoulder, and to hope Summer or Harper would trust her enough to tell her what was wrong.
* * *
Ashton stood directly behind Summer and studied her curveball.
She’d chosen this position for the best view of Summer’s spin, grip, and form.
Okay, she was also in Razor’s sightline, and Razor, behind her mask, continued to send smiles Ashton’s way without taking her eyes off Summer’s pitches.
Ashton’d learned well not to disrupt that sight line.
She knew why Razor got clunked in the head by a Summer pitch several months ago.
“Nice form, Summer. Try to tighten your spin to arc the ball farther out.”
“How do I do that again?”
“More pressure on your middle finger.”
Summer exhaled and shook her shoulders. As she reached her release point, the other pitchers passed by, talking and laughing.
Summer’s grip slipped and the ball sailed wide to Razor’s left.
Razor winced and grabbed her side. Ashton took a step in her direction, but one shake of Razor’s head and she stopped.
“Sorry,” Summer mumbled.
“It’s all right,” Ashton said. “Everyone has their off days now and again.”
“I guess.”
Razor took off her helmet and joined them. “Why don’t we take a little break?”
“That didn’t hurt you or reinjure you, did it?” Ashton asked.
“Nah,” Razor said. “I just thought a little break might be in order.”
“Okay. If you say so. Go get some water. We’ll start again in fifteen minutes.”
Razor and Summer headed to the cooler, and Ashton pulled out her phone.
She’d scheduled a red-eye out of Memphis to New York to minimize her absence, and she was going to leave after practice.
She hoped to get a few minutes with Razor, so she periodically checked her phone for any updates on her flight or accidents that would cause a delay.
So far, nothing. She slipped her phone back into her pocket when there was a light tug on her elbow.
Ashton turned and, unexpectedly, came face-to-face with Nancy.
“Hey.”
“Hey,” Nancy replied. “How’s it going with Summer?”
“It’s going well. She’s having a little bit of an off day, but the form is still there.”
“That’s good,” Nancy said. An awkward silence fell over them.
“Something else you wanted?” Ashton asked.
Nancy dug her hands into her pockets. “I…I wanted to say I’m sorry for what I said in Henderson. You were right. You and Razor are adults, and it’s ultimately your decision to be with her.”
Nancy’s nervousness, combined with her earnestness, propelled Ashton to reveal the truth. “Actually, there was some merit to what you said. I’ve talked it over with Razor, and we’ve decided to wait until the end of the season before we start anything…serious.”
Nancy clutched her chest. “Oh, I’m so glad to hear that.”
“You don’t have to be so excited about it.”
“No, no it’s not that,” Nancy clarified. “I’m happy you both are on the same page. Both of you have done important work this season, and you’re not willing to put that in jeopardy with only a few weeks to go.”
Ashton was relieved that Nancy had her back on this. “Thank you for your support.”
“I’ll always look out for you, kid.”
Ashton was about to respond when Summer yelled, “Just leave me alone!”
Ashton turned in time to see Summer stalk away, leaving Razor looking confused. Ashton turned to Nancy, who looked just as befuddled as Ashton felt.
“What was that about?” Ashton asked.
Nancy shrugged. “Trouble in paradise? I don’t know.”
Razor walked toward her, and when Ashton opened her mouth to ask what happened, she was dismissed with a head shake.
“Don’t worry. I’ll keep an eye on them while you’re gone,” Nancy whispered before walking away, leaving Ashton to wonder what she meant.
* * *
Razor hitched her equipment bag on her shoulder and looked around the deserted parking lot. Ashton’s car was gone. She quickly pulled out her phone to see if she’d missed any messages about forgoing their good-byes and found none.
Strange.
She dialed Ashton’s number and heard a quick “Hey,” blown out by wind through the speaker.
“Hey you,” she replied. “I thought we were going to meet up, but you sound like you’re already on the road.”
“Yeah…uh, I got an alert that there was an accident around West Memphis. I didn’t want to risk it, so I took off as soon as practice ended. Sorry I didn’t tell you.”
“No, it’s okay. I get it.”
“Yeah. So…”
Razor frowned. Something was off. Ashton sounded reserved.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“I don’t know. You sound like you’re mad at me. Did I do something to upset you?”
“No,” Ashton said quickly. “No…well…” Here it comes. “What was that outburst from Summer about?”
Now it was Razor’s turn to pause. She hadn’t meant to upset Summer, but she’d tried one last time to get her to say what was bothering her.
She was certain it had something to do with Harper, judging by how erratic Summer became whenever she came near them.
But Summer clammed up tight, and her outburst was the result of Razor not knowing when to quit.
“That was on me,” she said. “She’s going through something, and I pushed a little too hard. Old habits die hard, I guess.”
“Tread carefully, Razor. Remember, you’re her teammate…”
“Not her therapist or coach. I remember,” Razor finished.
The sound of the Ashton’s engine decelerating filtered through the connection.
“Looks like I’ve found the accident,” Ashton said.
The tightness Razor didn’t realize was in her chest eased at the news.
“Well, I’ll let you go so you can focus on the road. Let me know when you get to the airport and when you check in to your hotel.”
“I will. I’ll miss you.”
Razor reciprocated the smile she heard on the line. “I’ll miss you, too. Enjoy the conference.”
She disconnected the call and breathed in the cool air, wondering, as she walked to her truck, what she’d been so worried about.