Double Play

“You are not. You’re a stalker—”

“Okay, that’s it. I’ve asked politely. Now you’ll have to pay the consequences.” With that, Tia took a diving leap toward her.

Holly was so shocked, she hit the concrete before she knew what had happened, with Tia on top of her. “Are you crazy—” But she was stunned into disbelief when Tia took a swing at her.

“Hey!” Holly tried to roll away, but though Tia was bad with the aim, she could hold on like a monkey, and they both fell off the curb, knocking the air out of Holly.

Tia lifted her head, and hair wild, eyes wild, everything wild, she gritted her teeth. “I just broke a nail!”

Holly might have laughed, but she was on the ground in white jeans and a pale pink T-shirt she’d just gotten on sale, and that pissed her off. So did Tia grabbing her hair. In retaliation, Holly took a fistful of Tia’s hair and a big chunk came off in her hands.

“Oh no, you didn’t!” Tia shrieked and took her hands off Holly to hold her head. “My weave! My expensive weave!”

“That’s not a weave, it’s a damn wig.” Holly took a look at the thing in her hand. “And a cheap one.”

“You bitch!” She slapped Holly right across the face. “Now I’m going to kick your ass—”

Holly rolled Tia to her back and held her down, cheek and jaw stinging. “If there’s any ass kicking, it’ll be me, and—”

And nothing. Because suddenly she was hauled off Tia, her arms yanked behind her back. “Ma’am,” an unfamiliar male voice said in her ear. “You have the right to remain silent.”

Pace stood outside the police station, leaning back against his car, soaking up the sun, sipping a Dr Pepper he held in his left hand. Fuck quitting. His right hand was in his front pocket, the only position his arm felt comfortable.

When Holly emerged half an hour later, she winced at the bright sunlight and slipped on a pair of sunglasses from her purse.

He straightened from the car. “Hey.”

With a deep breath, she walked down the path, right by him.

“Holly.”

She kept walking.

With a grim smile, he caught up with her, touching her arm.

“You,” she said as if speaking to a piece of shit on her shoe.

“Me? What did I do?”

She sent him a glacial look. “You’re breathing, aren’t you?” She shoved him away, careful, he noted, not to touch his bad shoulder, and kept walking.

She didn’t live anywhere near here, and he knew damn well her car was still at the stadium, so he had no idea where she thought she was going. “Not even a thank-you?” he asked, easily keeping pace with her, his eyes narrowing in on the bruise forming on her cheekbone.

“You’re right,” she said with mock politeness. “Thank you for getting me arrested.”

“I meant for bailing you out.” He took her arm and pulled her resisting body around, lifting a hand to gently touch her face. “She got you good.”

She lifted a shoulder and relented slightly. “I got a few licks of my own in.”

“Atta girl.” He looked her over but saw no other injury. “You okay?”

“Yes. Thanks for posting bail.” She said this begrudg ingly, barely allowing him to redirect her toward his car.

“Tia’s still in lockup.” He figured that piece of news would cheer her up.

“I hope she rots in there. Can I drive?”

“She’s in a 5150 hold. And no, I’d have to be on a 5150 hold to let you drive this baby in your current mood.” He opened the passenger-side door for her.

“They’re going to let her go in three days?” she asked indignantly. “The woman is completely insane.”

“Yeah, well the police think the both of you are. I talked them out of holding you.” He went around to the back of his car, opened the trunk, and pulled out his first aid kit. He grabbed the portable ice pack, slapped it against his thigh a few times to activate it, and then got in the driver’s side, gently pressing it to her face. “Hold that.”

“I really want to be pissed off at you.”

“You’ll have to stand in line.” He pulled away from the curb, letting her be for a few minutes.

“Jail sucks,” she finally said. “So do you.”

“I vouched for your sanity, you know. And believe me, that took some doing. I should get some points for that.”

“It did not take some doing.”

“It did.” He shot her a glance, satisfied that she was holding the ice to her jaw. Her clothes were filthy, but her hair had been tamed. That was his careful Holly. “So what the hell happened anyway?”

“She was going to take my camera.”

“So you beat the shit out of her?”

“Is that what she said?” She sounded pleased as she leaned back, resting her head. “Good.” She was quiet for another few minutes. “I really wish I’d started a series about the beauty and serenity of some island in the South Pacific instead of doing it on baseball. I’d be on the beach right now, my toes in the water, sipping something cool and refreshing while being served by a cute—and silent—cabana boy.”

“It’s not too late.” He drove into the stadium and pulled up to her car.

“I want my panties back, Pace.” She didn’t get out. She didn’t move a muscle actually, except to slowly turn her head and give him a pissed-off look. “Don’t make me take your ass down like I did Tia’s. I could do it, too.”