"You ready for tonight?" Gary patted my back as I stood beside the field. I needed to find my center, and standing on the crimson dirt of my father's favorite field usually helped.

"Of course." I smiled over at our catcher. "Are you?"

"I live for this stuff." Gary smiled and nodded. "It's going to be damn weird not coming here every day pretty soon."

"Retirement is going to be good to you though." I reached out and brushed something off his uniform. "How is the rest of the team doing? Everyone got their head in the game or do we have some jitters going on down there?" I motioned toward the locker room.

"No, we've done this a few times before." He winked and turned to jog out to home plate. "This one is for your dad tonight."

"He'll love that," I called after him and watched as several other players jogged out on the field.

Danny was the last to leave the dugout. He winked at me but didn't say anything.

"Good luck," I called after him as worry crowded my thoughts. We'd been seeing each other for about two weeks at that point, but hadn't said anything to the team. He'd been preoccupied with his dad and Lyndsay, which was fine by me, but it made getting together a lot harder than I wanted it to be. His mood slid down into a rather rough place over the last few days, but it was once again because of his dad.

I knew the feeling myself. My father meant the world to me.

"And still does," I mumbled and walked toward the stands. Oakland was just arriving, and their players were filling up the dugout on the other side of the stadium, leaving me to feel a little off. Having been the GM for them for quite a few years, I forced myself to stop. I needed to go speak to their coaches and some of the players. It would be insanely rude not to.

"Where are you going?" Danny called out across the field as I walked behind Gary over to Oakland's side of the field.

"Just to say hi." I smiled and kept going, ignoring the look of disapproval on Danny's handsome face.

"Terra!" One of the younger guys on the team barreled out of the bullpen and picked me up in a bear hug.

"Hey, Vince. How are you?" I laughed and pushed at his chest. "Put me down. I'm supposed to be all dignified now."

A group of them surrounded me, and something about it felt like coming home. It wasn't that I didn't love the team behind me or Washington State, but Oakland provided a safe-harbor when I needed one most. It was something I couldn't ignore.

I spend a few minutes shaking hands and giving hugs before talking to the coaches. I'd yet to see Paul, but it was probably a good thing. Where I didn't want to ask about him, curiosity got the better of me.

"Did you guys trade Paul Thompson and I just missed it?" I smiled up at the head coach.

"I'm right here. Had to grab something from the locker room." His voice caused my stomach to tighten, in a bad way.

I turned and forced a smile. "Hey. I was wondering why you weren't with the other guys."

"Were you now?" His eyes moved across my face and down my body. "What are you doing after the game? Want to grab a beer and catch up?"

"No. She doesn't." Danny's voice surprised me a little. He moved up to my side and wrapped a possessive arm around my shoulders.

"That's funny, McAdams." A cocky grin spread across Paul's handsome face. "I don't think it was you I asked out."

"She's taken, Thompson. Find someone else to try your tricks on." Danny's face was a mask of challenge.

I almost felt small between the two of them. Something about Danny stepping up as my man left my heart racing, my body wet and aching for his. "Hey. It's all good. No beers for me tonight. Good to see you, Paul."

"You too, beautiful." He turned his attention back to me, but I ignored it.

I pulled from Danny's hold and walked back across the field. "You don't have anything to worry about, Danny." I glanced over at him to find him stewing in anger.

"No? You want me to go cuddle up to every girl that's waxed my cock while you're watching? That sound fun to you?" He voice was deep and hateful.

"What?" I pursed my lips and looked around. "I'm not sure what you're talking about. I never slept with Paul."

"Right. As if I believe that shit." He turned and walked to the mound, almost stomping.

I held my tears back. He was going through a lot, and he was overreacting. It was part of his persona and every alpha male asshole to do it. I let out a slow breath and ascended the stairs to the owners’ box. For some reason, a small group of reporters was standing outside the door, in the middle of the fucking aisle where people were trying to get by to get to their seats.

"Miss Harmon. Todd Dangle from News Channel Two. Can you please speak to the recent discovery that another one of your players has popped positive for HGH?" He shoved a microphone in my face, catching me off-guard.

"How did you guys get in here?" I reached for the door and moved into the box, closing it hard behind me. "What the fuck was that?"

Alan turned from watching the field. "What was what?"

"The media is right outside our door." I walked into the room and grabbed a bottle of water. "It's like there's no rest for the weary."

"That sounds about right." He reached out and rubbed the top of my back as I came to stand beside him. "They're all hyped up because Jackson popped positive for HGH this week."

"Why wasn't I informed of that?" Tension wrapped around the inside of my chest. First Danny was being a cock, then the media decided it was okay to pound down my door in the middle of our paying crowd of visitors and now I wasn't being kept in the loop on the happenings with the team? What. The. Fuck.

"Because you have a lot going on." He let out a long sigh. "You father wasn't kept up to speed on that shit either, Terra. It's my job to handle the players."

"Then handle them," I barked and lifted my water to my lips, drinking deeply. "Where are they getting the steroids from?"

"No clue, but we're investigating."

"We should move faster. This is getting ridiculous. Fans are going to start getting upset and stop buying tickets. That's how this works. We're an American tradition. A wholesome, happy, safe place to bring your family and your kids for an afternoon of fun. If people start to feel like our guys are toked up on an illegal substance, it's going to affect all of us."

"I know. I'm on it. Just avoid the media as best you can until we get a few things cleared up." He pressed his hands to the glass. "And if you need to hide out for a while, feel free to. I can help take care of everything."

Something about the way he spoke left me uneasy. If I wanted to hide out for a while? Was that a joke? And where would I go? In the locker room to get fucked against the shower wall like a teenage girl with nothing to lose?

I glared down at the field as anger burned deep in my belly. How dare Danny come over to the Oakland side of the field and remind me and Paul that I was off the market. Like I didn't know that. Like I wasn't mature enough to stay committed to one man.

I wasn't the slut. He was.

"Wow." One of the older guys walked into the box behind me, his voice stealing me from my thoughts. "What the hell is going on with the media out there?"

I bit my tongue and let Alan explain it. Obviously, he knew more than I did.

The game started, and thankfully, I calmed down a little. We were doing well until the top of the third when once again, Danny hit a batter. This time, it was Paul.

This time, it was on purpose.