Chapter 16

"With that swing,you'd never know the kid was hurting." Beckett clapped as Mason swung. The sound of the bat cracking echoed off the walls. Then the ball was flying into the outfield between the center and right fielders.

"See how he almost cradles the arm against his body when he's running? That's how you know he's hurting worse than he's saying." Cortney leaned forward and frowned down at Mason, who'd stopped at second base.

We were leading the Dallas Stars, two to one. I'd been called up to the box, yet since I'd arrived two batters ago, neither of the men had acknowledged me.

I cleared my throat again, this time finally garnering Beckett's attention.

He swung around, his face set in his usual frown. "Oh good, you're here." Then he turned back to the field.

Wringing my hands, I waited. Yes, I was here. But was he going to tell me why they'd called for me?

"Cortney thinks we should be talking about IR again for the shoulder. But nothing in your report says that. What's he saying to you about it?"

"Uh." I glanced from him to Cortney, worrying my bottom lip. Mason had admitted more than once that it was sore, but he promised it wasn't serious. My exams weren't showing anything either. If they were, I would have suggested it immediately. "I?—"

"She's not going to tell us anything." Without turning to face me, Cortney tightened the bun on the back of his head. "You are not where her loyalties lie. Trust me."

My heart stuttered at his words. Did Cortney know? About Mason and me? The way he'd looked at us in the training room the other day made me wonder, but he'd left it alone and hadn't brought it up again.

Nothing about my reports had been inaccurate, and I was hiding nothing for Mason. In the most recent one, I'd even acknowledged that neither he nor I felt that he was at 100 percent.

But did Cortney think I was hiding something? I swallowed and tried my best to keep my expression neutral, even though, on the inside, I was panicking.

"She works for us. We pay her. Why wouldn't she be loyal?" Beckett frowned at his GM before turning back to me. "What do you think?"

I shrugged. "Like I mentioned in my last report, I don't think his shoulder is 100 percent. But we play guys at 80 percent every day."

Beckett nodded and whacked Cortney's arm. "See? I told you."

"Was that it?" I asked.

"Just check him after the game." For the first time, Cortney turned and looked at me, and from his expression, the way he scrutinized me, it was clear he knew more than he was saying. "Email me a full report."

Stomach churning, I focused on breathing normally and nodded. Yes, I'd give him a full report. Because I wanted to keep my job.

"How does it feel?" I lifted Mason's arm, trying for a third time to help him stretch his shoulder.

He, on the other hand, was doing his best to keep me from doing my job.

"Can you lift your arm please? I need to see how tight it is."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "My shoulder is good enough. You didn't answer my question."

"Because I'm trying to do my job." I huffed. "Would you please cooperate?"

With his free hand, he grasped my waist, but I quickly stepped back and shot him a glare.

"I'm not trying to be an ass. I promise. I just miss you. I don't care what we do. I'll watch you read a book if that's what you want." He slumped and huffed out a defeated sigh. "But yeah. You can check my shoulder. Your job is the important thing here." Finally, he held his arm straight out in front of him.

The look he gave me was one of earnest intent. He really did care about my job, and he was doing his best to comply. But it was clear in his every move and expression, even if he hadn't told me repeatedly over the last two days, that he missed me.

And I missed him too. Just as much. I didn't want to treat him like I did every other athlete I worked with, but I had to. "How about we make a deal? If you're a good boy and let me finish checking out your shoulder without fighting or complaining, then I will."

He tipped his chin up and met my gaze, his eyes sparkling with a hope that had been missing since that day in the training room when Cortney had almost caught us.

And I couldn't fight my smile.

"Did you just tell him to be a good boy?"

My heart plummeted at the sound of Bosco's voice.

Chest aching and dread threatening to overtake me, I spun and found him standing in the doorway, only then realizing that we'd had that entire conversation with the door wide open.