15. Willow

Willow

The stadium is quiet with the entire team, along with coaching and training staff, down in Arizona for spring training. Anyone left behind is busy in the admin offices, including myself and the media team. We're prepping media packages, brainstorming events and social media campaigns.

The offices are relaxed, humming with a positive but low-key energy, even with Lydia coming out periodically to demand something that's already been done. I don't know how she's not seeing the eye rolls that are coming more and more often as our staff grow increasingly annoyed with her antics.

Hopefully soon enough, we won't have to put up with catering to her any longer. And yes, I feel like a terrible person saying that as the one who wants her job, but there's no denying it's the truth. We're all just waiting for her to decide her official end date and announce her replacement.

"These look great, Sheena." I smile down at the junior staff who just shared a new concept for one of our social media accounts. "Let's run it for a week and see how it lands."

I'm walking back to my office when my phone starts to go crazy with incoming notifications, and my stomach plummets. Especially when I hear other members of the team also receiving notifications. That can only mean one thing: a big headline, and probably not a good one.

"Tridents' second baseman Maverick King has been identified in a now-viral video showing an altercation between two men outside a well-known Phoenix sports bar."

"Shit. Fucking shit, goddamn it, Maverick." I curse under my breath as I pivot on my heel and hurry down the short hall to Lydia's office. She's on the phone when I knock but beckons me inside. Just as she hangs up the phone, her door opens again and Uncle Mike walks in. Giving my shoulder a brief squeeze, we both sit down.

"Alright ladies, how are we gonna spin this one?" Uncle Mike asks grimly. He's looking at Lydia, and she's looking at me.

Okay, guess I'm up.

"Do we have any details on what sparked the fight?" I ask slowly, my attention still also focused on scrolling through media sites, trying to get a handle on things. "Have we heard anything from the crew down there?"

Uncle Mike is still looking at my boss, and she might not recognize it, but I can see his growing impatience. "Lydia?"

The woman in question shoots me a glare, as if this is all my fault. "Not to my knowledge. I'm waiting for my team to bring me more information before I can formulate a plan."

If my eyebrows went any higher, I think they'd shoot off my head. Waiting for her team? When we all just received the same notifications? What exactly is stopping her from getting on the phone to Arizona and figuring out what's going on?

I have to take several deep breaths. At the end of the day, she's still my boss, and still holds the key to my promotion.

"I'll call Rudy. He went down to catch some B-roll of practices, that kind of thing. Maybe he knows more of what happened." I'm already scrolling to his phone number on my phone.

Uncle Mike just nods. "I expect a response to be crafted and on my desk for approval within the hour." He stands up and looks at me. "Willow, are we still on for lunch?"

Um, what? I didn't know we had lunch plans, but I nod in agreement, nonetheless. I look to Lydia, but she's typing furiously on her phone, hopefully to someone in Arizona, but I doubt it. She's likely waiting for me to do that.

Sure enough, as I turn to leave with Uncle Mike, she calls out after me. "Willow, come back after speaking with Rudy and I'll let you know how to proceed."

"Okay." I bite back the response I really want to make. How did I ever let myself think Lydia was someone to admire? Maybe at one time she was, and maybe I've inadvertently enabled her to be like this, but I swear to God, the woman has made a mastery out of having someone else do her job for her.

She'll tell me how to proceed. Right. More like, I'll subtly suggest what I think should be done, she'll agree, then pawn the idea off to Uncle Mike as if it was all her swooping in to fix everything.

I've never had the guts to ask him why no one has said anything or done anything about her work ethic. It just seemed easier to carry the extra weight and make sure no matter what, our department ran smoothly and effectively. If Lydia got the acknowledgment for work that I actually did, oh well. We were a team. Or so I used to think. Besides, the last thing I needed was to be seen as the narc who went running to her uncle any time something didn't go her way.

But it's getting harder to stay quiet and respectful around her lazy sense of entitlement. For me and everyone else on our media team.

Half an hour later, a quick chat with Rudy in Arizona has given me enough information to come up with a draft press release, and I've eked out a promise from the assistant coach to get Maverick and his agent on a video call with us this afternoon to discuss how he needs to respond to any questions from the press.

I make my way back to Lydia's office, press release in hand, as well as waiting in her inbox. "Lydia, I've got a call with Maverick in an hour and the press release right here for your approval," I say by way of greeting.

Her eyes flicker up from her phone. "Fine. Send it on to Mike."

"You don't want to look it over?" I ask, purely out of professional courtesy.

"Do I need to? Or did you do your job?" she fires back. My fingers clench at my side, but I manage a tight smile.

"It's all done and proofed. We've got multiple witnesses confirming that Mav was —"

"I don't care what he was doing. I care that we keep our name clean," Lydia interrupts with a wave of her hand. "Send it to Mike and make sure the articles for next month's Tridents blog are ready."

The blog articles that have been ready for a week? I'm starting to wonder if she ever checks her emails.

"Will do," I reply curtly. Then I march back to my office, sit down in my chair, and let out a massive, silent scream of frustration.

I thought last season was tough, what with our pitcher Rafe's surprise kid showing up, which led to his retirement and proposal to his now-wife after the final game of the season with no warning. All that, combined with my best friend moving to Vancouver Island, meant the spring and summer of last year were pretty freaking stressful.

But this year, with Ronan in town and Lydia being Lydia, might be even worse.

When I wake up the next morning, I'm exhausted and oh so grateful it's Saturday. So, when a video call from Tori comes in, I actually debate not answering for a second to preserve the silence and warm, cozy feelings.

When I do, it's clear she's not at home. "Are you on a ferry?" I ask, excitement washing away my exhaustion.

She nods, then pans the phone to the side so I can see Cooper holding his puppy Chloe, and Tori's boyfriend Sawyer, all grinning and waving. "Surprise! Got any room for some last-minute visitors?"

I scramble up to sit straighter on my couch. "Oh my God, of course, I do! Wait, why are you coming? Why didn't I know this?"

Tori says something to Sawyer off-screen before turning back to me with a wide smile. "Coop's going to visit his grandparents, and instead of them coming to the island to get him, we decided to come to the mainland. Sawyer's got a weekend off, and it was just a spur-of-the-moment decision." Her face grows serious. "Are you sure you have time, though? I know preseason isn't too busy normally, but I saw that video with Maverick."

I groan. "You did, huh? Yeah, he needs to learn better ways to handle things that don't involve fighting. But it's fine, we issued a press release and he's now on lockdown in Arizona."

"So it's good timing for us to show up uninvited?"

A big smile breaks free on my face. "T, it's always a good time for you to show up. I miss you guys so much."

"Awesome." She grins back. "We'll be at your place in an hour and a half. Coop wants to see you before we take him to his grandparents."

"Perfect."

We hang up and I leap into action, setting up the guest bedroom for Tori and Sawyer, and change out of my pajamas into some real clothes.

By the time Tori and her family get to my apartment, I'm so ready to see them. As soon as I buzz them in, I open my apartment door and wait, staring at the elevator, willing it to move faster. The doors open and I yank Tori into a huge hug.

"Oh my God, you're crushing me, woman." She laughs, but her arms are squeezing me just as tightly. For so long, it was the two of us and Cooper against the world. I've missed them so much, even though moving to Dogwood Cove was perfect for them.

Eventually, I let her go, only to open my arms wide and wait to see if Coop will still hug me. With him turning nine this year, I'm wise enough to let him decide. But he throws himself into my arms as well, and my heart bursts with love for my pseudo-nephew. I hold him equally tight.

"Where's my love?" Sawyer Donnelly's deep voice teases. We first met Sawyer and some of his friends at the BC firefighter's fundraiser gala last year. I pegged the three of them as outrageous flirts, but Sawyer saw something in Tori, and she saw the same in him, I guess. A one-night stand was supposed to be all there was to it until Tori moved to Dogwood Cove and discovered her hunky firefighter lived there.

It's not all that different to mine and Ronan's situation, come to think of it, except Tori was free to continue having a fling and a bunch of hot sex with Sawyer, and I'm most definitely not with Ronan.

"C'mere, you," I say, hugging Sawyer. "I'm glad you guys are here."

We enter my apartment, and Sawyer heads down the hall to the guest room with his and Tori's bags.

"We're meeting Coop's grandma in half an hour, then Sawyer is going out with his firefighting buddies for lunch. Meet me for sushi at Mizu in an hour?" Tori asks as Cooper and his dog Chloe roll around on my living room floor.

"Sounds perfect," I say, and it really does. Certainly beats the laundry and frozen pizza I had planned for the day. They all head out shortly after arriving, and Cooper gives me yet another hug.

"I kinda wish I was staying here," he mumbles into my shoulder and I squeeze him a little tighter.

"Maybe you can come over, just you, for a weekend when the season starts and we'll do a Cooper and Aunt Willow weekend," I whisper back. His enthusiastic nod is everything. I love that kid so damn much.

Just over an hour later, I slide into a booth opposite Tori in our favourite little sushi joint.

"I already ordered gyoza and sunomono."

I grin. "You're too good to me."

Tori picks up her green tea and takes a sip. "So. How's the Ronan situation?"

I grimace and sip my own tea, trying to decide how to respond. "Fine? Frustrating? Nonexistent? Hell if I know."

Tori sets down her tea and leans forward, her eyes filled with curiosity. "I want to know more about the frustrating part."

"Of course, you do." I chuckle. Tori has used my dating escapades as inspiration for her romance novels more than once, so it's no surprise this whole thing with Ronan is like catnip to her. "I don't know where to start. I mean, after the house hunting chaos, I haven't seen him much. That one time, he brought his family to the stadium but then they all left for spring training." I sip my tea. "Honestly, it's not easy. I always feel like I'm walking on eggshells, wondering if I'll see him at work. Do I want to see him? Do I not? I have no clue."

"Sounds to me like there's some unresolved feelings," Tori says quietly.

I lean back as the server sets down some food and takes the rest of our order. Once again, I'm trying to decide how to answer. "I mean, yes. Even though I know nothing can ever, and I do mean ever happen, there's a part of me that can't stop wondering what if. What if he hadn't left Hawaii early? Would we have spent the rest of the trip together? Would that make it easier or harder to be around him now?"

I shake my head, as if that could clear up the mess in my brain. "But it doesn't matter. The season will start, and I'll hopefully hear about the promotion soon so I can start transitioning into Lydia's position if I get it. And Ronan has to be just another player. Nothing more."

"Nothing more," Tori echoes thoughtfully. "Except he already is something more, isn't he?"

Yeah…he is.