Close To The Heart (Westen Series Book 5) Read online

  After several more rounds of catch, Daniel held up his hand for the ball from Trent. “Let’s get in some ground ball practice before it gets dark. Trent, pace out about thirty yards and the rest of you scatter out along that plane.”

  “There’s airplanes in baseball?” Lexie asked Melissa behind him in a loud whisper.

  Daniel bit his inner lip to keep from grinning. Thankfully the boys were too far out. He turned to watch Melissa try to explain this concept to the little girl.

  “No, it’s not that kind of plane,” Melissa said, pointing to the tallest teen. “See where Geoff is way over there? Then look all the way to the other side where Bryan is standing.”

  “I see them.”

  “Now imagine a line between them on the ground. Do you see it?”

  “Yes. Trent and Colt are standing on it, too.” Lexie pointed at the other teens.

  “If you see the flat space along that line, it’s called a plane. That’s what Deputy Daniel was telling them to stand on.”

  “He’s Coach Daniel when he’s playing baseball,” Lexie said, then leaned closer to her. “He told us to call him that.”

  This time Daniel didn’t try to hide his grin, his gaze meeting Melissa’s eyes that were twinkling.

  “Come on, Coach. Hit the ball,” Bryan yelled, pulling his attention back to the teens.

  “Okay, Bryan is going to be first baseman. I’ll hit ground balls to the three of you and once you’ve gloved them, practice throwing to him as if throwing out a runner. Okay?”

  They all nodded.

  He tossed the ball up slightly and aimed the bat to hit the ball on the ground towards Geoff. The lanky teen stepped back, waiting for the ball to get close before scooping it up and tossing it to Bryan.

  “Good catch and throw, Geoff, but don’t wait on the ball. Remember, there’s a guy going to first. Charging the ball might be all you need to get him out if he’s fast.”

  He hit another towards Colt, who made a dive at it. Stopping the ball, but not catching it. He scooped it up and tossed to first. Then muttered about it not being a good catch.

  “Good stop, Colt. Way to keep the ball in front of you. Gives you a chance to make the play at first and keep the runner from getting a double,” he said, trying to reassure the youngest teen that his effort had been just as good as if he’d caught the line drive. “Try it again,” he said, sending another grounder his way.

  This time, Colt snagged the ball and whipped it over to Bryan almost perfectly.

  “You did it!” Lexie yelled from the porch and the other teens gave him good natured smack on the back with their gloves.

  Daniel hit the next one toward Trent, who charged the ball, scooped it up and tossed to Bryan, but threw so hard it flew past him.

  “Oh, man!” Trent said, hunkering over his knees.

  Colt walked over and smacked him on the back. “You just got to rein in that power or make Bryan five feet taller.”

  “Don’t worry, Trent. Accuracy will come with practice,” Melissa called from the porch.

  Daniel gave her a half-smile over his shoulder. “She’s right. Try again. Take one second to take a breath and locate Bryan’s glove before you throw. Bryan, hold your glove out to give him a target.”

  He hit another ball Trent’s way. This time, Trent caught the ball on a charge again, but took the extra second to focus and set his feet, before hurling the ball to his left. The smack of the ball in leather had him jumping with a fist pump.

  For the next thirty minutes, they continued the drills with each of the boys taking a turn playing “first base”. Finally, the sun dipped behind the trees as dusk settled over the backyard.

  “Let’s bring it in, boys,” Daniel said, taking the ball and bat in hand and waving them in as he walked to the back porch.

  All four jogged to join him in a semi-circle, grins on their faces.

  “That was a great practice. Now, it’s up to you to decide how much effort you want to put into this. The more you practice, the better your skills and muscle memory will become.”

  “Muscle memory?” Colt asked.

  “The more you do something, the more your muscles remember how to do them,” Melissa answered, coming out of the backdoor carrying a tray of cups and a pitcher. She began pouring lemonade into the cups. “Thought you might like something to drink.”

  “Sure do!” Colt said, bounding up the steps to get the first glass.

  “Thanks, Miss. D,” Bryan said.

  “Never knew throwing a ball could make ya so thirsty,” Trent said.

  “Here you go, Shrimp,” Geoff offered a glass to Lexie, then reached for another.

  “Coach?” Melissa said, with a wink to Lexie, who giggled around the rim of her cup.

  “Thanks,” he said, his hand touching hers wrapped around the cup. A warmth stole up his hand and he indulged in the moment of contact.

  Then she moved her fingers, a light blush filling her cheeks. She took her glass and sat on the porch swing next to Lexie. “Muscle memory is important,” she continued as the boys sat on the porch or steps.

  Daniel leaned against the porch rail and listened to her honey-smooth voice.

  “Like learning to walk. At first you tried and fell. Then you were able to take a few steps. Eventually, your body knew what to do without you having to think about it much.”

  “What’s that got to do with baseball?” Colt asked.

  “Everything. Why do you think we have practices?” Daniel said. “Take Trent’s overthrow that first time. If he didn’t practice the throw to first again and went into a game, he might throw it over the first baseman’s head again. But if he practices, making sure he hits the target each time, then when he’s in a game and it counts, he won’t have to think too hard about hitting the mitt. His muscles will remember just how to throw the ball to make it stick.”

  “That’s how the big leaguers make such cool double plays or throw guys out trying to steal a base,” Geoff said. “They practice a lot.”

  “You shouldn’t steal,” Lexie said with all the conviction a six-year-old holds dear.

  They all grinned at her.

  “That’s right, you shouldn’t in everyday life.” Daniel said with a nod at the little girl. “But in baseball, if you can run from first to second without the ball beating you to the next base, that’s called stealing and it’s allowed. It might help your team score a run and win the game.”

  She twisted her lips and tilted her head to one side. “So, stealing’s a good thing?”

  “Only in baseball,” Colt said.

  Bryan nodded as he poured himself another glass of lemonade. “If you steal something anywhere else then Coach would have to arrest you.”

  “Then he’d be Deputy Daniel, not Coach,” Lexie said with a definite nod.

  Daniel took it as a sign she understood the concept and was ready to move on. “We’ll start after school practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I’ll let your bosses know so they can adjust your work schedules. In the meantime, you guys have an advantage over all your other teammates.”

  “We do?” Geoff asked.

  “Those guys have been playing for years, Coach,” Bryan said.

  Colt nodded. “They know way more than we do.”

  “Yeah, but you guys can all practice the drills together. Making plays you can use when you come to practice on Tuesday.”

  “But only after you finish your homework and chores,” Melissa said. “And on that note, all of you better get inside and finish any work for tomorrow.”

  With some good-natured complaining, the boys headed to the door. Geoff stopped and held the door open. “I’m all caught up, so I can play a game of Princess Dragons with you Shrimp, if it’s okay with Miss Davis.”

  “Only one game,” Melissa said with a smile.

  Lexie scooted off the porch swing and started for the door, then she paused and came over to stand in front of Daniel. “Coach Daniel?”

  He set his cup on the tab
le next to the tray and pitcher, then squatted down to look the little girl in the eye. “Yes?”

  “Can girls play baseball, too?”

  “Of course they can. Would you like to learn to play?”

  With her big blue eyes going wide with earnest enthusiasm, she nodded.

  “Then I’ll be happy to teach you,” he said with a smile and held out his hand.

  His reward was a one-tooth-missing grin and a little hand slipping into his to shake on the deal.

  She shook his head, then turned and ran to the door, stopping to whisper in that not really quiet whisper kids had to Geoff. “I’m gonna learn to play ball, too.”

  “I know, bet you’ll throw like a girl.”

  She looked up at him all puzzled. “I am a girl.”

  “Yeah, but real ball players throw like a guy.” He ruffled her head a little in affection. “So, you want to be Princess Dragon Fly or Princess Dragon Sea?” the teen asked as they disappeared inside.

  Melissa stood from the porch swing and began collecting the glasses onto her tray, her face a quiet mask of displeasure in the porch light.

  “What’s wrong?” Daniel said moving to set his glass with the others.

  “You shouldn’t do that,” she said, her hands trembled as she put the empty pitcher on the tray, not meeting his gaze.

  Confused, he laid his hand over hers against the glass of the pitcher, stilling her nervous movements. “What shouldn’t I do?”

  “Make promises to her you can’t keep.”

  “But I do intend to keep it.”

  “You might have good intentions, Deputy, but we have no idea what the judge will decide to do with her. She may not be here for you to keep that promise,” she said, pulling her hand from beneath his and lifting her face to meet his gaze. A tentative look of expectation and fear laced her eyes in the porch light.

  She expected him to get angry because she’d spoken her mind. He’d seen the slight tension in her spine, preparing to move quickly if he lashed out.

  Damn the sonofabitch who’d put that fear and wariness into her.

  How he handled the next moment would determine their relationship from now on. He paused mid-thought. Relationship? Was that what he wanted from her? He gazed into those dark eyes, recognized the strength behind them and came to a decision.

  He took a step around the little table between them, reaching carefully to her hand, drawing her back to the porch swing. “Come sit with me a minute.”

  Once she was seated, he released her hand and sat on the far end of the swing, giving her enough space to feel at ease, if not comfortable. First thing he had to do was get over the barrier she’d flung up to protect herself. To do that, he needed to gain her trust and convince her that not only did she have the right to speak her mind, but could feel secure in the knowledge that he would respect her thoughts and not overreact if they differed from his. Physical space and a calm discussion fit the bill. Or at least he hoped so.

  “I understand why you’re concerned,” he started.

  “Do you? Because I’ve been walking a fine line of comforting and reassuring her, while making no promises,” she said, her fingers laced together tightly in her lap. “I so want to tell her this is her home and she’s safe here, but I don’t dare because I can see no justifiable reason why the judge should leave her in my custody.”

  “Why wouldn’t he?” Daniel thought Melissa was probably the best thing to ever happen in Lexie’s young life. Hell, she was probably the best thing to happen in all the lives of all the kids in Westen House.

  “Why?” She shook her head and looked at him like he had to be kidding. “I’m not a social worker. I’m not a trained therapist. I lived with an abuser for years before I managed to escape with my life.”

  “And you did. You also showed great courage to stand up to him and his family.”

  “But it took me nearly getting killed to realize how stupid I’d been…for years.”

  Daniel opened his mouth to protest again, but she held up her hand to stop him. “Don’t try to sugar coat it, Deputy. I let myself be a doormat and a punching bag for too many years to deny my own stupidity.”

  “You are not stupid. It’s hard to stand up to a bully, and let’s be honest, your ex was nothing but an overgrown bully. And while we’re on the subject of honesty, I think you should just call me Daniel, Melissa,” he said, leaning a little closer and smiling just enough to get a reaction out of her.

  “Okay, Daniel,” she said and lifted the corners of her mouth a little before returning to her subject. “My point is, I’m barely out of that relationship, trying to find my footing. Being the house mother here, has let me function, experiment and slowly find my way. Having all these kids, who’ve had so many promises broken to them over the years, same as I did, well, it made me aware of one small fact. I may not be the most qualified person, but I can be the one thing they’ve never had.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Consistent honesty.”

  “Good starting point,” he said, and he meant it. “Years ago, when I was a rookie cop in Cleveland, I had to deal with a lot of homeless kids on the streets and kids in gangs. They’d been through so much so early in their lives, they’d smell a, pardon my language, bullshitter a mile away. Being as up front with them was the only way to establish trust.”

  “It’s why I have the rules listed.” Her hands relaxed in her lap. “It’s much easier in a household if you know what the rules are, and they don’t change. If you know how to behave, what’s expected of you, it gives you a stable environment. I wanted the boys, and now Lexie, to have that security.”

  “And you can see how it’s affected all of them,” Daniel said, wanting her to know how much she’d done. “Since you took over here, all of those boys have matured, found their places at school and even in the town’s social network.”

  “Thank you,” she said with a little nod of her head telling him she was unused to receiving simple compliments, even those greatly deserved. “But I’ve also had a policy with them, that if they ask me something I don’t know or understand, I tell them. We all look in books or online to find the answers. It’s been good discussions at dinner. And I also don’t make them promises I can’t keep. They have to learn to expect what I say to them is true and know the difference between an honest promise and a promise made to only manipulate their behavior.”

  “I didn’t make the promise to Lexie to manipulate her,” he said, trying hard to fight the resentment in his voice.

  Melissa gave him a sympathetic look. “I know that. But we can’t make her promises of things to come with her situation so up in the air.”

  He inhaled and exhaled slowly. “You’re right. The hearing is Tuesday morning, isn’t it?”

  “Chloe is going to meet us at the courthouse.” It was Melissa’s turn to take the deep breath. “I haven’t been there since the day Frank went to prison.”

  “What about your divorce?”

  “That was taken care of by mail. Fill out some forms, file it with the right clerks, wait the appropriate amount of time and poof. The marriage in hell dissolves.” She gave a sardonic laugh. “If only I’d know it was so easy, I could’ve saved myself some bruises and broken bones.”

  “You are not to blame for his abuse,” Daniel said, laying his hand over her hands in her lap and squeezing them firmly, willing her to understand how strong she was.

  She turned one hand and squeezed his back. “I know. My therapist, Shelly, keeps telling me that. And I tell myself that every morning when I get up and every night when I go to bed. Maybe someday I’ll actually believe it.”

  “I think,” he said, releasing her hand to reach up and tuck an errant lock of her light brown hair that had escaped the braid she had it in back behind her ear, “that you need to change your routine.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked, and a little thrill went through him at the sudden breathy sound of her voice.

  He moved, closing the s
pace between them on the swing. “I think you should start each day telling yourself you are a strong, independent woman who is teaching five young souls how to trust in themselves and others and how to stand on their own two feet…like any good parent would do.”

  “But I’m not their parent,” she said quietly, a shadow falling over her eyes.

  “Closest any of those have had in a long while. And before you go to bed at night…” he said, leaning in a little more, “don’t think of your ex at all. Instead, remember this.” He hesitated, just enough to allow her to tell him no. When she parted her lips instead, he pressed his mouth to hers, softly. A tender first tasting.

  Before he gave in to the urge to pull her closer and let her know how she affected him, and scaring the crap out of her in the process, which he was sure it would, he pulled back, letting their lips linger just a fraction longer. Then he watched her face soften and her eyes flutter open in a bit of a daze.

  He shouldn’t be pleased he’d put that look on her face, but deep down inside, his male pride did a fist-pump in celebration.

  “Remember this kiss before you go to sleep and know that I think you’re magnificent.” With that he stood, waiting for her to stand, too. “And now I need to get to the station. Bobby and I were splitting an extra evening shift.”

  “Does all this overtime have anything to do with the dead bodies we heard about at church today?” Melissa asked, apparently recovered from his kiss, as she lifted the tray of glasses and pitcher.

  He held the door for her to carry her load inside, inhaling her scent of cinnamon and lemons as she passed by. “It does, but I can’t tell you any more than that.”

  “Does it have anything to do with Lexie’s mother?” She paused just inside the door and shook her head. “Wait. Don’t answer that. I know you can’t tell me that, either. And I’m not sure I want you too.”

  And that was why he thought her magnificent. Not only were her instincts about being the house mother spot on, she was smart enough to connect the invisible dots.

  He gave her a nod and closed the screen door between them. “I’ll be by tomorrow afternoon.”