Tender Is The Night(25)

But who said she had to commit to anything? Maybe Devin was the perfect person to enjoy some non-committed fun.

Only problem was she had a hard time divorcing her heart from her body.  It was probably her best-kept secret. Most people thought she had no  problem doing that, but she did. Which was why she didn't get involved  with people who could in any possible way touch her heart.

When Devin's pitches ran out, he set down the bat and gave her a questioning look. "Well?"

"Not bad."

"That's all you've got? Most people would say I'm better than not bad."  He repeated her earlier teasing words with a slight variation.

"Well, I haven't seen the whole show."

He laughed. "Unlike you, I'm not against that happening, Kate."

"I don't mix business with pleasure. And even if I did, you and I would not be a good match."

"Why is that?"

She had to think for a moment, because two seconds ago she'd been  pondering how magnificent they could be together. "Let's see. You're  moody, intense, and cynical, and I'm a happy person who likes to have a  positive outlook on life."

"There is that," he said with a nod. "But sometimes opposites attract. And we do have some things in common."

"Like what?"

"Passion. Determination. Fearlessness."

Her heart skipped a beat-not just at the word passion but at the look in his eyes.

She cleared her throat. "Let's try some curve balls."

"I thought I just threw you one."

She saw the teasing light in his eyes and liked seeing this lighter side  of Devin. "Let's see how you do when the ball surprises you." She put  another token in the machine and urged him back to the plate.

Devin handled the curve balls as well as he'd done the fastballs, and  she got more turned-on by every swing, especially when his T-shirt crept  up, revealing his muscled abs.

"Your turn," Devin said.

As much as she was happy not to have to look at him anymore, she wasn't  sure she wanted his gaze on her now. "Let's switch it up. How are you at  Ping-Pong?"

"As good as I am at baseball."

"Of course you are. Are there any sports you're not good at?"

"I can't think of any."

"Your humility is amazing."

"You asked. I answered." He took off his helmet. "But I can let my play speak for itself."

"We'll see."

Over the next hour, Devin unfortunately backed up all of his cockiness  with a winning streak at the Ping-Pong table and two out of three wins  at air-hockey. But when they got to skee ball, Kate found her strength.  She beat Devin three games in a row making him mutter to himself.         

     



 

"Looks like I win," she told him.

"One more game."

"We've already played three."

"I can do better."

That was Devin, she was beginning to realize. He didn't accept anything  that felt like failure within himself. He went back after the victory  time and time again.

She shook her head. "You remind me of someone."

"Who?"

"Did you ever see that movie Tin Cup?"

"It was about golf, wasn't it?"

"Yes. The protagonist can't stand the fact that he didn't put the ball  in the hole in one stroke, and he refuses to leave the course until he  does it, even though he ends up losing the tournament because he can't  move past that one hole."

He stared back at her. "And I'm that guy?"

"You do need to win."

"I like to win; I don't have to win."

"Really? Don't you?"

"This isn't about skee ball or Ping-Pong, is it? You think I'm wrong  about Baines, but I'm not. It's not about winning. It's about being  right. And I'm right."

"In this case, that's kind of the same as winning."

"I thought you were on my side."

She didn't like the disappointment in his eyes. It surprised her a  little that he cared so much what she thought. "I am on your side,  Devin."

He walked across the cage and looked into her eyes. "I hope so. Because I  believe that Sam's killer is still out there. Guilt keeps me up at  night, anger makes my heart hurt, but it's what I know in my gut that  keeps me looking for the truth. I was trained to be skeptical, to look  beyond the obvious, to read between the lines and see past the shadows. I  know what I have to do. Whether you want to do it with me is up to you.  You don't have to believe. You can still walk away."

There was nothing but pure honesty in his eyes, and she was persuaded not just by his words but also by his will.

A lot of people talked the talk, but she'd never met anyone who was  really willing to walk the walk, to put everything he or she believed in  on the line for their beliefs. To look all the naysayers in the eye and  say you're wrong took a lot of strength. Devin was one of a kind, and  she couldn't help but admire him.

"Kate? What's it going to be?" Devin questioned.

"I'm not walking away. I believe in your instincts. And to put it in  baseball terms, I respect your willingness to leave everything on the  field."

A small smile played across his lips. "I don't know any other way to  play. But this isn't a game, and I know that, Kate. You don't have to  worry that I don't understand what's at stake."

"Good, because if we do get close to discovering Sam's real killer, that  could put us in danger, and I'd like to know that the man at my side is  keeping his eye on that ball, too."

"You've got it. I think we should seal the deal with a hot dog. What do you say?"

She grinned. "A hot dog sounds perfect. Actually, I'm going to get mine with chili and onions."

He smiled back at her. "If you think onions are going to scare me away … "

"Scare you away?" she echoed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do."

"Let's just eat."

"I thought you were fearless."

"When it's warranted, I am. This isn't that time."





Twelve


Kate was right, Devin thought, as they made their way to the snack bar.  This wasn't the time to be messing around, but he had enjoyed seeing the  guilty sparkle in her eyes when he'd brought up the heat between them.

Too bad they were both smart enough not to act on it.

After they collected their hot dogs and french fries, they sat down at a table near the arcade.

"So tell me about your baseball career," Kate said as she wiped some chili off her lips.

"It wasn't a career. I played on competitive teams growing up, in high  school and two years of college. I got some draft offers after my  sophomore year, but they weren't offering much money, so I said no. Then  I hurt my shoulder and ended up sitting out my junior year. The time  off brought some clarity. I decided to hang up my cleats and go after a  real career."

Having seen his intensity, she was a little surprised he'd given up on  that dream, but it was nice to know that Devin could take a step back  and look at a situation with a more critical eye. He didn't always let  emotion influence his judgment.

"It worked out for the best," Devin added.

"No regrets?"

"Not about baseball. I'll always love the game, but it wasn't going to  be my career." He paused. "Tell me about your baseball career. You  didn't get that swing in two seconds tonight."

"I played softball until I was twelve, but it was never my thing. It was  way too slow. Every game seemed to take forever. I dabbled a little in  soccer and volleyball, and they had more action, but while I liked being  on a team, I discovered that I liked controlling the outcome even more.  That's why running appealed to me so much; it was just me against the  trail. I was in charge of my own fate. In team sports, you're only as  good as your weakest link. In running, I didn't have to rely on anyone  else to win. I'm sure you can relate to that."         

     



 

"I can relate, but I have to admit that having been on my own the last  year and a half, I've missed having a partner, someone to bounce ideas  off of."

"Well, I'm here now. So what are we going to do next? You said the  second fire usually occurs within four to seven days after the first  fire. It's Friday, and the fire was Monday. We're in the target zone.  Which reminds me, I do want to go by Ashbury Studios and warn my cousin  and his wife. They've worked really hard to build that studio up."

"I thought you didn't want to see your family."

"Well, I doubt Sean and Jessica will go running to my mother, but even if they did, this is more important."

"That's fine, but I don't think the studio is the next target. My money  is on the Bayside Neighborhood Club. It's a teen center in an old house.  The manager of the club lives on the third floor of the house, but  other than her, the house is empty after ten o'clock at night." He  paused. "I might drive by some of the targets later tonight, between the  hours of midnight and three, see if anyone is around any of the sites."