Playing Hardball: Part 5 Read online

  Playing Hardball, Part 5

  By Sharon Cummin

  Copyright © 2016 Sharon Cummin

  All Rights Reserved

  Warning: This story contains explicit sexual content that is not intended for those under the age of 18. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious and the age of 18 and older. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

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  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Epilogue

  Chapter 1

  Lance

  Carrie's mom held her arms out and pulled me into a hug.

  “Carrie and Scott are on their way,” she said. “I didn't tell Lucy. She doesn't know you're here either.”

  “Why didn't she call me?” I asked.

  “She said she didn't want to bother you unless she knew more. She knew what you were doing was important and didn't want to hurt your career.”

  “What's going on?” I asked, as I pulled out of her arms. “Is the baby okay?”

  She reached up to dry the tears on my face.

  “We don't know anything yet,” she said. “They are watching the baby's position, where the cord is, and the baby's vitals. They are worried, I can tell. You have to hold it together, Lance. Lucy is losing her shit in there. She's about to break.”

  I nodded as I reached up to wipe the fresh tears away. Then I took a few deep breaths.

  “I need to see her,” I said.

  I couldn't wait one more moment to be next to her. She should have called me, I thought. Did I really make her think what I had going on was more important than the baby? There was no way. The baby came first. I needed Lucy to know that.

  Carrie's mom nodded and stepped aside for me to pass her. I pulled the door open to the room. The moment my eyes caught a glimpse of Lucy, I felt my chest squeeze tight. She had tears in her eyes and was looking up. I could hear her mumbling something but couldn't tell what it was. I made sure to make noise as I stepped into the room. When she looked over, her eyes widened. I crossed that floor so damn fast and pulled her into my arms. Tears instantly slipped from her eyes and down her cheeks.

  “She called you,” she whispered. “I told her not to.”

  I pulled back, took her cheeks in my hands, and looked into her eyes.

  “You listen to me right now, Firecracker,” I said. “You should have called me the second they told you to come here. This is what matters. Fuck the pictures. I will be there for our baby every single time. Do not ever put off calling me. Our baby is my number one priority.”

  “But your contract,” she said.

  I shook my head but didn't break contact with her eyes.

  “Not important,” I said, as I put my hand on her stomach. “This is what matters.”

  It was taking all I had to hold it together as I looked around at the monitors and heard the beeps. I had to do it for Lucy. I needed to be strong for her. In that moment, I would have done anything to keep the two of them safe. I would have given up playing ball forever if it meant the two of them would be okay. That thought alone scared the shit out of me.

  Chapter 2

  Lucy

  He was there. As much as I didn't want to call him, I was so damn glad she did. When he wrapped his arms around me, I knew I wasn't alone. I wasn't alone with Carrie's mom either. That wasn't what I meant. There was just something about his big, safe arms surrounding me. I knew I wasn't fighting alone. He was right there with me. How could I have doubted that?

  When the door opened and the doctor walked in, she let out a laugh.

  “Did we pull daddy away?” she asked.

  One nurse came in right behind her and stopped frozen. I looked up at him and smiled. He looked so sexy in that uniform. If there hadn't been so much going on with our child, I might have taken the time to check him out a little myself. He leaned down and kissed my forehead.

  “I was in the middle of a shoot. I don't have any other clothes with me,” he said with a laugh.

  “I'm sure,” I said with a smile. “You just want everyone to check out your ass.”

  The doctor and nurse, who finally found a way to make her feet move, began moving around me. Carrie's mom walked in right behind them and came over as well. I noticed a worried look on the doctor's face and grabbed Lance's hand. He was looking at the doctor just as much as I was.

  “Is everything okay?” he asked.

  I was so damn glad he was holding it together. It was taking all I had. If he'd shown the tiniest sign of losing it, I would have been done. He took over and talked to the doctor and nurse for me. His ass sat down on the edge of the bed and never let go of my hand.

  “The baby doesn't seem to want to move,” the doctor said. “I'm a bit concerned.”

  The talking continued, but I wasn't really there. I just kept thinking that our baby was in danger because of me. The longer we sat there, the more I thought. I thought about Brad and the accident, my promises to him and myself, and about the baby. All I wanted was for everything to be okay. It had to be. I didn't want to be the reason anyone else was hurt. Our baby needed to make it.

  The sound of a loud beeping pulled me from my thoughts. The doctor and nurse jumped. Two more nurses ran through the door.

  “What is that?” I cried out.

  The doctor was moving faster than I'd seen her move yet. She was moving around and barking out orders to the nurses. I'd heard c-section, get a room, and tell them we're coming. The rest was all a jumble to me. When I looked up at Lance and then at Carrie's mom, I lost it. The tears came hard.

  “I shouldn't have gotten pregnant,” I cried out. “I wasn't supposed to get close to anyone. This can't be happening. It's all my fault. All of this is my fault. Just like him.”

  “What?” Who?” Lance asked, as he leaned down to wrap his arms around me. “Calm down, Lucy.”

  “If it wasn't for me, he'd still be alive,” I yelled out between sobs.

  “Who?” he asked.

  “It's my fault he's dead,” I cried.

  “Who?” Lance asked.

  “Brad,” I cried.

  “Your brother?” Lance asked, as he rubbed my back.

  “We need to move,” the doctor said. “You're having a baby.”

  “My husband,” I said, just as they pulled me onto another bed and took off. “Brad was my husband, and I'm the reason he's gone.”

  Where did he go, I wondered? Where was Lance? I needed him there. He needed to know. I needed him to make sure the baby was okay.

  It seemed like minutes passed before I saw him again. He was there. He was next to me. Everything was such a blur. I reached out to grab his hand.

  “Lance,” I said. “It has to be okay. She has to be okay. They have to save her.”

  “Her,” he whispered. “We're having a girl?”

  “Yes,” I said. “I found out today.
Please tell them to save our daughter. Let it be me instead. Tell them, Lance. Make sure they save her.”

  Everyone was moving around us. I felt something. They were moving so fast. I heard something. It was her. I heard a cry. She was there. Was she okay? I saw her. They held her up for a second. She was there. She was beautiful. She was crying. I looked up to see tears moving down his face. He was so damn handsome. He was her daddy. He was looking down at me. Then I heard beeping. What the fuck is that, I thought? Stop that noise. Keep her safe. She was all that mattered. He was looking down at me. My eyes were tired. They were closing. I heard someone yelling something. Then I looked up at him. There was something there. Was it fear? What was it? What is it, Lance? Is she okay? I couldn't keep my eyes open. He was calling my name. I felt them moving me. He was moving away. Where was he going? I couldn't fight it anymore. I couldn't hear them anymore. I couldn't keep my eyes open. Where was he? Where was my baby? Then everything went black and everyone was gone.

  Chapter 3

  Lance

  Lucy was crying and the doctor and nurses were moving around us. The damn machine was beeping. I couldn't get my mind together. The doctor was saying we needed to move. Lucy was crying out that she shouldn't have gotten pregnant. Then she said he should have been alive. She said it was her fault he was dead. When I asked her who, she said Brad. Her brother, she was talking about her brother. When she said husband, I didn't know what to think. The whole time I'd thought Brad was her brother, but he wasn't. Lucy had been married. She'd lost her husband. Shit!

  When she said “she”, I thought I was going to lose it. I was already hanging onto my emotions by a thread. That damn thread was quickly breaking. They were taking her in for an emergency c-section, she'd just revealed that she'd lost a husband, then she let out the word “she”. We were having a girl. I was going to be a dad. The baby was a girl. There were going to be boys. Hell no! I would kick each one of their asses. No little punk would be around my baby girl. Everything was moving so fast. We were having her a month early. Were we ready? Was everything okay? She had to be okay.

  The doctors and nurses moved so damn fast. I stood by Lucy the entire time. Then I heard the cry. It was our daughter's cry. They held her up for just a moment before hurrying off with her. She was beautiful covered in all that funk. It didn't matter. She was perfect. I looked down at Lucy and tears were streaming down my face.

  “She's beautiful,” I said. “Did you see her? We have a little girl.”

  I was going to make sure she had the best life I could give her. I would always be there for her. She would always come first, I thought. Then a loud beeping pulled me from my thoughts.

  I brushed the tears from my face and watched the doctor move quickly. Between her and the nurses I couldn't make out everything they were saying. I caught the words “We're losing her” and then everything came crashing down around me. I looked down at Lucy. Her eyes were closing.

  “Lucy,” I yelled out.

  Then her eyes closed completely.

  “Lucy,” I yelled again, as I leaned down to pull her into my arms. “Lucy.”

  I was being pulled off of her. Then I swung my arms to get away from whoever the fuck was touching me. They pulled me even harder. Then doctors started moving around her. I couldn't see her anymore. They were in the way. The door behind me opened, and I was pushed into the hallway.

  “Let me in there,” I growled out.

  “Calm down, sir,” the small voice said.

  It was the nurse that was checking me out when I first got there. She was looking up at me with her hands on my arms.

  “I need you to calm down,” she said. “You need to let them do their job. If you go in there, they won't be able to.”

  “They have to help her,” I said through tears that were coming so fast I was sobbing.

  Never once in my life had I ever cried hard enough that I couldn't breathe. I'd shed a tear here or there but that was it. I'd never really cried.

  I felt a hand on my arm that didn't belong to the nurse I wanted to beat the shit out of.

  “Lance,” she said.

  It was Carrie's mom. I didn't move. She moved so she was in front of me.

  “Lance,” she said again. “Come with me. They've got her. You have to let them do there job. Look at me.”

  I slowly looked down and saw the tears in her eyes too.

  “Where's the baby?” I asked.

  “They are checking everything out to make sure she's okay. Everything looks fine, but they are checking anyway. She is a month early and has gone through a lot. As soon as we can we'll let you see her,” the nurse said. “The doctor will be out to talk to you about Lucy as soon as she can. On her emergency forms she had Lance Smith written. You will be the one the doctor will come to about both of them.”

  Carrie's mom took my hand in hers and nudged me so I would follow her. We walked into a room that nobody else was in. I sat down in a chair and lost it. The tears and sobs came faster than they were before. Carrie's mom was right next to me. She didn't let go of my hand once.

  “They have to save her,” I cried. “They have to. She has to be okay.”

  She tightened her hold on my hand.

  “They'll do everything they can, Lance. You have to know that,” she said.

  “What if they don't?” I asked, as I turned to look at her.

  “They will,” she said.

  “What if they don't?” I snapped. “What will I do if they don't?”

  “She's going to be okay, Lance,” she said. “I'll be right here with you. So will Carrie and Scott. You have a little girl that needs you too. You know that. You have to be there for your daughter no matter what happens, Lance.”

  “I can't do it without her,” I cried.

  “We will all be here no matter what. We'll get through this together,” she said. “You'll have help.”

  “You don't get it,” I said, as I turned my head. “I can't do it without her. I can't imagine my life without her in it. I love her.”

  “What?” she asked.

  “I fucking love her,” I said through my tears. “She has to be okay. We need her. The baby needs her mother. I need her just as much.”

  Carrie and Scott walked through the door. Both kids were with them. I just sat looking down at my lap. Carrie's mom was up and over to them in seconds. She was whispering something to Carrie. Scott was by my side right away.

  “It'll be okay, Lance,” he said. “Everything will be okay, man.”

  “I love her, Scott,” I said without looking up from my lap.

  “I know you do,” he said. “She'll be okay.”

  “You don't know that,” I said. “I didn't tell her. I never told her. I have to be able to tell her. She needs to know it wasn't just sex. It wasn't just about the baby. It was about her.”

  “She will, man,” he said. “You'll be able to tell her. She's a tough woman.”

  “You have no idea,” I said.

  Carrie walked up before he could say anything else.

  “I have something to say, Scott,” I said, as I finally looked over at him through my tears. “You need to back the fuck off. She's my woman. That precious little girl is my daughter. It's my job to take care of them. I will always be the one.”

  “Got it,” he said, as he pat me on shoulder.

  Then he moved aside for Carrie to take his seat. Scott took the baby from Carrie's mom and took James by the hand.

  “We'll be downstairs,” he said. “Text me.”

  Carrie nodded before looking over at me. She wrapped her arms around my neck.

  “You have feelings for my girl?” she asked with her head against my neck.

  “I do,” I said. “I love her cocky ass. I can't do this without her.”

  “She'll be fine,” she said. “She has to be. Our girls are growing up together. My girl has to be with me through all the boys and stuff.”

  “There will be no boys,” I growled. “Don't want to hear th
at shit.”

  She wiped the tears from her face.

  “She's not done torturing you, Lance,” she said.

  My head hit my hands as my elbows rested on my knees. All I could think about was Lucy, the baby, and the life I wanted with them both. I didn't want to be stuck in a damn apartment when I was home. I wanted to be with them. Every moment I was home needed to be spent with them. They were it. They were my family. I didn't care how much she argued with me. It wasn't going to matter. I was going to be right there with my woman and my baby girl.

  The door opened and I looked up to see the doctor. She walked over and leaned down in front of me. I was searching her face for clues. She looked just as tired as I felt. Was she going to deliver bad news or good? Was she going to crush my world, or was she going to give me what I needed to know that my world was right?

  “Please,” I said.

  “She's okay, Lance,” she said. “They are both going to be okay.”

  That was all I needed. I knew that the two most important people in my life were okay. I didn't give a shit about anything else. It was the first time in what felt like hours that I was able to breathe. My phone had been buzzing in my pocket the entire time, and I didn't care. I could very possibly have gotten the news that my ass was fried and my career was in trouble, but I didn't care. Never in my life did I think anything would be more important than baseball, but I was wrong.

  I looked at the doctor and felt a smile tug the corners of my mouth.

  “They're both okay?” I asked.

  “Yes,” she said with a nod.

  There were two things in my life that were more important than baseball, and I couldn't wait another moment to see either of them. I loved them both more than I'd ever loved anyone or anything before. They were mine. I was going to take care of them. They were going to have everything I could possibly give them. I only had one thing to do first. It wasn't going to be that easy, nothing ever was with her, but I knew I was going to do whatever it took. I needed to convince Lucy that she was the only one for me. She needed to know I was there and always would be. I wouldn't give up until she admitted that I was the one for her too. I'd prove to her that she deserved love. I'd show her that it was okay to be happy. No matter how long it took me, I wouldn't give up. I'd thought I was going to lose her just moments before. That would never happen again. She was mine. It wasn't up for argument. I would never take that chance again.