The Perfect Play (Southern U O'Brien Brothers) Read online

  "I didn't—"

  The sound of a bat connecting rent the air, and a collective groan went through crowd. The Southern U fans weren't happy about something. I couldn't tell you what. I'd been trying to mentally transport myself somewhere else—the spa, a party, my bedroom. Anywhere with air conditioning would be nice. My best friend shook her head at me.

  "That hit is what I meant," she said. "Charlie, can you at least pretend to be supportive? Our guys are losing. Badly."

  "Honor please," I said. "I'm here, aren't I? Supporting you, sitting with all these people, watching your boyfriend's team get their butts kicked."

  Emmy cursed. "Shut up, Charlie. The Wolves aren't out of it yet."

  I checked the scoreboard. "Looks like they're down by seven runs."

  Emmy frowned harder. "Your point?"

  "Isn't there a rule or something? If the score gets so crazy, if it's too humiliating, won't they stop the game?"

  "You mean, mercy rule?" Finn spoke up. He'd been stress-eating popcorn and groaning every time something went wrong—which was a lot. "They don't have that in college sports."

  Too bad, I thought. The Southern U Wolves could use a little mercy if you asked me. Actually, they could use some CPR, a shot of adrenaline and a hail Mary. It was the final inning, and I was no expert. But our guys looked tired.

  "And anyway, they can still rally." Emmy nodded, though her brows were pinched. "My brothers can dig themselves out of this. They've done it before, no problem."

  June, her BFF, patted her on the back. "Yeah, but then they had Chase."

  Honor let out a deep exhale. "Archer says if they don't get him back the world series may be in jeopardy."

  "It's true," Finn put in. "Chase is one of the best college pitchers there is, maybe the best."

  "Yeah," June said. "Pitching is one of the most important things in baseball."

  "That's what Archer told me."

  "They can still win…probably," Emmy said. "It'll just be a lot harder. Chase had a doctor's appointment today, and it sounded really promising. He should know more soon."

  "They need to pull this one out first," June said then yelled to the field. "Come on, Bay! Let's go. Two more outs. You've got this!"

  Debatable. The usually cocksure O'Brien twin didn't look as comfortable throwing the ball as he did at bat. Still, Emmy and the crowd cheered, echoing June's shout. Baylor, who was pitching, seemed to dig in. He managed to strike one guy out, and the next batter hit a foul ball that Archer caught. Our team had one last chance.

  The Wolves made their way to the dugout, and I caught sight of a familiar figure.

  Baylor had just thrown his glove down in frustration when Chase suddenly came to his side. We weren't close enough to hear what they were saying. But it looked like he was giving his twin a pep talk. The two had their heads together. It was kind of sweet actually.

  "Chase hates having to sit out," Emmy said. "It makes him feel guilty."

  Honor frowned. "Did he say that?"

  "No, but I can tell. He blames himself for every loss."

  I couldn't help but scoff. "Why? He's not even out there."

  Emmy gave me a shrug. "Exactly. My brother just wants to do his part. He can't stand letting the guys down."

  "That makes literally no sense," I said as the visiting team made their way back onto the field. "No one can control how long it takes for an injury to heal, and again, Chase isn't the one losing. If anything, they're letting him down."

  "Charlie," Honor said, "that's kind of harsh."

  "But I'm right."

  I shrugged as Emmy threw me the stank-eye.

  "You've never played a sport," she said. It wasn't a question, but I decided to answer.

  "No," I said. "And?"

  "You don't know what it's like to be a true fan, to root for your team through thick and thin even when they're down, to feel like a part of something bigger than yourself."

  Now that was harsh, I thought.

  And totally presumptuous.

  "Excuse me, I'm the only one who doesn't have a clear-cut reason to be here." I pointed to Emmy and Finn. "Almost the entire O'Brien brood is out there, so of course, you both came for your family." I moved my finger over to my BFF. "Honor's dating Archer, the captain of this team. June is…basically an O'Brien and loves baseball."

  June went pink in the cheeks but nodded her agreement. Her eyes darted away from the dugout as if afraid she'd be caught looking. But I wouldn't share her secret for the world. If and when she decided to own up to her feelings for Baylor "The Panty Thief" O'Brien, that was her choice. Though how she thought no one could see it was a mystery to me.

  "Anyway, I'm here of my own free will when I could be doing a ton of other things. That's hella supportive if you ask me."

  "You haven't cheered once," Emmy pointed out.

  I glanced at the scoreboard. "Uh, there hasn't been much to cheer about."

  "Also, you've complained and asked to leave a couple times."

  "It's hot," I argued, though the temperature had dropped in the last half-hour. "These stupid metal bleachers have been digging into my thighs all night. And I repeat, who likes watching their team lose?"

  She shrugged again. "Like I said, you're not a team player."

  Ooh, that know-it-all tone of hers got under my skin. It had since day one.

  "As if cheering would help," I muttered.

  Emmy just raised a brow. Lifting one in return, I rose from my seat. I didn't know why, but I had the strong urge to prove her wrong.

  "Where are you going?" Honor asked as I stepped past her.

  "To show my school spirit," I said.

  Walking over, I situated myself in a seat behind home plate, about two bleachers up so I could be seen from the field.

  The rival team's pitcher was still warming up. Waiting until I caught his eye, I slowly removed my cardigan and the clip from my hair, running my fingers through it as it fell over my shoulders. I threw him a smile and batted my lashes. I knew he appreciated the view. Even if I couldn't see his grin from here, I saw him bobble the ball as it was thrown back to him. Perfect, I thought.

  As Dexter O'Brien, another of Emmy's seemingly endless line of brothers, made his way up to bat, I kept my eyes on the pitcher.

  I waited until he was wound up just about to release the ball.

  Then I bit my lip and gave him a little wave.

  It seemed to do the trick.

  The pitcher seemed to hesitate as he threw, and Dex caught a nice piece of it. I didn't know what the technical term was, but he got to second base. With the next batter, the pitcher shook himself, trying to regain focus. But I still felt his eyes wandering to me as I leaned back and crossed my legs, making sure to push out my assets.

  Batter number two got another base hit.

  It was clear I was in the pitcher's head.

  Team player, I thought, throwing a look over my shoulder at Emmy, the girls, and Finn. They were staring at me with something like incredulity and amazement.

  When batter number three stepped up to the plate, I was ready. Time for the grand finale. The pitcher got on the mound, and I stood, pretending to stretch as I kept my eyes on him, feeling my shirt rise just a bit, throwing my head back at the last moment. There was a crack, and all of a sudden the Southern U fans were on their feet with me.

  As two of our guys scored, I couldn't help but smile.

  The coach of the other team called time and went out to talk to the pitcher, who was gesturing wildly in my direction. The next thing I knew the coach was talking to the umpire or judge or whatever-you-call-it. The man in black turned around, removed his mask and spoke directly to me.

  "Young lady, I'm going to have to ask you to move to another area," he said through the netting, dividing the field and the stands.

  "Why?" I asked with wide eyes. "I wasn't doing anything, sir."

  "Still." The old man's gaze met mine. "
The coach says you're distracting his pitcher. The kid's crying foul, so could you please move?"

  "Of course," I said. "But I thought there's no crying in baseball."

  The old ump tried to fight back a smile. He almost succeeded.

  With a shrug, I rejoined my friends, and the game resumed.

  "What the heck was that?" Emmy asked.

  I gave her a cool glance. "I was helping out the team."

  "By flirting and bewitching the other team's pitcher," she said.

  "Oh God." I sighed. "What did I do wrong now?"

  "Nothing." Emmy's laugh was full of light. "I was just about to ask you to teach me how to do that."

  June raised a hand. "Me, too, please."

  "That was masterful," Finn said, holding his hand up for a high-five.

  I slapped my palm to his with a smile.

  "Thank you, Finnegan. I knew I liked you."

  "Oh my gosh, Charlie," Honor said. "I can't believe it. You just helped our guys score two times."

  "And one of our best runners is sitting pretty on second," June added. "Baylor's next to bat. You know he's going to make something happen."

  No sooner had she said it then her prophecy came true. It happened on the second pitch. The sound of a bat connecting was soon followed by the Southern U fans' roar. June had been right. Baylor completely took the opportunity and ran—literally, he hit a homerun and didn't slow down when rounding the bases. The team looked more pumped than they had the entire game.

  "Just like that we're only down three with no outs," Emmy said, shooting me a smile. "Thanks, Charlie."

  "I didn't think you'd approve of my methods," I said.

  "Hey, if that pitcher can't stay focused, it's his problem. I totally approve."

  Honor put an arm around my shoulders. "I do, too," she said. "We'll make a Wolves fan out of you yet."

  I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

  "Yeah right, keep dreaming." I looked back at her. "Can we go home yet?"

  Honor laughed, and though I'd asked to leave, I'd only been half-way serious.

  Yes, I longed for the comfort of home and my nice, warm bed.

  Yes, there was a new hot romance queued up that I wanted to binge.

  And yes, I still didn't like baseball.

  It was boring and slow and just wasn't my cup of tea.

  But…it wouldn't be the worst thing if I helped the Wolves win this one.

  #

  Turned out Emmy was right. The Wolves were able to rally. After that, the hits kept coming, and the other team was never able to regain their previous rhythm. Southern U got the win 12-11. Finn was catching a ride home with his mom, said he had homework to do—which only reminded me of how much younger he was. The kid was so mature for his age. I forgot sometimes that he was still in high school. We (the girls and I) were on our way to the car, and they were still going on about my contribution.

  "Two of those runs belong to you, my friend," Honor said.

  "Three," Emmy put in. "Perez was on base when they evicted her, remember?"

  "I hope you know you have to come to all the games now." Honor shot me a grin. "I've never seen an inning like that."

  I scoffed. "Yeah, no thanks."

  "But she's right," Emmy said. "What a comeback—and you started it!"

  "You're giving me too much credit."

  June shook her head. "Seriously Charlie, the Wolves might not realize, but we saw everything. How did you know it would work anyway? That he could be distracted like that?"

  Her question brought a genuine smile to my face.

  "Guys are easy, June. You just have to know the right buttons to push," I said.

  "Yeah, but these guys are trained ball players," she said. "They don't let things get to them."

  "Oh well, I may have gone out with Zach once or twice."

  "What?" Emmy's mouth gaped. "You dated Zachary Sellers, the number one pitcher for the Cougars?"

  I shrugged. "Yeah."

  June lifted a brow. "Is he as cocky as he seems in interviews?"

  As we stopped at the car, I turned and tilted my head. "Definitely. Zach was totally full of himself, talked a good game, but in the end, he was like most guys: trigger happy with a short attention span."

  Emmy went red, and June looked curious as Honor shot me a look.

  "Charlie, did you guys…" she trailed off.

  "Of course not." I sniffed. "Give me a break, H. Our entire interaction lasted like five minutes. But that was enough for me to know his concentration was crap."

  Actually, thinking about Zach and his underperformance was kind of killing my vibe.

  "You guys want pizza?" I asked. "I'm in desperate need of some girl time, and I know a great place."

  "Tired after all that flirting?" Honor laughed.

  "A little," I said. "So are you in?"

  Emmy and June nodded, and the four of us piled into the car. As we started the drive, June tapped me on the shoulder.

  "Guys have always been a mystery to me," she whispered. "I mean, I work with a ton of them at my dad's garage. But I have so many questions…if you don't mind?"

  A smile ate up my face. "I don't mind. Go ahead."

  "What exactly did you mean when you said Zach was trigger happy?"

  Oh, this was going to be fun.

  CHAPTER 4: Chase

  The team was downstairs celebrating.

  Of course, they were. They'd earned it. Coming back to hang at Omega Beta house after a win—especially following a hard-fought game like that—was tradition. The enticing smells of bacon and pancakes drifted beneath the door, our typical post-win victory dinner made up of breakfast food. Voices and laughter hit my ears, too, trying to lure me.

  But I was in the zone.

  Eyes up, hand fisted, I lifted my arm straight out, held for ten seconds, and then lowered. I'd already done 40 reps. Another 20, and I'd be good to move on to the next exercise.

  Was it strange that I'd rather be up here doing PT than down there with the Wolves and our fans?

  Maybe.

  My family mostly accepted my loner tendencies. They still tried to get me to socialize, which I didn't mind. I had to get out of my head sometimes. But they understood I was more bookworm than party guy. Unlike people, books weren't judgmental. They had no expectations. Books gave me a way to escape and asked for nothing in return.

  They were magic like that.

  I'd done more reading these past couple months. Actually, that was what I planned to do when I finished, kind of like a reward.

  Archer, my oldest brother, had asked me to come down, be with the team, celebrate with them. But I'd declined. The PT was part of it. The exercises required my full concentration, even if they were easy. Another part was…I wasn't an integral part of that W. I wished I could've been. The Cougars never went down without a fight, and the game today was no exception. It had killed me to watch my guys struggle. Baylor's irritation hit me hardest. I knew it was all self-directed and could see how hard he was trying.

  He'd had to step in after our number two pitcher, Tim Reams, nearly lost us the game. Tim was turning out to be a dud. The assistant coaches had had high hopes for the guy. Mom had recruited him based on their recommendation. But he just couldn’t get it done.

  I focused and pushed harder.

  Got through each exercise, no problem.

  A knock at the door came just as I was finishing my final stretch.

  "Come in," I said.

  Baylor walked in and sat on my bed.

  "You done yet?" he asked.

  "Yeah, just finished," I said, wiping my forehead on a towel. "What's up?"

  "Nothing. Came in here for a breather."

  My eyebrows furrowed. "You needed a break from partying? Are you sick or something?"

  I lifted my hand to his head, but he slapped it away with a laugh.

  "Don't be a smartass," he said, his grin falling.
"I was just down there, watching everybody be all happy, talking about how we destroyed the other team. And the only thing I could think was…we dodged a bullet tonight."

  I nodded. That was exactly how I saw it.

  "True," I said. "But you pulled it together in the end. Got the win."

  He rolled his eyes. "More like the Cougars lost it. I've never seen Sellers' game fall to pieces like that. They left him in too long. That's what got us the win."

  Yeah maybe, I thought, but my money was on Charlie.

  Since Baylor was playing, I guessed he hadn't seen.

  I did, though.

  From the dugout, I'd watched her play Sellers like a fiddle, completely annihilating his focus with a wave, a smile, a well-timed stretch. She was dazzling, impossible to ignore.

  "You think that's what it was?" I asked.

  "What else could it be?" Baylor held his hands out wide, confirming the fact that he hadn't noticed her—which was probably a good thing. I loved my twin. But he was a total player and not just of the baseball variety. "We sucked tonight, Chase."

  I tilted my head from side to side. "Eh, Reams' game sucked. You guys just couldn't make up for it."

  "True, that guy chokes under pressure."

  "It happens," I said. "They go from being a hotshot in high school to college ball and can't make the adjustment. But maybe he just needs time."

  Baylor scoffed. "He's had time. Reams never got to play much before because you were there. Now he starts, and the team spends the majority of the game rescuing him."

  I couldn't deny it. I'd noticed that, too, but didn't want to put the guy down.

  "I hear he's dropping baseball next year to focus on being a lawyer," Baylor added.

  "Seriously?" I said. "Who'd trade ball for a suit and tie?"

  "Hell if I know."

  Baylor ran his hands through his hair, and I saw his brows furrow.

  "We need you, Chase."

  "I know," I said.

  "No, really. We can't do this without you. Reams' game is DOA. Snider shakes off Archer's signs—which you know aggravates the shit out of him. And I'm a hitter not a pitcher. Maybe if Mom had a deeper bench, another starting pitcher, but…"

  I clasped my hands, nudged him with an elbow. "Hey, your fastball's looking good—not as good as mine, of course. But still."