Out at Home by JL Paul Page B

place was nothing but adrenaline and intensity. He may be a cocky bastard off the field but on it, he was pure determination.
    She rubbed her tired face angrily. She was not going to waste her evening thinking about Brady Nolan. His sudden reappearance in her life had caused her enough grief.
    When her cell phone rang again, she picked it up warily. It was Tabby Hays.
    “ Hello?”
    “ Hi, Taylor,” Tabby greeted. “I’m not bothering you, am I?”
    “ No, not at all. Is something wrong?”
    “ I could ask you the same question,” Tabby remarked, drawing a frown to Taylor’s face.
    “ I’m really sorry for earlier. Brady just really gets to me,” she explained, embarrassment suddenly filling her entire body.
    “ No need to apologize.” Tabby paused. “I was wondering if you weren’t busy tomorrow if you’d like to come to the game with me. Zoey’s not going and I have an extra ticket.”
    “ I don’t know. I think I’ve had my fill of Brady for awhile.”
    Tabby chuckled. “Yeah, I can see how he really gets under your skin. I’ll tell you what, if I promise to keep him away from you, will you come?”
    Taylor bit her lip. “Why are you so insistent?”
    Tabby sighed. “I just thought we’d talk.”
    Curiosity got the better of her and even though her instincts balked at the idea of returning to the ballpark - and possibly running into Brady - she relented.
    “ Okay,” Taylor said. “Where should we meet?”
     
    ***
     
    They settled back in their seats, sipping from icy cold water bottles and munching on deliciously salty popcorn. Excitement radiated from the eager fans scurrying to their seats, anxious to not miss a single pitch.
    “ So, what did you need to talk to me about?” Taylor asked between mouthfuls of popcorn.
    Tabby grinned. “Boy, you cut straight to the chase, huh?”
    Taylor shrugged. “Yeah, I guess. Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound rude.”
    “ It’s all right,” Tabby reassured. She pulled her sunglasses off the top of her head and covered her bright green eyes. “I just wanted to talk to you about Brady.”
    Taylor groaned. “Did he put you up to this?”
    Tabby snapped her head to look at Taylor. “No. Oh, no. I didn’t mean talk to you like that.”
    “ Oh, good,” Taylor smiled. “Sorry.”
    Tabby rested a hand on Taylor’s arm. “It’s okay, really.” Pulling back, she watched some of the players stretch out on the field. “Taylor, I wanted to ask you about your relationship with Brady. I know it’s none of my business but, well, you seem so angry at him and I wondered if maybe I could help.”
    A puzzled look flashed across Taylor’s face. “Help? Help how?”
    Tabby moved her sunglasses back to the top of her head and turned in her seat to face Taylor. “Did he force you to have sex?”
    Taylor’s eyes grew wide as her stomach curled. “No. No. Not at all. He is a jackass but I don’t think he’s a monster.”
    Relief flooded Tabby’s face. “Good.”
    Taylor patted Tabby’s hand. “I read your article about the man that did that to those other girls, and to…um…you. It broke my heart. I'm sorry.”
    Taylor had once read an expose Tabby had written about a reporter who had used his occupation - and date rape drugs - to take advantage of women - Tabby included. Tabby had met one of the other young women through a mutual friend and had gained her trust. She had listened to her side of the story and coupled it with her own. Tabby’s piece had been powerful and strong and full of emotion. Not only had it helped to bring the man down, and ultimately bring him a conviction, it had also made other publications notice her. She’d received many offers but her love of sports influenced her decision to remain at her job following her beloved Racers around the country and report not only statistics, but also the human interest side of the game.
    Tabby pulled her sunglasses back down. “Yeah well, that’s how I thought I could help. I thought if