Chapter 4

Chastity was waiting for Brock in May as the team debarked at the airport just outside of Seattle. He could see her smile from halfway across the terminal.

She still carried the two pieces of luggage that she had taken with her to Calgary, so Brock figured she had just arrived.

When he got through the line at security, Chastity was standing in front him with her arms out. He wasted no time before heading to her for a hug and a kiss.

"I can't stay," she said sadly.

Brock's mouth dropped. He had been looking forward to this weekend since Chastity told him it was a possibility.

"Why not?" he asked.

"We got our asses kicked today by Trinidad & Tobago," she said sadly. "The coaches canceled the time off and we have to be back in Miami tomorrow afternoon. I'm sorry."

There were tears in Chastity's eyes.

"I'm glad your flight wasn't late or I would have missed you," she continued. "My plane leaves in half an hour."

"Damn," Brock said in disappointment. "That really sucks. I mean, I've already paid for the room and made arrangements to miss some of the team functions this week. This is such bullshit."

Chastity was nodding her head sadly.

"I'm sorry, Brock," she said. "I wish I could stay. But I can't."

"Oh, I know you can't," Brock said angrily. "I can't believe the fucking coaches can just decide that a break that's been planned for two months suddenly isn't. Can you imagine my manager coming up to me and saying that? 'Uh, yeah, that All-Star week thing? We've canceled it this year. Tough luck, Kid.' That's not the way real people act."

"I'm not the only one inconvenienced," Chastity said defensively. "A lot of the others are in the same situation."

"Then maybe a bunch of you should tell the coach to go fuck herself," Brock said. He was getting angrier as the time progressed. "Let her take a bunch of ass-clown rejects for the next month and watch the U.S. get their asses handed to them. The U.S. Soccer Committee would probably shit-can her. It sounds like she deserves it."

"She's a good coach," Chastity said. "Look, I'm just as upset about this as you are. I'm really sorry, Brock."

"You're going to miss your flight," he said. "I'll help you carry your bags over and see you off."

Chastity and Brock made it to her boarding spot in only a couple of minutes. Brock's temper really hadn't abated but it was no use in taking it out on Chas.

"I'll see you when I can," he said. "Maybe I can come to Mexico during the All-Star break. If not, we'll figure something out as soon as my season ends. I'm sorry I reacted that way. I just miss you and, well, I had to do a lot to make this weekend happen. It just pissed me off that a spur-of-the-moment decision could tear apart so much work."

Chastity had tears in her eyes.

"Mexico might be fun for you," she said. "But I think we're just flying down on Wednesday to get used to the altitude, playing Saturday and coming back Sunday. We're not staying down there and it's right back to work."

Brock bit the inside of his lip. It seemed to him as though Chastity didn't want him around her teammates.

"OK, scratch Mexico," he said. "My break doesn't start until Sunday afternoon anyway. Maybe I'll just lounge around L.A. that week. I really haven't had time to check out anyplace. Well, I guess you better get going. I'll see you whenever we can fit it in our schedules."

"Brock," Chastity said. "I'm sorry. I love you and I'll see you as soon as it can be arranged."

Brock nodded.

Don't go to any trouble, he thought to himself.

It was three days later when Brock arrived back in L.A. to find his front door unlocked. He was certain that he had not only locked the door before he left but set the security code. He was fanatical about making sure the security alarm was set before he left the house.

For a moment, he wondered if J.C. was playing the Angels that week and had decided to stay at his own house. Then he heard splashing in the pool behind the house.

Brock carefully eased around the side to see a girl leaning against the side of the pool talking into a cell phone. She appeared startled when Brock walked out.

"Who in the hell are you?" she asked indignantly.

"I might ask you the same question since it's my pool your lounging in," Brock shot back.

"Bullshit," the girl said. "J.C. Michaels lives here. He said I could use the pool anytime I wanted. He gave me a key."

"J.C. moved in February," Brock said. "I live here now. Now, you need to get out of here. And leave your key. I don't like have having strange kids here when I'm not around."

The girl pulled herself out of the water and glared at Brock.

"I'm not some strange kid," she said. "I live next door."

That was news to Brock. He wasn't home very much but he had never seen a soul at the house beside his.

"Good for you," he said. "Now, off you go. You can leave your key on the front table as you leave."

The girl rolled her eyes and stalked through the house. She paused dramatically when she reached the front door, took a key off the ring she carried and, glaring back at Brock, dropped it on the floor.

Brock shook his head and locked the door behind the girl.

It wasn't 20 minutes later when the doorbell rang. He glanced outside to see an older version of the girl standing on his porch looking agitated.

With a sigh, he opened the door.

"May I help you?" Brock asked.

The woman was startled to see him.

"Oh, you really do live here," she said. "I'm Darla Darby. Randi's my daughter."

"How nice for you," Brock replied. "What do you want?"

"Well, we've been gone for a while," the woman said. "We didn't realize J.C. didn't live here any longer. We knew that he was in Cleveland, of course, but we thought he still owned this house. My daughter was rather upset when she came home. She said you threw her out of the house."

"That is perhaps a bit overly dramatic, Ms. Darby," Brock replied. "I told her I didn't want her to be here without permission and I told her to leave her key when she left. At no time did I touch your daughter or threaten to."

The woman shook her head.

"Oh, no," she said, "of course not. I didn't mean to imply that and I'm sure Randi didn't either. She's been swimming over here for a couple of years. J.C. didn't seem to mind. She didn't realize it was an issue. I was hoping that after I cleared up the misunderstanding, that you might allow her to continue. Otherwise, we might have to put a pool in at our house and I'm not certain we will live there long enough to warrant that. Actually, I thought you might actually be a paparazzo or something. Randi said you came around the side of the house. I was a bit worried that you had taken pictures of her or something."

Brock's head was spinning. The girl was cute but she was just that – a girl.

"No," Brock said. "No pictures. And if your daughter wasn't so petulant, perhaps I might allow her to swim here. But I won't give her a key and I don't want her here when I'm not. I'm not willing to allow someone that young to have access to a pool without supervision. I'm sorry. It just seems irresponsible."

Darla didn't seem to understand that Brock was belittling her parenting skills.

"So she can swim here when you're around?" she asked. "We're really not here much. It would be such a help to us."

Brock looked at the ceiling.

"I want to speak to you both to make sure you both understand the ground rules," Brock said. "This is not a party spot. It is not a place for your daughter and her friends to hang out after school. There will be times when I don't feel like putting up with her. Times like now, for example. I've had a long weekend and I simply want to relax for a few hours. Perhaps we can speak tomorrow morning."

Darla smiled.

"That would be perfect," she said. "Randi will be so happy to hear that. She was upset that she couldn't swim here."

Darla practically skipped off the porch and Brock shook his head sadly before settling down to catch up on all the TV shows he'd missed during his road trip.

Brock was dozing lightly on his couch when his cell phone rang a little after six p.m. A glance at the ID said it Chastity. He wasn't sure if he wanted to speak to her but he answered anyway.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," Chas replied. She didn't seem very chipper. "You lost two of three in Seattle."

"Yeah, I noticed that," Brock replied. He had gone 0 for 11 in the three games. "How's practice going?"

"They're going to retool the roster before Mexico," Chastity told him. Brock knew she was in no danger of losing her spot but he also understood that some of her closer friends were on the bubble.

"Completely or just a spot or two?" he asked.

"Coach said every job is open," Chastity related.

"Oh, bullshit," Brock replied. "I get so sick and tired of listening to people fucking say that. We both know that's not true."

Chastity was silent.

"I guess it isn't," she said. She was coming to believe that Brock viewed her sport as less important than his. "But still, it has some people worried."

"I suppose that is the purpose," Brock admitted. "But still, it seems a little disingenuous to tell everybody their jobs are on the line when it's only a few. I know how many times I've heard that spiel and I could practically tell you whose jobs were in danger. And I could tell you if it was real threat or just something said to put a fire under his ass."

Chastity waited for a minute before speaking.

"Maybe that's all it is," she said. "But they're working us like it's everybody. I admit we didn't take T&T seriously. We were all looking forward to time away and it showed. So what's up with you? You haven't had a hit in a week."

"First time batting ninth and the first time I've seen those pitchers," Brock said.