Page 53 of The Strike Zone

The power of the treadmill belt would splatter me against the wall, like a cartoon.

This is how Road Runner must feel.

If I didn’t die, I’d need to be stretchered out of here. I’d have to spend the afternoon in rehab just to regain the use of my legs.

Marnie dialed up the speed again. The only thing stopping me from collapsing was the fact I could see Scout from the corner of my eye, standing at the side of the treadmill.

Scout was watching me.

Why was I putting myself through this again? To impress her?

What a chump.

I didn’t know how loudly I groaned, but it was loud enough that Marnie called time on this stupid plan of mine.

“Okay, we’re done. I think we’ve pushed Parker as far as he can go.” Marnie hit the Slow button on the treadmill, and it was all I could do to grab the bars on either side of the belt. I didn’t even have the strength to jump to the sides.

“Wow, Parker, I’m impressed,” Scout said as I ripped off the oxygen mask and jogged to a stop. “That was really something to watch.”

“Thanks,” I puffed out, wiping myself down for the second time with a sweat towel.

If I hadn’t been concentrating on not throwing up, I’d have seen Scout track the movement, eyes wide.

“Thanks, Doctor Matthews, I think we got what we need.”

“Are you sure?” Marnie replied in a tone full of amusement as her eyes flicked to me. “We still have a couple of tests to run.”

There was no need to translate the grunt I let out.

“I’m sure.” Scout laughed, while the guys packed up. “Thanks for letting us interrupt, we have a few more things to add, but the video will be up some time next week.”

“We all look forward to seeing it.” Marnie grinned at her.

“Bye, doc. See you around, Parker.”

The second Scout left the room, I grabbed the trash can and hurled my guts up, before collapsing onto the floor.

Through the black spots blurring my vision and the ringing in my ears, I could just make out Marnie standing over me. “Are you okay?”

Even if I could speak, I didn’t have an answer.

“I have to say, Parker, that was truly impressive, and I can tell you now Robson Barry couldn’t have done that twice. Maybe not even Jupiter.”

I perked up a fraction. Not even the great Jupiter Reeves, though it was debatable he’d do something this stupid to begin with.

If I wasn’t careful, this friendship thing with Scout was going to kill me in more ways than one.

FOURTEEN

SCOUT

There was no mistaking the familiar shape in the distance, outlined against the bright May sun shining down from the clear blue sky.

Broad shoulders tapering down to a narrow waist and the best butt in baseball. Unofficially. Even if that butt of his hadn’t been haunting my dreams for the past few nights, I’d have recognized it.

It was pure coincidence he was out here, arriving at the same time he always did when we had a home game.

It wasn’t that I’d chosen this exact moment to run and grab a coffee from the shop and arrive back through the gates at the exact same time Parker pulled up, hopped out of his car, and made his way across the parking lot to the stadium entrance.

---