Page 30 of Scoring in Cedarwood

Chapter Seven

Dane stopped in the corridor at the bottom of the steps. Where was he? The bowels of the stadium? He’d never been to this part of the facility. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but the lighting seemed darker and almost spooky. Maybe the odd element was the lack of people and noise. The images of the team mascot running and growling unnerved him.

He stopped at the door labeledLOCKER ROOM. Devlin and Raji were right. He liked Tanner. He’d ignored the rules and should’ve had his head examined when he made a play for Tanner. But he’d been given approval to do so. Would he see Tanner differently now that the rule wasn’t in place?

The door opened and Paul walked out to the corridor. “Doc.” He grinned and switched his bag to his left shoulder before sticking out his right hand. “How are you? I’m still so thankful you helped Delia out last year. Who knew she’d get the chicken pox at age two?”

“She’s little and went to day care. It happens.” He steeled himself. He liked Paul Black. The man was pleasant and had a sweet family. He’d served as a physician to both of Paul’s children at one time or another. But he couldn’t shake the fear that Paul would want to talk about Tanner. He wasn’t sure why he’d make the connection, but still. “I’m glad your daughter is okay.” Should he ask about the incidents today? Keep quiet? “I missed the game today.”

“You didn’t miss much. We weren’t great and I don’t want to talk about it.” Paul clapped Dane on the shoulder. “I like Dr. Raji, but I wouldn’t be upset if you were the team doctor.”

That wasn’t going to happen. “I’m good at the practice.”

Paul paused. “Are you touring the facility? Lost?”

“I’m supposed to be meeting someone.” Did he sound lame? “And I’m a little lost.”

“Who?” Paul blushed. “Sorry. Not my business…unless you want help locating someone.”

What did he have to lose? Paul knew he was gay and still brought his family in for care at the practice. “I’m on the hunt for Tanner Fox.”

“Oh, he’s still in there,” Paul said. “He’s cute. You should make overtures toward him.”

Dane’s words were gone. He opened and closed his mouth without uttering a sound.

Paul smirked then chuckled. “Say no more. Have a good evening and I hope you find him.” He winked before he left.

Holy motherfucker.Dane fought the urge to rake his fingers through his hair. He needed to get a hold of himself and center. Paul was a smart guy. He had to know the obvious—Tanner and Dane had attraction. What could Dane do? He’d created the mess and he’d have to own it.

He pushed the door open and stepped into the locker room. The scents of body odor, sweat and leather surrounded him. He steadied himself and kept going. He spotted Tanner’s open locker. Tanner’s things were still in the cubby, but Tanner wasn’t anywhere to be seen. He wasn’t sure where to look for the baseball player. He’d never been in the locker room before.

“Doc.” Zeppelin Starr strode up to him. He stuck his hand out. “How the hell are you?” His towel barely concealed his lower half. His sandals squeaked as he moved. “You caught me fresh out of the shower.”

“I can see that.” Did he seem scared? Because of Zeppelin?No, Tanner.“I’m good. How are you?” He shook hands with Zeppelin. “Did you have a decent game?”

“I’m great. I got two hits and one run batted in.” Zeppelin smiled, but his tone became harsh. “What brings you to the locker room?”

“A friend.” He slid his hands into his pockets to hide his trembling. He could hold his own with patients and fellow doctors, but Zeppelin unnerved him. Zeppelin was a shoestring member of the coalition and knew Dane was gay. “I’m allowed to have friends, aren’t I?” He’d only spoken to Zeppelin in professional settings, but he didn’t doubt the ballplayer would run to the coalition with any new information.

“You can.” Zeppelin swept his gaze over Dane. His chest gleamed with water and his hair dripped. “You’d better not be trolling my locker room for a quick lay.”

Good God.“No one said anything about sex—until you did.” Screw it. If Zeppelin wanted to make trouble, he’d face it head on. He refused to back down again. “Lay off.”

“Why? The Wildcats were a great team until you joined as a sponsor. We let one standard sag and we ended up with Tanner Fox. Why couldn’t he be on another team? Everything’s going downhill,” Zeppelin said. “It’s ridiculous.”

“Are you saying gay men can’t play baseball? Or they can’t in Cedarwood?” Dane asked. “I’m getting the feeling you don’t like my money as sponsorship dollars, but you’ve had no problem taking the stipend—which is part of what I’ve helped sponsor.”

“I’m not gay,” Zeppelin snarled.

“Okay? That means nothing.” Dane shrugged. “No one expects you to be and besides, if you were, you wouldn’t be able to play ball in this town—according to your rules.”

“Just get out.”

Dane rolled his eyes. “You’re not in charge here, first of all. Second, I’m not leaving until I meet up with my friend. Third, I’m a sponsor and deserve respect. I’ve got access to the facility and it’s all business-geared, not social.” He stood tall and embraced his courage. “Fourth, whether I’m gay or anyone else is has no bearing on whether or not the guys on the team can play. You should be more worried about being a team player than anything else. If you win, you all win. If you lose, then it’s losing as a team. You think you’re the star, but it’s a team sport.”

“I am after today. They saw the skid is still in place. He’ll be traded in three games.” Zeppelin curled his lip in a sneer then walked away.

Damn.Dane scrubbed the back of his hand across his mouth. Arguing with Zeppelin was hard when the man made little sense. But Zeppelin wasn’t important to him. He could bitch all day long, but Zeppelin didn’t decide who was traded and who stayed. Dane turned on his heel to survey the room. Tanner stood in the doorway between the locker room and the corridor. He’d dressed. The jeans hugged his lower body in all the right places and the faded T-shirt showcased the power in his chest. His chunky boots added a touch of ruggedness to his look.

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